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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

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********************************************************************** THIS EBOOK WAS ONE OF PROJECT GUTENBERG'S EARLY FILES PRODUCED AT A TIME WHEN PROOFING METHODS AND TOOLS WERE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AT EBOOK #1523. THE HTML FILE AT: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1523/1523-h/1523-h.htm ********************************************************************** The Project Gutenberg EBook of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: As You Like It Author: William Shakespeare Posting Date: March 26, 2011 [EBook #1121] Release Date: December, 1997 Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AS YOU LIKE IT *** > 1601 AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE, living in exile FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, " " " " " " LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys JAQUES, " " " " " " ORLANDO, " " " " " " ADAM, servant to Oliver DENNIS, " " " TOUCHSTONE, the court jester SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar CORIN, shepherd SILVIUS, " WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick PHEBE, a shepherdes AUDREY, a country wench Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants > SCENE: OLIVER'S house; FREDERICK'S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER'S house Enter ORLANDO and ADAM ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires] OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here? ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing. OLIVER. What mar you then, sir? ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile. ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury? OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir? ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard. OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir? ORLANDO. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him] ORLANDO. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLIVER. Let me go, I say. ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have some part of your will. I pray you leave me. ORLANDO. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke such a word. Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter DENNIS DENNIS. Calls your worship? OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? DENNIS. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you. OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter CHARLES CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship. OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new court? CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father? CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live? CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world. OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is thing of his own search and altogether against my will. OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. CHARLES. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit OLIVER. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit > SCENE II. A lawn before the DUKE'S palace Enter ROSALIND and CELIA CELIA. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA. Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. ROSALIND. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. CELIA. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? CELIA. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. ROSALIND. What shall be our sport, then? CELIA. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced; and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest; and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. ROSALIND. Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE CELIA. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit. CELIA. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! Whither wander you? TOUCHSTONE. Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA. Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. ROSALIND. Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught. Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. TOUCHSTONE. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. TOUCHSTONE. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you swear by that that not, you are not forsworn; no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or that mustard. CELIA. Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st? TOUCHSTONE. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no more of him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU ROSALIND. With his mouth full of news. CELIA. Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. CELIA. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau. What's the news? LE BEAU. Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA. Sport! of what colour? LE BEAU. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you? ROSALIND. As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE. Or as the Destinies decrees. CELIA. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE. Nay, if I keep not my rank- ROSALIND. Thou losest thy old smell. LE BEAU. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. LE BEAU. There comes an old man and his three sons- CELIA. I could match this beginning with an old tale. LE BEAU. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND. With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by these presents'- LE BEAU. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND. Alas! TOUCHSTONE. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU. Why, this that I speak of. TOUCHSTONE. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA. Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. CELIA. Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS FREDERICK. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND. Is yonder the man? LE BEAU. Even he, madam. CELIA. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully. FREDERICK. How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. FREDERICK. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CELIA. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. FREDERICK. Do so; I'll not be by. [DUKE FREDERICK goes apart] LE BEAU. Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO. I attend them with all respect and duty. ROSALIND. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. CELIA. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. ORLANDO. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. ROSALIND. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA. And mine to eke out hers. ROSALIND. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you! CELIA. Your heart's desires be with you! CHARLES. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? ORLANDO. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. FREDERICK. You shall try but one fall. CHARLES. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. ORLANDO. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me before; but come your ways. ROSALIND. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [They wrestle] ROSALIND. O excellent young man! CELIA. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout] FREDERICK. No more, no more. ORLANDO. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd. FREDERICK. How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord. FREDERICK. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. FREDERICK. I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth; I would thou hadst told me of another father. Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU CELIA. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son- and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. ROSALIND. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind; Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventur'd. CELIA. Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him; My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd; If you do keep your promises in love But justly as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck] Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? CELIA. Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO. Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. CELIA. Will you go, coz? ROSALIND. Have with you. Fare you well. Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA ORLANDO. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU LE BEAU. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke's condition That he misconstrues all that you have done. The Duke is humorous; what he is, indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the Duke That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter; The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this Duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well. Exit LE BEAU Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit SCENE III. The DUKE's palace Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word? ROSALIND. Not one to throw at a dog. CELIA. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. ROSALIND. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons and the other mad without any. CELIA. But is all this for your father? ROSALIND. No, some of it is for my child's father. O, how full of briers is this working-day world! CELIA. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. ROSALIND. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. CELIA. Hem them away. ROSALIND. I would try, if I could cry 'hem' and have him. CELIA. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. ROSALIND. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. CELIA. O, a good wish upon you! You will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest. Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? ROSALIND. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly. CELIA. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. ROSALIND. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. CELIA. Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well? Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with LORDS ROSALIND. Let me love him for that; and do you love him because I do. Look, here comes the Duke. CELIA. With his eyes full of anger. FREDERICK. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, And get you from our court. ROSALIND. Me, uncle? FREDERICK. You, cousin. Within these ten days if that thou beest found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it. ROSALIND. I do beseech your Grace, Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; If that I do not dream, or be not frantic- As I do trust I am not- then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your Highness. FREDERICK. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, They are as innocent as grace itself. Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not. ROSALIND. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. FREDERICK. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough. ROSALIND. SO was I when your Highness took his dukedom; So was I when your Highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? My father was no traitor. Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. CELIA. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. FREDERICK. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, Else had she with her father rang'd along. CELIA. I did not then entreat to have her stay; It was your pleasure, and your own remorse; I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why so am I: we still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. FREDERICK. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool. She robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous When she is gone. Then open not thy lips. Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. CELIA. Pronounce that sentence, then, on me, my liege; I cannot live out of her company. FREDERICK. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself. If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. Exeunt DUKE and LORDS CELIA. O my poor Rosalind! Whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee be not thou more griev'd than I am. ROSALIND. I have more cause. CELIA. Thou hast not, cousin. Prithee be cheerful. Know'st thou not the Duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? ROSALIND. That he hath not. CELIA. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks, then, the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one. Shall we be sund'red? Shall we part, sweet girl? No; let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us; And do not seek to take your charge upon you, To bear your griefs yourself, and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. ROSALIND. Why, whither shall we go? CELIA. To seek my uncle in the Forest of Arden. ROSALIND. Alas, what danger will it be to

hepsey

How many times the word 'hepsey' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

til

How many times the word 'til' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

counting

How many times the word 'counting' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

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How many times the word 'down' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

female

How many times the word 'female' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

lick

How many times the word 'lick' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

list)

How many times the word 'list)' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

support

How many times the word 'support' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

go

How many times the word 'go' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

seeing

How many times the word 'seeing' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

lucky

How many times the word 'lucky' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

stretches

How many times the word 'stretches' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

word

How many times the word 'word' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

moved

How many times the word 'moved' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

game

How many times the word 'game' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

loud

How many times the word 'loud' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

brusquely

How many times the word 'brusquely' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

destroyed

How many times the word 'destroyed' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

problem

How many times the word 'problem' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

shoulders

How many times the word 'shoulders' appears in the text?

