---------- FILE NOTES ---------- - Source: WORDPLAYER ; Section: ARCHIVES E-mail: Terry Rossio c/o - Document History: 08-97 (online) - Please obtain permission before redistributing this script over the Internet or in any other medium. In all cases, this FILE NOTES header should remain attached and intact. - Please view in a monospaced font -- preferably 12-point Courier. Plain text formatting does NOT precisely match original script. <-------------------- SCREENPLAY STARTS HERE ----------------------> LITTLE MONSTERS written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio FIRST DRAFT March 1, 1987 FADE IN: on an old alarm clock, TICKING, the bells gone, the little hand missing, the big hand indicating twenty-after-something. It is bound with black electrical tape, time-bomb fashion, to a plastic water-filled spray bottle. The alarm RINGS; the bell hammer tugging the piece of kite string tied to the trigger of the bottle; water is misted onto the face of-- BRIAN STEVENSON, a dark-haired twelve-year-old with eyes that don't miss much. Awake now, he shuts off the alarm and snaps on the Tensor lamp next to his bed. We are INT. STEVENSON HOME - ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT A huge poster shows the history of train engines. A stairway is cut into the floor. No curtains on the window. A just-past- half moon shines in the night sky. Brian pulls on a pair of thick wool socks. He skates past a cluttered worktable, across the hardwood floor to the stairs. INT. HALLWAY Brian moves quietly past a closed door; on it, a plaque reads 'Eric's Room' above a picture of an antique car. Farther down is another closed door. Brian pauses, listening to the sounds of Mom and Dad arguing; no words can be made out, only the tones, the rise, fall, sharpness of voices. Brian looks away from the door. Prepares for his assault on the stairs. He reaches his foot down--and the step CREAKS loudly. Brian freezes. He moves his foot to the left, puts his weight on it. Silence. He goes right for two more, skips the next stair altogether, making his way to the bottom of the minefield of possible creaks and groans. INT. KITCHEN Brian whips up a balogna-mustard-onion sandwich. He glances at the clock--12:27--working under a deadline. INT. LIVING ROOM Brian--silently--pushes an armchair up to the television. He turns the volume knob down, holds the remote control an inch from the set, thumbs it. Brian adjusts the volume so it's barely audible-- just in time for the opening of 'Late Night With David Letterman.' 2. He sits back. Unseen by Brian a quick, subtle movement-- just a shadow, really--heads for the stairs. Brian takes a bite of the sandwich-- --and then there is a SCREAM that could wake the dead. Brian shoves the chair back, remotes the set off on the run, tosses the control on the couch, and races for the stairs. EXT. STEVENSON HOME - NIGHT A rambling, two-story midwestern house with screened-in front porch stands dark on a large wooded lot. The SCREAMING continues, going hoarse. A second-story bedroom light comes on. INT. STEVENSON HOME - STAIRWELL Brian is only halfway up the stairs when his escape route is cut off: light from his parents' room spills into the hall. Brian melts back into the shadows. HOLLY and GLEN STEVENSON hurry to the already open door of Eric's room. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM No curtains in here, either. ERIC STEVENSON, nine years old with light brown hair and fine features, sits huddled in bed, breathing hard, blinking in the sudden glare of the overhead light. ERIC Mom! There was a monster! Holly relaxes, smiles. She is a dark-eyed woman on the other side of thirty, pretty giving way to elegant. She gestures to Eric. HOLLY Skootch over. Holly sits down on the bed beside Eric. She hugs him. HOLLY It was just a bad dream. ERIC But I wasn't sleeping! HOLLY Sometimes you dream you're awake, but you're not. Glen, slightly older than Holly, bearded, stands slumped against the door frame. He is a polished man but worn, the veteran of too many such late night disturbances. 3. GLEN It was probably just the house settling. You're not used to it, yet. ERIC It wasn't the house--there was a monster! It zoomed in from the hall and went under my bed! Holly and Glen exchange a look. GLEN Eric...when you dream, it's just your brain's way of sorting out things you learned during the day. So if you found out something-- ERIC I found out there's a monster under my bed! It ran in from the hall--it grabbed my ankle! HOLLY There's no monster under your bed. Here. She gets down on one knee and-- ERIC No, Mom! Don't! --sticks her arm into the under-the-bed. She sweeps it back and forth, pulls it out. It is rather dusty. HOLLY See? No monsters. (notices the dust, brushes it off) All the dust bunnies scare 'em away. ERIC (a new threat) ...bunnies? INT. HALLWAY Brian rolls his eyes. He sneaks toward the attic stairs. