









					SCREAM 
					(SCARY MOVIE)

					by Kevin Williamson
























					Rewrite
					July 31, 1995










FADE IN

ON A RINGING TELEPHONE.

A hand reaches for it, bringing the receiver up to the face of CASEY BECKER, a young girl, no more than sixteen.  A friendly face with innocent eyes.

				CASEY
		Hello.

				MAN'S VOICE
			(from phone)
		Hello.

Silence.

				CASEY
		Yes.

				MAN
		Who is this?

				CASEY
		Who are you trying to reach?

				MAN
		What number is this?

				CASEY
		What number are you trying to reach?

				MAN
		I don't know.

				CASEY
		I think you have the wrong number.

				MAN
		Do I?

				CASEY
		It happens. Take it easy.

CLICK! She hangs up the phone.  The CAMERA PULLS BACK to reveal Casey in a living room, alone.  She moves from the living room to the kitchen.  It's a nice house.  Affluent.

The phone RINGS again.

INT.  KITCHEN

Casey grabs the portable.

				CASEY
		Hello.

				MAN
		I'm sorry. I guess I dialed the wrong number.

				CASEY
		So why did you dial it again?

				MAN
		To apologize.

				CASEY
		You're forgiven. Bye now.

				MAN
		Wait, wait, don't hang up.

Casey stands in front of a sliding glass door.  It's pitch black outside.

				CASEY
		What?

				MAN
		I want to talk to you for a second.

				CASEY
		They've got 900 numbers for that. Seeya.

CLICK!  Casey hangs up.  A grin on her face.

EXT.  CASEY'S HOUSE - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING

A big country home with a huge sprawling lawn full of big oak trees.  It sits alone with no neighbors in sight.

The phone RINGS again.

INT.  KITCHEN

Popcorn sizzles in a pot on the stove.  Casey covers it with a lid, reaching for the portable phone.

				CASEY
		Hello.

				MAN
		Why don't you want to talk to me?

				CASEY
		Who is this?

				MAN
		You tell me your name, I'll tell you mine.

				CASEY
			(shaking the popcorn)
		I don't think so.

				MAN
		What's that noise?

Casey smiles, playing along, innocently.

				CASEY
		Popcorn.

				MAN
		You're making popcorn?

				CASEY
		Uh-huh.

				MAN
		I only eat popcorn at the movies.

				CASEY
		I'm getting ready to watch a video.

				MAN
		Really? What?

				CASEY
		Just some scary movie.

				MAN
		Do you like scary movies?

				CASEY
		Uh-huh.

				MAN
		What's your favorite scary movie?

He's flirting with her.  Casey moves away from the stove and takes a seat at the kitchen counter, directly in front of the glass door.

				CASEY
		I don't know.

				MAN
		You have to have a favorite.

Casey thinks for second.

				CASEY
		Uh...HALLOWEEN. You know, the one with the 
		guy with the white mask who just sorta walks around
		and stalks the baby sitters. What's yours?

				MAN
		Guess.

				CASEY
		Uh...NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.

				MAN
		Is that the one where the guy had knives 
		for fingers?

				CASEY
		Yeah...Freddy Krueger.

				MAN
		Freddy-that's right. I liked that movie.
		It was scary.

				CASEY
		The first one was, but the rest sucked.

				MAN
		So, you gotta boyfriend?

				CASEY
			(giggling)
		Why? You wanna ask me out?

				MAN
		Maybe. Do you have a boyfriend?

				CASEY
		No.

				MAN
		You never told me your name.

Casey smiles, twirling her hair.

				CASEY
		Why do you want to know my name?

				MAN
		Because I want to know who I'm looking
		at.

Casey spins around like lightning facing the glass door.

				CASEY
		What did you say?

				MAN
		I want to now who I'm talking to.

				CASEY
		That's not what you said.

				MAN
		What do you think I said?

Casey CLICKS on the outside light.  A flood light illuminates the backyard.  Her eyes survey the grounds.  But it's empty.  No one's there.  She turns the light out.

On the stove, the popcorn POPS.

				CASEY
		I have to go now.

				MAN
		Wait...I thought we were gonna go out.

				CASEY
		Nah, I don't think so...

				MAN
		Don't hang up on me.

				CASEY
		Gotta go.

				MAN
		Don't...

CLICK!  Casey hangs up.  She checks the glass door making sure it's locked and then moves to the stove as...

THE PHONE RINGS.

She slides the popcorn from the stove, reaching for the phone.

				CASEY
		Yes?

				MAN
		I told you not to hang up on me.

				CASEY
		What do you want?

				MAN
		To talk.

				CASEY
		Dial someone else, okay?

				MAN
		You getting scared?

				CASEY
		No-bored.

CLICK.  She hangs up.  The phone RINGS again.  She grabs it.

				CASEY
		Listen, asshole...

				MAN
			(deadly serious)
		NO, YOU LISTEN, YOU LITTLE BITCH. IF YOU
		HANG UP ON ME AGAIN I'LL GUT YOU LIKE
		A FISH. UNDERSTAND?

Total silence.  He has gotten her full attention.

				CASEY
		Is this some kind of a joke?

				MAN
		More of a game, really.

Casey eyes the glass doors, then looks up the hallway to the front doors...moving to it.  It's unlocked.  She bolts it.

				CASEY
		I'm two seconds from calling the police.

				MAN
		They'd never make it in time.

Casey moves her face flush against the door, her eye looking through the peephole.

ANGLE THROUGH PEEPHOLE.

A distorted view of the front porch.  It is empty.  She relaxes a bit, relieved.

				CASEY
		What do you want?

				MAN
			(pure evil)
		TO SEE WHAT YOUR INSIDES LOOK LIKE.

Casey's jaw drops as total fear storms her face.  She hangs up the phone, throwing it down on a side table when...

THE DOORBELL CHIMES.

Casey leaps out of her skin.  She turns to the door as it chimes again.

				CASEY
			(calling out)
		Who's there?

Another CHIME.  She moves to it.

				CASEY
			(louder)
		Who's there?

No answer.  Fuck this.  It's time for the police.  She goes for the portable phone. Just as she picks it up...

IT RINGS.

Casey almost drops it, losing her breath...

She brings it to her ear with trembling hands, saying nothing...listening, waiting...

A long silence.  And then.

				MAN
		You should never say "Who's there?".
		Don't you watch scary movies? It's a
		death wish.

Casey clutches the wall, nearly collapsing.  She tries her damndest to hang tough.

				CASEY
		Look, enough is enough. You had your fun
		now you better leave me alone or else.

				MAN
		Or else what?

CLOSE ON her face, her mind thinking, calculating...

				CASEY
		My boyfriend will be here any second and
		he'll be pissed when I tell him...

				MAN
		I thought you didn't have a boyfriend.

Busted.  She holds steady.

				CASEY
		I lied. I do have a boyfriend and he'll 
		be here any second and your ass better
		be gone.

				MAN
		Sure...

				CASEY
		I swear it. And he's big and plays 
		football and will beat the shit out
		of you.

				MAN
		I'm getting scared.

				CASEY
		I'm telling you the truth.
		I lied before...

				MAN
		I believe you...

				CASEY
		So you better leave.

				MAN
		His name wouldn't be Steve, would it?

Silence.  Casey buckles at the knees, losing it.

				CASEY
		How do you know his name?

				MAN
		Go to the back door and turn on the porch 
		light--again.

Casey, terrified, forces herself to move.. staggering to the kitchen...to the glass doors.  Her shaky hand finds the light switch...she hits it.  The back yard is lit.

Sitting in a lawn chair in the middle of the backyard is a big, line backer of a guy, her boyfriend...

STEVE

tied and gagged.  He's been roughed up, but he's alive.
CLOSE ON his eyes..wide in fear..staring at his girlfriend, pleading with her.

				CASEY
		Oh Goddddd...

Casey SCREAMS.  Her hand moves to the lock on the door.

				MAN
		I wouldn't do that if I were you.

Terror rides Casey's face.  She's petrified.

				CASEY
		Where are you?

				MAN
		Guess.

Her eyes search the yard, combing bushes, trees.  He could be anywhere-anywhere.

				CASEY
			(begging)
		Please don't hurt him.

				MAN
		That all depends on you.

				CASEY
		Why are you doing this?

Tears find their way, streaming down Casey's face.

				MAN
		I wanna play a game.

				CASEY
		No...

				MAN
		Then he dies. Right now.

				CASEY
		NOOO!

				MAN
		Which is it?

A long silence.  Casey touches the glass...staring at STEVE...this big jock of a guy is crying too.

				CASEY
		What kind of game?

				MAN
		Turn off the light.

Her hand goes to the switch...Steve tugs and pulls at his straps...as if begging her...his face sweat and tears...

CLICK

He disappears in the darkness.  Casey moves away from the glass, back toward the living room, unbelieving, horrified.

				MAN
		Here's how we play. I ask a question. If
		you get it right-Steve lives.

Three curtainless windows line one wall.  Casey crouches down behind the couch, tipping a lamp cord from it's socket, darkening the room.  Her body quivers.

				CASEY
		Please don't do this...

				MAN
		Come on. It'll be fun.

				CASEY
		No...please.

				MAN
		It's an easy category. Movie trivia.

				CASEY
			(begging)
		..please...

				MAN
		I'll even give you a warm up question.

				CASEY
		Don't do this. I can't..

				MAN
		Name the killer in HALLOWEEN.

				CASEY
		No...

				MAN
		Come on. It's you favorite scary movie,
		remember? He had a white mask, he
		stalked the baby-sitters.

Casey goes silent...a nervous wreck...she can barely speak much less think.

				CASEY
		I don't know...

				MAN
		Come on, yes you do.

				CASEY
		Please..stop...

Casey is SOBBING.

				MAN
		What's his name?

				CASEY
		I can't think.

Casey has officially reached hysteria, petrified beyond all reality.

				MAN
		Steve's counting on you.

Suddenly...through tears...Godsent...

				CASEY
			(a whisper)
		Michael...Michael Myers.

				MAN
		YES!

Casey SIGHS...relieved.

				MAN
		Now for the real question.

				CASEY
		NOOOO....

				MAN
		But you're doing so well.

				CASEY
		Please go away! Leave us alone!

				MAN
		Then answer the question. Same category.

Casey is a blubbering, wet mass on the floor.

				CASEY
		..please..no...

				MAN
		Name the killer in FRIDAY THE 13TH.

A mad smile purses Casey's lips.  She knows this.  She leaps up, through tears, screaming...

				CASEY
		Jason! Jason!...JASON!

A slight PAUSE.

				MAN
		I'm sorry. That's the wrong answer.

				CASEY
		No it's not. It was Jason.

				MAN
		Afraid not.

				CASEY
		It was Jason. I saw that godamned movie
		twenty times. It was Jason.

				MAN
		Then you should know Jason's MOTHER
		-Mrs.Vorhees was the original killer. Jason
		didn't show up until the sequel.

Casey is stupefied.

				CASEY
		You tricked me...

				MAN
		Lucky, for you there's a bonus round.
		But poor Steve...I'm afraid...he's out.

This implication sends Casey running to the kitchen...to the glass doors.  She flips on the porch lights to see...

STEVE

eyes wide, sitting in the lawn chair...his belly gaping open...a mass of blood and ripped flesh...his insides lay on the ground between his feet...steam rising.

A SCREAM erupts from the bottom of her soul as Casey collapse on the floor...nearly passing out.  CLOSE ON her face...pale and ghostly white.  She SOBS.

				MAN
		Final question. Are you ready?

She doesn't answer.  A long, maddening silence.  Casey reaches up and CLICKS off the light, making Steve go away...wishing, hoping...

				CASEY
		..leave me alone..please...

				MAN
		Answer the question and I will.

Casey is curled up on the floor like an infant, rocking slowly back and forth.

				MAN
		What door am I at?

				CASEY
		What?

				MAN
		There are two doors to your house. A
		front door and a back one. If you answer
		correctly-you live.

From where Casey sits she can see both front and back doors.  She deliberates...with her last bit of strength she tries to strategize.  Eyeing both, the front door...the back door trying to decide between the two.

				CASEY
		Don't make me...I can't...I won't.

				MAN
		Your call.

In the darkness, Casey crawls to the kitchen counter-she leans up and grabs a long, sharp knife.

Casey looks around her...she looks down the hall to the front door...then turns back to the kitchen glass door as it suddenly...

SHATTERS TO BITS...

as a lawn chair come flying through it.  Exploding glass sprays everywhere.

This incites Casey like fire.  She springs to her feet...bolting out of the kitchen as a SHADOW moves quickly through the shattered doorframe.

ANGLE ON CASEY

Somewhere in the house, back flat against a window, listening to FEET ON CRACKING GLASS.  She turns and unlocks the latch, quietly sliding it up. She can hear him move through the foyer...to the front door.

Casey lifts herself up and puts her legs through the window.  She holds the knife in one hand, the phone in the other.

Casey eases out the window, fumbling, dropping the knife back in the house.  She starts to reach for it.  Fuck it, she takes off...

EXT.  SIDE OF HOUSE

Casey it at the back corner of the house.

				MAN
		I can hear you. I know you're here.

Casey eases along a narrow path between a tall fence and the side of the house...going for the front yard.  She must pass the three curtainless windows.  She gets to the first one and peeks in...

The FIGURE has pulled open the foyer closet, searching for her.

Casey creeps along, to the next window, she looks in...the FIGURE is completely on the other side of the room moving toward the hall that leads to other parts of the house.

She moves further along the house...squeezing by hedges...to the third window...she peeks in to the FIGURE...

STARING BACK AT HER...

His face covered with a ghostly white mask, inches from her...his eyes piercing through...soulless...Casey SCREAMS BLOODY MURDER as a hand...

CRASHES through the glass window grabbing hold of her neck...she beats at him trying to free herself...her nails dig into his arm...she wrenches from side to side...finally breaking free as the hands disappear inside the house...

EXT.  CORNER OF HOUSE

Casey sails around the corner of the house, eyeing the front door.  It remains closed.  Her eyes cover the sprawling country yard when suddenly....

HEADLIGHTS APPEAR

in the distance, coming down the road towards the house...she recognizes them instantly.  Mom...Dad...she tears off across the yard toward them...moving like lightning...

The car turns into the driveway...Casey SCREAMS, waving madly, rushing by a tree as...

THE GHOST MASKED FIGURE APPEARS

Casey stumbles back, catching her balance...the FIGURE moves on her, arm poised high...a flash of silver...and Casey is struck, across the chest.  She looks down to see her shirt blossoming red...a look of bewilderment as she drops to one knee.

The knife rises again...Casey throws her hand forward...the blade comes down...but it's blocked by the portable phone still in her hand.  She turns staggering to...

EXT.  DRIVEWAY

A MIDDLE-AGED COUPLE emerge from the parked car.  They move to the front door completely unaware of what's happening to their daughter, only feet from them.

EXT.  FRONT YARD

Casey stumbles forward...her parents ten feet away...she opens her mouth to scream but no sound resonates...she is beyond words...staggering, swaying...the FIGURE moving behind her.

EXT.  FRONT DOOR

Her parents approach the door

				FATHER
		That fish smelled strong.

				MOTHER
		I told you to send it back.

The father discovers the front door ajar.  A puzzled look.  Casey is right behind them with one arm outstretched.  If they'd only turn around...

They enter the house and close the door as....

Casey collapses on the ground, clutching her bloody chest...the FIGURE upon her.

INT.  FOYER

The father sees straight back into the kitchen...the shattered patio door.

				FATHER
		Jesus...

				MOTHER
		What is it? Where's Casey?

				FATHER
			(calling out)
		Casey? Casey?

In a split second they're both panic stricken.  The father begins searching the house frantically.  The mother is hysterical.

EXT.  FRONT YARD

CLOSE ON Casey...she's dragged by her feet through damp soil...the life going fast from her body...her hand still clutching the phone.

INT.  FOYER

Back in the house.

				MOTHER
		Where is she?

				FATHER
		Call the police.

The mother moves  to the phone in the foyer, picks it up...There is no dial tone.  She jiggles the base.

				FATHER
			(searching)
		Casey? Where are you honey? Call the
		police, goddammit.

				MOTHER
		The phone's dead.

The...the softest...faintest voice is heard...

				CASEY
			(from phone)
		..help me...

				MOTHER
		She's here, God, I can hear her.
		Where's my baby?

The husband returns to the foyer finding his wife clinging to the phone.

				FATHER
		Where is she?

				MOTHER
		I can hear her. Oh Mother of God,
		I can hear her.

The father upturns the living room.

				FATHER
		Casey! Casey!

				MOTHER
		Not my daughter...not my...

The husband grabs hold of his wife.

				FATHER
		Get in the car and drive down to 
		the Mackenzie's.

The other throws the front door open and rushes out...the father moves through the house when a SCREAM echoes out.  That of his wife.  He tears off for the front door.

EXT.  FRONT DOOR

The father rushes out the door to find his wife, on her knees, bent over, retching.  His eyes move beyond to a tree in the front yard...his stomach fails him...his dinner rises...as he bares witness to the single, most horrifying sight he'll ever see.