- 20 MINUTES LATER Matt is extraordinarily anxious. Then he HEARS loud crying and screaming from next door. There is a stab of despair. Matt deflates, then resigned, exits. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The sound of screaming now louder. He walks to Lucy's door, takes a breath and knocks. The door opens and Lucy stands there looking rattled. MATT I'm sorry I bothered you. (calling inside) Jeannie... LUCY Could I have her a little bit longer? My little boy just fell and Jeannie is the only one he let hold him. ON MATT A devil's weight lifted from his shoulders. The slap-happy smile of the just saved plastered on his face. MATT Your little boy fell, so he's screaming. And you want her to stay. Lucy, confused by his buoyant reaction, nods. LUCY Okay. Seven dollars an hour? MATT Great. Thank you. See you later, Jeannie. He tries to kiss her, but she shuns him. Lucy, now having an official status, turns to admonish her. MATT No, that's okay. I'm fine with it. I feel fine. EXT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT Burke walks tight little circles near Cathy and the rest of his staff while a few feet away Studio Executives stand in a cluster. There is a DISTANT, RHYTHMIC SHUFFLING SOUND. Burke walks past Cathy. BURKE Nothing good that happens tonight can make it worth feeling the way I do right now. Nothing. (turning to Cathy) What do you think? CATHY (nervously taking the plunge) To be honest, I had problems with 'Ground Zero.' But this 'People Get Hurt' one, while it might not be my exact, exact thing, I think will really work for an audience. It's so over the top, you have a great time. BURKE So you think it'll score big? CATHY Yes. INT. COUNTING ROOM - NIGHT Where we discover the SOURCE OF THE SOUND. Some twenty card- counters on the floor riffling through stacks of cards with erasers. Matt and Nan stand in the doorway. NAN Don't worry. My daughter used to throw fits in supermarkets when we first moved here. It's all so perfectly normal. Plus I know a great psychiatric children's group. MATT That's what breaks your heart. Jeannie's problem is that she's so down on herself. NAN Well, she's lucky to have a daddy who cares, believe me. MATT I don't know if lucky's the word. I'm hoping she's asleep when I get home so I won't have to deal with her... I'm actually afraid of my own kid. NAN Oh, my. I've had exactly that feeling and never said it out loud. See, there are men who talk my language and I'm just cursed that I'm not attracted to them because they are so nice they remind me of myself. Matt laughs. In the b.g., the counting is completed. GROUP CAPTAIN Excellents? GIRL COUNTER Seven. GROUP CAPTAIN Very goods? BOY COUNTER 14. GROUP CAPTAIN Fairs? SECOND BOY CARD COUNTER 30. GROUP CAPTAIN Poors? SECOND GIRL CARD COUNTER Just a second... (finishes counting) 666. The Group Captain notes the figure on a sheet, walks to the doorway and hands it to Nan, who is still deep into conversation with Matt. She begins walking back to the theater without looking at the sheet in her hand. NAN I felt terrible about the way I blew up at you when I first met you. (before he can object) Please. FULL SHOT - THEATER AREA - NIGHT Burke and others waiting as Matt and Nan come to a stop some distance away. BURKE What are they doing? NAN I began taking anti-depressants when we moved here from Washington. I had some small reactions--sleeping 14 hours, no libido, I gained 17 pounds in nine days--that sort of thing. So they gave me pills to deal with the side effects. And then pills to deal with the side effects I was getting from those pills. All this besides the stuff the nutritionist was giving me. The combination formed some sort of potion so that I keep telling the truth. I don't have a choice. That's why I was so rude to you. MATT Your doctor says this? NAN Oh, yes. He's excited, but only because he sees glory for himself in it... See, ordinarily I wouldn't say that about my doctor, but I can't help it, it's the truth. He's monitoring me for a while longer before writing it up for this medical journal... Cathy has joined them. CATHY Burke's going crazy waiting for the score. NAN Coming. CATHY (to Matt) How are you, anyway? Matt shifts, figuring out his answer. CATHY (a small laugh) It's a tough one, huh? Me too. Nan looks down at the score. NAN Oh, my. Matt, I'd better drive him myself. She starts for Burke. ON BURKE AND OTHERS As Nan arrives and hands the Studio Executives the score, Burke looking over their shoulders. BURKE I can fix this... Get some narration written. . . (turning to Director) You'll cut 30 minutes. It will come out like butter. DIRECTOR We're only 77 minutes now... BURKE (mumbling to himself) ...a 47-minute movie... no, that won't work... FEMALE STUDIO EXEC I have to go. I have a nanny problem. Priorities, right? BURKE Thanks for the support. She kisses his cheek and leaves. A beat of silence... Burke turns to Nan. BURKE (again) Can you help? Exactly the moment Nan has been waiting for... she does have a valuable observation to offer at this dark moment. NAN Yes, I can. BURKE (hopeful) Go ahead. NAN It's only a movie. As Burke looks at her from the depths of his pain and sees her confidently believing that she has imparted something of value, the movie's marquee lights go off giving us a: BLACK OUT: INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - NIGHT As he carries an enormously resistant Jeannie, wearing a borrowed T-shirt nightie, back towards his apartment... Matt has Jeannie under one arm--her clothes and shoes in another... Jeannie's arms are extended towards Lucy, who stands in the open doorway of her apartment. She begins thrashing. Giant tears come--the moment is operatic. JEANNIE Let go. Please, Lucy, don't make me go. MATT Everyone's tired. You can come back tomorr... LUCY Listen to me, Jeannie... JEANNIE I want to live here with these people. God, let me live here. MATT Maybe if she stayed tonight she... JEANNIE I love it here so much that... Now her father's last words have registered on her--she immediately stops crying, though tears still roll down her cheeks. JEANNIE Daddy says I can stay. Jeannie wriggles away towards Lucy's doorway. Lucy takes several steps toward Matt, who obviously fears the looming exchange. LUCY I no think you can give her what pleases when she act like this... Because then she think... Matt is very much like a fighter taking a great deal of punishment, knowing he is beaten, but being told by his corner he must make a fight of it. He nods his head repeatedly in agreement... MATT I know... I know... Now he sniffs the air in quick rhythm, hoping to draw in some courage and resolve. He moves to Jeannie. MATT You'll see Lucy in the morning. We're going home. JEANNIE No. I'm not! STOP! INT. MATT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT As they enter and Matt pushes her into the other room and closes the door, placing her in there alone. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jeannie, behind the double glass-paneled doors of the bedroom. HER POV Matt, upset in a way he has never imagined, as he pops a beer--puts on some headphones for calming music and begins to read a book on child behavior modification. ON JEANNIE Feeling the restrictions of her punishment, pacing and now she begins to wail "THIS LONELY LIFE". Few adult women have sung with such appropriate passion out of need and loss, aloneness and confusion. The song finishes. Jeannie sits huddled. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY This rooftop serves as an outdoor commissary for Popcorn Pictures. There are a few tables, snack machines and umbrellas. The whole "D" staff is there, including Cathy, having lunch, along with Claire, the casting assistant. In the b.g., we see Matt, huddled, sitting on the roof's awful green outdoor carpeting, feeling much the same as Jeannie in the previous scene. ON MATT Off in the distance, the Popcorn execs contentedly ply their trade. As he overhears their conversation and the words begin to register in all their horror. MILLIE Will somebody take a minute to look over my casting list before Burke gets here? MALE D PERSON (scanning list) This isn't so great, Millie. MILLIE Well, I wanted to put in people we had a shot at getting. MALE D PERSON (reading from list) F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Daniels, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Rip Torn, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich... For an action lead? MILLIE Could you at least take it one person at a time instead of... MALE D PERSON Okay. Let's play 'State the Obvious'... F. Murray Abraham has a nose as long as an Aspen ski line, Ed Harris is losing his hair, Joe Mantegna has never played the lead in a big movie... Willem Dafoe's teeth... Bob Hoskins looks fur bearing when he takes off his shirt... Malkovich... Matt can take it no more. He hears a loud voice coming from his own throat. He wigs out. MATT I can't stand it anymore. I can't. CATHY What's wrong? What happened? MATT What, in God's name, are you doing in this job you have? SHOT As they all start to answer at once. MATT I mean him. What, in God's name, do you know about casting? MALE D PERSON Me? Matt rises and walks towards the Male D Person. MATT Yes. What do you know? About anything? You don't even know you have a habit of touching your tongue with a finger like you want to lick yourself. (note: this is his little habit) Yet, you talk like you actually know something... So I want you to tell me... (louder) ...what you know. MALE D PERSON I'm not going to be drawn into this. MATT I've been an actor most of my life and this is the first time I've ever heard what the people calling the shots sound like when they're casting. So I really want to find out what, if anything, you know because what if nothing you know. FEMALE D PERSON I don't think the yelling is necessary. MATT Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. And I'm not talking to you. And I don't like you. MALE D PERSON How about you just mind your own business? Matt is very close to him--he shakes his chair. MATT You're minding my business. That's the problem... so, just tell me, what do you know? ON MALE D PERSON Matt's manner is threatening. The Male D Person looks around for some support and finds little... then Matt's tone changes... it's reasonable, almost seductive. MATT Just tell me and I'll shut up. MALE D PERSON (taking the bait) First of all, I've been going to movies since I was six, for God's sake... MATT What you know is the size of a schnozz. What you don't know is that these guys... (indicates list) ...are for real... ON CATHY She is a ricochet victim of every word Matt says, as he continues to indict the Male D Person and unknowingly reach her instead. His fury grows and becomes more complicated, containing an element of mourning. MATT (again) ...that they can make something happen, and even they don't know what that is till they get in there and play a little... they can make something happen that you can't even imagine... and it's not your fault, this stupidity... 'cause you're just this scared little prick who gets to say he's making movies, and the only thing they ever taught you is that what you like doesn't matter. MALE D PERSON (frightened) Thanks for understanding. The anger leaves Matt. He is depleted. MATT But isn't it almost good manners for you to feel a little shame? Cathy rises and begins to exit. MATT (again) I didn't mean you. CATHY If you didn't, you sure should have. She exits. The D Person's Colleagues have taken advantage of the beat to egg him on. MALE D PERSON You talk about manners--are you actually so bitter you don't realize how you acted just now? You're gone, pal. But at least know that we can't help that we're making it. MATT Oh, shit. You win. You got lucky with 'bitter.' That word just scares me to death. INT. STAIRWELL - DAY A distraught Cathy is walking down as Burke bounds up. BURKE You look down. CATHY I am. BURKE Thank you. I appreciate the support. CATHY I'm not down for you. I'm down about myself. BURKE (not hearing) Oh. What if 'Ground Zero' doesn't do well this weekend? CATHY Please listen to me. He nods, but she pauses, disconcerted. BURKE What? CATHY I just got this feeling of seeing myself talking to you and how this is the most important moment of... ever. BURKE (brusquely) Okay. Good. What is it? CATHY I've been watching this company make movies that cost tens of millions of dollars and all the while I've known about this wonderful script which we can somehow own and we could make for about $14,000,000... $3,000,000 if you can live without stars or a name director. BURKE Is that it? Okay, send me... CATHY I've sent you coverage on it nine times. I swear to you, Burke, it will work. You've never heard me say that. BURKE How about last night? CATHY (an unexpectedly fierce outburst) I don't know anything about action- adventure!! (on his look, she gains control) I have no idea where that came from. Hey, I know everyone thinks I don't have any commercial sense because of what I said at the 'Gremlins' preview and all... And you think I can't put myself on the line. Well, if this picture doesn't work, fire me. Have me killed if it doesn't get good reviews. If this doesn't get a 70 percent definite recommend from women 49 and under, I promise to be your sex slave until they drop ticket prices back to five bucks and start enforcing the R rating. BURKE You're selling very excellent. Very excellent presentation. CATHY You've got to do this. I think this movie can save me. BURKE (disgusted) Oh, please... What's the script? CATHY 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.' EXT. MATT'S APARTMENT - EVENING As Matt exits his car with beaten down body language. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING As he leads Jeannie briskly down the hall from Lucy's apartment and into his own. JEANNIE Why couldn't you even look at the way I dressed Ricky? MATT Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just had a real rough day... so just let it sit there, okay? JEANNIE But what was it? Tellll me... Compromise... You sad? MATT Yes. (through gritted neck cords) Now, I really need to be quiet. JEANNIE (eyes him, then) You!! I know what will cheer you up. Moving very quickly and with great purpose, she slaps a tape into a pink child's cassette player and MUSIC BEGINS... Jeannie sings along with the child's chorus on the tape, "YOU COULD BE WONDERFUL", making, with little hand motions, the last thing Matt needs, but, in due course, he starts to actually make a bit of transitional progress out of his own troubles and into the fact that his daughter is beguiling. But, before the mood can fully sweeten, Jeannie forgets the lyrics and begins to verbally assault herself as the tape continues to play... JEANNIE I can't even remember the words... I am stupid. MATT No, you're not. You're not stupid and I'm not bitter... and you know why? Because there's no cure for either one and we've got to believe in some cure for each of us. JEANNIE I am stupid. I can't even remember the words to some baby song. MATT Oh, Jeannie... I just can't do this now. The phone rings... As he goes to answer it... MATT (into phone) Hello? Yes. Cathy... Hey. Just a second. His mood has changed. It's a fine sign that Cathy has called him at home. He needs only for his child to take pity and listen to him. MATT Jeannie, please... be quiet for one second... this is very important for me. She decides, with some difficulty, to let him continue. MATT (into phone) So? Wow. Good for you. Congratulations. Jeannie mouths the words, "Who is it?" Matt holds up a finger asking her to wait. MATT Me? This is great. I'll come right over and pick up the script. Okay. If you want to. Bring it over. Goodbye. (to Jeannie) We might make it yet, kid. EXT. MATT'S STREET - EVENING As Cathy drives past some rough examples of street life, and finally finds Matt's building with its grim iron gate security system. Cathy, uncomfortable in these surroundings, parks her car, brushes her hair, while, at the same time, putting in place a phony cheap-car-radio-sticker over her own expensive system, and gets out. INT. MATT'S APT. ENTRANCE - EVENING She buzzes his apartment and waits. MATT'S VOICE Cathy? CATHY Yes. MATT'S VOICE I'll buzz you in. You've got to be quick and push hard. In the b.g. WE HEAR Jeannie loudly imploring her father to make the person wait till she's finished dressing. There is the SOUND OF the buzzer. Cathy hurls herself at the door a good four times before finally timing it right and gathering the necessary strength to spill through. INT. MATT'S HALLWAY - EVENING Cathy stands there overhearing the voices from inside. JEANNIE'S VOICE But why can't I stay just a little while? MATT'S VOICE Because this is a very special friend of Daddy's and I need privacy... Be fair... I let you wear that dress. Cathy knocks. Matt opens the door. MATT Hi. He steps aside so Cathy may enter... The place is tidied up. He has changed his clothes and Jeannie is wearing a lace dress, fit for a young princess, complete with flowered tiara and ballet slippers, with trailing blue ribbons at the heels and a velvet cape. MATT This is my daughter, Queen Elizabeth. Jeannie, this is Cathy. CATHY Hi... What a pretty dress. JEANNIE Thank you. That's nice. ON MATT Happy that Jeannie is behaving so well. CATHY Are you going to a party? JEANNIE (wildly hopeful) Am I going to a party, Dad? MATT (quickly) No. You're going next door. Jeannie is crest-fallen; for a horrible second, it looks as if she may start to wail... Matt moves into action with a pep talk. MATT Remember our compromise? You're going next door to Lucy's to play and you'll show the kids your dress and I'll come get you later and we'll go out someplace and I'll buy you anything you want for under seventeen dollars? JEANNIE I remember. She starts for the door, doubles back, and kisses a surprised Cathy full on the lips... The gesture is beautifully, even movingly carried off. It is totally false. JEANNIE (again to Cathy) Goodbye. I love you... CATHY (totally thrown) Well,... thank you. Jeannie is on the run... as she passes her father. MATT (sotto) Thanks. Jeannie nods acknowledgment as she flies past. OTHER ANGLE Favoring Cathy, Matt leans out the doorway until Jeannie is safely next door, then re-enters. CATHY What a little winner, huh? MATT (modestly) Oh...? CATHY (waving script) This is my favorite project. And it looks like we're going ahead with it. MATT (overlap) 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?' Oh, it's a remake... CATHY Well, come on, what's original? And this is a wonderful rewrite. It's funnier. MATT And there's a part in it for... CATHY Yes... Burke says I can test whoever I want. He wasn't even surprised when I mentioned you. So, if you could read this rewrite now and if you like it, we can make a test deal... (catching herself) they can make a test deal... we can tell them that they can make a test deal. (in explanation) I think it's important for me to steer clear of the business end. MATT Okay... which part? CATHY Longfellow Deeds. MATT Mr. Deeds? CATHY Who goes to town, yes. Matt takes this in... takes this miracle in. MATT Who are we kidding? I'm even having trouble getting short parts--I'm going to say I love it no matter what you've done to it. CATHY Stop being so creepy honest. I really have an instinct about you for this. I'm going home--call me when you finish reading it. (how quickly status changes things) Or... come on over. INT. BURKE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING A post-coital moment though only the man is visible; Burke, who lies on the bed wearing a shirt and tie and nothing else. Nan lies out of sight on the floor where she is recovering from the deepest orgasm of her life. BURKE Why not? If you can test movies and premises and want-to-sees, why can't you test screen tests? Nan hauls herself into view, climbing back onto the bed. NAN I can't deal with your self-centered dribble right now. I have just had the biggest orgasm of my life and I'm trying to figure out if I'm in love with you. BURKE What? NAN Whoops. Tell me what made you rush over and pick me up and bring me here at six o'clock. I mean we seem to have... She closes her eyes in a characteristic and touching gesture, as the scientist in her struggles to be precise. NAN (again) ...this unspoken agreement not to talk about why we're together when we're together and I don't think it's good to let that become a pattern for us. She focuses again on Burke. Prepared for, at last, some verbal intimacy. BURKE Why did I rush to you? Because I felt like I had to... be with someone and you were closest. (on Nan's reaction) What's wrong? NAN You're not at all aware that you've just said something... (her eyes close) ...unattractive? BURKE Look, I'm sorry if that came out... NAN I'm not looking for an apology. BURKE I'm just trying to say that one of the things I'm not great at is... NAN Let's not make this about your shortcomings. I'm sure you've had enough of those conversations to last you a lifetime. What I'm... BURKE No, I haven't. NAN No, you haven't what? BURKE Had a conversation about shortcomings... NAN (aghast) No woman has ever told you that you have an almost barbaric insensitivity? That you seem to have lapsed into some final cynicism, where you actually believe that, not only does everyone think the way you do, but only you have the courage to express it? That you seem horribly certain everyone else is sort of pretending when they talk about love or seem to care for anything outside their own anus? No one's ever said that sort of thing to you? BURKE Oh, yeah... But I didn't get what you meant by 'shortcomings.' Hey, if you think things like that, what are you doing here? NAN (indignantly) I'm here for the same reason 86 percent of older women loved 'Beauty and the Beast.' I would like to believe that underneath the creature, there is a sweet, caring guy. BURKE I sure hope you're wrong. Nan breaks up, shaking her head ruefully. NAN I have to pick up Leslie. Burke, not having intended humor, is also lighthearted, having somehow avoided a tight spot. EXT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Matt, holding the script, walks the small lane through the tidy lawn to the perfect Silver Lake cottage. We HEAR MUSIC from inside. (A soundtrack.) There is a note on the door, which is slightly ajar, reading: "Come right in if you loved it--ring if you have reservations." Matt enters. INT. CATHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT White walls, thick rugs, great, great, fantasy garret; sparse, but cozy. He walks a step, then there is a girlish squeal and a naked Cathy streaks the rest of the way to her bedroom from the bathroom. CATHY (calling) I mistimed it. (sticking her head out the door) I wanted you to catch me fully frontal. She smiles broadly; hurriedly putting on something quick and loose to match her buzz. As she walks to him, the phone rings. She ignores it. CATHY So you loved it. A lot? A little? MATT Give me a second--all of a sudden, there's a lot to deal with. She sits on the sofa--looking at him. MATT (again) It's terrific. CATHY (pointedly) Do you see why I think you're right? MATT Because you're nice and you know I need work. CATHY (lower) You know this is really happening, so I wish you wouldn't kid around about it. MATT Sorry, but I think the audition rule is that I have to be serious unless the person in charge is wearing a bathrobe and her nipples are sticking out... (holds fingers apart) ...this much. Cathy peeks down her bathrobe. Then broadly. CATHY There are some mixed signals coming out of here, aren't there? (phone rings; she answers) Hi. Working... I can't write down a number now. Call me back. (to Matt) The script? MATT It's really good. I get a little nervous thinking about the opportunity. CATHY I want to hear everything. You want to go page by page? MATT If it's okay. I kind of work on these things in a private... it's just... it's a little better for me if I don't... CATHY (hurt) Okay. MATT Okay, let's do it. It won't kill me. CATHY Please. I understand. An uncertain beat and then she leans over and kisses him. A sound escapes him. They get up and begin walking to the bedroom. MATT I swear to God, I don't know which thing I want more, the sex or the conversation afterwards. CATHY (a smile) What do you mean? INT. CATHY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT As they enter and move to the bed where Matt starts undressing. MATT I mean I haven't been to bed with anyone since Jeannie got here... I haven't talked to anyone the way I need to. (cradling her breast) I haven't seen anything this beautiful. I haven't felt this good about life. I mean, I've been lonely, Cathy. CATHY (as he enters her) I'll tell you the truth, Matt. I've never felt more like turning my phone off. She twists her body gracefully, sexily towards the phone. MATT You can't shut the phone off. I left this number with Jeannie's sitter. CATHY I don't understand what you're worried about. MATT I'm not worried. But if the phone was off, I would worry. CATHY But I get a lot of calls. MATT Oh. CATHY I could put the machine on 'monitor,' but it's going to be... I don't know. MATT It will be okay. I think the most important thing is to stop talking about the phone. Turn it off, monitor, whatever. CATHY Okay. She twists toward the phone again--not quite so beautifully. OTHER ANGLE As she hits the "monitor" button, then turns back to him. CATHY You look so serious. MATT I am so serious. CATHY'S POV Matt totally there... this is major for him, then he does something sensitive... reads her concern over the depth of his need and interest and shrugs, indicating he can't help it. ON CATHY She likes him. THE COUPLE As they make love... their union thrown off kilter by the phone messages which roll in periodically as they thrust and sweat towards intimacy. YOUNGER MALE VOICE (broadly) Hi, Cathy... All my magazines came today... Read the new Vanity Fair, they take apart three people we hate... Spy is bad this month... Scorsese didn't get the Time cover, the plane crash did... ha, ha, ha... Why aren't you at the office? You know, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to reach people's machines... Bye. The love making continues as the calls continue. MALE D PERSON VOICE Cathy? Are you there? Hello... Are you there?? I'm going to count to ten. One, two, three... (then to someone passing his office) Did you go to the screening last night? What did you think? That makes two bombs in a row for her. (into phone) ...four, five, six... Pick up if you're there. I've got major gossip... major screwup. It could be good for us. Cathy, in the throes of sexual union, feeling a bit divided by the offer on the phone... she shakes it off. MATT Is this the kind of crap you listen to all day? CATHY Please, we're making love here. BURKE'S VOICE (incredibly depressed) If the TV show bombs, there's going to be a dance party on my grave. I don't give a crap. Nothing seems to have a point anymore. I'm really questioning everything... including action-adventure... Don't tell anyone I'm down. Even destroy the message tape. Don't tell anyone I said to destroy the message tape. Don't even give hints that there's something you can't tell them, but you wish you could... I'm losing it. I'm losing it. I'm losing it. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. Don't tell nobody. The sound of a hang up... the couple having more difficulty making love... ON CATHY AND MATT As they look to the phone and react--still joined, then: JEANNIE'S VOICE (sobbing) Daddy... (berating someone who is with her) You dialed bad... Where is he? LUCY'S VOICE (with Jeannie coaching b.g.) Matt, Jeannie is very upset because you are not here when you said. And now the big hand is on the eight... The sound of a hangup... As Matt springs from the bed. MATT I'm sorry... CATHY It's all right. MATT (as he leaves) Is there a name for what we just