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM GLEN There are no bunnies and no monsters. There's nothing under your bed. 4. HOLLY Maybe we should get the flashlight. Eric crosses his arms and gives Glen a grave nod. GLEN Holly, if we humor him-- (off her look) All right. INT. HALLWAY Brian commando-rolls into the bathroom, disappearing just before Glen steps into the hall. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM Holly pulls the covers up to Eric's chin, tucking him in. HOLLY You want to know a secret? The monsters are more afraid of you than you are of them. Eric looks very doubtful. He inches the covers down to free his arms. HOLLY Once you realize they don't exist, they're gone. That's a lot of power. I wish I could do that to the heating bill. She pulls the covers back up to Eric's chin. Glen returns, presents the flashlight to Eric. GLEN Easy on the batteries, kid. Eric takes the flashlight, grips it tightly. HOLLY We'll leave the hall light on and the door open. HOLLY/GLEN 'night, Eric. ERIC G'night... Glen turns off the room light. 5. INT. HALLWAY The pair move toward their bedroom door, speaking softly: GLEN Do you think he heard us? HOLLY Of course he heard. What do you think scared him? He was-- The clicking shut of the bedroom door cuts her off. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM Eric lies on his side, back to the door, eyes wide. He hears something. He can't look. Then he jumps, arms flailing, a scream on its way--cut off by a hand clamping over his mouth. He trains the flashlight on his ankle-- --a hand is wrapped around it; the beam runs past the wrist, up the arm, to Brian's face, grinning out of the darkness. His attitude is that of a friendly co-conspirator, a helpful ally in the kids vs. parents cold war. BRIAN They were lying. Eric stares at him, his mouth still covered. BRIAN There is a monster. Eric shakes his head 'no' emphatically. BRIAN It went for your ankle, right? It got mine. Where do you think I got this? Brian takes his hands away. Sticks out one leg, pulls up his pajamas cuff, revealing the old, ugly scar on his ankle. Eric stares at it, a little panicked. ERIC You got that when your foot got caught in the spokes. When you were little! Brian looks at him and smiles pityingly. BRIAN That's what (jerks his head towards their parents' room) they want you to think. 6. Eric, eyes widening, turns to look in the direction Brian jerked his head. Brian's smile gets bigger as he backs toward the door. BRIAN They're supposed to be comforting-- they're parents. I'm your brother. (reaches for the knob) Here--I'll close this...you really ought to keep the lights down. ERIC (a whisper) Why? BRIAN (matter-of-fact) Because monsters are just like moths...they're attracted to light. Brian smiles helpfully, and pulls the door shut. The flashlight beam cuts across the dark room. Eric turns it up to look into it, his worried face now lit from below. He glances quickly around the room. All is silent. Screwing up his courage, he snaps off the light, and the room goes BLACK. Eric's soft, worried back-of-the-throat whimper floats out of the darkness. INT. ATTIC ROOM - MORNING - CLOSE ON a gold pocketwatch. The face is unique: a disc with a wedge cut out is set into a numbered ring. The wedge turns, revealing an old-fashioned drawing of a benign sun for daylight hours, a malevolent man-in-the-moon in a starry sky for the nighttime. Brian sits at a worktable covered with disassembled mechanical items. He pores over the dismantled watch, cleaning the pieces with Dust-off. HOLLY (O.S.) Brian! Breakfast. (Brian doesn't respond) Brian! Brian reluctantly sets the watch onto its stand. INT. KITCHEN - MORNING Holly fits one last dish into the dishwasher; Glen finishes his coffee and grapefruit. 7. Eric, head down, intently eats his cereal. Brian breezes into the room--then slows, sensing tension. Brian eases down next to Eric. GLEN I hope whatever you watched last night was worth your allowance. BRIAN ...huh? Holly turns on the dishwasher. HOLLY We found the sandwich. BRIAN (beat) What sandwich? Eric winces--he knows the shit has just hit the fan. HOLLY Brian, you are the only person in this house who eats bologna and onions. Every time you get caught, you think you can lie your way out of it. GLEN You want to end up a politician? BRIAN ...no. Water pipes, visible through a hole above the sink, start to knock. Holly, expecting this, turns on and off the hot water. The knocking subsides. ERIC Gotta catch the bus. HOLLY This conversation is not over. ERIC It's not fair you get mad at me every time you get mad at Brian. The pipes start knocking again. Holly takes a deep breath, gestures that Eric can go. He grabs his lunch bag and leaves. Holly repeats the hot