That of his only daughter as she hangs from a big oak tree...strung up...very much dead...her stomach ripped open.

BLACKOUT!

BEGIN MAIN TITLES

FADE IN:

INT.  BEDROOM - SAME NIGHT

A teenage girl's room.  Neat and pinkish.  On the bed, amongst age-old stuffed animals lie opened school books. The CAMERA PANS to a desk against the wall where...

SIDNEY PRESCOTT

a young girl of 17, sits, her face glued to the computer monitor in front of her.  CLOSE ON her face.  Sharp and clever with deep, lonely eyes.  She's comfortable in a plain, flannel nightgown.

Her hands are at work, typing feverishly, when suddenly...

CRASH-BOOM

A noise behind her.  She turns abruptly, eyeing an open window across the room. A SCRATCHING sound.  She stands and moves toward it.

EXT.  WINDOW

Sidney sticks her head out the window.  The late night wind hits her face as a SHADOW appears just to the left of her, a hand reaches out, grabs her and suddenly a FIGURE is on top of her...

INT.  BEDROOM

Sid SCREAMS...pulling away from the figure...breaking free, falling back onto the floor.

				VOICE
			(o.c.)
		Hey...it's just me.

Sid looks up to see...

BILLY LOOMIS

A young, strapping boy of seventeen.  Handsome and alluring.  A star quarterback/ class president type of guy.  He sports a smile that could last for days.

				SIDNEY
		Billy? What the...

				BILLY
		I'm sorry. Don't hate me.

				SIDNEY
		What are you doing here?

				BILLY
		You sleep in THAT?

Billy pulls himself through the window.

				SIDNEY
			(whispering)
		My dad's in the other room.

				BILLY
		I'll only stay a sec.

Suddenly...

The bedroom door BURSTS open.  The doorknob catches on the open closet door behind it jamming it, holding it in place.

				VOICE
			(from behind door)
		What's going on in there?

Billy quickly rolls out of sight behind the bed.  Sidney unjams the door to reveal...

MR. PRESCOTT, late 40's, a severe presence.  A distracted man, nervous and pre-occupied.

				MR. PRESCOTT
		Are you okay?

				SIDNEY
		Can you knock?

				MR. PRESCOTT
		I heard screaming.

				SIDNEY
		No you didn't.

				MR. PRESCOTT
		No? Oh, well...I'm hitting the sack. My
		flight leaves first thing in the morning.
		Now the expo runs all weekend so I 
		won't be back til Sunday. There's cash 
		on the table and I'll be staying at the
		Raleigh Hilton...

				SIDNEY
		..out at the airport...

				MR. PRESCOTT
		..so call if you need me.

				SIDNEY
		Got it.

He gives the bedroom a quick once over.

				MR. PRESCOTT
		I coulda swore I heard screaming.

Sidney distracts him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

				SIDNEY
		Have a good trip.

				MR. PRESCOTT
		Sleep tight, sweetie.

He gives her a wink and pulls the door closed.  Billy reappears.

				BILLY
		Close call.

				SIDNEY
		What are you doing here?

Billy takes a flying leap and lands on the bed.

				BILLY
		It just occurred to me that I've never
		snuck through your bedroom window.

				SIDNEY
		Now that it's out of your system.

				BILLY
		And I was home, bored, watching
		television, THE EXORCIST was on 
		and it got me thinking of you.

				SIDNEY
		Oh it did?

				BILLY
		Yeah, it was edited for TV. All the good
		stuff was cut out and I started thinking
		about us and how two years ago, we started
		off kinda hot and heavy, a nice solid "R"
		rating on our way to an NC17. And how
		things have changed and, lately, we're just
		sot of...edited for television.

				SIDNEY
		So you thought you could sneak in my
		window and we would  have little bump-
		bump.

				BILLY
		No, no. I wouldn't dream of breaking your 
		underwear rule. I just thought we might do
		some on top of the clothes stuff.

She snuggles up next to him, planting a kiss on his lips. Passionate and gentle.  He, however, reacts like a shark, moving on top of her, his hands everywhere as he presses into her...Sidney breaks away.

				SIDNEY
		Time to go, stud bucket.

Billy sits up.  His heart isn't racing...it's POUNDING.

				BILLY
		See what you do to me.

Sweat has popped out all over his forehead, his breathing heavy.

				SIDNEY
		You know what my dad will do to you?

				BILLY
		I'm going...I'm going.

He moves to the window.  She follows, motioning to his wound.

				SIDNEY
		I appreciate the romantic gesture.

She gives him a kiss goodnight.  Sweet and simple.

				BILLY
			(whisper)
		Hey..about the sex stuff. I'm not trying
		to rush you. I was only half serious.

She kisses him again as he eases through the window.

				SIDNEY
		Would you settle for a PG-13
		relationship?

				BILLY
		What's that?

She pulls her flannel gown open for a split second...flashing her left breast.  His mouth drops open...surprise, shock.  Their eyes meet.  They share a smile.

				SIDNEY
		Get outa here.

INT.  SIDNEY'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING

CLOSE on Sidney snuggling her pillow, sleeping peacefully when...

THE RADIO ALARM BLASTS from the night table loud enough to wake the dead.  Sidney bolts up.

				DISC JOCKEY
			(from radio)
		..found brutally murdered...

CLICK.  Sidney, quick with the reflexes, shuts it off instantly.  A car trunk SLAMS shut outside.

Sidney pulls herself out of bed and leans to the window just in time to see her Dad jumping in his car.  She half waves down at him but he doesn't see her.  He's as good as gone, pulling out of the driveway and disappearing down the road.

A moment as Sidney stands at the window, staring out after him.

EXT.  SCHOOL - MORNING

CLOSE ON A SIGN

"BAYBORO HIGH SCHOOL.  HOME OF THE FIGHTING BULLDOGS"

THE CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL a picture perfect small town school.  Old and charming.  Students come and go, moving about.  Nothing unusual, except for the...

six police cars, four news vans, flashing cameras, and crowds and crowds of lookie-loo's gathered just off campus.

EXT.  SIDEWALK

Sidney approaches the school seeing the commotion.  Four different REPORTERS stand in front of four different cameras giving four different news reports.

She moves passed a policeman standing guard.  Her interest peaked, she stops at the first reporter who is...

GALE WEATHERS

Thirties.  He smart face is overshadowed by a flashy smile and a massive mane of chemically enhanced hair.

				GALE
			(for the camera)
		The small town of Bayboro, North Carolina
		was devastated last night when two young
		teenagers were found brutally butchered.
		Authorities have yet to issue a statement
		but our sources tell us that no arrest
		has been made and the murderer could 
		strike again...

ON SIDNEY.  Moved, disturbed.  From behind, a finger taps her shoulder.  She spins around to see...

Tatum Riley, same age, feisty, carefree.

				TATUM
		Do you believe this shit?

				SIDNEY
		What happened?

They break away from the crowd and head for school.

				TATUM
		Oh God! You don't know? Casey Becker
		and Steve Forrest were killed last night.

				SIDNEY
		No way.

				TATUM
		And not just killed, Sid. We're talking
		splatter movie killed-split open end to
		end.

				SIDNEY
		Casey Becker? She sits next to me in
		English.

				TATUM
		Not anymore. Her parents found her
		hanging from a tree. Her insides on the
		outside.

				SIDNEY
		Do they know who did it?

				TATUM
		Fucking clueless-they're interrogating
		the entire school. Teachers, students,
		staff, janitors...

				SIDNEY
		They think it's school-related?

				TATUM
		They don't know. Dewey said this is
		the worst crime they've ever seen. 
		Even worse than...
			(stopping herself)
		Well it's bad. They're bringing in the 
		feds. This is big.

Sidney looks back at Gale, her face deeply pained.

INT.  CLASSROOM - LATER

A frumpy old woman, MRS. TATE, faces her class.  Her hands clasped together.  A tragic look upon her face.

				MRS. TATE
		..a terrible tragedy. An unbearable
		loss. It's days like today we need 
		prayer in school...

Sidney sits near the rear of the room.  The desk in front of her sits vacant.  Sidney can't take her eyes of it.

The door opens and a student opens with a slip of paper.  He hand s it to Mrs. Tate.

				MRS. TATE
		Sidney. It appears to be your turn.

INT.  PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE

The room is at capacity...wall to wall with police, and the likes.  Some sit, stand, lean...

SHERIFF BURKE, a round man in his fifties, wipes the stress from his face.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Who's up next?

A young officer looks at the clipboard.  This is DEPUTY RILEY, better known as DEWEY.  He's a big guy, 20's, handsome in a scrubbed-clean boyish way.

				DEWEY
		Sidney Prescott.

Sheriff Burke gestures to bring her in.  PRINCIPAL HIMBRY, 50's, an old codger of a man wearing a sour face speaks up.

				MR. HIMBRY
		Sidney Prescott. She was daughter of...

				DEWEY
		We all know Sidney, Mr. Himbry.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		How she doin'?

				MR. HIMBRY
		She's adjusted well. Maintains an "A"
		average. You never know she...

Himbry stops short, seeing Sidney in the doorway.  He rises and seats her.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Hi Sidney.

				SIDNEY
		Sheriff Burke. Dewey.

Dewey shakes his head seriously.

				DEWEY
		It's Deputy Riley today, Sid.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		How is everything?

				SIDNEY
		Good.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		And your Dad? How's he doing?

				SIDNEY
		We're fine. Thanks.

				MR. HIMBRY
		We'll be brief, Sidney. The police have a
		few questions they'd like to ask you...

Sidney eyes them all nervously.

EXT.  SCHOOL COURTYARD - LATER

Students sit at outdoor tables eating lunch.  Crowded at one table is the "gang".  This consists of Sidney, Billy and Tatum.

Next to Tatum, sits her boyfriend STUART, with his arm draped across her back.  He's a Billy wannabe.  Almost the jock, almost handsome, almost cool.  He tries way to hard.

Across the table is the fifth wheel, RANDY.  A tall and gangly kid with no such Billy-like aspirations.  A witty jokester who elevates geek to coolness.

				TATUM
		Hunt? Why would they ask if you like
		to hunt?

				STU
		I don't know, they just did.

				RANDY
		Because their bodies were gutted.

Sidney flinches.

				BILLY
		Thanks Randy.

				TATUM
		They didn't ask me if I like to hunt.

				STU
		Because there's no way a girl could have
		killed them.

				TATUM
		That is so sexist. The killer could
		easily be female-BASIC INSTINCT.

				RANDY
		That was an ice pick-not exactly the
		same.

				STU
		Yeah, Casey and Steve were completely
		hollowed out. Takes a man to do
		something like that.

				TATUM
		Or a man's mentality.

				SIDNEY
			(quiet, almost to herself)
		How do you gut someone?

All eyes turn to Sidney.  A serious silence.  And then:

				STU
		You take a knife and slit from the groin
		to the sternum.

Sidney shivers down to her soul.  The whole table rolls their eyes at Stu.

				STU
		What? She asked.

				BILLY
		It's called tact, you fuckrag.

				STU
		Sorry.

				RANDY
		Remember in JAWS when they caught the 
		wrong shark at first and Richard Dreyfuss
		cut it open to look foe body parts and all
		they found was a licence plate and all this
		white milky goo.

Stu leans over and socks Randy in the arm.

				STU
		You heard Billy-shut the fuck up.

				SIDNEY
		Hey, Stu? Didn't you use to date Casey?

Stu's taken back, a little off guard.

				STU
		For about two seconds.

				RANDY
		Before she dumped him foe Steve.

Tatum turns to Stu, surprised.

				TATUM
		I thought you dumped her for me.

				STU
		I did. He's full of shit.

				RANDY
		And are the police aware you dated the 
		victim?

				STU
			(offended)
		What are you saying? That I killed 
		her or something?

				RANDY
		It would certainly improve your high
		school Q.

				TATUM
		Stu was with me last night.

				RANDY
		Oooooh...before or after he sliced and
		diced.

				TATUM
		Fuck you, nut case. Where were you last
		night?

				RANDY
		Working, thank you.

				TATUM
		I thought Blockbuster fired you.

				RANDY
		Twice.

				STU
		I didn't kill anybody.

				BILLY
		No one's saying you did.

				RANDY
		Besides-
			(perfect Stu mimic)
		"Takes a man to do something like that."

				STU
		I'm gonna gut your ass in a second.

				RANDY
			(to Stu)
		Did you really put her liver in the
		mailbox? I hear they found her liver
		in the mailbox.

				TATUM
			(eyeing Sidney)
		Randy, you goon-fuck, I'm eating here.

Stu nibbles at Tatum's neck.

				STU
		Yeah, Randy, she's getting mad. I think
		you better liver alone.

Stu cracks up at his own joke.  The others just MOAN.  Sidney is about to crawl out of her skin, trying hard to ignore it all.

EXT.  SIDNEY'S HOUSE - LATER

A huge two story country home with a spacious lawn.

A yellow school bus stops in front of the house and Sidney steps off.

The house looks big and lonely as Sidney moves up the walk to the front door.

INT.  BEDROOM - LATER

Sidney is on the telephone.

				SIDNEY
			(into phone)
		You sure I can stay over?  My dad won't
		be back til Sunday.

				TATUM
			(through phone)
		No prob. I'll pick you up after
		practice.

				SIDNEY
		Tell your mom I said thanks.

				TATUM
		Yeah, yeah...are you okay?

				SIDNEY
		Uh-huh, it's just...you know, the police
		and reporters...it brings it all back.

				TATUM
		I'll be there by seven. I promise

				SIDNEY
		Thanks, Tatum.

				TATUM
		Later.

Sidney hangs up.  She takes a seat at her computer and boots it up.  She sits in front of it staring at the blue screen...her own reflection staring back.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - LATER

Sidney comes down the stairs, her arms carrying a change of clothes, toothbrush, make-up...

She opens the hall closet and pulls a small overnight bag from the top shelf.  Moving into the living room she loads it up, plopping down on the sofa, hitting the TV remote.

CLOSE ON THE SCREEN

A news reporter fades in.

				REPORTER #1
			(on TV)
		The entire nation was shocked today by
		the teen murders in North Carolina...

Sidney switches channels.

				REPORTER #2
		The State Bureau of Investigation has
		joined forces with local authorities to
		help catch what the Governor has called
		the most heinous...

The channel switches again.  Gale weathers appears, standing in front of the school.  Her white teeth gleaming.

				GALE
		This is not the first time the small town
		of Bayboro has endured such tragedy. Only
		a year ago, Maureen Prescott, wife and 
		mother, was found raped and murdered...

An old black and white snapshot fills the screen-a woman, beautiful and familiar.

CLOSE ON SIDNEY

eyes frozen, mesmerized by the image.  Suddenly she CLICKS the TV off.  Her eyes go to the clock on the end table.  5:45 PM.  Her eyes then move to the framed photo next to it...the same black and white photo stares at her...a healthy, vibrant woman.  An older version of Sidney.

Sidney curls up on the sofa closing her eyes tight...

INT.  LIVING ROOM - LATER

The clock on the end table reads 7:15 PM.  Sidney is fast asleep on the couch.  The phone RINGS.  Sidney leaps up grabbing the portable phone.

				TATUM
			(from phone)
		Practice ran late. I'm on my way.

				SIDNEY
			(eyes clock)
		It's past seven.

				TATUM
		Don't worry. Casey and Steve didn't bite 
		it til way after ten.

				SIDNEY
		I'm not worried.

				TATUM
		Good, 'cause I wanna swing by BLOCKBUSTER
		and get us a video. I was thinkin' Tom Cruise in
		ALL THE RIGHT MOVES. You know, if you
		pause it just right you can see his penis.

				SIDNEY
		Whatever. Just hurry.

				TATUM
		Bye.

She hangs up the phone.  It immediately RINGS again.

				SIDNEY
			(into phone)
		Tatum?

				MAN'S VOICE
			(from phone)
		Hello, Sidney.

IT'S HIM.  THE VOICE FROM BEFORE.

				SIDNEY
		Hi. Who is this?

				MAN
		You tell me.

Sidney thinks, trying to place his voice.  It sounds a little distorted.

				SIDNEY
		I have no idea.

				MAN
		Scary night, isn't it? With the murders
		and all, it's like right out of a horror
		movie or something.

				SIDNEY
		Aha, Randy, you gave yourself away. Are
		you calling from work? Tatum's on her
		way over.

				MAN
		Do you like scary movies, Sidney?

				SIDNEY
		I like that thing you're doing with your
		voice, Randy. It's sexy.

				MAN
		What's your favorite scary movie?

				SIDNEY
		Don't start. You know I don't watch that 
		shit.

				MAN
		And why is that?

				SIDNEY
			(playing along)
		Because they're all the same. It's
		always some stupid killer stalking some 
		big breasted girl-who can't act-who 
		always runs up the stairs when she should 
		be going out the front door. They're 
		ridiculous.

A brief silence.

				MAN
		Are you alone in the house?