sniffs

How many times the word 'sniffs' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

tea

How many times the word 'tea' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

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How many times the word 'leblanc' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

clung

How many times the word 'clung' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

beset

How many times the word 'beset' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

darkness

How many times the word 'darkness' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

tissue

How many times the word 'tissue' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

across

How many times the word 'across' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

gentle

How many times the word 'gentle' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

aside

How many times the word 'aside' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

consequences

How many times the word 'consequences' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

agony

How many times the word 'agony' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

walks

How many times the word 'walks' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

stopping

How many times the word 'stopping' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

bleeding

How many times the word 'bleeding' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

boyish

How many times the word 'boyish' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

nurse

How many times the word 'nurse' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

alleviate

How many times the word 'alleviate' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

holds

How many times the word 'holds' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

tank

How many times the word 'tank' appears in the text?

- INT. KITCHEN He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light. Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim. He puts that glass down and fills another. INT. BEDROOM When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits. Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water. SADIE I'm so embarrassed. ED No, don't be. SADIE God, my nose. ED Does it hurt? SADIE No, but the blood. ED Maybe you hit it when you fell. SADIE It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body. ED Sometimes you can hear the neighbors. SADIE It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake. ED Just relax. SADIE I should go. ED I can't let you leave like this. SADIE I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this. It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it. ED I'll get you a towel. Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel. He starts to wipe the blood off her nose. SADIE I feel better now. Thank you. ED Do you want me to drive you home? SADIE I'll be OK. ED Maybe you want me to call your roommate. SADIE My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that? ED Your friends, then. SADIE I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is. ED You get along with me. SADIE You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person. Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater. ED You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's. SADIE She wouldn't mind. ED No. SADIE I bled so much. Ed gets up to give her some room. She slips out of her sweater and puts the other one on. Sadie looks at a picture next to the bed. SADIE Is this your wife? ED That's my mother. That picture is older than it looks. SADIE She's so pretty. ED She was young when that was taken. She died a few years ago. SADIE That's awful. How'd she die? ED Cancer. It was quite an ordeal. She died very slowly. SADIE That's so sad. I better go, huh? ED It's getting late. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed walks her to the door. SADIE I'm sorry about everything. ED Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came. SADIE I'll see you tomorrow. ED Tomorrow? SADIE In school. You'll be there, right? ED Oh, yes. I'll be there. SADIE Bye. Sadie kisses him on the cheek and then leaves. Ed locks the door after her. INT. BATHROOM Ed looks at the tub in the bathroom which is full of water. He sticks his finger deep into the drain, trying to free whatever is in there. There is another tuft of hair, and again he throws it into the toilet. The gurgling sound that he heard before has come back, resonating through the soapy water from the drain. INT. BASEMENT Ed follows the gurgling sounds into the basement. He takes a flashlight from behind the basement door and shines it at the pipes that lead from the bathtub drain. He can hear the gurgling sound running through them. It sound like they ate something they can't digest. He reaches up and touches the pipe. It seems to be leaking a little, or maybe it is condensation. Ed traces the noise to a larger sewage pipe that runs down into the basement floor. He watches the pipe, but slowly, his attention is drawn to the shadow next to the pipe. As he stares intently into the darkness of the shadow, a figure begins to emerge in the distance. The darkness begins to change into a long hallway. A small figure is walking towards Ed and his footsteps echo in the distance. Ed watches, mesmerized. The basement fades into the blackness, and now, the hallway becomes more clear. INT. HOSPITAL It is a very long hospital hallway, and the figure walking toward Ed is a doctor, carrying a clipboard. DOCTOR Mr Saxon. ED Yes. DOCTOR There's nothing we can do for her now except to alleviate any pain she may be feeling. We have her on a morphine drip and we'll keep increasing the dosage as she shows any signs of pain. ED I see. Can she understand me? DOCTOR At this point, probably not. She has so much morphine in her, I doubt she can even recognize you. But you never know. Actually, in cases like this, where the end is inevitable, I recommend that we increase the dosage on the morphine drip at an accelerated rate. There's no point in making this last longer than it has to. ED Whatever you think is best. The doctor nods, then walks into the hospital room where, we see now, Ed's MOTHER is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a digital IV. She is old, but looks older - she's been through chemotherapy and radiation and they have all taken their toll. She stares at Ed with confused and desperate eyes. It is hard to tell if she is looking at him or not. The doctor, at the door, has a few words with the NURSE, who then looks into the room. Ed sits next to his mother and takes her hand. She stares at him. The nurse comes in and pushes a button on the digital IV. Ed watches the LED numbers on the digital IV go up. The nurse smiles an attempt at comfort, then leaves the room. Mother reacts to the higher dosage of morphine. Her eyes get wider and more delirious. She sits up a little and tenses her muscles. She lets go of Ed's hand and starts moving her arm up and down. She starts shouting something. At first, it is completely unintelligible, but slowly, it becomes clearer. MOTHER IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! Ed stands up and backs away. He backs out of the hospital room as his mother continues to scream. Ed backs into the hallway, which is now blackness. As he backs away, another noise starts to echo around him. A banging. A loud banging is coming from upstairs. Ed backs away and then runs upstairs. INT. HALLWAY - DAY As Ed opens the basement door, he sees that it is bright daylight again. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed opens the front door and before he can react, a fist hits him hard in the face. Ed falls to the ground, next to a pile of letters that has been dropped through the slot in the door. GEORGE SIMIAN walks in, wearing a track suit. George, 35, is a stronger man than Ed. He is better looking, too, or, at least, younger. He has a genuine honesty about him, like a big boy. It is this boyish quality that makes his anger seem uncontrollable. GEORGE You son of a bitch. Get up. Ed staggers to his feet. He tries to get a swing in at George, but George grabs him by the collar, hits him again, then throws him over the coffee table. Ed hits the phone and the answering machine on the way down. GEORGE EVE! When Ed doesn't say anything, George starts searching around the house. GEORGE (O.S.) EVE! Ed can hear George searching around in the other rooms. He gets up and sits on the couch, nursing his wounds. After a minute, George comes back into the living room. GEORGE What have you done? ED Don't hit me again. GEORGE You son of a bitch. George sits down on a chair across from Ed. GEORGE You son of a bitch. ED What did you think would happen? Nothing? GEORGE You did something. ED I did what I always do. I woke up, went to my shitty job, came home and cooked dinner for my wife, who was too busy bouncing up and down on your bedsprings to cook it herself. Not exactly what I had planned for my life. The same boring shit as always. Why don't you leave? GEORGE I love her. I'm sorry. I know she's your wife. George is crying. Ed, despite himself, is moved. ED What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now? Well, I won't. People think they can just carry on. They don't think that there might be consequences to their actions. You won't find sympathy here. Why don't you just leave? GEORGE What did you do? ED I didn't do anything. She didn't come home after work. George gets up and starts to leave. ED Don't come back here again. George stops when he hears this and turns towards Ed with and angry look on his face. He grabs Ed's collar, picks him up from the couch and slugs him hard across the head. Ed lands on the floor, stunned and not moving. GEORGE I swear. If I find out you did something to her, I'll kill you. Ed watches George leave and stays lying on the floor as George's car can be heard driving away outside. The telephone is lying on the floor, knocked off its cradle, just out of Ed's reach. Ed stares at it for a few seconds. It is making that beeping noise that phones make when they are off the hook too long. He slowly gets up and limps into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He looks in the mirror. His eye is swelling up already and his lip is bruised. He washes his lip off, and then takes a towel from the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN He fills the towel with ice and holds it to his head. INT. LIVING ROOM He picks up the phone as he walks into the living room and places it on the coffee table. He sits on the couch and stares at it for a second. Then he brings the phone over to his desk and finds Derm's business card. He sits down at the desk and calls Derm. ED Hello. Detective? DERM Mr Saxon? ED Yes. DERM I've been trying to call you. ED You found her. DERM No. I need to talk to you. ED Detective. George Simian was just over here. He hit me. DERM Are you OK? ED I think so. DERM Do you want me to call an ambulance? ED I don't need an ambulance. DERM I'll be right over. ED OK. He hangs up the phone. He sits at the desk, resting the ice on his forehead. Then he notices something under the sofa. It grabs his attention. He gets up for a closer look. There are dust bunnies and dust under the edge of the sofa, like it hasn't been swept for a while. Ed kneels down and tries to peer under the sofa. It is dark underneath and he can't see anything. He reaches his fingers under and sweeps out a few dust bunnies. Then he reaches a little further under the sofa and sweeps out Eve's pinkie finger. He recoils at the sight of this. The finger has been neatly cut, as if by a sharp blade. Dust has clung to the clotted blood around the stump, but it is unquestionably a woman's pinkie finger. He stares at it for a second, curiously disgusted. He goes to pick it up, decides he doesn't want to touch it, then uses a tissue to pick it up. He hurries to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He drops the finger into the toilet with the tissue and flushes it. INT. LIVING ROOM He hurries to the edge of the couch with a sponge and cleans up the small amount of blood and dust left there. INT. KITCHEN He squeezes the sponge out until it is clean, then puts it aside. He lets out a huge sigh of relief. INT. LIVING ROOM Much of the ice has melted and the towel it was wrapped in is now soaking wet. INT. BATHROOM He takes the towel into the bathroom and rings it out. Then he looks over at the toilet. The finger is still there, floating like a cigarette butt. The water is pink from the blood, the tissue is gone, but the finger floats there defiantly. He flushes the toilet again, but this time stays to watch. The water goes down, but the finger stays buoyant and won't go down. There is a knock on the front door. Ed takes a bunch of toilet paper from the roll and tosses it over the finger. He flushes again, but the tank hasn't filled up yet and, if anything, this makes it longer until it will fill up again. There is another impatient knock at the door. ED One second! Ed sits there waiting, listening to the toilet tank filling. The knocking outside is becoming more impatient. The tank finally fills. Ed flushes and watches. This time the paper he threw in clogs the toilet and the bowl quickly fills up with water. Ed reaches behind the toilet and turns off the water, stopping it from overflowing. He looks in the toilet and can't see the finger through the mess of toilet paper. There is another knock on the door. Ed closes the toilet lid. INT. HALLWAY Ed shuts the bathroom door firmly, takes a breath, and hurries out to meet Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed answers the door. Derm comes in with two assistants, MAZUREK and SNYDER. Snyder is holding Ed's morning paper. DERM Damn. You did take a couple of blows, didn't you. ED I was just putting some ice on it. DERM That's the best thing for it. Try to keep the swelling down. It's going to look worse tomorrow. You don't want to have a doctor examine you? ED It's not necessary. DERM Mr Saxon, Officer Mazurek and Officer Snyder. They'll be assisting me. ED Hi. MAZUREK How's it going? SNYDER Here. I brought this in. Snyder hands Ed the newspaper. ED Thanks. DERM You say it was George Simian who hit you? ED Yes, he did. He came barreling in here and hit me. Several times. DERM Do you have any idea why he would come here? ED Because he's a fucking asshole. DERM I should say that I'm concerned that he would come here. Mr Simian has a history of violent behavior, in regards to domestic disputes. ED What kind of history? DERM Nothing too serious. No felonies. But enough, I think, to warrant some concern. With your permission, I'd like to fill in a complaint report for his assault on you, and as soon as we're finished here, I'll send these two over to arrest him, assuming he can be found. ED You think he did something to Eve? DERM We don't have any evidence that he's even seen your wife she left her office and disappeared. We'll be arresting him solely for his assault on you. ED But Eve's car. You said you found her car near his house. DERM It does no one any good to jump to conclusions. ED I guess I misunderstood. DERM We're going to have to take some pictures of you for the complaint report. The pictures will be used as evidence against Mr Simian if this matter does, eventually, go to trial. ED Fine. Derm turns to Snyder, who has heard this conversation, and Snyder begins to take pictures of Ed. DERM Mr Saxon. These investigations can be quite demanding, especially when experiencing the trauma of loss. Do you understand what I am saying? ED Yes. DERM If you feel that you need someone to talk to, at any time, there are people, sometimes victims of similar situation themselves, who are will to listen and would like to help. He hands Ed a business card which reads Human Support Services, and has some address and phone information on it. DERM Are you aware that your wife has been having an affair? ED With George Simian? DERM Yes. ED The P.E. teacher. I guess I should have known. DERM Apparently your wife has been seeing him for some time. Almost a year, in fact. ED A year? DERM Do you consider that you and your wife have a normal relationship? ED I don't know. Normal relationship. We get on each other's nerves, have sex a few times a year, order pizza on Fridays. We've been married for ten years. It doesn't stay rosy forever. Maybe it isn't paradise, but that doesn't mean that I don't love her. DERM Are you having any other relationships? ED No. DERM Does your wife keep a diary? ED No. She isn't the type. DERM Mr Saxon. May I be frank? ED Yes. Please. DERM Cases involving missing persons are not uncommon. In many cases, and that is not to say in every case, but in many cases, the results are unfortunate. ED My God. DERM I'm not saying that you should give up hope, but my experience tells me that you should prepare yourself for the worst. Now, having said that, we will do everything in our power to find your wife. ED I understand. DERM Now, it's best if we can gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand the urgency here. ED Of course. DERM It will be necessary for us to search through some of your wife's personal items. ED I'm sure I can find whatever it is that you want. DERM It's really in your wife's best interests if you allow us to do it. We won't disturb anything or touch anything without your permission. ED Alright. DERM How about we start in the bedroom? ED The bedroom. DERM Yes. ED Right. I'll show you. Ed stands up and leads them into the bedroom. INT. HALLWAY They pass by the bathroom. The gurgling noises from the plumbing echo around the hallway, and while the police don't seem to pay it any mind, Ed can definitely hear it. INT. BEDROOM Ed looks around the bedroom quickly before they go in. ED Here you go. It's sort of a mess. DERM Do you know where your wife keeps her credit card receipts? ED Yes. Sure. This way. Ed leads Derm to Eve's room, leaving the two assistants in the bedroom. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed goes over to Eve's writing desk and looks over the papers lying on top. DERM Nice room. ED You like it? DERM Yeah. Very Magritte. It's like a nursery. ED I guess it is. I always through it was more of a conservatory. DERM With the piano. ED Right. She plays in here sometimes. It's nice. We always wanted to fix up the whole house, but, this is the only room we got to. DERM Things always cost more than you think. ED Yeah, I don't know what happened. Anyway, we share a credit card, but she mostly uses her own. DERM If someone has taken your wife, there's a chance they might have used one of her credit cards. Or she might have used it herself. Ed pulls at the locked drawer in the writing table. ED I think she keeps the receipts in here, but I don't have a key. Derm looks at the lock. DERM Let me try. Ed gets out of the way and Derm sits in the chair to examine the lock more closely. He presses his thumbs against the desk and breaks the wood around the lock, forcing the drawer open. DERM There we go. ED I could have done it if I wanted to break it. DERM I'm sure she'll understand. ED She won't. I promise. Ed sits back down and searches through the drawer. He finds some credit card receipts and sorts through them. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Mazurek comes into the office carrying Sadie's sweater, which has blood all over it. Snyder follows Mazurek in and looks over Mazurek's shoulder. MAZUREK It was under the bed, sir. Derm takes the sweater and looks at the blood on it. DERM Is this your wife's? ED No. DERM There's blood on this sweater, Mr Saxon. ED Yes, I know. A student. Detective, this is going to sound awkward, I guess, but a student of mine came to the house yesterday, after you were here. She was nervous, I suppose. She had a bloody nose. DERM Why would she have been nervous? ED I don't know, but she seemed nervous. DERM That is awkward, isn't it. ED I suppose it is. I gave her one of my wife's sweaters to wear home. She must have left that one by accident. DERM By accident? Under the bed? ED I don't know. DERM What was her name? ED Sadie. Sadie Crumb. Derm finds a small, printed name-tag reading Sadie Crumb sewn into the collar. Derm shows it to Mazurek and then indicates for him to go back to the bedroom. Derm shows the label to Ed. DERM Do you have this girl's phone number? I'd like to talk to her. ED I don't think so. Maybe. Ed gets up and walks into the - INT. LIVING ROOM - where his desk is. He searches around and quickly finds a photocopy of a hand-written list of phone numbers. DERM I should call her. ED Sure. Here. He hands him the phone. Derm dials the number. ED I didn't tell her about my wife. I didn't see any reason to. Derm reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of Tums. He takes a couple and chews them and it obviously puts a bad taste in his mouth. DERM Could I trouble you for a glass of water? ED Sure. Ed walks into the - INT. HALLWAY He passes by the bathroom and stops by the bedroom door. He looks into the bedroom where the officers are searching through his stuff. They find a copy of Hustler Magazine and they chuckle about it, before they notice Ed watching them. As he watches, he can hear Derm talking to Sadie. DERM (O.S.) Hi. May I speak to Sadie Crumb, please? This is Detective Derm of the Seattle Police Department. Can I ask you a few questions? The officers turn and stare at Ed until he leaves. INT. KITCHEN Ed takes a glass from the cupboard. He takes it over to the sink and fills it with water. The tap makes enough noise so that he can't hear anything else. INT. HALLWAY As Ed passes the bathroom door, the gurgling noises from the plumbing get louder. He makes sure the door is firmly shot and then brings the glass of water to Derm. INT. LIVING ROOM Derm hangs up the phone and drinks the water. DERM Thank you. ED Well? DERM She sounded very nice. You know, I think she left her sweater under your bed on purpose. ED Why would she do that? DERM So that she'd have a reason to come back. ED I see. Derm sees an open box of Skin-EE( cookies. DERM Hey. My wife loves those things. I swear, she eats them by the box. I think they taste like shit. ED I know. I hate them. Sometimes I think she eats them just to spite me. MAZUREK Detective Derm. Derm looks at Ed, then goes into the other room. Ed follows. INT. HALLWAY DERM Did you go to work today, Mr Saxon? ED No. I guess I didn't. DERM If you'd like, I can call the University for you and explain the situation. It might help. I'm sure they would understand. ED I don't think it's necessary. DERM Well, the offer stands if you change your mind later. ED It's just that, I don't want them to know anything about all this. At least not yet. DERM I understand. They walk into the - INT. BEDROOM Mazurek is holding a small, fabric-bound writing book. DERM What's that? MAZUREK Looks like a diary, sir. DERM Let's have a look. Derm looks it over, reads the last couple of entries quickly. DERM Where'd you find this? MAZUREK Behind the bedside table. ED I didn't know. DERM We have to keep some things to ourselves, or we'd go crazy. This is your wife's handwriting? He shows him the diary. ED Yes. Can I look at that? DERM Of course. Ed takes the diary and wanders into Eve's room, flipping through it as he walks. INT. EVE'S ROOM Ed flips through the last pages of the diary. He reads for a minute. Some distant noises are coming from the neighbor's house. While we can't hear exactly what is being said, it is clear that a man is saying something funny and a woman is laughing hysterically. Ed reads for a minute until, astonished, he puts it down and looks up at Derm, who is standing in the doorway watching him. ED I guess you never really know anyone. DERM You didn't know that you're wife is pregnant? ED No. DERM I'm sorry. I talked to her doctor yesterday. I thought you knew. Mazurek comes up behind Derm and says something inaudibly in his ear. DERM Is it alright if Mazurek uses the bathroom? ED Excuse me? DERM The bathroom. May we use the bathroom? We might be here for a while. ED No. The toilet is stuffed up. Actually. Do you mind leaving? I just would like to be alone. DERM Mr Saxon. I'm sorry about the intrusions into your privacy, but you must understand: my first priority is finding your wife. There is still a great deal to go over. We might want to notify the press. ED The press? DERM In cases like this, when we don't have many substantial leads, getting a picture of your wife on TV can be invaluably helpful. ED I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. DERM We still have options left, but without a thorough search of your wife's belongings, those options are extremely limited. ED I want to be helpful, but I really don't see how, if you think she was kidnapped, I don't see how it helps you to search around our things. DERM We don't know that she was kidnapped. We can't draw those kinds of conclusions. She could have simply decided that she needed some time alone. We have to consider every possibility. ED I just don't see how it helps. DERM I don't want to argue with you. We're trying to help you. This is our job. ED I understand. DERM It is in the best interest of your wife that you let us do that job without impediment. ED I don't want to get in the way. I just would like some time alone. You can comes back tomorrow, but, please. I'm very tired. I know it might seem irrational, but I haven't slept in a long time and this is all extremely overwhelming. Please. I need to be alone. DERM Certainly. If I could just take those receipts. ED Sure. Here. Take them all. The receipts are on the desk in front of him and he hands them to Derm. Derm reaches out for the diary. ED I'd like to keep this. DERM There are some things it may be better not to know, especially if your wife comes back. ED I can give it to you tomorrow, if you still want it. Ed leaves the diary on Eve's writing table and walks the officers out. INT. LIVING ROOM DERM Mr Saxon. Is there something wrong with your answering machine? ED Yes. It broke when I fell on it. DERM You haven't been answering your phone. ED It hasn't rung. Derm looks at the phone and sees the ringer is turned off. DERM The ringer is off. ED Oh. I must have turned it off. DERM What if your wife calls? DERM Yes. Of course. I wasn't thinking. DERM Could you please leave the phone on from now on? ED Yes. I thought I was. OK. Thank you. DERM I'll be calling to let you know how things go with Mr Simian. ED Yes. Thank you. Derm and the officers leave. Ed lets out a sigh of relief. He touches his forehead and it obviously hurts. He goes back into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicine crowding the shelves. He takes a bottle of Midol, or some other feminine pain-killer. He takes a few of them and chases them down with a handful of tap water. Then he turns to the toilet, lifts the lid and looks at the stuffed-up mess. He rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the bowl. He searches around for the finger. The phone rings. He gives up searching and, with some wet toilet paper stuck to his arm, hurries to answer the phone. INT. LIVING ROOM Ed picks up the phone. ED Hello. MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. This is Mrs Mastrioni, from the Dean's office. ED Yes? MRS MASTRIONI Mr Saxon. You are supposed to call us

verily

How many times the word 'verily' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

paint

How many times the word 'paint' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

cornered

How many times the word 'cornered' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

yard

How many times the word 'yard' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

bureau

How many times the word 'bureau' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

card

How many times the word 'card' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

crossed

How many times the word 'crossed' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

keeping

How many times the word 'keeping' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

comes

How many times the word 'comes' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

huge

How many times the word 'huge' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

car

How many times the word 'car' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

head

How many times the word 'head' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

cipher

How many times the word 'cipher' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

constantly

How many times the word 'constantly' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

machines

How many times the word 'machines' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

ya

How many times the word 'ya' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

are

How many times the word 'are' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

neighbor

How many times the word 'neighbor' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

fire

How many times the word 'fire' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

imagined

How many times the word 'imagined' appears in the text?