water ploy; it doesn't work. She tries it once more; again, nothing. She shuts down the dishwasher; the knocking stops for good. HOLLY Damn! Damn, damn. 8. Glen goes to her. Brian is torn between escape--and his lunch. He edges toward it. Glen puts an arm around Holly's shoulder, tries to cheer her. GLEN The plumber'll be out next week. HOLLY Great. Can I leave him the dishes? GLEN Just keep saying to yourself: 'It's our dream house.' HOLLY I never dreamed of seventeen hundred dollars in plumbing problems. Glen leans against the cupboard; a strange look crosses his face. He turns: melted strawberry ice cream stains his shirt, and drips out of the cupboard. He pulls open the door--a soupy half gallon of Carnation sits on a stack of dishes. Brian looks incredulously at the gooey mess, snags his lunch, and beelines for the door-- GLEN You're a deadman. BRIAN I didn't do it! HOLLY Just like the sandwich. Glen, disgusted, plucks the carton out of the cupboard. BRIAN ...okay, it was my sandwich-- but I didn't have any ice cream! You always blame me for everything-- HOLLY Somebody puts scuff marks on the doors kicking them open. And somebody sticks gum under the table-- BRIAN Not me. Glen throws an ice cream-bloated sponge into the sink. 9. GLEN We'll let this go as an accident. But I'm laying down the law. No more intentionally disobeying the rules. You know the difference between right and wrong. Start acting like it. BRIAN (downcast) ...yes, sir. INT. STAIRWELL Brian sits on the stairs, bookpack between his knees. Glen, tie over his shoulder, buttoning a fresh shirt, hurries past. He kisses Holly goodbye and goes out the front door. Holly turns, regards her glum son. Sits down beside him. HOLLY Brian, your Dad and I are worried. You and Eric have been at the new school the same amount of time. Eric's already made some friends-- BRIAN Grandpa was my friend. HOLLY Yes, I know. I know you miss Grandpa. We all do. (beat) But you should get out more. Find somebody to play with. (remembering) The lawyer who handled the estate-- Mr. Coleman? He had a son about your age. BRIAN (stating a fact) Ronnie Coleman is a toad. HOLLY He seemed like a nice kid. BRIAN We can have him over for milk and dead flies. Holly reacts with a small smile despite herself--then they hear a LONG, SCRAPING, CRUMPLING METAL SOUND from outside. 10. EXT. STEVENSON HOME - DRIVEWAY Brian's Beachcruiser lays twisted in back of the idling Honda. Glen sternly guides Brian out through the garage. Holly follows as far as the garage door. GLEN Right there. What do you see? Brian spots the bike, breaks away from Glen. He stares down at the ruined bike. BRIAN You ran it over. GLEN Guess why? Brian looks at him; a light dawns. BRIAN Oh no--no way. (pointing to the side of the garage) It was there! I parked it right there! GLEN It was behind the car. I didn't see it this time because it was lying flat. BRIAN My bike...all those stupid seeds I had to sell. GLEN You're lucky--the car wasn't damaged. As it stands you are grounded for a month, no TV for a month, and you can consider yourself at poverty level until the next century. HOLLY Isn't that a little rough? GLEN Don't make me the villain here, Holly. BRIAN Wait...I'm out my bike. Your car's fine. You ran over my bike and I get punished. GLEN Don't get smart. 11. Glen gets in the car as Brian drags the bike out of the way. BRIAN (muttering) If you don't want me to get smart, stop wasting your money on public education. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD STREET - MORNING Eric and his friend TODD walk toward the bus stop, notebooks and lunchbags in hand. Todd's parents force him to wear dress shoes; he compensates by scuffing them at every opportunity. TODD So you didn't really see anything... All you felt was, like, an eerie presence? ERIC Yeah. Eerie. TODD It didn't like, go in the closet, or near it, or even look at it for a second or anything? ERIC Nope. TODD --so this is an exclusively under- the-bed phenomenon we're dealing with here. ERIC Yeah. Under my bed. They join other kids at the bus stop. Todd snaps his fingers. TODD Trolls! Trolls live under bridges. This lives under a bed. It could be some sort of...sub- species, mutant troll. (he punches his fist into his palm) That's it. The bus pulls up; its doors hiss open. ERIC I just want to get rid of it. 12. TODD Maybe if you pound a stake through its heart..? (pause) Nah...that only works on vampires. They solemnly ponder this subject. ERIC I think that'd work on anything. INT. BUS - DAY half-filled with kids. Todd and Eric find seats as the bus begins to move--but then it slows to a stop for a late-arrival: Brian. He swings into his seat as the bus lurches forward. ERIC Why aren't you riding your bike? BRIAN Let's talk about that. You've got two choices: you can lie, and die slow and painful. Tell the truth, and I'll be merciful. (he smiles) You'll die quick. ERIC What happened? BRIAN Dad ran over my bike because you put it in the driveway. ERIC No way. Your bike? The bus slows for its next stop. BRIAN Looks like it's gonna be slow and painful. We'll start with starvation and work our way up. In an unstoppably quick motion, Brian grabs Eric's lunch and tosses it out the window. ERIC My lunch! You stupid! I didn't do anything... (he sees Brian is serious) Your bike's really thrashed? 