				SIDNEY
		That is so unoriginal. You disappoint me,
		Randy.

				MAN
		Maybe that's because I'm not Randy.

				SIDNEY
		So who are you?

				MAN
		The question is not who am I. The
		question is where am I?

				SIDNEY
		So where are you?

				MAN
		Your front porch.

This gives her pause.  She moves to the window and pulls aside the drapes.

				SIDNEY
		Why would you call me from my
		front porch?

				MAN
		That's the original part.

ANGLE THROUGH WINDOW.  She can't quite see all of the porch.

				SIDNEY
		Oh yeah? Well I call your bluff.

Sidney goes to the front door.  She unlocks the bolt, unsnags the chain, and pulls the door open...revealing the front porch...

COMPLETELY EMPTY.

She steps out onto it, phone still in hand.  A single light shines overhead illuminating the porch, but little beyond.  Darkness is all around.

				SIDNEY
		So where are you?

				MAN
		Right here.

Sidney peers out into the darkness past thick shrubs that grow on either side of the porch.

				SIDNEY
		Can you see me right now?

				MAN
		Uh-huh.

				SIDNEY
		What am I doing?

She sticks her finger up her nose, pretending to pick.  Silence.  No answer.

				SIDNEY
		Good try, Randy. Tell Tatum to hurry.
		Bye now.

				MAN
		If you hang up, you'll die just like your 
		mother.

Sidney stops dead in her tracks, speechless.

				MAN
			(deadly)
		Do you want to die, Sidney? Your mother
		didn't.

His seriousness unnerves her.  Sid flies off the handle.

				SIDNEY
		FUCK YOU! YOU CRETIN!

She hangs up on him.  Moves back inside the house.  Locks, chains, and bolts the door when...

A FIGURE COMES LEAPING OUT OF THE HALL CLOSET

rushing her, ramming into her side..the phone flies..the FIGURE is on top of her as she goes down...SCREAMING...

She looks up to see the FIGURE, darkly dressed with a pale, distorted face, white and ghostly...a mask.

Her instincts surface and she kicks up with her foot making the contact with his leg...he topples over...coming right at her, his hand finding her neck.  Suddenly, along, silver blade appears above her.

Sidney pulls, jerks, twists...finally she lifts her torso forward knocking the FIGURE off her...sending him reeling into the living room.  Wasting no time, Sidney leaps to her feet.

She moves to the front door, unlocks it...pulls it open...it catches on the chain.  Shit!  She pushes it closed again looking behind her..the FIGURE has risen, knife in hand.
Sidney pulls on the chain and then-inexplicably turns and...

RUNS UP THE STAIRS.  The FIGURE right behind her.

INT.  UPSTAIRS LANDING

The FIGURE leaps at Sidney taking hold of her foot, she grabs madly at the wall...her hands grasp a framed painting-a quiet country home, subdued colors, done in oils-she rips it from the wall swinging it behind her...

It catches the FIGURE head on, smashing against his skull, sending him backwards, tumbling down the stairs.  Sidney races to her bedroom...

INT.  BEDROOM

She locks the door shut, the pulls her closet door open, placing the edge right at the door knob just as...

THE FIGURE POUNDS AGAINST THE BEDROOM DOOR...

ramming it, it rips open, but the closet door catches it in a crazy vice-like hold.

Sidney grabs the desk phone.  It's dead...off the hook downstairs.

The figure rushes the door several times..the frame splinters..but won't give.

Sidney is at her computer, she punches at the keypad madly.

CLOSE ON SCREEN AS WORDS APPEAR.

		FAX MODEM

		9-1-1 SEND

The knife slashes through the crack in the door wildly.

ON SCREEN AGAIN

		HELP KILLER

		34 ELM ST

Sidney presses SEND when it occurs to her-all is quiet.  The FIGURE is gone.  A fearful silence.  She looks around...the only sound her own rapid, terrified BREATHING.

ON THE SCREEN

		"Stay calm.  Police enroute."

Suddenly a NOISE at the window...Sidney looks up to see...

BILLY

her boyfriend, staring at her, surprised.

				SIDNEY
		Oh Billy...Please...God...

				BILLY
		I heard screaming. The door was locked.
		Are you okay...

				SIDNEY
		He's here. He's trying to kill me...

Billy pulls himself through the window.  As he does, a small black object falls from his dark jeans.  It hits the floor as Sidney eyes it...a sleek, compact cellular phone.

Sidney stops in her tracks.  Their eyes meet...an eternity.  A SIREN is heard in the distance.  Sidney bolts...

				BILLY
		Hey...wait...what's goin..

Billy reaches for her.  Sidney unblocks the bedroom door and tears out of the room.

INT.  LANDING

Sidney nearly falls down the stairs...

INT.  FOYER

She rips the chain off the door, pulls it open, coming face to face with a white, ghostly mask.
A massive SCREAM erupts from her gut as...

THE CAMERA PULLS BACK

to find Dewey-Deputy Riley, holding it.  Red lights flash, sirens BLAST vas car after car surrounds the house.

Sidney falls into the safety of Dewey's arms.

EXT.  FRONT YARD - MINUTES LATER

The yard is a whirlwind of activity.  An ambulance, squad cars, cops everywhere...

CLOSE ON BILLY'S FACE

as it SMASHES against the hood of a police car.  His hands are being cuffed, his rights being read.

				BILLY
			(screaming)
		I didn't do anything! Sid...where's Sid?
		Ask her, she'll tell ya...

Dewey holds a car door open as Sheriff Burke steps out.

				DEWEY
		We got him, Sheriff. Billy Loomis.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Hank Loomis' kid? Aw..Jesus...

				DEWEY
		He's her boyfriend.

They approach Billy as he's being placed in a squad car.

				BILLY
		Sheriff...I didn't do it...please, call
		my Dad..please...

The squad car disappears with Billy as another car comes to a stop in front of the house.  Tatum gets out, freaked beyond belief.

Back to the Sheriff and Dewey as they storm across the yard.

				DEWEY
		I was first to respond.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		What were you doing out here?

				DEWEY
		Drive by patrol.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		How is she?

				DEWEY
		She's tough.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Have to be. The shit she's gone through.

Across the yard sits Sidney, in the back of an ambulance as PARAMEDICS check her out.

Sheriff Burke and Riley approach.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		We're seeing a lot of you today.

She tries to smile but fails.

				DEWEY
		You gonna be able to come down to the
		station and talk to us a bit?

				SIDNEY
		..yeah...

TATUM appears, barreling past an OFFICER.

				TATUM
		What happened? Oh God...

Tatum rushes to her, grabbing hold of her.

				DEWEY
			(to Tatum)
		What are you doing here?

				TATUM
		Oh, God, Sid, I'm sorry I was late.

				DEWEY
		You can't be here, Tatum. This is an
		official crime scene.

				SIDNEY
		It's okay. She was supposed to pick me 
		up.

				TATUM
		Her dad's out of town. She's staying
		with us.

				DEWEY
		Does mom know?

				TATUM
		Yes, you doofus.

Two news vans come driving up the street.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		The vultures are coming. Let's get you
		out of here.

EXT.  STREET

A big, white news van comes to a stop in front of the house.  The side door slides open and Gale Weathers hops out just in time to see Sidney being escorted to a squad car.

				GALE
		I'll be damned.

Jumping from the driver's seat is KENNY, Gale's cameraman and flunky.  An earnest young chap on the chubby side.

				KENNY
		What? What?

				GALE
		Jesus! The camera-hurry!

But it's too late.  Sidney is as good as gone.  Gale sees Tatum moving quickly to her car.

				GALE
		Excuse me?

Tatum looks up to see Gale Weathers rushing her.

				GALE
		Was that Sidney Prescott they took away?

				TATUM
		I don't know.

Tatum hops in her car, ignoring her.

				GALE
		What happened to her?

				TATUM
		I'm not talking to you.

Tatum's car peels out as Kenny comes running up with his camera.

				KENNY
		Where'd she go?

Gale spins around, flashing her pearly whites.

				GALE
		Look, Kenny, I know you're about fifty
		pounds overweight but when I say hurry
		please interpret that as...MOVE YOUR
		FAT TUB OF LARD ASS NOW!

Gale moves back to the van leaving Kenny miffed.

INT.  POLICE STATION

A small town station.  The bull pen is a little square room with four desks and tonight--it's hopping.  Cops everywhere.

INT.  SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sidney sits at a desk drinking a cup of water.  She wears the Sheriff's jacket over her shoulders.  Dewey approaches.

				SIDNEY
		Did you reach my Dad?

				DEWEY
		You're sure it was the Hilton?

				SIDNEY
		At the airport.

				DEWEY
		He's not registered. Could he have gone
		to another hotel?

				SIDNEY
		I don't know. I guess.

				DEWEY
		We'll find him, Sid. Don't worry.

Sidney stares blankly, numb.

INT.  SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Billy sits opposite Sheriff Burke.  Next to Billy, sits his father, HANK LOOMIS, an older version of Billy.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		What are you doing with a cellular
		telephone, son?

				MR. LOOMIS
		It's my phone. He was just playing 
		around with it.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		You got some ideas of playing around, boy.

				BILLY
		I didn't call anyone with it. I just
		took it for fun.

				MR. LOOMIS
		Everybody's got one now. Why don't you
		check the phone bill for chrissakes.
		Call my carrier--AirFone Comp. They'll
		have records of every number dialed.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Thank you, Hank. We're on it. What were 
		you doing out at Sidney's tonight?

				BILLY
		I just wanted to see her, that's all.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		You rode your bike out there?

				BILLY
		Yes, sir.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		And last night? Sidney said you crawled
		through her window last night too?

				MR. LOOMIS
			(surprised)
		You were out last night?

				BILLY
		I watched TV for awhile but the I felt 
		like going for a bike ride.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Did you ride past Casey Becker's house?

				BILLY
		No, I didn't. I didn't kill anyone,
		Sheriff.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		We're gonna have to keep you, Billy. The
		governor's got SBI, FBI, and god knows
		who else on their way down here.

Billy fights tears.

				BILLY
		This is crazy. I didn't do it.

Sheriff Burke eyes him up and down, very carefully.

INT.  POLICE BULL PEN - MINUTES LATER

Tatum has joined Sidney.  The sheriff's door opens and Billy is led out by a coupla UNIFORMS.  Burke and Dewey appear in the door watching Tatum comfort Sidney.

OUT OF EAR SHOT

				DEWEY
		That ghost mask is sold at both Kroger's
		and WalMart. Neither of which keep
		purchase records.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		What about the cellular phone bill?

				DEWEY
		They're pulling Loomis' account. But
		it'll be morning before we see something.
		You think he did it?

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Twenty years ago I woulda said not a
		chance. But these kids today...damn if I 
		know.

				TATUM
			(o.s.)
		Hey...Dewey. Can we go now?

				DEWEY
		Hold up a sec...

				SHERIFF BURKE
		She staying with you?

				DEWEY
		We haven't located her Dad yet.

				TATUM
			(o.s.)
		Goddammit, Dewey!

Dewey turns to her, his face red.

				DEWEY
		What did Mama tell you? When I wear this
		badge you treat me like a man of the law.

				TATUM
		I'm sorry, Deputy Dewey-boy but we're
		ready to go.

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Use the back way. Avoid the circus.

EXT.  POLICE STATION - SIDE DOOR

The door opens and Sidney, Tatum, Dewey, and a coupla OFFICERS exit avoiding the horde of REPORTERS that can be seen around the corner waiting anxiously at the front entrance.

				DEWEY
		I'll get the car. Wait here.

Dewey takes off.  From the darkness of the alley, Gale Weathers appears with Kenny and his camera.  They've been waiting.

				GALE
		Hello Sidney.

Sidney spins around to see Gale, standing, smiling at her.  Sidney's body tightens and her face goes taut.

				GALE
		Some night. Are you alright?

Their eyes meet in cold familiar stare.  Sidney says nothing.  She's visibly shaking.

				GALE
		What happened?

				TATUM
		She's not answering any questions. Just
		leave us alone, okay?

				SIDNEY
		It's okay, Tatum. She's just doing her
		job. Right, GALE?

				GALE
		Yes, that's right.

Dewey, in a squad car, turns into the alley and pulls up.  The other news people have wisened up.  They begin to flock the alley.

				SIDNEY
		How's the book?

				GALE
		It'll be out later this year.

Sidney tries to contain herself..squeezing a clenched fist.

				SIDNEY
		I'll look for it.

				GALE
		I'll send you a copy.

In a blurred, unexpected instant, Sidney brings her fist forward, SMASHING it hard into Gale Weathers's face.  The impact sends Gale reeling backwards, knocking into Kenny as they both tumble to the pavement.

ON SIDNEY...breathing deep, a sense of satisfaction on her face.

INT.  TATUM'S BEDROOM - LATER

A spacious bedroom.  Typical.  Tatum and Sidney lay on the bed.  They both wear night shirts.

				TATUM
		God, I loved it. "I'll send you a copy."
		BAM! Bitch went down. "I'll send you a
		copy." BAM! Sid--SuperBitch!

Dewey appears in the doorway holding a bag of ice.

				DEWEY
		I thought you might want some ice for
		that right hook.

Sidney sits up, takes the ice, and puts it on her hand.

				DEWEY
		I'll be right next door. Try to get some
		sleep.

Dewey moves back out the door.

				SIDNEY
		Any word on my Dad?

				DEWEY
			(turning to her)
		Not yet, but we're looking. If you need
		anything...

				TATUM
		Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Dewey smiles, pulling the door closed on his way out.  Sidney lies back down.

				SIDNEY
		Just another sleepover at the Riley's.

				TATUM
		Just like old times, ain't it?

				SIDNEY
		No, nothing's like it used to be.

Sidney rolls over at her side, away from Tatum.

A telephone RINGS somewhere in the house.

				TATUM
		Do you really think Billy did it?

				SIDNEY
		He was there, Tatum.

				TATUM
		I knew this guy was too perfect. He was
		destined to have a flaw.

A KNOCK at the door.  It opens and a friendly, graying woman pops in.  This is MAMA RILEY.  She wears a comforting smile.

				MAMA RILEY
		Telephone, dear.

				TATUM
		Who is it?

				MAMA RILEY
		It's for Sid

				SIDNEY
		My Dad?

Mama Riley shakes her head sadly.

				TATUM
		Take a message.

				SIDNEY
		It's alright. I'll get it.

Sidney takes off out the door.  Mama Riley motions to Tatum.

				MAMA RILEY
			(whispers)
		How is she?

Tatum shrugs.

INT.  HALLWAY

Sidney grabs the phone at the end of the hall.

				SIDNEY
		Hello?

				MAN
			(from phone)
		Hello Sidney.

IT'S HIM.  The CAMERA does a Hitchcock as Sidney's entire body goes weak..his VOICE moving through her..invading her.  She CRIES OUT.

				SIDNEY
		NOOOOOO...

Mama Riley turns in the doorway.  Tatum comes bolting out of the bedroom.

				MAN
			(from phone)
		Poor Billy-boyfriend. An innocent guy
		doesn't stand a chance with you.

				SIDNEY
		LEAVEMEALONE!

				MAN
		Looks like you fingered the wrong
		guy...again.

				SIDNEY
		Who are you?

				TATUM
		Hang up, Sid.

				MAN
		Don't worry. You'll find out soon
		enough. I promise.

Mama Riley BEATS on a closed bedroom door.

				MAMA RILEY
		Dewey! Dewey!

				MAN
		This is gonna be fun, Sidney. Just like
		old times.

CLICK.

Dewey flies out of his room wearing only his boxers...holding his gun.

				DEWEY
		What? What?

The phone goes dead.  Sidney stands frozen.

EXT.  BAYBORO MAIN STREET - DAWN - ESTABLISHING

The morning sun shines high over Bayboro Townsquare.  Cars come to life, townsfolk stir as the picture postcard community awakens from a restless sleep.

INT.  KITCHEN - MORNING

Sidney and Tatum sit at the kitchen table, dressed and ready for school as Mama Riley serves up breakfast.  A small television sits on the counter BLARING.

Dewey, in uniform, stands near the door, talking on the phone.

				MAMA RILEY
		I think you girls really should stay home
		today.

				TATUM
		Your objection is duly noted.

				SIDNEY
		I'd rather be around a lot of people,
		Mama Riley.

From the TV, Sidney hears her name, "SIDNEY PRESCOTT..."  All eyes go to the television.

				REPORTER
			(on TV)
		..who escaped a vicious attack last night
		was the daughter of Maureen Prescott who
		was brutally killed last year when
		convicted murderer Cotton Weary...

INSERT of COTTON WEARY, in prison fatigues.  A once handsome man, now haggard and worn.

				REPORTER
			(cont'd)
		..broke into their home and savagely
		raped and tortured the deceased. Cotton
		Weary is currently awaiting appeal for
		the death sentence handed down after the
		young Sidney testified against him. She
		was the key witness in the state's 
		prosecution...

				SIDNEY
		It's never gonna stop. Is it?