- NIGHT WHAM! The Corvette hits at a million mph. Crumpling, disintegrating, and hurling two bodies bouncing off the abutment. THE CAVALRY - CRUISERS AND PLAINWRAPS Too late. A half dozen cars bearing down all lights and sirens. Screeching to a halt by what used to be a silver Porsche. The ruptured gas tank spurting GASOLINE. A CRUISER screeches to a halt. Both doors fly open. Toomey and Larkin step out. Toomey on his radio as Larkin looks up the embankment, catches a glimpse of... ALEX battered but alive, jerkily unclenches his fist, still holding the Lighter, glow fading. He tosses... THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER arcs down onto the ex-Corvette. WIDER - BOOM! Cops shield themselves as the Crash scene explodes in a huge FIREBALL that engulfs a cruiser stopped too close by. IN THE TOO-CLOSE COP CAR the DRIVER rams the car into REVERSE. Tires squeal as the fireball hits and... THE TOO-CLOSE CRUISER Engine compartment ignites, a second fireball racing backward into another Cruiser. BOOM! Total chaos now. LARKIN focussed on Alex, seen vaguely through the flames. Moving toward him. WITH LARKIN as he arrives at the top of the enbankment, draws his weapon. Hyperalert. Alex is gone, but he finds... ERLICH'S BODY two hundred broken boned bagged by bruises. Larkin pulls something out of Erlich's shattered fist. It's... "THE LIST" Dutton and Erlich crossed off. Larkin and Toomey yet to go, but the first letters of their names are all contained in a VERTICAL OVAL, "DELT" circled in red. LARKIN, AS TOOMEY JOINS HIM They give each other an oh- shit look. Then Larkin checkes his fingertips, smeared red from... "THE LIST" - FLIP SIDE the CROW CIPHER, rendered thick in coagulating blood. Illuminated by the flickering light of the fire below. CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - ERIN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT CLOSE. A heart shaped Locket swung gently back and forth, then closed in Erin's hand as CAW! Erin turns, sees the Crow perched on the window ledge. As she moves to the open window, the Crow flies off. ERIN'S POV - OUT THE WINDOW - THE CRASH SCENE far away, the flashing lights and sirens of fire trucks arriving to bring the fire under control. ERIN looks, wondering, then spots something closer to hom. She moves off, WIPING through frame REVEALING... ON THE FRONT LAWY Alex. He looks down now, at the front door where... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin exits the front door and we see her framed against the huge house, a rich-man's castle built in the twenties of quarried stone, quarter sawn oak and leaded glass. Erin, like her sister, a child of privilege. She approaches Alex. ERIN Daisy. How did you know? ALEX I told you, I knew your sister. ERIN You killed that cop Dutton. ALEX And another one. There. Erlich. Took a wrong turn. Alex points at the distant crash site, the vague flashing lights. ERIN I know who you are. (no response) That's why you paint your face. To hide. ALEX I'm not hiding. I'm right here. ERIN You killed Lauren! You killed her! Erin shakes her head, trying to absorb what's going on, then RUSHES ALEX, screaming, beating on him, fists of fury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42. ALEX Not me. Dirty cops killed her. Dutton, Erlich... Alex tries to handle her flailing arms but she's too manic. He's getting hit in the face, the chest, and it's hurting. He grabs her roughly, gets her to stop. ALEX (CONT'D) I've been shot, and stabbed and thrown from a car and none of it hurt. But what you're doing now, does. I don't know why. ERIN My dad was right! He said you'd ruin her life. ALEX No. Listen to me. Lauren found out something they didn't want her to know. (then) This. He holds up a Card, the Registration from the Corvette. ALEX (CONT'D) From the bonfire over there. Look at it. ERIN No! Why are you haunting me? ALEX Because you need to understand. And you need... to be careful. He tries to give it to her one more time, then flips the card through the air. She turns, watching its flight all the way to the landing by the front door... ALEX (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Your father wasn't right. She turns back and... He's gone. Erin walks to the door. Despite herself reaches for the Card on the landing. It's... THE CORVETTE REGISTRATION which we see clearly for the first time. Owned by a company called DELT. The address is 4201 Forestview Drive. ERIN spins around horrified, holds up the Registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43. THE ADDRESS ON THE REGISTRATION - 4201 FORESTVIEW matches the numbers two feet away from her--the address plaque on her own house. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - ROLL CALL BULLPEN - DAY The buzz of nervous COP WALLA settles out as a stocky SERGEANT #2, clueless but honest, raises his voice, trying to command attention. SERGEANT#2 Listen up! Yo! We got a cop killer out there. Walla responds "no shit"--and CAMERA BOOMS UP, moving to the back of the room over a nervous sea of blue uniforms. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) Til we get an I.D. treat everyone like a suspect. Patrol assignments are posted by the door. Read them. No singles, it's the buddy system til we catch this asshole. Sergeant #2 CONTINUES UNDER as CAMERA FINDS... FAVORING LARKIN, TOOMEY AND MADDEN huddling together at the back. Urgent whispers. Larkin and Toomey try to contain their panic. LARKIN He knows. I saw him. Fucking zombie mask. MADDEN Calm down. LARKIN You calm down. Larkin takes out "The List" from the crash site. LARKIN (CONT'D) Whose name's fucking next? Not yours. TOOMEY You didn't testify. You're not on the list. MADDEN (flips it over) Scary guy. Not only survives that crash, but takes time out for art. He pockets "The List." Then looks up as... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44. SERGEANT#2 Madden! Hey! The entire room looking back at the three renegades. SERGEANT#2 (CONT'D) The old man's requested the pleasure of your company. Madden shakes his head like this is bad news, rises and leaves. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY A SECRETARY mans a LOW COUNTER guarding a large door at the end of the huge empty hall. She's got a heavy mascara trailer park vibe, looks up from her eyelash curler at the sound of approaching FOOTSTEPS. HER POV - THROUGH THE EYELASH CURLER Madden approaches. Stops. THE SECRETARY smiles, hits a BUTTON under the counter. The door to the Captain's office swings open. SECRETARY Glad I'm not you. MADDEN Right back at ya. She checks out Madden as he moves past her, then puts the eyelash curler away in a NAILIT containing a couple of razor sharp SCALPELS. INT. POLICE STATION - CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY No sunlight in this cavernous, wood-panelled office. The Captain obscure in skifts of shadow at the edge of the room. CAPTAIN Sit down. Madden sits. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) I thought we had an understanding. I thought we understood that discretion is paramount. MADDEN Yeah, we do. CAPTAIN Shut up. Madden does. The Captain begins and intense slow burn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Erlich gimping around in his goddamn hot rod is not discreet. I've got reporters asking me how much he made. I've got the entire force looking at this case now. MADDEN I know. CAPTAIN You know. MADDEN I know the guy leaves a sign. Madden produces "The List," flips it over to show the Crow doodle in blood. CAPTAIN No shit he leaves a sign. He's a goddamn Picasso. The Captain slaps down a crime scene photo--the Crow emblazoned huge on the top of Dutton's cruiser. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) What else do you know? Do you know this? The Captain SLAMS a file down in front of Madden, who lets things cool out a moment before looking at it. MADDEN (reads cover) Tommy Leonard. The eyewitness in the Corvis case. CAPTAIN Some hooker phoned it in. There was a riot at his apartment yesterday. MADDEN Guy dressed for Halloween? CAPTAIN Good for you. You do know something. They look up as the Secretary enters, holding the door open, like it's time to leave. Madden starts to speak and... CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't say. Just do. Before it all comes tumbling down. The Secretary gives Madden a look as he exits, then joins the captain who's standing... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46. BY AN AWARDS CASE holding glass bowls and trophies presented to the Captain over the years for Civic Service. The Secretary wraps her arms around him from behind as he looks at his loot. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Idiots. SECRETARY Sssshhhh. CAPTAIN You're the only one who makes it go away. As he turns toward her embrace, CAMERA ADJUSTS to point up something we may have noticed... IN THE CASE - A STUFFED BIRD, on one of the glass shelves. CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS toward the large stone house. A light comes on at one end of the lower floor, shining through the window. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Erin works at her father's desk under the light of an antique floor lamp. Using a LETTER OPENER to PRY open... A DESK DRAWER full of files. She flips through, finds a manila file marked--DELT. Takes it out. ERIN lays the file open on the desktop. EMPTY. She checks... A SMALL PAPER SHREDDER under the desk. Judging from the paper spaghetti in the basket underneath, recently used. ERIN scoops up the shreds of paper. No way to reassemble this. RANDALL (trying to be casual) What are you doing there? Erin's a terrible liar, spooked as he approaches. ERIN I think I dropped an earring. RANDALL Looks like you have them both on. She jumps up as her father reaches the desk, keeps her distance. He spots the empty DELT folder, closes it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47. ERIN Alex Corvis didn't kill Lauren. Cops did. Didn't they? No response. ERIN (CONT'D) You're in with them. RANDALL It's not what you think. ERIN You killed her! RANDALL No. ERIN Stay away from me! Stay away! RANDALL Erin. It wasn't supposed to happen. Erin SCREAMS, runs out the door with her hands over her ears. He misses a beat, then RUNS after her. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Nathan catches up with her as she frantically grabs CAR KEYS out of a dish by the front door. He grabs hold of her arm, she struggles, CLAWS at his face to get loose. Squeaks out the door onto... EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT Erin runs to the far side of the big Benz, parked in the driveway. Tries the door. The ALARM goes off. RANDALL They killed her because she found out. ERIN About you. RANDALL About them. You've got to leave it alone. ACROSS THE STREET, A PORCH LIGHT comes on. Erin hits a button on the key ring, CHIRP CHIRP. It stops. RANDALL (CONT'D) Sweetheart... ERIN Don't call me that! Don't call me anything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48. A NEIGHBOR opens the door, peers at them from across the street. Inquisitive. RANDALL I would never hurt you or Lauren. Never. Believe me. ERIN I don't believe you. RANDALL Please. Come inside. ERIN I'm never going back in that house again. Get away. He edges away from the car, reluctantly. She starts to get in, anger giving way to extreme sadness. ERIN (CONT'D) (crying now) They killed Alex for something you did, daddy. You killed both of them. She gets in the car. Starts it. ERRRKKKK! She peels out backward down the driveway. SLAMS the car into Drive and tears off down the street. The Neighbor shakes her head at Nathan, goes back inside. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT WHAM! Thomas Leonard bounces off the wall, drops to the floor. A FEMALE FIGURE wipes through frame, throws herself on Larkin, who's roughing up Tommy. TOMMY'S WIFE Please! Leave him alone! Larkin backhands her sprawling to the floor, where she crawls to the WAILING BABY, takes him in sheltering arms. TOMMY I'm not making this up. He had a crow with him. LARKIN Caw, caw, that's what you're telling me. TOMMY He said I lied at his trial. It's Alex Corvis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49. LARKIN So we're talking... a ghost. With a pet bird. Tommy nods. LARKIN (CONT'D) Turn down that fucking baby! The baby's gets quieter as the mom rocks it. LARKIN (CONT'D) Get up, Tommy. I want to show you something. Larkin helps Tommy to his feet. Places "The List" on the table. Then RAMS Tommy's face down on top of it. LARKIN (CONT'D) You see that? My name's next on his list. It's fucking next. Larkin hauls Tommy back upright. Dazed. LARKIN (CONT'D) So who is the guy, Tommy? TOMMY Corvis. It's... LARKIN (cutting him off) Take your time. Think before you speak. Cause at this point I got to hear something besides the crap you're been spewing. KA-CHUNK. Toomey cycles his 9mm. Everything dead silent. TOMMY He said the whole trial was a setup. That I caused an innocent kid to die. Is that true? Larkin grimaces. The only question is how to end this. EXT. TENEMENT - ALLEY - NIGHT Madden stands by a plainwrap ,calmly SMOKING. A SCREAM above. He looks up to see CRASH! Tommy's BODY breaks through a window four floors up and falls with broken glass, landing by Madden who rubs his temple a second, then calmly grinds out the butt. INT. TENEMENT - THOMAS LEONARD'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Tommy's wife horrified, pleading, as Toomey raises his weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50. TOMMY'S WIFE No, please... Her voice stops mid-sentence as BAM. The baby still crying as Toomey takes aim again, then lowers his weapon, starts to leave the room with Larkin. At the door, Toomey turns and BAM! The crying stops. CUT TO: INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A diminished field of Chess Pieces. ADJUST to include Walsh, scrutinizing the board. WALSH Alex? He looks out the window a second. Then scans the room again. WALSH (CONT'D) C'mon. I'm talking to my myself here. It's humiliating. Walsh goes back to the board, makes a move. WALSH (CONT'D) Check and mate. ALEX Dream on. Walsh looks up. Nothing. Then Alex steps from the shadows. Walsh looks at him a long moment, sees through the makeup. WALSH My God. It's really you under there. The two guys look at each other a long moment, cross the few steps to hug. Walsh blown away. WALSH (CONT'D) I'd like to say you're looking good, but... Walsh leans in, examines Dutton's BADGE on Alex's costume. ALEX Two down. Two to go. WALSH "Down?" Wait, don't tell me. ALEX The cops from my trial. They killed Lauren. The whole thing was fixed. (MORE) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51. ALEX (CONT'D) (off Walsh) You think I'm crazy. WALSH I'm thinking... that explains a