Dewey is off the phone.

				DEWEY
		Billy was released. His cellular bill
		was clean. He didn't make those calls.

				SIDNEY
		Somebody called me, Dewey. I'm not
		making it up.

				DEWEY
		I know. We're checking every cellular 
		account in the county. Any calls made to
		you or Casey Becker are being cross-
		referenced. It's gonna take time but
		we'll find him.

				SIDNEY
		And my Dad? Any word on him?

Riley shakes his head "no".

EXT.  SCHOOL STREET - LATER

Once again, REPORTERS line the street attacking students as they make their way to school, asking questions, hungry for that teenage insight.

Dewey's patrol jeep cruises by.  Sidney watches from the passenger's window.

INT.  PATROL CAR

Dewey pulls up in front of the school.  Tatum hops out while Sid lingers, suddenly unsure.  Dewey takes notice.

				DEWEY
		Hey, it's school. You'll be safe here.

Sidney forces herself out of the jeep as a microphone is shoved in her face...

				REPORTER
		How does it feel to almost be brutally 
		murdered?

Dewey leaps from the car, intercepting the reporter.

				DEWEY
		Leave the girl alone, will ya? She wants
		to go to school.

Sidney eyes the newsvan that's pulled up behind her.  The side door slides open and Gale Weathers steps out.

				TATUM
		Come on, Sid.

				SIDNEY
		Just a sec...I need to talk to someone.

She heads over to Gale.

EXT.  NEWSVAN - STREET

Sidney, puts her head down, hiding her face...avoiding other reporters as she makes her way to...

Gale who sits in the open door, checking her face in a mirror.  Makeup tries hard to hide Sid's handwork-a swollen black and blue right cheek.

Gale spots Sidney immediately and leaps to her feet.

				GALE
		Stop right there.

Sidney throws her hands up in surrender.

				SIDNEY
		I'm not here to fight.

				GALE
		Just stay back.

				SIDNEY
		I want to talk to you.

				GALE
			(calling into the van)
		Kenny. Camera. Now.

Kenny's head darts out from the van.

				SIDNEY
		Off the record. No cameras.

				GALE
		Forget it.

Sidney contains herself.

				SIDNEY
		Please. You owe me.

				GALE
		I owe you shit.

Gale moves inside the van.  But Sidney is relentless.

				SIDNEY
		You owe my mother.

				GALE
		Your mother's murder was last year's
		hottest court case. Somebody was gonna 
		write a book about it.

				SIDNEY
		And it had to be you with all your lies
		and bullshit theories.

				GALE
		What is your problem? You got what you
		wanted. Cotton Weary is in jail.
		They're gonna gas him. A book is not
		gonna change that.

				SIDNEY
		Do you still think he's innocent?

Gale's interest is peaked.  She eyes Sidney suspiciously.

				GALE
		He was convicted in a court of law. Your
		testimony put him away. It doesn't 
		matter what I think.

				SIDNEY
		During the trial, you did all those 
		stories about me. You called me a liar.

				GALE
		I think you falsely identified him. Yes.

				SIDNEY
		Have you talked to Cotton?

				GALE
		Many times.

				SIDNEY
		Has his story changed?

				GALE
		Not one word. He admits to having sex
		with your mother but that's all.

				SIDNEY
		He's lying. She wouldn't have touched
		him. He raped her, then butchered her.
		Her blood was all over his coat.

				GALE
		He was drunk that night. He left his
		coat at your house, after your mother
		seduced him...

				SIDNEY
		I saw him leaving wearing it.

				GALE
		But couldn't it have been someone else
		you saw wearing that coat? The same
		person who planted it in Cotton's car,
		framing him? The same person who 
		really killed your mother?

A long beat.  Sidney considers this for the millionth time.

				SIDNEY
		No, Cotton murdered my mother.

But there's doubt in her voice.  Gale's face lights up.

				GALE
		You're not so sure anymore, are you?

Sidney clams up.

				SIDNEY
		No, it was Cotton.

Tatum comes waltzing up.

				TATUM
			(to GALE)
		Nice welt.

Gale ignores her, zeroing in on Sidney, half realizing.

				GALE
		The killer is still on the loose, isn't 
		he? These murders are related.

				TATUM
		Yo--let's rock.

Sidney starts to fidget.

				SIDNEY
		I'm sorry I mangled your face.

She take off with Tatum.  Gale calls after her.

				GALE
		Wait, Sidney, don't go...

But Sidney and Tatum have already disappeared in the crowd of students moving across campus.

Gale looks to Kenny.

				GALE
		Jesus Christ! An innocent man on death
		row. A killer still on the loose.
		Kenny, tell me I'm dreaming.

				KENNY
		You want to go live?

Gale's mind races with possibilities.

				GALE
		No, not so fast. We have nothing
		concrete.

				KENNY
		When did that ever stop you? You can't
		sit on this. This is huge.

				GALE
		If I'm gonna blow this up-I need hard
		proof.

				KENNY
		But it's so much easier when we make it
		up.

				GALE
		Not this time. I owe Cotton that much.
		Hell, even I thought that man was guilty.

EXT.  SCHOOL CAMPUS - SECONDS LATER

Tatum and Sidney make their way across campus.

				TATUM
		Just relax. You're at school now. No
		one can get you here.

				SIDNEY
		But if it wasn't Billy it could be
		anybody. He could be here at school
		right now.

They move up the walk as a FIGURE falls in step behind them, sporting a WHITE GHOST MASK.

				TATUM
		Serial killers are smart by definition.
		They minimize their risk. They plan and
		pre-calculate everything. Showing up
		here would be the most lame-brain
		move he could make.

				SIDNEY
		He promised me he'd be back.

As easy as the figure appeared, it disappears-falling out of site, unseen by either of them.

				TATUM
		I wouldn't put too much stock in a
		psycho's promise.

They move up the front steps toward the main doors of the school as the GHOST MASKED FIGURE reappears...standing at the top of the steps...Sidney sees it first, stopping dead in her tracks.

She steps back, spinning around to find...

A GHOST FACE behind her as well, both of them approaching, closing in on her.  Sidney starts to SCREAM when the two ghosts bust up LAUGHING, tearing off across campus.

EXT.  STREET

In front of the school we catch up a REPORTER doing a live remote.  He holds a mask in his hand.

				REPORTER
		This morning several students, in what
		appears to be a prank, have been spotted
		wearing masks. School officials have yet
		to comment but this is the same type of
		mask worn by the killer...

INT. HALLWAY - MINUTES LATER

Just before the bell.  The hallway is congested with students heading to class.  Tatum is at her locker with Sidney.

				SIDNEY
		This is a mistake. I shouldn't be here.

				TATUM
		I want you to meet me here right after
		class, okay?

Billy appears in the crowd, with Stu tagging behind.  Tatum spots him first.

				TATUM
		Shit, what is he doing here?

				SIDNEY
		I bet he's pissed.

				TATUM
		Just ignore him. You had good reason to 
		think what you did.

Billy and Stu approach.  Billy's face is solemn.

				BILLY
		Hi, Sid. Can we talk a sec?

Sidney says nothing.  She can barely look at him.  Tatum intervenes.

				TATUM
		You know if I were accused of carving up
		two people, I'd take the opportunity to
		skip school.

				STU
		Hey, go easy, Tatum. He didn't do it.

				BILLY
		Talk to me, Sid.

Suddenly, a SCREAM erupts.  All eyes go to a GHOST MASKED STUDENT running down the hall, screaming wildly, running amuck.

				SIDNEY
		Why are they doing this?

				STU
		Are you kidding? This is like Christmas.

Billy punches Stu in the side.

				STU
		Owwww...

				BILLY
		You open your mouth and stupidity pours
		out.

				STU
		Sorry.

Sidney, clearly upset, takes off down the hall.  Billy races off after her.

				TATUM
			(yelling)
		Stay away from her, Billy.

Tatum SLAMS her locker door shut as the bell RINGS.

INT.  CORRIDOR - SECONDS LATER

With first period underway, the halls have cleared.  One or two struggling students can be seen rushing to class.

Sidney moves quickly down the hall, rounding a corner, running smack into...

BILLY

They collide hard catching Sidney off guard, scaring the life out of her.  She falls backwards, but Billy catches her fall.

				SIDNEY
		Jesus, SHIT!

				BILLY
		Hey, hey, it's just me.

Sidney pulls away from him quickly.  Billy feels the slight.

				BILLY
		What? You don't still think it's me?

Sidney catches her breath.

				SIDNEY
		No...I don't...it's just...Oh God, Billy,
		someone was there, someone tried to 
		kill me.

				BILLY
		The police say I scared him off. It
		wasn't me, Sid.

				SIDNEY
		I know. He called again last night at
		Tatum's house.

				BILLY
		See, it couldn't have been me. I was in
		jail, remember?

				SIDNEY
		I'm so sorry...please understand.

				BILLY
		Understand what? That I got a girlfriend
		who would rather accuse me of being a 
		psychopathic killer than touch me.

				SIDNEY
		You know that's not true.

				BILLY
		Then what is it? Is there somebody else?

				SIDNEY
		No...

				BILLY
		Is it the sex thing? Am I being too
		pushy?

				SIDNEY
		No, it's me, Billy. I need time. I'm
		still adjusting to my mom.

				BILLY
		It's been a year since she died.

				SIDNEY
			(correcting him)
		Tomorrow. One year tomorrow.

				BILLY
		When are you gonna let that go, Sid?
		When my mom left my dad--I just accepted
		it. This is the way it is. She's not coming
		back.

				SIDNEY
			(sharply)
		Your parents split up. It's not the same
		thing. Your mom left town, she's not in
		a coffin somewhere.

				BILLY
		You have to move on, Sid.

Sidney starts to walk away but turns back, angry.

				SIDNEY
		I'm glad to know you're coping so well
		with life, Billy. But some of us aren't so
		perfect. Some of us are just trying to
		hold on.

Sidney disappears through a door marked GIRL'S BATHROOM, leaving Billy alone in the hallway.  He SMACKS his forehead, pissed at himself.

INT.  GIRL'S BATHROOM

Large and spacious.  Closed bathroom stalls line one wall facing a row of sinks and a huge mirror.  Sidney enters as TWO GIRLS tinkle and talk--each from their respective stalls.

				GIRL #1
		She was never attacked. I think she made
		it all up.

				GIRL #2
		Why would she lie about it?

				GIRL #1
		For attention. The girl has some serious 
		issues.

Sidney listens intently.

A toilet FLUSHES.  Sidney quickly jumps in a stall, hiding, just as GIRL #1 appears from a stall.  She looks like that voice--a snotty little twit.

				GIRL #1
		What if she did it? What if Sidney
		killed Casey and Steve?

				GIRL #2
		And why would she do that?

				GIRL #1
		Maybe she was hot for Steve and killed
		them both in a jealous rage.

Another toilet FLUSHES.

				GIRL #2
		Why would Sidney want to be with Steve?
		She has her own bubble-butt boyfriend Billy.

				GIRL #1
		Maybe she's a slut just like her mom.

INSIDE THE STALL Sidney listens.  Her face weakening.

				GIRL #2
		You're evil.

				GIRL #1
		Please, it's common knowledge. Her
		mother was a trollop.

GIRL #2 appears from her stall--another twit.  They both stand in front of the mirror adjusting two snotty faces.

				GIRL #2
		Cut some slack. She watched her mom get
		butchered.

				GIRL #1
		And it fucked her up royally. Think
		about it. It makes perfect sense. Her
		mom's death leaves her distraught and
		hostile at a cruel and inhumane world,
		she's disillusioned, where's God, etc.
		Completely suicidal. And one day she
		snaps. She wants to kill herself but
		realizes teen suicide is out this year.
		And homicide is a much healthier
		therapeutic expression.

From the stall, Sidney listens, her heart pounding, jaw quivering.

				GIRL #2
		Where do you get this shit?

				GIRL #1
		Ricki Lake.

The two girls exit.  Sidney moves out of the stall, catching her reflection in the mirror.

				SIDNEY
		Pathetic.

Water DRIPS somewhere from a leaky pipe as wind WHISTLES in from the cracked transom above the bathroom door.  It sound almost like a whisper,   "Siddneey..."

Sidney spins around.  What the...  She checks out the bathroom.  The doors to the stalls are all closed.  She bends down and scans beneath them, looking for feet.  No one.  Nothing.

Sidney turns back to the mirror.  Suddenly...

				MAN
			(o.c. whisper)
		Siddneey...

Unmistakable this time.  The VOICE strikes Sidney like a nail through the eye.  It comes from one of the stalls.  She stands thunderstruck, eyeing the stalls thru the mirror.

				SIDNEY
		Is someone there?

A long, morose silence.  And then:

				MAN
			(softly, simply)
		It's me, Sidney.

Sidney spins around.  Fuck no!  HE'S HERE.  Terror floods her face.  She eyes the exit door, then the row of stalls she must pass to get to it.

She checks under the stalls again.  Nothing...where the fuck is he?  She takes a step forward when...

TWO FEET step down from a toilet onto the floor in the last stall.  Sidney's face draws tight as the stall door begins to CREAK open.  She bolts forward, making a break for it...but slips on the wet floor...her feet flying out from under...

Sidney reaches out...grabs hold of a sink...saves herself from falling...she glimpses a GHOST MASK in the mirror coming for her.  A hand grabs her shoulder as she SLAMS her body through the exit door...narrowly escaping.

INT.  CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS

Sidney flies out of the bathroom door SCREAMING...burning up the hallway, not looking back.  A TEACHER, hearing her SCREAM, peer out from an open doorway...as Sidney sprints by him, not stopping...running madly.

INT.  PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

CLOSE on a red-faced Principal Himbry as he reads someone the riot act.

MR. HIMBRY
I'm sickened. Your whole havoc-inducing,
thieving, whoring generation disgusts me.

The CAMERA SWINGS AROUND to reveal two GHOST MASKED STUDENTS standing at attention.  Mr. Himbry rips the mask off of one of the student's heads.

				MR. HIMBRY
		Two students have been savagely murdered.
		And this is how we express our compassion
		and sensivity?

He rips the mask off the other student.

				MR. HIMBRY
		We throw on a mask and dance around
		campus just hoping someone else gets
		butchered before we get bored again.
		You're both expelled.

The GHOSTS doth protest...

				GHOST #1
		Aw, come on, Mr. Himbry, it was just a
		joke.

				GHOST #2
		Yeah, that's not fair.

A deep rooted hostility has taken over Mr. Himbry's face.  Neither student budges, scared to even breathe.

				MR. HIMBRY
		No, it's not fair. Fairness would be to
		rip your insides out and hang you from 
		a tree so you can be exposed for the
		desensitized, heartless little shits that
		you are.

Suddenly the door BURSTS open and Sidney appears, hysterical.

				SIDNEY
			(crying)
		He's here...I saw him...he's here...

Mr. Himbry rushes to her, arms outstretched.

				MR. HIMBRY
		Easy child.

Sidney collapses in his arms.

EXT.  SCHOOL STREET - MINUTES LATER

Dewey's patrol jeep is parked in front of the school.  He stands in the open driver's door talking on the radio.

				SHERIFF BURKE
			(from radio)
		She's okay. Looks like some boys were
		teasing her. Himbry's shutting down the
		school though. I want you to take look 
		around.

				DEWEY
		Yes, sir, sheriff.

Dewey shuts the jeep door and heads for campus when Gale Weathers appears, her fake face aglow.

				GALE
		Hi! Gale Weathers. Field Correspondent,
		INSIDE STORY.

				DEWEY
		I know who you are, ma'am. How's the
		eye?

				GALE
		Productive. So they're closing down the
		school?

				DEWEY
		Well..uh...yes ma'am. For the time being.

Dewey heads for the school building. Gale scurries along side him flirtatiously.

				GALE
		And why is that? Has something happened?

				DEWEY
		You're not supposed to be here, ma'am.

				GALE
		I know, I should be in New York covering
		the Sharon Stone stalker but who knew?
		Please, call me Gale. You look awfully
		young to be a police officer.

Dewey's eyes wander down to Gale's long legs, the way her hips move as she walks...he's clearly distracted.

				DEWEY
		I'm twenty-five years old, ma'am.

				GALE
		Twenty-five, huh? In a demographic study
		I proved to be most popular amongst
		males, 11-24. I just missed you. Of course,
		you don't look a day over twelve, except 
		in the upper torso area. Does the force
		require that you work out?

Dewey looks away, blushing a bit.

				DEWEY
		No, ma'am. Because of my boyish good
		looks, muscle mass has increased my
		acceptance as a serious police officer.

They approach the school's front entrance.  Suddenly, Mr. Himbry's VOICE in amplified through intercoms across campus via the PA system.  They stop to listen.

				MR. HIMBRY
			(via PA)
		"Your attention please. Due to the
		recent events that have occurred and
		until it comes to a resolve--effective
		immediately--all classes are suspended
		til further notice. The Bayboro Police
		Dept. has also asked me to announce a
		city wide curfew beginning at 6 o'clock
		PM. I repeat..."

Gale speaks over Mr. Himbry's voice.

				GALE
		Boy, you people sure do make fuss over
		a serial killer.

				DEWEY
		Serial killer is not really accurate,
		ma'am. The killer has yet to strike 
		twice.

				GALE
		Well, we can hope, can't we? We
		certainly don't have any leads. A ghost
		mask, a cellular phone--not much there.

				DEWEY
		We're tracking the cellular phone bill.

				GALE
		Really? You small town guys are good.
		And have you located Sidney's father?

				DEWEY
		No, not yet.

				GALE
		He's not a suspect, is he?

				DEWEY
		We haven't ruled out that possibil...

Dewey, realizing he's said too much, clams up.

				DEWEY
		If you'll excuse me, ma'am.

				GALE
		Am I keeping you? I'm sorry.

				DEWEY
		That's quite alright. If I may say so,
		ma'am, you're much prettier in person.

Dewey starts up the school's front steps as the bell RINGS.

				GALE
		So you do watch the show?

He turns to her earnestly as STUDENTS come pouring out the front doors.

				DEWEY
		I just turned 25. I was 24 for a whole
		year.

				GALE
		You are precious. Please, call me Gale.

She smiles deliciously, gives him a wink, then struts off as Dewey, like a nervous little school boy watches her go.

INT.  SCHOOL CORRIDOR - SECONDS LATER

School is clearing out.  The halls have begun to empty as Tatum escorts Sidney down the hallway.

				TATUM
		It was just some sick fuck having a
		laugh.

				SIDNEY
		It was him, Tatum. I know it.

Tatum wants to believe her but...

				TATUM
		You are not to be alone again. Is that
		clear? If you pee--I pee.

Stu appears.

				STU
		Is this not cool or what? Hey, Sid,
		what happened?

				TATUM
		For once, Stu, drop it.

				STU
		Okay, but whatever you did--the entire
		student body thanks you.

Stu moves to Tatum and gives her a kiss.

				STU
		And to celebrate this impromptu fall
		break, I propose we have a party.
		Tonight, my house.

				SIDNEY
		Are you serious?

				STU
		My parents are out of town. It'll be
		like my hurricane bash last year.
		Nothing extreme. Just a few of us,
		hangin'.

Tatum warms to the idea.

				TATUM
		This could be good. What do you think,
		Sid?

				SIDNEY
		I don't know...

				TATUM
		Come on. Pathos has it's perks.

Sidney considers trying hard to be good spirited.

				STU
		Remember, there's safety in numbers.

				SIDNEY
			(giving in)
		Yeah, okay...whatever.

				STU
		Cool. See you guys tonight. Bring food.

Stu speeds off, sliding down the empty hallway.

INT.  PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - LATER

Mr. Himbry sits at his desk staring at the ghosts masks before him.  He picks one of them up, snickering.

				MR. HIMBRY
		Damn...

He stands and moves to the closet next to his office door.  He pulls it open to reveal a mirror hooked inside the door.  He tries the mask on, pulling it over his face, looking in the mirror when...

A KNOCK AT THE DOOR stops him.  He rips the mask off his head, turns to his office door and opens it to reveal...

AN EMPTY DOORWAY.  He pokes his head into the outer office area and looks around.  But no one's there.

				MR. HIMBRY
		Yes? Hello?

The place is empty.  A little suspicious he closes the door, catching his reflection in the closet mirror.  He looks at the mask in his hands.  Jesus, even he's jumpy.  Two seconds later...

ANOTHER KNOCK AT THE DOOR.  Himbry grabs the door quickly, this time throwing it open.  Again no one's there.  He steps out into the outer office determined to catch a prankster.

INT.  OUTER OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Completely empty.  Mr. Himbry moves through the outer office and into the school corridor.  The overhead lights have been turned off and the corridor is now dark and deserted.  He looks up and down the hall.  Only a JANITOR is seen in the distance pushing a broom.

				MR. HIMBRY
		Little shits.

Mr. Himbry returns to his office.

INT.  OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Himbry reenters his office, moving to his desk, when he spots the closet door NOW CLOSED SHUT.

This gives him a pause-he had left it open.  Hadn't he?  Suddenly, he can't remember.  He shifts uneasy, reaching for the door knob, pulling the door open to reveal...

AN EMPTY CLOSET.  He stands still a moment, suddenly realizing someone could easily now be standing behind the open closet door.  Nervously, he pushes it shut to reveal...

NOTHING.  Himbry shakes away his jitters, realizing he's spooked himself.  He continues to his desk, pushing his office door shut when...

A GHOST MASKED FIGURE lunges from behind it...knife in hand.  Quick and easy.  Three quick jabs to the stomach and Himbry goes down.  The GHOST MASKED FIGURE towering above him.

EXT.  TATUM'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON - LATER

The late afternoon sun is quickly disappearing.

Tatum and Sidney rock on the front porch looking out into the small town neighborhood.  Dewey's patrol jeep is parked in the driveway.

Despite loud music, BLARING from an inside stereo, this is a quiet  moment.

				TATUM
		Maybe Cotton Weary is telling the truth.
		Maybe he was having an affair with your
		mom.

				SIDNEY
		So you think my mom was a slut too?

				TATUM
		I didn't say that, Sid. But you know
		there were rumors. Your dad was 
		always out of town on business. 
		Maybe your mom was a very unhappy
		woman.

				SIDNEY
		If they were having an affair how come
		that Cotton couldn't prove it in court?

				TATUM
		You can't prove a rumor. That's why it's 
		a rumor.

				SIDNEY
		Created by that little tabloid twit Gale
		Weathers.

				TATUM
			(delicately)
		It goes further back, Sid. There's been
		talk about other men.

				SIDNEY
		And you believe it?

				TATUM
		Well...you can only hear that Richard
		Gere-gerbil story so many times before
you have to start believing it.

A long silence as Sidney agonizes over all of this.  She stands up and moves to the edge of the porch and stares out onto the neighborhood.

				SIDNEY
		If I was wrong Cotton, then he's still
		out there.

				TATUM
		Don't go there, Sid. You're starting to
		sound like some Wes Carpenter flick.
		Don't freak yourself out--we've got a
		long night ahead of us.

				SIDNEY
		You're right. I'm cracking up. Ignore
		me.

				TATUM
		Come on, let's rock.

Sid follows Tatum inside the house never seeing the GHOST MASKED FIGURE that stands across the street, under a tree.  His presence so subtle and unobtrusive you'd have to see this movie a second time to know he was there all along.

EXT.  MAIN STREET - LATER

Stu is moving along main street when Billy comes barreling up next to him.

				BILLY
		How'd you do?

				STU
		Piece of cake. She'll be there.

				BILLY
		Thanks, butt wart. You did good.

				STU
		So you gonna try and make up with Sid?

				BILLY
		Duh...that's quick.

				STU
		I was just asking. Why are you always at
		me?

				BILLY
		Because I'm trying to build your self-
		esteem. You're far too sensitive.

				STU
		Oh....

Billy thumbs Stu's forehead.

				BILLY
		You ready to party hard tonight?

				STU
		You know it.

They come to a building centrally located in the heart of Main Street.  A huge, blue monstrosity that's bigger than the local bank and post office combined. The sign in front reads BLOCKBUSTER.

INT.  BLOCKBUSTER - CONTINUOUS

You typical Blockbuster--huge and crowded.  Randy, in his Blockbuster get up, is busy reshelving returns when Stu appears--knocking the videos out of his hand.

				STU
		Jesus, this place is packed.

				RANDY
			(picking up videos)
		We had a run in the mass murder section.

				STU
		You coming tonight?

				RANDY
		Yeah, I'm off early--curfew you know.
			(looking off)
		Now that's poor taste.

				STU
		What?

Randy refers to Billy who stands down the aisle talking to TWO GIRLS.  (The twits from the bathroom perhaps.)

				RANDY
		If you were the only suspect in a
		senseless bloodbath would you be standing
		in the horror section?

				STU
		It was all a misunderstanding. He didn't
		do anything.

				RANDY
		You're such a little lap dog. He's got
		killer printed all over his forehead.

				STU
		The why'd the police let him go?

				RANDY
		Because, obviously they don't watch 
		enough movies. This is standard horror
		movie stuff. PROM NIGHT revisited.

Randy moves down the aisle, reshelving videos.

				STU
		Why would he want to kill his own 
		girlfriend?

				RANDY
		There's always some stupid bullshit
		reason to kill your girlfriend. That's
		the beauty of it all. Simplicity.
		Besides, if it's too complicated you lose
		your target audience.

				STU
		So what's his reason?

				RANDY
		Maybe Sidney wouldn't have sex with him.

				STU
		She's saving herself for you.

				RANDY
		Could be. Now that Billy's tried to
		mutilate her, you think Sid would go out
		with me?

				STU
		I think her father did it. How come they
		can't find his ass?

				RANDY
		Because he's probably dead. His body
		will come popping out in the last reel
		somewhere...eyes gauged. See, the police
		are always off track with this shit, if they'd 
		watch PROM NIGHT they'd save time.
		There's formula to it. A very simple one.
		Everyone's always a suspect--the father,
		the principal, the town derelict...

				STU
		Which is you...

				RANDY
		So while they're off investigating a dead
		end, Billy, who's been written off as a
		suspect, is busy planning his next
		hunting expedition.

				BILLY
			(o.c.)
		How do we know you're not the killer?

Randy spins around to find Billy right behind him.  Busted.

				RANDY
		Uh...hi, Billy.

				BILLY
		Maybe your movie-freaked mind lost it's
		reality button?

Randy shrugs, laughing it off.

				RANDY
		You're absolutely right. I'm the first
		to admit it. If this were a scary movie,
		I'd be the prime suspect.

				STU
		And what would be your motive?

				RANDY
		It's 1995--motives are incidental.

EXT.  MAIN STREET - LITTLE LATER

Dewey's patrol jeep makes it's way down mainstreet.  It's almost dark.  The street is close to deserted.

INT.  PATROL JEEP - CONTINUOUS

Dewey's behind the wheel having a heated conversation with Tatum while Sid stares out the window.

				DEWEY
		A party? Mom's gonna kill you. Then me.

				TATUM
		Don't be so self-righteous. It's just a 
		little blow out--we'll be perfectly safe.

Sid stares out the window. CLOSED SIGNS fill the storefronts, a few people rush to their car, in a hurry to beat curfew. 

				SIDNEY
		God, look at this place, it's THE TOWN 
		THAT DREADED SUNDOWN. 

				DEWEY
		Hey, I saw that movie. True story, 'bout 
		some killer in Texas. 

				TATUM
		Hey, Sid. Just think if they make a 
		movie about you. Who's gonna play you? 

				SIDNEY
		Oh, god... 

Dewey comes to a stop, parking the car in front of the police station. He looks to Sid with a brotherly smile. 

				DEWEY
		I see you as a young Meg Ryan myself. 

				SIDNEY 
		Thanks, Dewey. But with my luck they'd 
		cast Tori Spelling. 

EXT.  PATROL JEEP - CONTINUOUS 

They pile out of the jeep.  Dewey heads for the station. 

				DEWEY
		I'll just be a few minutes. Don't go 
		far.

The girls take off for the local supermarket that sits across the street. 

				SIDNEY
		Is Billy going to be there tonight? 

				TATUM 
		He better not be. I told Stu to keep his 
		mouth shut. I think we can live without 
		EVERYBODY'S ALL AMERICAN for 
		one night. 

They approach the grocery store.  Small and simple.  Sid and Tatum grab a shopping cart from the bin and enter the store, pushing the cart through two sliding glass doors. 

A lone CHECKOUT LADY behind the counter, big and frumpy, looks up from counting money. 

				CHECK OUT LADY 
		You girls gonna have to hurry it up. 
		We're under curfew. 

				TATUM 
		Two minutes tops. 

They make a bee-line for the junk food section just as the automated doors slide shut behind them and a... 

GHOST MASKED FIGURE appears, out of nowhere, standing just outside, watching, quietly through the glass store windows.

EXT.  POLICE STATION - SHERIFF'S OFFICE 

Sheriff Burke's face heats up as Deputy Riley marches in, hurriedly. 

				SHERIFF BURKE
		Dewey! Where the hell you been, boy?

				DEWEY 
		Keeping my eye on Sidney. 

				SHERIFF BURKE 
		Listen up, Dewey, because it's bad. Real 
		bad. Aircomp just faxed us. The calls 
		were listed to Neil Prescott--Sidney's 
		father. He made the calls with his cellular 
		phone. It's confirmed. 

				DEWEY 
		Couldn't his cellular number have been 
		cloned? 

				SHERIFF BURKE 
		There's more. Guess what tomorrow is? 
		The anniversary of his wife's death. It all 
		fits. He's our man. 

				DEWEY 
		Have you contacted the bureau? 

				SHERIFF BURKE 
		They believe he's out of state by now. 
		We'll keep roadblocks and curfew in 
		effect through the night. If he's not 
		picked up by morning--we'll do a house 
		to house. 

				DEWEY 
		You think he could still be in town? 

				SHERIFF BURKE 
		He'd have to be crazy. Where's Sidney? 

				DEWEY 
		She's with my sister. Should I bring her 
		in? 

				SHERIFF BURKE 
		Hold off for now. Just stay close to 
		her. 

				DEWEY 
		She'll be with her friends over at Stu 
		Maker's tonight. 

				SHERIFF BURKE 
		Watch her. Don't let on--just keep your 
		eyes out. 

				DEWEY
		Yes, sir. 

INT.  SUPERMARKET - FEW MINUTES LATER 

Sidney and Tatum push a basket through the junk food section.  The store is completely empty.  The girls gab freely. 

				SIDNEY 
		Billy's right. Whenever he touches me, I 
		just can't relax. 

				TATUM 
		You have a few intimacy issues as a 
		result of your mother's untimely death.
		It's no big deal. You'll thaw out. 

				SIDNEY 
		But he's been so patient with me, Tatum. 
		You know, with all the sex stuff. How 
		many guys would put up with a girlfriend 
		who's sexually anorexic? 

				TATUM 
		Billy and his penis don't deserve you. 

Sidney grabs some chips and salsa from the shelf.  Down the aisle, through the storefront window the GHOST MASKED FIGURE still stands watching their every move. 

EXT.  SUPERMARKET 

Sid pushes the cart out of the glass door with Tatum riding it.  The GHOST MASKED FIGURE is nowhere to be found. 

				SIDNEY 
		What do you think about when you're 
		having sex? 

				TATUM 
		With Stu, there's little time to stop and 
		reflect. But sometimes before, to relax 
		and get in the mood, I think about Grant 
		Goodeve. 

Sid pushes the cart and Tatum across the street. 

				SIDNEY 
		Who? 

				TATUM 
		Grant Goodeve--the oldest brother on 
		EIGHT IS ENOUGH. Remember that show? He 
		was the one who lived off alone. He would come 
		around every now and then with his guitar and 
		sing "Eight is enough to fill our lives with love..."
		He had all these brain dead sisters and that idiot 
		brother from CHARLES IN CHARGE. God, I 
		was in love with Grant, he was so hot. The show 
		came on every day after school right during my 
		puberty years. Grant Goodeve was very instrumental 
		in my maturing as a woman. 

				SIDNEY 
		How does that get you in the mood with 
		Stu? 

				TATUM 
		During foreplay, I sing the theme song to 
		myself. "Eight is enough to fill our lives 
		with love..." It's a real turn on. 

				SIDNEY 
		No way. 

				TATUM 
		Grant wrote the song himself. I'm 
		convinced the lyrics had a secret
		meaning, "Eight is enough..." 

Sid pushes the cart up to Dewey's jeep.  Tatum hops off. 

				SIDNEY 
		What secret meaning? Like a Satanical 
		thing? 

				TATUM 
		Watch the show, Sid. His basket is 
		bigger than the one you're pushing. 

				SIDNEY 
		TATUM! 

				TATUM 
		Oh, Sidney. WHAT? A guy can talk tits 
		til he's dead but the minute you mention 
		an eight inch weenie. Watch out. 

Sidney stops just short of a laugh.  Tatum pulls the back jeep door, loading the groceries in.  Behind her, the GHOST MASKED FIGURE appears, just out of their sight, behind the jeep's open back door. 

				TATUM 
		There's that sense of humor. I knew it 
		still existed. Ohh, Sid, let's have some 
		fun tonight. 

				SIDNEY 
		Deal. 

Sidney moves to the back door and closes it shut, when from behind... 

DEWEY stands.  Sid jumps, startled. 

				DEWEY 
		You girls ready. 

				SIDNEY 
		Yeah. 

				DEWEY 
		Looks like I'm your personal bodyguard 
		tonight, Sid. 

				TATUM 
		No, Dewey. You'll ruin the whole night. 

				DEWEY 
		Sorry, police orders. I'll stay out of the 
		way, I promise. 

				TATUM 
		Shit. 

Tatum kicks the shopping cart out of the way, blindly.  It rolls down the road by itself, gaining speed on a decline running smack into the GHOST MASKED FIGURE who stops the cart cold with one hand. 