lot. Walsh sits down. Disturbed. ALEX Lauren's father's involved. He bought the cops fancy cars, I don't know what else. It's a company called D-E-L-T. I think Lauren found out. WALSH What do they do that they had to kill her? ALEX I was hoping you'd find out. WALSH Yeah. I sure will. They both turn as the Crow lands in the window, CAWS. WALSH (CONT'D) (at the bird) Boo! The Crow flies off. Walsh goes to the window and looks out. WALSH (CONT'D) What's the deal with this bird. It's been hanging around. Alex? He turns toward Alex, who's gone. A double take as Walsh gets it, whips around, looks out the window again. CUT TO: EXT. REMOTE ROAD - FOREST - NIGHT Far above a solitary car winding through an old-growth forest, its headlights stabbing the darkness. The Crow soars into frame, watching. CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT A simple WOODEN CROSS illuminated by the headlights of the Big Benz as it pulls off the road into the grove of huge trees dripping with moss. IN THE BENZ Erin blank as she turns off the car, leaving the headlights on. Silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. WITH ERIN as she steps from the car, walks toward the cross. Partway there... CAW! Erin looks up, finds the Crow fluttering in to perch high overhead. Alex emerges from behind a tree, near the cross. ALEX This is where it happened. Right over here. ERIN Yeah, I know. She stays where she is. Alex quiet, affected by the place. Erin's about to lose it. ALEX Are you ok? ERIN When Lauren was missing the police came to our house. They said they were looking for her, right? (breaking down) But I know now they had her, and the reason they brought her here and knew the could blame it on you... ALEX No... ERIN ... is that I sent them here. I told them she came here sometimes. With her dirtball boyfriend. That's exactly what I said. She's crying softly. He draws nearer. ALEX Erin. It's not your fault. ERIN (losing it now) It's all my fault. Oh God. I wish I were dead. ALEX No. You don't. ERIN Yes I do, I really do. Seeming to lose patience, Alex lunges at her, like an attack. ALEX There were four of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53. ERIN No... He's holding his hands over her eyes, transferring IMAGES that shake them both. ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Jolting FLASHES. A Plainwrap stops where the Mercedes is now. A hand slams the car into Park. Doors open. Four men get out, seen dimly, but they're Dutton, Erlich, Larkin, Toomey. Erlich reaches back in to drag Lauren out of the back seat, her hands cuffed in front of her. Dutton flips up her skirt with his nightstick. ALEX'S VOICE Four large men. And still... Lauren stumbles into Erlich, grabs and BAM! FLASH! He takes a shot in the leg from his own, still holstered weapon. ALEX'S VOICE (CONT'D) She grabbed one of their guns. Got off a shot, then ran, ran for her life. RESUME - PRESENT Erin's covering her face, like trying to avoid seeing some horrible thing. ERIN I don't want to know. Alex grabs Erin, forces her to run with him, awkwardly, like a three legged race. Tracing the path Lauren covered. ALEX She ran. Them breathing down her neck... Erin stumbling as Alex pushes, cajoles her, the two of them running toward a large tree, MATCHING to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren stumbling, her cuffed hands hindering, tree limbs hitting her face. Her own panting subsumed in the panting of the cops on her heels. ALEX'S VOICE ... all the way from the road to this tree... RESUME - PRESENT Erin still trying not to see. Alex forcing her. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54. ALEX This tree. Here's where it happened. ERIN I don't want to see! Alex spins her up against the tree and we MATCH to... ALEX/ERIN'S INTERNAL POV Lauren an adrenaline crazed fighter destined to lose. Her movements UNDERCRANKED, strobed. Discontinuous and jarring. ALEX'S VOICE She turned and faced them and went down kicking and punching and fighting them, fighting death as they stabbed her and stabbed her. Fifty three times. The brutal cops overwhelm Lauren. She drops to the ground as... RESUME Erin drops to the forest floor, convulsed in sobs. ALEX She fought for her life because life is worth living. Alex panting. Fierce. ALEX (CONT'D) Think about that. And then tell me how much you wish you were dead. Off Erin, sobbing, heartbroken. Alex's fury waning as he looks at her, wonders if he did the right thing. CUT TO: EXT. GARRISON PRISON - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Armed men and barbed wire. The Spotlight FLARES and we're... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE HALLWAY - NIGHT An odd foursome approaches from the far end of the hall. Mercer escorts Madden, the Captain, and the Secretary who hangs on her bosses arm, gawking like a tourist. CAPTAIN Why wasn't the incident reported? MERCER Nothing to report. All inmates were present and accounted for. CAPTAIN So you pretended nothing happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55. MERCER Hey, Corvis fried. I don't really see how it could be him. CAPTAIN No. I wouldn't expect you to. They all enter... INT. GARRISON PRISON - MORGUE - NIGHT Mercer goes to the locker where he left Alex. MERCER Be forewarned. Nature takes its toll. (opens locker) Bon appetit. The all look inside. The locker is empty. Mercer's the only one shocked. He noisily opens and shuts the other lockers looking for Alex. CAPTAIN You lost him! Now lay off the fucking doors! Mercer stops, backs off, gives the power trio some space. MADDEN They botched the execution. CAPTAIN Could say that. MADDEN Christ. It was Corvis. Tommy Leonard was right. SECRETARY Maybe you were a little harsh on him. They watch now as the Secretary moves, drawn to the mirror. SECRETARY (CONT'D) Babe? She's looking at... T HE FRACTURED MIRROR. Shards of glass selectively removed forming, we see now, a CROW. MADDEN Fucking crow. CAPTAIN Sign of the dead come back to life. Madden turns, not comfortable with the concept. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56. MADDEN How about sign of a big black bird? CAPTAIN The dead can return, given sufficient motivation. And Corvis has that. SECRETARY This guy David Jenkins came back as a ghost because my uncle owed him four dollars. Followed him everywhere. Ruined his life. MADDEN Time out. You really saying he's back from beyond? The Secretary nestles into the Captain, who whispers in her ear. He nods. MADDEN (CONT'D) Cause if you're losing your mind, I got a right to know. CAPTAIN He's looking for something. Won't stop until he finds it. (then) Sometimes the best way to get rid of someone is to let them have what they want. SECRETARY The man... ALEX ... with the scar... CUT TO: EXT. OLD GROWTH GROVE - NIGHT WIDE. Erin sits cross-legged in the HEADLIGHTS of the Benz. Alex perches Crow-like on the hood. ALEX ... took everything I ever cared about. Left me with nothing. ERIN So you're going to kill him? ALEX Have to find him first. He closes his eyes. Pained at a memory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57. ALEX (CONT'D) You know what Lauren and I were fighting about that night? She had a secret, wouldn't tell me... ERIN My father. ALEX All I knew, she was pulling away. It made me crazy. ERIN I used to be so proud of him. My big deal daddy. And now, he's just a crook. Worse even. And the weird thing is... She fights back tears. Gains strength. ERIN (CONT'D) I wish I could hate him but I can't. He said he'd never hurt either of us, and I know it's true and... I'm going back. ALEX It's what Lauren would do. Erin nods, takes the Locket off her neck. ERIN I want to forget. Forget what I know. Forget myself. Forget everything. She winds up to toss the Locket away and Alex hops down off the hood. Stops her. Takes the Locket. ALEX ERIN (CONT'D) (re: Locket) Keep it. Because it connects you to Lauren. And it connects you to me. He fastens the Locket back around her neck. A covenant. ERIN (CONT'D) No matter what happens I'll make sure everyone knows. That you're innocent. That you loved her. I promise. CLOSE. Erin pulls some makeup out of her jacket pocket. Dumps it on the ground. Finds a pot of dark eyeshadow among the containers. ERIN (CONT'D) I don't want to be me anymore. Make me like you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58. Erin's face blasted WHITE by HEADLIGHTS. She closes her eyes as Alex begins the first bold lines around her eyes and for a moment in the gauzy white light, she could be... LAUREN opens her eyes a second, smiles, shuts them again. WIDER. Alex paints Erin's face in the Benz headlights, the two of them kneeling in the forest-cathedral. Camera creeps BACKWARD, leaving the two of them connected by ritual. And touch. And a promise to each other. CUT TO: INT. RANDALL'S HOUSE - NATHAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. A mess of documents. Nathan nervously writing, assembling a tell-all at his desk. CAPTAIN You know it doesn't work this way. Nathan gets up. Tries to subtly herd the Captain off. NATHAN I'm out of this. CAPTAIN Partnerships don't end like that. Friendships don't. NATHAN Our friendship ended when Lauren died. The Captain circles to the desk now, past Nathan. CAPTAIN Do you believe in ghosts, Nathan? Because there's a ghost threatening us. RANDALL You mean Alex. CAPTAIN I mean Lauren. The Captain flips through some of the papers on the desk. Frowns. He closes a file folder. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Because you never accepted that what happened to her was an accident. RANDALL You killed my daughter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59. CAPTAIN An accident, Nathan. RANDALL (exploding now) She was eighteen years old! There were four of them. They stabbed her fifty three times! Where's the fucking accident?! Huh?! Where is it?! Nathan furious. The Captain keeps a preternatural calm. CAPTAIN I watched her grow up. Just like you. I know how her mind worked. She kept snooping around because she was worried about you. What you'd gotten yourself into. So stop blaming me. And blame yourself. RANDALL (beat, quietly) I do. Every day. CAPTAIN Erin knows, doesn't she? This catches Nathan off guard. He starts to say something. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Don't even bother. You never were a good liar. The Captain flips through the papers on the desk again. CAPTAIN (CONT'D) Look at this. Everything we worked for. You tell me... what are we going to do? CUT TO: EXT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT YARD - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS approach from down the street. The Big Benz pulls into the empty driveway. Erin alone in the car, her mood tough to judge in the Crow mask. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - FRONT FOYER - NIGHT Erin enters, steels herself. Then she calls out... ERIN Dad?! You home? CUT TO: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60. INT. RANDALL HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT UNDERWATER. Erin plunges her masked face into the wash basin in this white-tiled bathroom. ANGLE - ERIN A few SLO-MO DROPLETS cascade off her face into basin as she scrutinizes herself in the mirror, wipes off the mask. CAMERA INCHING forward... She listens up. Grabs a Towel to blot the water on her face. We begin to hear with her... DRIP. DRIP. DRIP... She tightens the sink faucets. The sound continues DRIP DRIP as she moves to... THE CLAWFOOT BATHTUB Faucet not dripping, but the sound is louder. DRIP DRIP. Erin grabs the shower curtain, whips it back REVEALING... NATHAN RANDALL behind the tub, face a mask of gore, blown off point blank by the BLOODY HANDGUN on the tile next to him. ERIN screams. INT. WALSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE. The Chess set. A few pieces moved off the board now. Alex not looking at it. He's looking at the picture of himself and Lauren taped in the lid of the Chess box. WALSH It's like a bowl of spaghetti. D-E- L-T is owned by Westwind Builders, Nathan Randall's company. But DELT in turn owns a dozen other corporations. A big mess to wade through, so I checked out Tommy Leonard. Alex picks up the BLACK KING. ALEX Leonard, Dutton, Erlich. They don't matter. I want the King. WALSH We're getting there. Because in his so-called construction job, Tommy makes a daily delivery to a place called "The Hole." ALEX The strip joint? WALSH I believe they call it a connoisseur's club. Owned by DELT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61. Alex places the picture of himself with Lauren back in the box of chess pieces, against the open lid. WALSH (CONT'D) Places like that, they're about unreported cash, processing money from drugs, prostitution. (then) I took a chance, called asking for Larkin and Toomey, the two other cops. Whoever answered said "they're not here... (meaningfully) ... this is the front office." BAM BAM BAM. They look up. A shadow banging on the door. Leaving BLOODY SMEARS on the outside of the frosted glass. ERIN Alex! Walsh opens the door and Erin enters, wild and blood smeared, remnants of the Crow mask around her eyes. ERIN (CONT'D) They killed my dad. It all catches up with her now, the flight, the exhaustion. She throws herself into his arms. ALEX It's ok, it's ok... ERIN It's not. I can't take it. ALEX Erin. Who? ERIN I don't know. I found him lying there. Alex immobilized by this. He turns to Walsh. ALEX Where is it? This place? WALSH I think we should get some support? ALEX What? Call the police? ERIN What is this? Where are you going? Alex waiting for an address. Finally... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62. WALSH 1315 Berkeley Street. ERIN Don't leave me. Please. Alex turns to her, comforting. Holds her face in his hands. ALEX It will be over soon. (then) Watch out for each other. He heads off and we PRE-LAP sexbomb death metal POUNDING... CUT TO: INT. "THE HOLE" - NIGHT More debauched than our previous visit. Darker, more crowded. Patrons propositioned in front of our eyes by girls barely eighteen. The room writhing. ON THE MAINSTAGE the "Cop" strippers we saw before, but dangerous seeming, as they pantomime an interrogation, a handcuffed "perp" manhandled between them. AT THE ENTRANCE Alex blows past people waiting to get in, creating enough disturbance that TWO BOUNCERS greet him. ALEX Toomey and Larkin. They're expecting me. The Two Bouncers give each other a look. One points to a SIGN on the wall: "You must be 21..." BOUNCER I need to see some I.D., pal. Circus in town? The Other Bouncer grabs Alex as he pushes past. Alex heaves him into the line of WAITING PATRONS. As they go down like dominoes... the First Bouncer pulls a GUN. ALEX I don't think you want to do that. Lot of innocent people here... (looks around) A lot of people, anyway. As