EXT.  COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT 

Dewey's jeep makes it's way down a long, winding road.  Headlights illuminate the thick woods that line each side.  Following behind them at a discreet distance is a huge white newsvan. 

Dewey comes to the end of the road.  It dead ends at... 

STU'S HOUSE which sits alone in a clearing, big and ominous with no neighbors in sight.  A huge old home just ripe for a night of fun and...terror. 

From the looks of things the party has already started.  Music is BLARING. A few KIDS hang on the porch. 

INT.  LIVING ROOM - MINUTES LATER 

A big room with KIDS sprinkled throughout-smoking, drinking, cutting up.  A stereo BLASTS music while the TV airs around the clock killer coverage. 

Tatum and Sid enter with groceries.  Various FRIENDS greet them. 

				TATUM 
		Caterer's here. 

The girls carry bags through a hallway that opens up onto an enormous kitchen.  Stu and some GUYS are leaning over the sink drinking beer through a funnel. 

				TATUM 
		That's mature. 

				STU 
		Where you guys been? We had to start 
		without you. 

EXT.  STU'S HOUSE - ROAD 

The newsvan pulls up and parks unobtrusively on the side of the road a few feet down from the front yard. 

INT.  NEWSVAN 

Kenny and Gale move around inside the van.  Kenny hovers over a control panel complete with video monitors. 

				KENNY 
		What's the plan? 

				GALE 
		Prep the compact, we'll hide it in a 
		window and tape all of tonight's
		festivities. 

Kenny picks up a compact video camera the size of his fist.  He checks its battery pack. 

				KENNY 
		The control board's glitched. You know 
		we can't carry a live picture. 

				GALE 
		What's the delay? 

				KENNY 
		About thirty seconds. 

				GALE 
		As long as it records I don't give a 
		shit. We're not doing a remote. 

Gale slides open the side door and steps out into the darkness, not seeing the FIGURE that stands behind her.  A hand grabs her shoulder, Gale's heart stops as she spins around to find... 

Dewey, smiling, extremely pleased to see her. 

				DEWEY 
		Evening, ma'am. 

				GALE 
		Deputy...good evening. 

				DEWEY 
		What brings you out to these parts? 

				GALE 
		You never know when or where a story will 
		break. 

				DEWEY 
		Not much story here. Just a bunch of 
		kids cutting loose. 

				GALE 
		Then what are you doing here? 

				DEWEY 
		Keeping an eye on things. Checking the 
		place out. 

				GALE 
		Mind if I join you? 

Dewey considers for a whole two seconds. 

				DEWEY 
		Not at all. 

Gale leans in the van, grabs the camera from  Kenny's hand, and throws it in her bag.  She gives Kenny a wink. 

INT.  KITCHEN 

CLOSE ON a microwave.  Popcorn POPS inside.  CAMERA WIDENS TO REVEAL... 

Sid, Stu, and Tatum moving about the kitchen, preparing a junk food feast.  Other TEENS pop in and out. Randy appears amongst them.  He carries an armful of videos. 

				RANDY 
		I thought we'd make it a BLOCKBUSTER 
		night. 

He lets the videos splatter across the kitchen counter.  Stu and Tatum dive in. 

				STU 
		I thought everything was checked out. 

				RANDY 
		I had 'em hid in the foreign section. 

Sidney peruses the videos. 

				SIDNEY 
		THE FOG, TERROR TRAIN, PROM NIGHT 
		--How come Jamie Lee Curtis is in all these 
		movies? 

				RANDY 
		She's the Scream Queen. 

				STU 
		With that set of lungs--she should be. 

				TATUM 
			(to Sid) 
		Tits--see. 

INT.  LIVING ROOM - FEW MINUTES LATER 

The party is going strong.  Ten maybe fifteen people stand, sit, lean.  Some crowd around the floor in front of the television.  Randy is taking a vote. 

				RANDY 
		How many EVIL DEAD'S? 
			(hands go up) 
		How many HELLRAISER'S? 

Hands go up.  BICKERING AD-LIB, etc. 

The doorbell RINGS.  Stu goes for it. 

				STU 
		I got it. Tatum get me a beer. They're 
		in the fridge in the garage. 

				TATUM 
		What am I? The beer wench? 

				STU 
			(o.c.) 
		Hey, guess who's here? It's that chick 
		from INSIDE STORY? 

They look up the hallway to see Dewey and Gale standing in the foyer. 

				TATUM 
		Shit, Dewey! 

Everyone perks up, eyeing Gale. 

				TATUM 
		What is she doing here? 

				DEWEY 
		She's with me. I just wanted to check on 
		things. 

The GUYS in the room are drooling over Gale.  Including Stu. 

				TATUM 
		So you did--now leave...and take your 
		media muff with you. 

Tatum takes off for the kitchen. 

Gale has quickly become the focus of the party.  All eyes are on her. 

				SOME TEEN 
		I watch your show regularly. 

				STU 
		This must be big news to be on INSIDE 
		STORY. 

				GALE 
		Huge. 

				ANOTHER TEEN 
		Wanna interview us? 

				RANDY 
		We could be like two grief stricken 
		students and we'll say really nice things 
		about our good friends who were 
		slaughtered senselessly. 

				STU 
		I can cry on cue. 

Gale eyes the bookshelf above the television. 

				GALE 
		Maybe later? 

Suddenly, Gale starts to COUGH. 

				GALE 
		Can I trouble you for some water? 

				STU 
		How 'bout a beer? Randy--get the lady a 
		beer. 

				RANDY 
		You get it. 

Gale slips the camera from her bag--hits the ON switch and holds it behind her...waiting for the right moment. 

BACK IN FOYER 

				SIDNEY 
		Have they found my father? 

				DEWEY 
		Afraid not. 

				SIDNEY 
		Should I be worried? 

				DEWEY 
		Not yet. 

INT.  KITCHEN 

Tatum is alone in the kitchen.  She empties popcorn into a bowl, then pulls open the refrigerator...looks quickly, then remembers... 

She moves through the adjoining laundry room to the... 

INT.  GARAGE 

The kitchen door opens and light floods the darkened garage.  Tatum stands in the doorway searching for a light switch. 

She finds a button and hits it.  BRRRRMMM!  The electric garage door starts to rise.  Wrong switch.  She hits it again and it closes. 

She finds another switch.  CLICK.  A small lightbulb overhead comes on, barely lighting the large two car garage, leaving pockets of shadows along the wall. 

Tatum spots the refrigerator against a far wall and heads for it, not seeing the kitchen door, quietly, slowly, closing behind her, sealing her off from the rest of the house. 

Tatum stumbles to the refrigerator and throws it open.  Its light casts a glow across her face. 

CRASH-BOOM! 

Tatum jumps, spinning around just in time to see a cat escape through a large pet door that's built into the garage door.  She smiles at her jumpiness. 

Tatum loads up with as many beer as her hands will carry and heads back to the kitchen. 

At the kitchen door, she juggles the beer, reaching for the knob.  It's locked. 

				TATUM 
		SHIT! 

She KICKS it with her foot several times. 

				TATUM 
		Hey, Shitheads! 

A moment.  No answer. 

				TATUM 
		OH, SHIT PISS! 

Tatum leans over and, with her elbow, hits the garage door button.  BRRRMM!  It begins to rise. 

She moves towards the rising door, beer in hand.  Suddenly, CRR-BRRRM!  The garage door RESETS, reversing direction, moving down, closing. 

				TATUM 
		What the... 

Tatum spins around to see.. 

A GHOST MASKED FIGURE 

Silhouetted in the dark, next to the kitchen door, his hand on the switch.  Tatum at once GASPS, taken back, but then relaxes. 

				TATUM 
		Is that you, Randy? Cute. 

The FIGURE stares at her, blankly. 

				TATUM 
		And what movie is this from? I SPIT ON 
		YOUR GARAGE. 

Tatum takes a step towards the FIGURE. 

				TATUM 
		Lose the mask. If Sidney sees it, she'll 
		flip. 

The FIGURE shakes his head slowly from side to side. 

				TATUM 
		Oh, you wanna play psycho killer? 

The FIGURE slowly nods. 

				TATUM 
		Can I be the helpless victim? 

The FIGURE slowly nods again. 

				TATUM 
		Okay, let's see. "No, please don't kill 
		me, Mr. Ghostface. I want to be in the
		sequel." 

Tatum takes a step to move around the FIGURE, but he steps too, blocking her. 

				TATUM 
		Cut, Casper. That's a wrap. 

Tatum moves again, sidestepping the FIGURE, but he's faster and cuts her off. 

Tatum juggles the beer against her chest with one hand and with the other pushes the FIGURE hard, knocking him aside. 

				TATUM 
		Randy--will you stop? 

But as the FIGURE intercepts, lunging forward, grabbing her wrist hard, Tatum stumbles...beer cans hit the floor, spewing... 

				TATUM 
		You little shit. 

Tatum yanks hard, releasing his hold when a flash of silver catches her eye.  She looks down, glimpsing a long sharp blade as it darts forward, cutting into her forearm... 

Tatum pulls back, horrified, as the moment turns deadly serious. 

The FIGURE advances on her--knife out, ready.  She staggers backwards, holding her bloody arm, backing into the refrigerator, SCREAMING. 

				TATUM 
		Who are you? 

The FIGURE lashes out with the knife.  Tatum dodges it, leaping back against the fridge.  The FIGURE advances.  Instinctively, she rips the top freezer door open, BASHING the FIGURE in the face, sending him backwards, reeling. 

Tatum bolts to the...CLOSED GARAGE DOOR.  In a panic, she BEATS and PULLS
on it, trying to make it lift.  She eyes the FIGURE...he's recovering... 

She goes for the pet door, dropping to the floor, diving for it...she wedges her upper body through, her head, shoulders, torso just as the... 

FIGURE pounces, grabbing hold of her feet.  Tatum goes crazy SCREAMING and KICKING trying to get through. 

EXT.  GARAGE DOOR 

Tatum is half in/half out of the pet door.  She BEATS and JERKS wildly, unable to see the FIGURE on the other side... 

A true fighter, Tatum kicks hard, making direct contact with the FIGURE, knocking him away. 

She takes the moment to pull herself through further...but she stops...stuck.  She pulls and tugs but can't move.  She listens but hears nothing.  Where did he go?  An agonizing silence.  And then... 

CRR-BRRRM!  The garage door is activated.  It begins to rise upward, taking
Tatum with it.  She SCREAMS MADLY. 

				TATUM 
		NOOOOOOOO..... 

Tatum's arms and legs fly about violently as she tries to free herself from the door, but it moves too fast, carrying her up... 

She looks above to see where the door rolls back into garage rafters just as her neck hits the first beam, SNAPPING instantly. 

INT.  FOYER - MINUTES LATER 

It's getting late and SOME KIDS leave through the front door, muttering, "parents and curfew", etc.  The door hangs open wide.  Sid moves to close it when.... 

BILLY appears in a classic fake scare. 

				SIDNEY 
		Billy? Jesus, you scared me. 

Stu appears. 

				STU 
			(with a wink) 
		Dude. What are you doing here? 

				BILLY 
		I was hoping Sid and I could talk. 

				SIDNEY 
		If Tatum sees you--she'll draw blood. 

				STU 
		You guys can go up to my parents room? 
		To talk and...whatever. 

				BILLY 
		Subtlety, Stu. Look it up. 

				SIDNEY 
		It's okay. We need to talk. 

Sid grabs his hand and leads him up the staircase.  Randy appears from the kitchen just in time to see Sid and Billy disappear upstairs. 

				RANDY 
		What's Leatherface doing here? 

				STU 
		He came to make up. 

				RANDY 
		There goes my chance with Sid. 

				STU 
		Like you had one. 

INT.  NEWSVAN 

Kenny fidgets at the control board.  He hits a coupla buttons, bangs the side of the monitor and a picture emerges...the living room.  The camera is positioned just above the television... 

ON SCREEN 

The party is in full swing.  Several TEENS sit right in front of the television.  Because of the camera's position they appear to be staring right into the lens. 

Suddenly, the van's side door slides open and Gale pops in. 

				KENNY 
		Got a picture. Perfect placement. We 
		can see everything. 

Gale is ecstatic. 

				GALE 
		Tell me, Kenny, has a cheesy tabloid 
		journalist ever won the Pulitzer? 

INT.  BEDROOM 

A large, master bedroom with glass doors that lead out onto a balcony. 

Sid and Billy stare at each other for a long moment.  Awkward. 

				SIDNEY 
		So... 

				BILLY 
		So...I'm sorry. I've been a selfish shit 
		and I'm sorry. 

				SIDNEY 
		No, Billy. I'm the one who's been 
		selfish and self-absorbed with all of my
		post traumatic stress. 

				BILLY 
		You lost your mom... 

				SIDNEY 
		But you're right--enough is enough. I 
		can't wallow in the grief process forever 
		and I can't keep lying to myself about 
		who my mom was. 

Billy bows his head quietly, knowingly. 

				SIDNEY 
		I think in some weird analytical, 
		psychological bullshit way I'm scared 
		I'm gonna turn out just like her, you 
		know? Like the bad seed or something... 

				BILLY 
		Oh Sidney... 

				SIDNEY 
		Everytime I get close to you I see my 
		mom. I know it doesn't make sense. 

				BILLY 
		Sure it does. It's like Jodie Foster in 
		SILENCE OF THE LAMBS when she 
		kept having flashbacks of her dead father. 

				SIDNEY 
		But this is life. This isn't a movie. 

				BILLY 
		Sure it is, Sid. It's all a movie. Life's 
		one great big movie. Only you can't 
		pick your genre. 

Billy moves to her.  They embrace, tenderly. 

				SIDNEY 
		I wanna let go. I do... 

				BILLY 
		Ssshh...everything's gonna be okay. I 
		promise. 

Sidney takes the initiative, acting on impulse, kissing him long and hard.  She breaks away passionately, out of breath. 

				SIDNEY 
		Why can't I be a Meg Ryan movie? 

Billy nibbles her neck. 

				BILLY 
		Sshh..it's okay. 

				SIDNEY 
		Or even a good porno. 

				BILLY 
			(shocked) 
		What? 

She stares at him, her eyes sexually charged. 

				SIDNEY 
		You heard me. 

				BILLY 
			(incredulous) 
		Are you serious? 

				SIDNEY 
			(surprising herself) 
		Yeah...I think so. 

They smile at each other. 

INT.  LIVING ROOM - MINUTES LATER 

The camera sits on the book shelf lodged between two knickknacks, completely inconspicuous. The CAMERA WIDENS to reveal several TEENS watching the TV--the horror diehards. 

				TEEN #1 
		Look, here it comes. SPLAT! 

				TEEN #2 
		The blood's not the right color. Why do 
		they do that? It's too red. 

				RANDY 
		Here comes another... 

				TEEN #3 
		Predictable. Knew he was going to bite 
		it. 

				BORED TEEN 
		How can you watch this shit over and 
		over? 

				RANDY 
		Shhhhh. 

				STU 
		I wanna see Jamie Lee's breasts. When do 
		we see Jamie Lee's breasts? 

				RANDY 
		Not until TRADING PLACES in '83. Jamie 
		Lee was always the virgin in horror movies. 
		She didn't show her tits until she went legit. 

				BOY TEEN 
		No way. 

				RANDY 
		That's why she always lived. Only 
		virgins can outsmart the killer in the
		big chase scene in the end. Don't you 
		know the rules? 

Stu finishes his beer. 

				STU 
		What rules? 

Randy hits the pause button on the remote and stands in front of the television, explaining. 

				RANDY 
		There are certain rules that one must 
		abide by in order to successfully survive 
		a horror movie. For instance: 1. You 
		can never have sex. The minute you get a 
		little nookie--you're as good as gone. 
		Sex always equals death. 2. Never drink 
		or do drugs. The sin factor. It's an 
		extension of number one. And 3. Never, 
		ever, ever, under any circumstances, say 
		"I'll be right back." 

				STU 
		Wanna another beer? 

				RANDY 
		Yeah. 

				STU 
		I'll be right back. 

Everybody "ooohhs". 

				RANDY 
		There he goes folks--a dead man. Wave 
		bye-bye. 

INT.  NEWSVAN - CONTINUOUS

Gale and Kenny watch the monitor.  The party is clearing out some

A RAP at the van door.  Gale pulls it open to see Deputy Riley standing, his face all smiles.

				DEWEY
		Sheriff just radioed me. I'm gonna check
		out a possible lead. Thought you might 
		like to join me.

				GALE
		What kind of lead?

				DEWEY
		A car was spotted in the bushes a little
		ways up the road.

				GALE
		I'd love to. If you're sure it's
		alright?

				DEWEY
		Ma'am, I am the Deputy of this town.

				GALE
		Can I bring Kenny?

				DEWEY
			(too quickly)
		NO! I mean...I should probably take just 
		you.

Gale steps out of the van turning back to Kenny.

				GALE
		I'll be back.

She slides the van door closed.

EXT.  ROAD - CONTINUOUS

Gale heads for Dewey's patrol jeep.

				DEWEY
		Actually, I thought we could walk. It's
		not far.

Gale appears skeptical, but smiles anyway.  She's genuinely smitten by this young guy.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

SCARY MUSIC fills the room.  The party is reduced to the diehards in front of the television.

				RANDY
			(pointing to TV)
		Look, here comes the obligatory tit shot.

				OTHER GUYS
		Beautiful! Finally!

INT.  BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Billy and Sidney are going at it...passionately.  He has his head buried in her neck.

				SIDNEY
			(to herself)
		"Eight is enough to fill our lives with
		love..."

It's working.  Sidney pushes Billy off her as she pulls her shirt over her head.  She fumbles with the clasp of her bra as the...

CAMERA RUSHES IN on her breasts.  Just as Sid's bra straps slide of her shoulders...

Billy moves in front of the CAMERA, pulling his jeans off, Blocking Sidney from view.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - SECONDS LATER

Back in the living room, the horror fest continues when the phone RINGS.  Everyone ignores it.  It RINGS again.

Finally, Randy grabs the receiver from the side table.

				RANDY
		Hello? Yeah....HOLY SHIT.

Randy, freaked, drops the phone, finds the TV remote and pauses the movie, the others protest
"Hey, Put is back..." etc.

				RANDY
		Listen up. They found Principal Himbry
		dead. He was gutted and hung from the
		goal post on the football field.

This stills the room.  Complete silence as the news sinks in.  ON different faces...a moment of devastation..disbelief.  And then:

				TEEN #1
		So what are we waiting for?

				TEEN #2
		Let's get over there before they pry him
		down.

And in seconds the room is empty as everyone bolts for the door..HOOTIN' and HOLLERIN' ...leaving Randy, near drunk, alone in the living room.  He returns to the movie.

				RANDY
		We were just getting to the good part.

INT.  NEWSVAN - MINUTES LATER

Kenny is barely watching the monitor, he reached boredom some time ago.  He finds a bag of Cheetos and chows down when he hears SCREAMING from outside.  He peers out the window to see the last of the PARTY KIDS pile into two cars and race off down the road.

He chews a Cheeto slowly, his interest piqued.

INT.  BEDROOM - MINUTES LATER

The sex is over...and both Sid and Billy are dressing respectively.  That post-sex awkwardness.

Sid brushes out her hair as her eyes come to rest on the telephone on the nightstand...it puzzles her as a stark reveleation crosses her face.  She turns to Billy who sits on the floor, putting on his shoes.

				SIDNEY
		Who did you call?

				BILLY
		What?

				SIDNEY
		When you're arrested-you're allowed one 
		phone call? Who did you call?

				BILLY
		I called my dad.

				SIDNEY
		No, Sheriff Burke called your dad. I saw
		him.

				BILLY
		Yeah...and when I called no one answered.

				SIDNEY
		Uh-huh.

				BILLY
		You don't still think it was me?

				SIDNEY
		No, but if it were you, that would have
		been a very clever way to throw me off
		track. Using your one phone call to call
		me so I wouldn't think it was you.

Billy stands up.

				BILLY
		What do I have to do to prove to you I'm
		not a killer?

He makes a move toward her when..from behind, in a split instant, from the open balcony doors comes...

THE GHOST FIGURE

Sidney sees the FIGURE immedietely, SCREAMING.  Billy tries to calm her, oblivious to the advancing GHOST.

				SIDNEY
		BILLYWATCHOUT!!!!

Billy barely turns as a long steely blade rises high in the air.  It strikes down with force...hitting his chest as blood sprays the air.

ON SIDNEY as red crimson splatters across her face...as the knife is thrust in and out of Billy who tries hard to put up a fight..but it's useless...he never had a chance.  His body falls to the floor..lifeless.

ANGLE ON GHOST

as he watches Billy's body come to a still before quietly, calmly turning his attention to...

SIDNEY who stands, numb...scared to death.  And only when the GHOST takes a step forward does Sidney break.  She takes off like a rocket...leaping over the bed and out the door.

INT.  HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Sidney tears out the door and down the hall, coated in Billy's blood.

ANGLE ON THE GHOST

as he catches up with her, grabbing hold of her collar.  She pulls away from him...her shirt ripping down the back.

Her hands find a door knob and she goes for it, pulling the door open...moving quickly inside...locking it behind her.

INT.  DARK SPACE - CONTINUOUS

Total darkness.  Sidney's hands scour the wall for a light switch.  The doorknob turns...the lock holds..as the door is nearly SHAKEN from it's hinges...and then...

NOTHING.  All goes silent.  Only Sidney's rapid BREATHING fills the space around her.

Sidney, trembling, shaking, reaches above her, feeling, until she finds a string.  She pulls it...as a lightbulb SWITCHES on overhead.

She's in a small box of a room.  The door is on one side, a small, narrow staircase on the other.  She eyes the doorknob, then the staircase...contemplating...but it's an easy decision.  There's no fucking way she's going up to the attic.

She unlocks the door and pushes on it.  But it won't give...she pushes on it again.  It's locked from the other side.  Shit.  She turns to the staircase.

EXT.  DARK ROAD - CONTINUOUS

A long, deserted country road.  In the distance, a single flashlight beams ahead, the only light in the black night.  Gale and Dewey can be heard.

				GALE
		So is Dewey your real name?

				DEWEY
		Dwight. Dewey was something I got stuck
		with a long time ago.

				GALE
		I like it. It's... sexy.

				DEWEY
		Nah... it's just this town's way of not
		taking me serious.

				GALE
		What about Gale Weathers? I sound like a
		meteorologist...

CLOSE ON Gale and Dewey, walking closely, side by side-flirtatiously.  Gale is surprisingly nervous.

				GALE
		People treat me like the Antichrist of
		television journalism.

				DEWEY
		I don't think you're so bad.

Gale smiles.

				GALE
		Are all the local boys as sweet as you?

Dewey blushes.  He starts to say something when headlights appear behind them.  They both spin as TWO CARS loaded with KIDS come racing right at them.

Dewey grabs Gale and pushes her off the road... just as the cars speed by, oblivious to them.

IN THE DITCH

Gale lands face up with Dewey right on top of her.  He steals a glance in her eyes before rolling off her.

				DEWEY
		You okay?

Something takes Gale's attention.

				GALE
		What's that?

Dewey looks to where gale points.  He finds the flashlight and aims it into the bush.  The tail end of a car is just visible.

				DEWEY
		Looks like a car.

Dewey helps her up and they move to it.  He shines the flashlight on the plates but it's already obvious to the CAMERA.  This is the same car we last saw Sidney's father driving away in.

				DEWEY
		Shit. It's Neil Prescott's car.

				GALE
		Sidney's father?

				DEWEY
		We gotta get back. Jesus. He's here.
		What the fuck is he doing here?

Dewey is panicked.  He grabs Gale and they race off down the road.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Randy continues to watch TV.  He is now sloppy drunk, completely involved in the movie on the screen.

SCARY MUSIC SWELLS, filling the room.

				RANDY
			(to TV)
		No, Jamie. Look behind you! Watch out!
		Behind you!

And if he followed his own advice, he would see the GHOST MASKED FIGURE that stands directly behind him...knife poised.

INT.  NEWSVAN - CONTINUOUS

Kenny finishes off a soda and crushes the can in his hand.  He tosses it to the floor when a movement from the monitor catches his eye.

ON THE MONITOR is Randy, still on the couch, engrossed in the movie.  Directly behind him...the GHOST.  Kenny does a double-take.  No fucking way.  He watches as the GHOST stands still, unmoving, knife raised.

				KENNY
		JESUS...FUCK...

The GHOST takes a silent step forward.

				KENNY
			(screaming at the monitor)
		BEHIND YOU! LOOK BEHIND YOU!

This kid needs help.  Kenny bolts out of his seat and goes for the side door.  He slides it open and sticks his head out as...

A LONG, SHARP BLADE

comes at Kenny, fast and furious...slicing into his throat.  Kenny falls forward...out the door as the GHOST MASKED FIGURE is upon him.

THE CAMERA PANS TO THE MONITOR

just in time to see the GHOST MASKED FIGURE turn away from Randy, leaving him unharmed, moving instead, out the front door, on a thirty second walk to the newsvan.

INT.  ATTIC - CONTINUOUS

The attic is long and narrow...cluttered with furniture, boxes, and the likes...moonlight filters in through a small raised window on the front wall of the house.

Sidney moves through the attic...BUMPING into this, KNOCKING over that...she passes a dusty mirror, jumping at her own reflection.  She cringes at her image, drenched in Billy's blood.  She stares long and hard...something about the blood, the redness of it.  She moves on, determined.

She eyes the raised window above her...a way out...if she could only reach it...

EXT.  FRONT YARD

Gale and Dewey come running up the drive, frantic.

				DEWEY
		I'll call for backup.

				GALE
		I'll get my camera.

They split up.  The CAMERA FOLLOWS GALE as she rushes to the newsvan, throwing open the door.

				GALE
		Kenny! Camera! Quick!

The van is empty.

				GALE
		Kenny?

A CAR HORN goes off.  Gale spins around.  It came from the patrol jeep in the driveway.

				GALE
			(calling out)
		Dewey?

She moves across the yard to the jeep, the door hangs open...Dewey is nowhere to be found.

				GALE
		Dewey? Where are you?

A look of pure dread comes over Gale.

INT.  ATTIC - CONTINUOUS

Sidney has stacked object after object building a ladder to the window.  She climbs to the top, holding onto the window frame.

She spots Gale almost immedietely.  She SCREAMS OUT, looking for the window latch.  But there's not one.  It doesn't open.  Sidney starts beating on it...trying to break it...

EXT.  FRONT DOOR - CONTINUOUS

Gale, hanging tough, approaches the front door, unable to hear Sidney's SCREAMS three floors up.  Gale reaches for the door just as she hears LOUD, HORRIBLE SHRIEKS from just inside.  She backs away.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

AN EAR-CURDLING JAMIE LEE CURTIS SCREAM BLASTS through the empty living room as the horror movie on TV comes to it's horrifying climax.

Randy is now gone.

EXT.  FRONT YARD - CONTINUOUS

Gale races across the yard putting distance between her and the house.  She moves back to the van...

INT.  ATTIC - CONTINUOUS

Sidney has found an old tennis racket.  She swings a solid forehand at the window.

THE WINDOW SPRAYS GLASS

Sidney moves quickly, lifting herself up over broken glass and pulling herself through the window frame.

EXT.  SIDE OF THE HOUSE

Sidney wastes no time.  She looks for Gale, SCREAMING, but Gale is gone.

Sid lowers herself down the ledge, sliding down a sloped portion of the roof onto...

THE MASTER'S BEDROOM BALCONY.

Then she eases herself over the railing and lowers herself, letting herself hang as low as she can...then she lets go, free-falling the rest of the way...but in a split instant...

THE GHOST APPEARS

grabbing her wrists in midair.

Her body hangs, dangling against the side of the house.  The GHOST begins to lift her, pulling her back onto the balcony.

Sidney jerks, pulls, twists...but the HANDS have her, hoisting her up...Sidney SCREAMS MADLY...yanking one last time, freeing herself.

SHE DROPS TO THE GROUND, a good seven feet, landing on her back, hitting hard.  She grabs at a pained leg and brings herself upright.

INT.  NEWSVAN - CONTINUOUS

Gale is frantic.  She starts the engine up and hits the headlights when she discovers she can't see out of the windshield.

Gale rubs at the glass.  Sure enough, something is on the windshield outside, blocking her sight.  Gale hits the wipers as BLOOD SMEARS across the glass, it drips down from above.

Gale SCREAMS as a HAND reaches in through the open window...she looks up to see...

RANDY, staring at her madly.

				RANDY
		What's going on?

A sheer moment of fear as Gale hits the gas plummeting the car forward, into a ditch.  She hits the BRAKES.  Randy is thrown forward, away from the van.

Gale reverses, backs up, hits the brakes again...just as Kenny's face comes sliding down the outside of the windshield...eyes wide, face distorted, blood everywhere.

Gale hits the gas, and yanks the wheel, sending Kenny's corpse flying off the top of the van.

Gale spins the van around, onto the road, hits the gas madly, gaining speed just as...

SIDNEY APPEARS

in the middle of the road, drenched in blood, very much resembling a young Sissy Spacek.

Gale swerves to miss her, but she turns too sharp and the van veers off the road at top speed...flipping over on its side, sliding off into the thick foliage.

EXT.  ROAD - CONTINUOUS

Sidney races to where the van lay on it's side.  Sidney peers through the windshield...Gale's body lay limp and bloody.

SIDNEY CRIES OUT, turning, limping to the driveway.  She sees the patrol jeep with it's open door...she goes for it.

INT.  JEEP

Sidney hops in, reaches for the ignition...NO KEYS!  Shit.  Just then, Sidney's eyes go to the front porch.  She watches as the front door opens and a FIGURE appears in the darkness, undetectable.

Sidney throws the headlights...illuminating the front side of the house, revealing...

DEWEY STANDING IN THE DOORWAY.

				SIDNEY
		DEWEY!

Sidney opens the jeep door, moving to him, noticing his body, slumped, knees buckled...

And then his body falls forward, slowly, deliberately, hitting the porch hard.  Standing behind him is...

THE GHOST

SIDNEY SCREAMS FROM THE BOTTOM OF HER SOUL.

				SIDNEY
		NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Sid jumps back inside the jeep, closing the door, locking it.  She reaches over and locks the passenger's door and then she...waits.

And watches as the GHOST leans over Dewey's still body, fumbling with something.  Then the FIGURE stands upright, in his hands he holds...

THE KEYS

They jingle in the wind, the GHOST toying with her, enjoying this...

Sidney, hysterical, locks eyes with the FIGURE as he moves to the door, Sidney leaps on it, holding the lock button down, making it impossible to unlock.  Her face is pressed against the glass...inches from the MASKED FIGURE.

She uses every ounce of strength when suddenly, the GHOST DISAPPEARS, dropping down, below the window, out of her view.

Sidney moves to the center of the jeep, trying hard to listen over her own RAPID BREATHING, every sound AMPLIFIED.

Then she hears it, the soft JINGLING of keys near the passengers side door.  She pounces on the lock, holding it down.

A shadow cuts the beam of the headlights, unseen by Sidney.  The lock turns on the other side.  Sidney leaps over and holds it down, securing it.  This is beyond nerve-racking.  Sidney is certifiable.

Her eyes spot the police radio for the first time.  She grabs the mouthpiece and hits the switch.

				SIDNEY
		Help! Please! I'm at Stu Maker's house
		on Turner Lane. Please, HE'S GONNA
		KILL ME!

EXT.  FRONT OF JEEP

ANGLE through front windshield.  Sidney RANTING into the police band.  She doesn't see the...

GHOST FIGURE open the tailgate door of the jeep and slowly crawl in behind her.

The GHOST FIGURE reaches out and grabs hold of Sidney's neck.

Sidney, with surprising strength, spins around and attacks the GHOST.

She falls back against the dash, legs out, kicking wildly at him.

Her hand reaches for the door, finds the lock, the door lever, she pulls...

The door swings open...

Sidney falls out of the door, hitting the ground.

EXT.  FRONT YARD - CONTINUOUS

Sidney, on her stomach, squirms away from the jeep.  She brings herself up to her hands and knees, looking behind her to see nothing...

THE GHOST HAS DISAPPEARED.

Sidney's eyes roam the yard but he's nowhere.  Completely gone.  Vanished.  Sid crawls to the front porch where...

DEWEY'S BODY LAY

Thinking quickly, precisely, she reaches to Dewey's holster and grabs his gun when a VOICE ECHO'S behind her...

				VOICE
			(o.c.)
		Sidney!

She turns to see Randy racing to her, limping.  He appears stone cold sober.

				RANDY
		Jesus, Sid. We gotta get out of here.

Sidney throws the gun forward.

				SIDNEY
		Stop. Right there.

				RANDY
		Don't shoot. It's me.

				SIDNEY
		Don't come any closer.

				RANDY
		Listen to me, Sid. I found Tatum. She's
		dead, she's been killed...I think Stu did
		it.

He takes a step forward when another VOICE SPEAKS UP.

				VOICE
			(o.c.)
		Don't believe him, Sid.

Sidney spins around to see Stu moving up the walk.

				STU
		He's lying. He killed Tatum. And Billy.

Stu moves closer to Sidney.

				SIDNEY
		Stay away.

She aims the gun in his direction.

				STU
		His movie nut mind has snapped, Sid.
		He's gone psycho.

				RANDY
		Don't listen to him. It's him. He's the
		one.

Sidney has lost it, she doesn't know who to trust.  She aims the gun at Stu..then Randy..then Stu...

				STU
		Come on, Sid. Give me the gun.

				RANDY
		No, Sid.

They both move toward her.  There's no time.  She must act now.  Finally...

				SIDNEY
		Fuck you both.