smoke

How many times the word 'smoke' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

obviously

How many times the word 'obviously' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

insisted

How many times the word 'insisted' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

course

How many times the word 'course' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

engines

How many times the word 'engines' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

hand

How many times the word 'hand' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

gearing

How many times the word 'gearing' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

analysis

How many times the word 'analysis' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

tower

How many times the word 'tower' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

want

How many times the word 'want' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

monster

How many times the word 'monster' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

acquired

How many times the word 'acquired' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

forward

How many times the word 'forward' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

cough

How many times the word 'cough' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

darkly

How many times the word 'darkly' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

slices

How many times the word 'slices' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

curb

How many times the word 'curb' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

spar

How many times the word 'spar' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

lamentable

How many times the word 'lamentable' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

fool

How many times the word 'fool' appears in the text?

- Through the smoke we can see silhouettes - a large hairy shape, along with FOUR VERY LARGE SHAPES. The sounds of freighter doors CLOSING, engines revving and then a caravan of sorts pulling away. WHOOOOOP! - A POLICE SIREN chirps. Approaching the now- destroyed site. DONATELLO Better hit the tunnels, guys. Donnie uses a small prod to prop open a MANHOLE COVER. Don, Mike and Leo jump in. Leo looks back, Raph is still stewing. LEONARDO Raph. Save it for another day. (BEAT) RAPH! Raph knows he has to go. Reluctantly he enters the sewer. The lid closes as the alley is illuminated by POLICE CHERRIES. A beat, then Mikey barely pops the lid open for another peek. MICHAELANGELO (O.S.) Y'know, it's not that bad, dudes. ON BUILDING - Actually, the place is destroyed. Dented, torn and looking like a post-night raid in WWII. CUT TO: EXT. WINTERS TOWER - NIGHT 49 49 UP ANGLE on the Tower. Dead of night. No one around. INT. WINTERS TOWER SECRET CELL BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 50 50 A cavernous structure. Dimly lit. High ceiling. A few odd silhouettes here and there. We hear the clicking of Winters' shoes echo as he enters. WINTERS What seems to be the problem? Karai and six Ninja are already there. KARAI The "problem" is that we were hired to merely patrol the city and report anything "strange" to you. (MORE) W 42. KARAI(cont'd) (grabs sword hilt) You never said anything about MONSTERS. Winters smirks, looking at the mouse who thinks he can take the lion. He reaches to a satchel on the floor. The Foot TENSE in anticipation. Instead... Winters comes up with a MONEY BRICK. INTERS (tosses money brick) So, your job duties were just redefined. Congratulations on your promotion. SHINK! - Karai pulls out her To and slices the brick in mid- air. Winters STOPS and looks back over his shoulder. KARAI We may be hired help to you, but you should never forget... we are the Foot Clan. ON WINTERS - Condescendingly finds this particularly `cute'. WINTERS Oooooooh... It sets the Foot off. They all grab their weapons, moving toward Winters. Karai flips forward, sword drawn and at Winters throat! ...as Winters stands still... and begins to LAUGH. Slowly, the thumping of FOUR SETS OF FEET lumber out of the shadows. Reveal themselves to be THE FOUR STONE GENERALS. They flank Winters, who is just loving the theatricality of it all. The Foot Ninja leap back. Winters remains confident and unmoving. Generals SMIRK at Karai and the Foot. WINTERS I believe we made a deal, Karai. I expect you to honor it. (beat, stares her down) You do understand "honor", don't you? Karai stews... unblinking stare. Of course she does. WINTERS So I don't care what part of "muscle for hire" you don't understand. I hired your muscle. Now exercise the ones attached to your feet and... (closer - terse) ...get back to work. 43. Karai slowly steps back. Winters smiles wide, reaches into the drawer and takes another brick of bills and tosses it to W a Foot Ninja. Then another to a second Ninja. INTERS So I will double... no, no... TRIPLE your pay for your troubles. (stare down) Are we cool? ON FOOT - They just stare back, blank goggles. Probably seething inside. Winters is flanked by Generals. WINTERS Are we... cool? The Foot don't move. Tense. Karai finally nods. Terse. WINTERS Ninjas. No sense of humor. (to Generals) So how did we fare? CORRIDOR ENTRANCE - a hunched SHAPE undulating in chains is wheeled into the light. Winters approaches it - chained to a high-tech and uplit pallet on the floor. We can barely make it out as being the HAIRY CREATURE from the I-beam fight. WINTERS (close, quiet) So it begins... It SCREAMS. Fights it's restraints. Tires. Breathing heavily. Winters approaches, safely inches away from his fanged maw. Creature suddenly lunges forward! Winters doesn't flinch. He merely grins at the creature. WINTERS (to General Aguila) Were there any problems? AGUILA speaks in a gravelly, hardened voice. He towers over Winters by a foot. Clearly the leader of the four. GENERAL AGUILA None, my lord. WINTERS (to Karai) You see, now THAT'S a good soldier. You two should compare notes. Karai and Aguila stare at each other. Karai obviously not used to being handled like this. K 44. KARAI Just what is this all about? WINTERS Oh, let's call it a scavenger hunt. (re: Generals) I now have the power and know-how, but I need the speed and stealth of an organization such as your own. Not to mention an organization that values discretion. KARAI But of course. WINTERS You see, I have nine more beasts like this that should be coming to town very soon. Thirteen in all, to be exact. The Four Generals move the monster into a position on the floor ahead - into a DISK on the floor. ON CEILING - We see the top of a CAGE inserted over top, creating a cell. ARAI But... why? Why here? Why now? WINTERS Instinct, mostly. They're animals at their core. (looks off, distant) And they recognize something familiar in the air... in the stars. (BEAT) What can I say? I'm a lover of animals. The disk ROTATES. WIDER we see that there are already some cells inserted on the large stone disk in the floor. Filled by darkened silhouettes of creatures that we're probably glad W we don't fully see. Glowing eyes pierce out of the darkness. INTERS So you go and get to know each other. And don't forget... play nice. The Generals turn and walk-push the Foot out of the door. They move to fight back, but Karai waves her hand. KARAI Not now. Our business will be handled at a later time... D R C 45. After they leave, we pause for A BEAT on Winters. Quiet. Tired. Contemplative. UT TO: 51 51 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Three brothers sit around their breakfast table, looking hung over from the previous night's brawl. Mikey comes in, looking the worst of all, and plops into his seat. Cam circles table. MICHAELANGELO Dudes, did anyone get the license plate of the thing that hit us last night? Oi, my head... Don pours over a thick book on MONSTERS AND MYTHOLOGY. DONATELLO Was it just me, or did that creature look familiar? RAPHAEL We coulda taken it if you slackers woulda pitched in sooner. LEONARDO Fact remains, Raph, that we should have never been there in the first place. APHAEL Well, I suppose that we shoulda let Mr. Cuddly-kins continue to spread happiness throughout the city... oh wait... HE WAS A FREAKING MONSTER TRYIN' TA KILL US!!! Good call, fearless leader. ONATELLO Come to think of it, it WAS pretty strange to see the Foot too. And who was that woman? MICHAELANGELO I dunno, but she sure gave Leo a run for his money. LEONARDO (still fighting with Raph) This is my fault now, Raph? I'm the only one who has to be responsible! RAPHAEL Hey, you're the "trained master", not me. 46. MICHAELANGELO (quickly interjected) Dudes-can-it-here-comes-Splinter. ON DOOR - Splinter walks in, HUMMING to himself. SPLINTER Good morning, my sons. TURTLES Morning, sensei. Splinter makes himself a TEA. Room is SILENT. ON TURTLES - Raph and Leo GLARE at one another while they eat. Don is pouring over a THICK BOOK while Mikey sits with his forehead on the table. SPLINTER If anyone needs me, I'll be watching my stories. S plinter walks out. OS sound of the TV being turned on. At the table, the glare continues. LEONARDO Hothead. RAPHAEL Splinter-junior. NYC DIRT REPORTER (O.S.) And in the latest of a string of strange criminal activity, a construction site was nearly destroyed last night. Authorities believe a violent battle had taken place earlier that evening. The boys react and rush into the MAIN LIVING AREA. ON TV - a well-coifed News Reporter stands outside of the I- BEAM TOWER. In the daylight, we can see the building is twisted and dented from the night's fighting. The boys immediately JUMP FORWARD. Mikey grabs the remote and ups the volume. SPLINTER My sons, what- Splinter's eyes go wide. He looks at his boys listening to the TV intently. Mikey nurses his sore head. SPLINTER I believe you boys have some explaining to do... M 47. Splinter looks at the Turtles. Busted, as we- X-DISSOLVE TO: 52 52 INT. SPLINTER'S ROOM - LATER The Turtles are kneeling before their sensei. SPLINTER Leonardo, I am most disappointed in you. You are the leader of your brothers. I was counting on you to bring order to the chaos of this family. LEONARDO But Master Splinter, how can I be expected to do so when Ra- SPLINTER There are no excuses when you are the Leader, my student. ON LEO - Biting his tongue. Hard. SPLINTER But the involvement of the Foot and their mysterious leader worries me. ICHAELANGELO I'm personally worried about a monster running around the streets of New York. But hey, that's just me. Don elbows Mikey back in line. RAPHAEL We hafta go out and find who's responsible for this. There ain't no other solution. SPLINTER Raphael, there are better ways to use your skills in ninjitsu. Fact- gathering. Analysis. Observation. Direct contact should only be your last resort. RAPHAEL Wow, sounds... exciting. LEONARDO Save the brute vigilante junk for that Nightwing guy. N 48. MIKEY/RAPH "Nightwatcher". LEONARDO Whatever. Raph stands and exits the room. The others stay silent as we- WIPE TO: INT. SECRET NIGHTWATCHER AREA IN SEWER - LATER 53 53 QUICK SHOTS - Nightwatcher gearing up. ightwatcher emerges from a MAN HOLE. Walks to a long- forgotten and shadowed underside of a BRIDGE. He points up with a REMOTE - chirp! Slowly, his MOTORBIKE begins to lower on retractable grappling hooks. O N BIKE - Explodes out of a BACK ALLEY and into the night. EXT. NEW YORK CITY BACK ALLEYS/STREETS - NIGHT 54 54 Various shots of Nightwatcher tearing all over the city. On bike and on foot. Angry. Trying to work it out of his system. He's swallowed it all up to this point... getting harder. BEGIN MONSTER HUNTING MONTAGE 55 55 Aggressive and driving music. Various shots of the Stone Generals capturing a laundry list of CREATURES that are coming into the city. See the tech, detail and precision that the Winters' operation works. Foot Ninja act as living "tracking devices" around the city. - The Generals capture a Sloth-like creature, jumping in throughout rafters above. The Foot try to help by blocking exits. - The Generals capture a werewolf-like creature in the high- speed subway tunnels. The Foot maneuver the subway car. - General Mono takes on a large scale YETI-like monster. A WWE-sized match set in a large abandoned warehouse. - Close calls, as humans come close to seeing the monsters... but rarely do. We see small house pets swiped away. Fleeting glimpses of limbs, claws and teeth in the shadows all over NYC. Meat trucks torn open and their contents "stolen". - Intermix quick shots of Generals and collars clamping, cells locking, etc. 49. - See more cells being filled in Winters Basement. ONLY 3 EMPTY CELLS REMAIN. CUT TO: 56 56 EXT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - NIGHT Quiet part of the neighborhood. Their lights are fully on. APRIL (O.S.) You sure you don't want to spar a bit? INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 57 57 April is dressed in work-out gear on a grouping of floor mats. She twirls a wooden KATANA as part of a floor routine. Wow - she's actually pretty good! Casey eats a bag of chips with one hand, does curls with a dumbbell with the other. CASEY Nah. Ever since you started with the blade weapons you, um... you kinda scare me. APRIL Suit yourself. (she stops - a beat) Case? CASEY Yeah? APRIL (AWKWARD) Are you happy? I mean, with your life. With me. Casey pauses a beat. Tries to be upbeat. CASEY Yeah. Sure. (beat - serious) You? April thinks just as much. APRIL Yeah. They sit on that for a moment. Casey leans in for a kiss. April doesn't notice. Awkward. Casey changes his mind. CASEY (walks to the window) I'm going outside for some air. N N 50. Casey slips out onto the fire escape. April knows better. APRIL (to herself) Be safe. 5 8 58 EXT. LOFT ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS Casey climbs up from the fire escape. Checks to make sure he's alone. He reaches inside a chimney flue and pulls out - A BASEBALL BAT and his CLASSIC WHITE HOCKEY MASK! He slips it on. Does a few warm up swings. Cricks his neck. 59 59 EXT. NYC ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS All is still, until the panicked face of a BURGLAR enters frame. Being held by his collar. BURGLAR I'M SORRY MAN! I-I-I WON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN! I'M SORR-OOOF! BAM! - the leather fist of Nightwatcher slams Burglar back, tripping over an A/C duct. He tries to shield himself- REVERSE ANGLE - BOOM! - Nightwatcher lands in the FG. IGHTWATCHER Funny how you jerks don't care about crossing the line `til someone else does it... all over yer HEAD! Night hurls him back into a roof access door, denting it. Raph's loving this. Walks to the Burglar and picks him up. BURGLAR (almost in tears) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! NIGHTWATCHER Boy, oh boy, did YOU pick the wrong night to be a criminal... Night cocks his fist just as- CASEY (O.S.) Hey champ. You think you're being a little rough on the guy? ight slowly turns around. Menacing. Casey's taken aback. ( 51. CASEY Are you that Nightwatcher fella? (beat - unimpressed) A little smaller than I expected. RAPHAEL (inside helmet) Case? No way! CASEY (poking Raph with bat) I'm talkin' to you, pal. You think you own these rooftops? Well, lemme teach you a thing'r two. (takes out bat) Class is Pain 101. Meet your instructor... Casey Jones. It's getting serious. Casey's bat is suddenly wrapped by Night's CHAIN, and pulled down. Raph's visor flips up. RAPHAEL (GRINNING) You keep on playing with fire, little man, you might just get burnt. CASEY Raph?! Is that you?! (scans costume) What-what are you doing?! THINKS) Are you pretending to be... ON RAPH - His eyes look around for an answer. Nothing. CASEY Why would you- (finally gets it) -oh. (a beat) So that would mean... (then REALLY gets it) -OOOHHHHHH! Raph smiles... the first genuine one he's had in a long time. RAPHAEL Yep. IN BG - The Burglar tries to get away. Casey and Raph both spy him. Look at each other. Mischievously grin as we- DISSOLVE TO: ( ( 52. 