And with that, Sidney steps back into the house and SLAMS the front door shut.

INT.  LIVING ROOM / FOYER

Sid locks and bolts the door.  From the other side she can hear Randy SCREAMING.

				RANDY
		NO, SID. OPEN UP. PLEASE...
		HE'S GONE CRAZY.

His fists POUND against the door.  Sidney, stumbling in the darkness, rushes to the phone in the living room.  Just as she reaches for it...it RINGS.  It scares the life out of her.  She SCREAMS, yanking it up.

				SIDNEY
		Please! God! Help me!

				VOICE
			(from the phone)
		Having fun Sidney?

Sidney falls apart, SCREAMING.

				SIDNEY
		NOOOOOOOOO!!!

She throws the phone down, disconnecting the call.

Sid moves back to the door.  RANDY'S SCREAMS ARE MADDENING.  She eyes the lock, deliberating.

				SIDNEY
			(at the door)
		GOAWAYLEAVEMEALONE!

CLUNK!  A NOISE UPSTAIRS.

Sidney looks up the staircase, into the darkness, her face SHOCKED to see...

BILLY

emerging from the shadows, stumbling down the stairs.  Very much alive.

				SIDNEY
		Oh God. Billy!

He's blood-soaked and dazed.  Sidney meets him in the landing, grabbing him, holding him...

				SIDNEY
		I thought you were...

				BILLY
		I'm alright. Gotta...get...help.

Billy goes for the door.

				SIDNEY
		He's out there.

Randy continues POUNDING ON THE DOOR, SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS.

				RANDY
			(through door)
		Please, you gotta let me in. He's
		gonna kill me.

Billy goes for the door.  Sidney blocks him.

				SIDNEY
		NO! Don't believe him.

				BILLY
		It's okay. Give me the gun.

Sidney hands him the gun.  Billy turns and unlocks the door, opening it.  Randy rushes in, grabbing Billy, pleading...

				RANDY
		Help me...

				BILLY
			(calming him)
		Shhhh. It's okay.

				RANDY
		Stu's flipped out. He's gone mad.

Slowly, a small smile creeps across Billy's face.

				BILLY
		"We all go a little mad sometimes."

Randy squints, confused, as Billy aims the gun at Randy and pulls the trigger.  The BLAST throws Randy's body against the wall before sliding to a heap on the floor...still.

				BILLY
		Anthony Perkins--PSYCHO

BILLY TURNS TO SIDNEY...

Who stands only feet away, face aghast...

Fuck, no...this can't be happening.  Billy's eyes are on her, unmoving.

He sticks his tongue out and slowly licks the blood dried to his face...tasting it.

				BILLY
		Corn syrup. Same stuff they used for
		pig's blood in CARRIE.

Sidney is dumbfounded.  Slowly, she takes a step back, moving into the dark refines of the kitchen.

Billy, lurches forward in a fake-out, baiting her.  She takes another step back--petrified.

CLOSE ON BILLY'S FACE.  It is no longer familiar to Sidney.  There is something inhuman now about his features.  His expression is pure evil.

She takes another step back, shrinking into the dark kitchen.

THE CAMERA TAKES A MOMENT TO ADJUST TO THE DARKNESS as the outline of a FIGURE appears...

STANDING RIGHT BEHIND SIDNEY.

She continues to back up, moving right into the arms of...

STU

Sidney spins around...her mouth open in speechless horror.

				SIDNEY
		Stu...please...help me...

Stu stares back at her, eyes wide, lips curled in a subtle smile as he holds a small compact CELLULAR PHONE up to his face.

				STU
			(whispering into phone)
		Surprise, Sidney.

His VOICE sounds affected now...the VOICE of the killer.

Sidney looks back to Billy, then to Stu, then to Billy again.  It becomes all too clear.

She stands between them, her mind racing, calculating...

SHE BOLTS INTO THE LIVING ROOM

If for no other reason than to put space between her and them...they stand in the entryway, trapping her in.

				BILLY
		Where ya going? It's not over yet. We've
		got one more surprise--Stu, I believe it's 
		your turn.

				STU
		Oh yeah

Stu disappears into the kitchen.

				BILLY
			(to Sidney)
		What's wrong? You look like you've seen
		a ghost.

Sidney stands, trying hard to hold a calm resolve.

A NOISE comes from the kitchen.  A low dragging sound.  Stu reappears from the front hall...wrestling with something...someone...

CLOSE ON STU...he has a body in tow, he thrusts it forward and it rolls into the living room.  Sidney looks down to find...

HER FATHER

bound and gagged.  His eyes wide in fear, very much alive.

				SIDNEY
		Daddy!

She starts for him.

				BILLY
		Close enough.

Stu places the cellular phone in Mr. Prescott's shirt pocket.

				STU
		Guess, I won't be needing this anymore.

				SIDNEY
		Why are you doing this?

				STU
		It's all part of the game.

				BILLY
		It's called GUESS HOW I'M GOING TO DIE!

				SIDNEY
		Fuck you.

				BILLY
		We already played that game. You lost,
		remember?

				STU
		You have to play, Sid. Don't want to
		disappoint your dad. He's been waiting
		around all night.

				BILLY
		It's an easy game. We ask you a
		question. If you get it wrong--you die.

				STU
		And if you get it right--you die.

				SIDNEY
		You're crazy--both of you.

				STU
		The official term is "psychotic".

				SIDNEY
		You'll never get away with this.

				BILLY
		Tell that to Cotton Weary. You wouldn't
		believe how easy it was to frame him.

				STU
		Yeah, we just watched a few movies. Took
		a few notes. It was fun.

Billy and Stu relish their madness, proud of themselves.

Sidney looks to her dad, sees the tears in his eyes.  She looks back to Billy, unflinching..a determined look on her face.

				SIDNEY
		Why did you kill my mother?

				BILLY
		Why? WHY? Did you hear that, Stu? I
		think she wants a motive. Hmmm...I don't
		really believe in motives, Sid. I mean, did
		Norman Bates have a motive?

Stu plays along, shaking his head.

				STU
		Nope.

				BILLY
		And did they really ever explain why
		Hannibal Lecter liked to eat people?
		Don't think so. You see, it's scarier
		when there's no motive, Sid.

				SIDNEY
			(fighting tears)
		I don't understand...

				BILLY
		We did your mom a favor, Sid. The woman
		was a slut bag whore who flashed her shit
		all over town like she was Sharon Stone or 
		something.

				STU
			(laughing)
		..so we put her out of her misery. I
		mean, let's face it, your mom was no
		Sharon Stone.

Stu cracks up over this while Billy turns very serious.

				BILLY
		Is that motive enough for you? Or how
		about this? Did you know your slut
		mother was sleeping with my dad and she's
		the reason my mom moved out and deserted
		me.

A sudden silence.  Sidney is rigid with shock, his words resonant with truth.

				SIDNEY
		What?

Even Stu is surprised with his seriousness.

				BILLY
		Think about it. On the off chance I get
		caught-a motive like that could divide a
		jury for years, don't you think?. You took
		my mother, so I took yours. Big sympathy 
		factor. Maternal abandonment causes 
		serious deviant behavior. It certainly 
		fucked you up. It made you have sex with 
		a psychopath.

				STU
		That's right and now that you're no 
		longer a virgin. You gotta die--those
		are the rules.

Billy sits the gun down on the table near the foyer.  And then moves to Sidney with the butcher knife in hand.

				BILLY
		Pretend this is all just a scary movie,
		Sid. How do you think it's going to end?

Sidney doesn't respond.

				STU
			(excited)
		This is the best part, Sid. Billy's got 
		it all figured out. Why do you think we
		kept your father alive so long? Why did
		we save you for last?

				BILLY
		You know what time it is, Sid? It's 
		after midnight. It's your mother's 
		anniversary. We killed her exactly one
		year ago today.

Billy turns to Stu with the knife.  They eye each other.

				BILLY
		Ready?

				STU
		Yeah...

Billy pulls the knife back and brings it forward quickly, slicing into Stu.  He stumbles to ho his knees, WINCING in pain.

				STU
		Jesus...

Sidney SCREAMS...as blood gushes..real blood, a dark, deep red.  Stu inspects the wound to his side...then he smiles...

				STU
		Good one. My turn.

He takes the knife from Billy.

				BILLY
		Don't forget-stay to the side and don't
		go too deep.

Stu stabs at Billy's belly, puncturing him...Billy doubles over...

				BILLY
		Jesus...fuck, that hurt.

				SIDNEY
		Stop it!

				BILLY
			(squelching the pain)
		Got the ending figured out yet? Time's
		running out.

				STU
		Come on, Sid. Think about it. Your
		father is the chief suspect. We cloned
		his cellular. The evidence is there.

Billy takes the knife and slashes at Stu's arm, two quick cuts...he doubles over...

				BILLY
		What if your father snapped? Your mom's
		anniversary set him off and he went on a
		murder spree, killing everyone...

				STU
			(in major pain)
		Except for me and Billy...we were left 
		for dead...

				BILLY
		And then he killed you and then shoots
		himself in the head. It's a perfect
		ending.

				STU
		Everyone dies but us. We get to carry on
		and plan the sequel. Let's face it, these
		days--you gotta have a sequel.

Stu takes the knife and cuts at Billy.

				SIDNEY
		You sick fucks--you've seen one too many
		movies.

Billy looks at her, bent over, crazed.

				BILLY
		Oh Sid, don't blame the movies...Movies
		don't create psychos. Movies just make
		psychos more creative.

Stu staggers a bit.

				STU
		That's it, Billy. I can't take any more.
		I'm feeling woozy.

				BILLY
		Get the gun. I'll untie Pops.

Billy moves to Sidney's father.

				STU
		Where'd you put it?

Stu is searching the foyer for the gun.

				BILLY
		It's on the table.

				STU
		No, it's not.

Billy hobbles over.  The gun is gone.

				BILLY
		Where the fuck is it?

				VOICE
			(off camera)
		Right here, asshole.

Billy and Stu look up in unison to see...

GALE WEATHERS-CORRESPONDENT FROM INSIDE STORY

standing in the front door way, gun in hand.  Her body tattered and bloody.  Her hair a mess.

				BILLY
		I thought she was dead.

				STU
		She looked dead. Still does.

Gale holds the gun firm, in total control.

				GALE
		I've got an ending for you. The reporter
		left for dead in the newsvan comes to,
		stumbles upon you two dipshits, finds the
		gun, fumbles your plan, and saves the day.

Sidney steps forward.

				SIDNEY
		I like that ending.

Billy lunges at Gale, but she holds steady.  Billy and Stu eye each other.

				BILLY
		She can't get both of us.

				STU
		Odds are--she'll miss anyway.

In a mad rush, they storm Gale, heading straight at her.  She pulls the trigger, but nothing happens...the safety is on.

Billy charges forward, grabbing hold of the front door, SLAMMING IT SHUT.  It catches Gale in the face, knocking her backwards out the door.  She goes down...out.

				STU
		Cool move.

Billy steps out the front door and retrieves the gun from where Gale lays.  Then he turns back inside the house to find...

SIDNEY GONE.

				BILLY
		Where'd she go?

Stu looks around, staggering now, bleeding heavily...Sidney has completely disappeared.  Only her father, bound and gagged remains in the living.

				STU
		I don't know Billy but I'm hurtin'.

				BILLY
		Where the fuck did she go?

Suddenly, the phone RINGS.  Billy and Stu look at each other.  Completely surprised.  Billy scrambles over to the phone.

				BILLY
			(picking up phone)
		Hello?

				SIDNEY
			(from phone)
		Are you alone in the house?

Billy looks to Mr. Prescott.  The cellular phone is gone.

				BILLY
		You bitch--where the fuck are you?

				SIDNEY
		Not so fast.  We're gonna play a little
		game. It's called GUESS WHO JUST
		CALLED THE POLICE AND REPORTED 
		YOUR SORRY MOTHERFUCKING ASS?

Billy looks around the living room.

				BILLY
		Find her.

Billy is fuming now...slightly staggering...and starting to lose it.  He SCREAMS at Stu who has fallen to his knees.

				BILLY
		FIND HER YOU DIPSHIT!

				STU
		I can't...I'm bad off, Billy. You cut
		to deep.

Billy throws the phone at Stu.  He mouths to him, so Sid can't hear.  "Talk to her..."  Then Billy takes off for the kitchen.  Stu takes the phone.

				SIDNEY
			(aware)
		So Stu, what's your motive? Billy's got
		one. The police are on their way. What
		are you going to tell them?

				STU
		Peer pressure...I'm way to sensitive.

Billy flies back in the room, grabbing the phone from Stu.  He's completely nuts now, staggering, bleeding, totally insane.

				BILLY
			(SCREAMING in phone)
		I'm gonna rip you up bitch. Just like
		your slut whore mother.

				SIDNEY
		Gotta find me first, you pansy-assed
		Mama's boy.

Billy starts ripping the room up, overturning furniture in a mad fit of rage...when he notices the hall closet.  Touche!  He smiles deliriously, heading for it, ripping it open as...

A GHOST MASKED FIGURE strikes from within, with an umbrella, the sharp end hitting him in the chest as it fans out.  Billy stumbles back, stunned, as the GHOST comes at him again...the umbrella lodges in his chest, and he goes down.

Sidney rips the GHOST MASK off her head.  She looks at Billy, disgusted, throwing the mask on Billy's now still body.  A movement behind her sends her reeling around to find...

RANDY slowly sitting up.  His body drenched in blood.  He's alive...barely.  He looks to Sidney...through pain...

				RANDY
		You know what I hate most about horror 
		movies? The final scene...it just goes on
		and on...and it gets so stupid...

Randy manages to stand when a FIGURE COMES LEAPING at him, completely unexpected...it's Stu...barreling into him...they fall back into the living room.  Sidney grabs the gun next to Billy and turns to the living room to find...

Randy and Stu rolling across the floor in a dead lock, fighting, both seriously injured...Sid tries to find aim when a...

HAND GRABS HOLD of Sidney's ankle, toppling her to the floor...once again she finds Billy on top of her...

IN THE LIVING ROOM

Randy and Stu pound at each other, beating and clawing...

ON SIDNEY as she fights viciously, attacking with everything she's got...

Randy is desperately trying to pry away from Stu...he grabs hold of the television set and tries to pull himself off the floor out of Stu's clutch...

His hands find the top of the TV...the VCR...he yanks on it, gripping it with his hands, bringing it around with force-CRASHING the VCR into Stu's head.  Stu drops.

ON SIDNEY as she digs her hand into Billy's open chest wound.  He CRIES OUT BLOODY MURDER.  Her other hand brings the gun up to his face...but he head bunts it out the front door...suddenly a flash of silver appears above Sidney.

Billy has grasped the butcher knife...he rises it high above Sidney ready to strike...when a bullet RIPS THROUGH THE FOYER striking Billy knocking him back into the living room.

Sidney looks up to see...

GALE WEATHERS, holding the gun in a death grip as smoke rises above the gun's chamber.

Sidney sits up as Gale moves to her, helping her.  Their eyes meet.  A life truce.

INT.  LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Billy and Stu lay face up, head to head.  Sid and Gale move over them, staring down.  Randy joins them.

				RANDY
		Sid, you found me out...I'm a virgin.
		And pretty happy about it right now.

Sidney nudges their bodies.  They both stir.

				RANDY
		Careful. This is the moment when you
		think the killer's dead, but then he
		springs back to life for one last scare.

Sidney grabs the gun from Gale.

				SIDNEY
		Not this time.

She positions her foot on Stu's chest and aims.

				SIDNEY
		This is for my Mom, asshole.

She SHOOTS him in the forehead, a clean and perfect shot.  The she aims the barrel at Billy who's eyes suddenly open, blinking up at her, blood bubbling from his lips.  He's not yet dead.  Their eyes lock.

				SIDNEY
		And this Billy stud-bucket is for having
		an incredibly small weenie.

She FIRES another perfect shot.  They're both goners.

Sidney drops the smoking gun, standing silent over the bodies.  A quiet moment when suddenly...

A FIGURE LUNGES AT THEM

Both Sid and Gale and Randy SCREAM in epic, final scare proportions as Mr. Prescott leaps forward, still bound and gagged.

Sid catches her breath, relaxing.

				SIDNEY
		Oh Daddy...

She rushes to him, untying him...while Gale moves to the bookcase and retrieves the hidden camera.

				GALE
		I wanna close-up.

Randy appears by Sidney's side, helping her untie her father.

				RANDY
		This is probably an inappropriate
		moment, but you think you'd want 
		to maybe go out with me sometime...
		like on a date?

Sidney looks at him, dumbfounded.

				RANDY
		Maybe catch a movie?

A long moment as Sidney's face goes from disbelief to resignation to the slight trace of a smile.

				SIDNEY
		Only if it's a nice Meg Ryan movie.

				RANDY
		You got it.

He smiles at her...watching as Sidney grabs hold of her father, holding him tight as Gale Weathers, with camera in hand, gets one hell of an ending to this SCARY MOVIE.



					THE END