60 60 EXT. ROOFTOPS - LATER CLOSE ON - The panicked face of the Burglar. CAM ROTATES to show him hanging upside-down. CAM WIDENS TO REVEAL he's bound by chains and dangling from a street lamp! CAM PANS UP THE BG BUILDING TO REACH - the two old friends sit perched on a high tower, surrounded by gargoyles. They blend right in. Both masks are off. RAPHAEL I dunno, I just got tired of the "nothing". Sitting around waiting for some disaster to cross our paths. Of us battling Utroms and Triceratons or any other friggin' creature... when there was still some guy gettin' mugged 100 feet above the lair. Just didn't seem right. `Specially if we had the means to do somethin' about it. Raph twirls a billy bat between his fingers. Stops. RAPHAEL And we did... but turns out I was the only one who was willing to do it, tho. So I just saved up, bought and tweaked a sweet bike, fitted the costume and began moonlighting. BEAT) Papers called me "The Nightwatcher", so I went with it. C ASEY "And a legend was born". So what was your handle before that? RAPHAEL I kinda liked "The Midnight Marauder"... CASEY (makes an "eww" face) Stick with Nightwatcher, ninja boy. (THEN) The guys ever catch on? RAPHAEL Pfft. You kiddin' me? Leo's been away for, like, forever. And the other two are so wrapped up in that party business they'd never notice. BEAT) So what about you? How's things with April? Haven't seen ya's since you two moved in together... 53. CASEY They're good... I guess. I dunno, seems like all I do lately is just make her upset. She used to laugh so much... now it's mostly just working all day, and coming home to point out how I'm a screw up. (points to hockey mask) She doesn't like me doing this. And I know she's pretending to not know I'm out tonight. But she knows. And she knows I know she knows. (looks out at city) Life just kinda got complicated suddenly... y'know? RAPHAEL Yer tellin' me... Casey looks at his old bud. CASEY Raph? RAPHAEL Yeah? CASEY Nice to see ya, man. Raph acknowledges. The moment is broken by a HORRIBLE SHRIEK! CASEY/RAPHAEL What was that?! They both spring to their feet and run to the back of the roof. They hear the scream AGAIN off in the distance. RAPHAEL For old time's sake? CASEY What the shell. ON RAPH - He stops, mid-replacement of his helmet. RAPHAEL (DISAPPROVING) Bro. Seriously. EXT. ROOFTOPS 61 61 The two run and leap across the rooftops. Two vigilantes searching for the source of the scream. They finally reach a point where they don't hear it anymore. EDGE OF ROOFTOP - They look out. Silent. 54. CASEY I think we lost it. RAPHAEL It's gotta be around here somewhere. SCREEEEECH!!! - A large VAMPIRE-LIKE CREATURE flies up from the alley below and spreads its 30-foot wings! CASEY/RAPHAEL WAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's about to attack when - THUNKA-THUNKA-THUNKA - it's drilled with TRANQUILIZER DARTS from below! CHOOOM! - A grappling hook winds around its feet. The Creature struggles but is pulled down hard! CASEY WHAT'S GOIN' ON, RAPH?! RAPHAEL Did I mention we ran into a monster last week? CASEY NO. NO, YOU KINDA FAILED TO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ONE, BUDDY! They inch closer to the edge. Peek over. ON ALLEY - See the Four Generals putting a pounding on the Creature. They subdue it with all their hardware. The Foot stand guard, helping in the BG. CASEY The freakin' FOOT?! (looks to Generals) What about the walking statues? Were you going to mention THOSE?! RAPHAEL Nope. Those are a first for me too. (gets cocky) We can take `em. One of the generals effortlessly picks up a TRASH DUMPSTER and wallops the Creature with one blow. CASEY On second thought... The Generals put the Creature in a cell. Wheel it to a TRANSPORTER VEHICLE as it drives away. They're just about to leave when- S HINK! - Casey accidentally knocks a tiny piece of rock from the ledge. It falls down - CLANG! - on a garbage can lid. 6 R G 55. ON GENERALS - they turn around. Look up. GENERAL GATO POV - He scans the two. Organic Earth-based. ENERAL GATO Witnesses. Aguila snarls and fires the tranq gun! Raph dives in front of Casey, taking the hit himself! APHAEL AAAARRGGH!!!!! GENERAL AGUILA (to Gato) Fetch. Gato SMILES as the other three board a Transport Vehicle. CASEY Not good. Raph takes out NINJA SMOKE PELLETS and throws them on the roof - FWOOM! When the smoke clears, Casey is standing there alone! Raph is 10 feet away as Casey flinches and takes off too. NIGHTWATCHER You ever heard of smoke pellets? CASEY Hey - you're the ninja, not me! BOOM! - Gato lands up on the roof and quickly gives chase! They can't lose him, even when they drop to street level. EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER 2 62 Raph and Casey are tearing ass through the alleyways, trying to escape the thing that's close on their tail. CASEY WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, RAPH?! Raph ignores him, looking for a street sign. Then he sees it - 56th Street. RAPHAEL Bingo. Raphael quickly dashes left through TRAFFIC! DOWN ALLEY BEHIND THEM - BOOM BOOM BOOM - We see Gato bounding down the wall, almost in a four-legged run, occasionally jumping off walls at incredible speeds! A true jaguar. It leaps through the traffic as well. C 56. UNDER A BRIDGE - Raph points up and - CHOOP! - hits a remote that lowers his MOTORCYCLE. CASEY What are we gonna do, Raph? WHAT ARE WE GONNA- (sees bike) -hey, cool ride. RAPHAEL Hop on. Raph leaves Gato in a cloud of dust... but not for long. Gato clamors along... keeping up with the weaving bike! In the fray, Casey looses his mask... as it gets trampled by Gato. It's an insane chase, with Raph trying to lose him as Casey swings his bat, trying to stave off the Stone General. Suddenly - THUNK! A circular OBSIDIAN BLADE lands in his wooden bat. He looks at it. CASEY Um, Raph? Raph sees the blade! They manage to switch positions in mid- ride, with Casey driving and Raph in back. Raph throws kicks and punches at their pursuer when he closes in. The chase takes them to a PARKING GARAGE as they circle upwards, Gato jumping from car to car, still on their tails! ROOFTOP - They're trapped. He doesn't have a hope... aside from jumping the bike to the next roof! ASEY T hisiscrazythisiscrazythisiscrazy. He lets out the clutch as they make the jump! WHAM! - Sparks and crucial pieces fly off the undercarriage. They both look back at Gato up and away at the top of the structure. CASEY SUCK ON THAT, ROCK FACE! (Gato leaves edge) THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, PUNK! ...and then -thumpthumpthump- Gato JUMPS DOWN TOWARD THEM! CASEY Oh crap. Casey guns it - BUT THE BIKE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - as Gato is in mid-air, taking off. Casey grabs the weakening Raph and drags him off. C 57. 63 63 EXT. ROOFTOP BEHIND LARGE LETTER SIGN - CONTINUOUS Gato lands and patrols the roof... almost SNIFFING them out. Casey and Raph are barely hidden inside a rooftop shack. Suddenly - BOOM! - Gato finds them. He tries to smash through the steel door with his bare hands! Raph leans his body into the door as a last ditch effort. He's taking a pounding as the door is denting with each slam by Gato. Casey tries to help as well. Gato comes close to breaking in. Very tense. Then- -the LIGHT on his exo-suit begins to STROBE. A signal. A signal to return home. He surveys quickly... then runs off. Casey and Raph fall out. Both shell-shocked. ASEY Okay, so it was great seein' ya again, Raph. (BEAT) Raph? ON RAPHAEL - He's got a dart in his shoulder, obsidian disks stuck in his shell, and has collapsed unconscious. CASEY Gotta get you someplace safe, pal. And then, then I need to go buy some new undies. CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 64 64 April is finishing up with her workout. She hears the fire escape outside of the building and the window slide open. APRIL Casey, I think we need to talk. (turns around) I don't want- whoa. OFF HER LOOK - Casey is standing there, bracing the near- unconscious Raph, now without his Nightwatcher garb. CASEY Could use a little... help here... RAPHAEL (WEAK) Hey April... how ya been? M 58. Raph passes out as we- WIPE TO: 65 65 INT. TURTLES LAIR - KITCHEN Splinter and the other three are finishing up dinner. They close the pizza box. ICHAELANGELO My compliments to zee chef. (BEAT) Le brrrraaaaaaapp! Mikey walks to the fridge of leftover birthday cake. MICHAELANGELO Anyone for dessert? EVERYONE (sick of cake) NO!! The phone suddenly rings. Don rushes over to the jury-rigged payphone on the wall. DONATELLO COWABUNGA-CARL-PARTY-SERVICES- Cowabunga-dude. (face falls) Waita-slow down April. What happened to Raph? (BEAT) We'll be right there. SMASH CUT TO: INT. APRIL AND CASEY'S LOFT APARTMENT - LATER 66 66 ON WINDOW - One by one, Leo, Don and Mikey slip into the window. They spot Raph on the futon, being tended to by April M and Casey. Mikey looks around. ICHAELANGELO Whoa... I am in the wrong line of work. Nice pad, kids. Don immediately starts checking Raph out. DONATELLO His vital signs seem to be okay. (opens his eye) Pupil dilation is normal. Raph weakly pushes Donnie's head away. C 59. RAPHAEL (WEAKLY) Get the... frig offa me. DONATELLO Temper is normal too. (to others) He's going to be fine. Health-wise, I mean. Otherwise, he's still the same old Raph. (BEAT) Whoa. ON RAPH'S SHELL - Two Obsidian Disks are wedged in his back with a Tranquilizer Dart. Donnie wedges out the Obsidian Disk with pliers. LOSE ON - Disk. It's beautiful and deadly. Don examines. DONATELLO Some sort of stone... probably obsidian, I think. (CLOSER) There's an engraving on it. Looks... South American. Aztec? No. It's definitely not Mayan. April swallows hard. APRIL It can't be. DONATELLO What can't be, April? April sits down on the floor with the disk. Trying to figure things out. Casey leans down to her. CASEY Would it help things if I said that we were being chased by a one of those statues you collected for that Winters guy? ON APRIL - Her mouth is agape. MICHAELANGELO I'd say that's a big ten-four. APRIL (MUTTERING) It's just a myth... a legend. (CLOSER) It can't be. ( 60. CASEY And I suppose that bringing up the thirty-foot flying monster would probably just push this over the edge, huh? ON APRIL - She slowly turns to Casey. Floored. LEONARDO What are you talking about Casey? CASEY Just some story this Winters guy told us. It all started down in South America. Long before the Ashmecks and the Macaroons. APRIL Azteks and Mayans. CASEY That's what i said. APRIL Sit down, Jones. (to group) So there was this guy call Yaotl... CAM PANS TO THE RIGHT - As it passes a FG element, the screen dips to black. We hear sounds of a violent BATTLE. Monsters shrieking. Blades clashing. April's retelling Winters' story. DIP TO BLACK: Everyone is gathered around as April finishes. Mikey, in particular, is hunched over, intent. Casey, like before, has fallen asleep. Silence for a beat. Then- MICHAELANGELO Well?! WHAT NEXT?!!! APRIL No one knows. The legend stops there. THINKS) But it's just a legend. Donnie studies the tranq dart under a magnifying glass of April's. DONATELLO The micro-tech of this dart is astounding. The molybdenum is of a grade only found in a few select markets... not to mention it's current stock is going for a little more than two-grand an ounce right now. (MORE) L D L 61. DONATELLO(cont'd) (looks up) What? I dabble in the market. EONARDO So what do we have? We have someone with a lot of money. ONATELLO Access to technology... and the means to produce it to exact specs. RAPHAEL Not to mention having a keen interest in these monsters... and them four stone jokers. DONATELLO If you ask me, it all somehow points to Winters Corp. LEONARDO How do you figure that, Donnie? Donatello looks up with MAGNIFYING GOGGLES on. Sarcastic. DONATELLO Hello? "Genius"? (a beat) Well, that, and the fact that this part has a Winters Corporation logo on it. EONARDO Do you think he's trying to recreate the events from back then? RAPHAEL Well, what would you do with an army of monsters? MICHAELANGELO Well, aside from having your own wrestling league, I dunno... MAYBE TAKE OVER THE WORLD? LEONARDO Do bad guys still try to do that? DONATELLO Yes, however they're usually mortgage re-fi companies. (THEN) What about it, April? You just finished working with the guy, right? Does it make sense? APRIL Guys! It's a legend! R 62. MICHAELANGELO Is that "legend" like the ginormous freakin' hairball that attacked us? APHAEL Or "legend" like the moving statues and flying creature that attacked me n' Casey? APRIL Okay. Fine. I'll help for now... until we prove you're all insane. LEONARDO Or until we prove Winters is up to something more than collecting art. DONATELLO I'll work with April and see if these Stars of Kikin she told us about can give us any clues. RAPHAEL I say we just storm the castle and face this jerk in person! LEONARDO Raph, that would be the worst idea yet. We hang back. Analyze. Formulate a plan, THEN storm your castle. Are we clear? Tense stare off between Raph and Leo. Raph moves anyway. Casey stops him. Quieter moment. CASEY Raph. Don't do it, man. (BEAT) I spent my whole life running out of rooms ticked off at the world. I wish I could take most of `em back. Sometimes, just takin' a breather is the best thing to do. ON APRIL - She's listening to Casey... maybe her man-boy is growing up. Raph knows he can't win. RAPHAEL Yeah... whatever. - and bolts out the door. CUT TO: A 63. 67 67 INT. SEWERS - MOMENTS LATER Cam is moving fast... really fast down the pipes. Raph EXPLODES into frame, running faster than us. He lifts up a BACK PACK... He pulls it open, revealing his Night gear. - as he grabs an overhead PIPE and flips up and outta sight. EXT. STAR-FILLED SKY - NIGHT 68 68 We see the same stars we've been tracking move closer into alignment... only now it means so much more to us. CAM LOWERS, as we find ourselves- 6 9 69 INT. TURTLES LAIR - EVENING Donnie looks through a thick book on ASTRONOMY. PRIL (O.S.) Think this is all of them, Donnie. ON DOOR - April walks in, holding a 3-foot-high stack of yellowed documents. APRIL I cleaned out my archives on ancient South

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How many times the word 'none' appears in the text?