13. BRIAN I put it away. Mom and Dad sure didn't move it. That leaves (he points at Eric) you. I'm tired of you getting me in trouble. ERIC I don't touch your bike. (Brian grabs Eric by the shirt) If I did, you'd beat me up! Brian pulls back a little; Eric is sincere. Kids file on the bus. BRIAN What about the ice cream? You snuck some ice cream last night. ERIC (definite) No. Brian and Eric regard each other, both frowning, puzzled. TODD (confident) The monster. Brian and Eric look at Todd, who nods his head, all-knowing. ERIC That's it! That's what it was doing! Brian sighs, rubs his eyes in a long-suffering gesture. BRIAN He told you about the killer attack bunnies under his bed? ERIC It was a monster. BRIAN There are no monsters. RONNIE (O.S.) (yelling) Who's 'Eric?' RONNIE COLEMAN, a sixth grade version of Pete Rose comes up the aisle, carrying Eric's battered lunch Bag. Ronnie wears a football jersey with COLEMAN on the back. A batting glove hangs out of the back pocket of his jeans. 14. RONNIE Who's the 'Eric' that threw his lunch at me? Todd's horror-stricken look throws a spotlight on Eric. Ronnie, grape juice staining his jersey, zeros in on him. ERIC It's my lunch, but I didn't throw it. RONNIE Who did? Eric points at Brian's back. ERIC My brother. RONNIE Stevenson? He's your brother? (Eric nods) Man, I was going to make you eat this in one bite, but... Ronnie proffers the bag to Eric. RONNIE (pointedly) You got enough problems. A few laughs at this; Eric throws in an 'oooooh, burned.' Eric cautiously takes the lunch.. Ronnie grins victoriously at Brian, who fumes. Ronnie raises an eyebrow, daring Brian to make something of it. Brian holds his temper, slumps down into his seat. Ronnie shakes his head in disgust, swaggers down the aisle. A KID grins at Brian from the seat in front of him. BRIAN What are you lookin' at? The grin is wiped from the kid's face; he turns forward. Brian stares out the window. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. LAFAYETTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - ESTABLISHING The lunch bell RINGS; kids swarm out. 15. INT. SCHOOL - SCIENCE CLASSROOM Alone in the room, KIERSTEN DEVERAUX, a crush-inducing twelve year old, raises a Polaroid camera to take a picture of a just- beginning-to-bloom cereus. It is inside a homemade plywood box; the hinged side stands open. A blackout curtain, lifted, lines the box; a lamp is attached to the roof. The Polaroid WHIRS, but doesn't spit out a photo. Kiersten frowns, goes to a closed door marked TEACHERS ONLY. She takes a key out of her pocket, unlocks the door. INT. BOOK/SUPPLY ROOM Kiersten takes a pack of film from a metal cabinet. She shuts it, turns-- --Brian leans in the door frame, lunch bag in one hand, eating a sandwich. Kiersten is startled. Brian grins. BRIAN How ya doin'-- (significantly) --partner. KIERSTEN What? BRIAN I'm your new partner. From now on, we're both going to get straight 'A's. Kiersten frowns at him, puzzled. BRIAN Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you were stealing answers. KIERSTEN (pulling the door shut) Did they forget to give you your medication this morning, Brian? INT. SCIENCE CLASSROOM Brian doesn't hear the insult, intent on firming up this new partnership. As she reloads the camera: BRIAN Oh, come on, Kiersten. I saw you. You were scamming the teacher's edition. Kiersten doesn't give him a lot of attention. 16. KIERSTEN I was not. I'm allowed in there-- Mr. Finn gave me a key. BRIAN A key? You have a key? (she nods) And you weren't looking at the teachers' edition? KIERSTEN (explaining flatly) I'm working on my science project See? It's blooming. BRIAN What a breakthrough. Kiersten finishes reloading the camera, and takes a picture of the cactus. On the counter are a dozen or so snapshots of the cactus. Despite himself, Brian is interested. He glances at the photos. KIERSTEN It's a cereus. They only bloom at night. BRIAN Yeah? This one's broken. KIERSTEN That's the poINT. I'm training it to bloom in the daytime. BRIAN Hey, y'know what... He gathers up the photos into a stack, sorting them into proper order as he does so. BRIAN If you mounted the camera in one place...upside down-- Brian reverses the stack, holds them by the wide border. BRIAN You could take a bunch of pictures and make it like a movie. CLOSE ON: the flip-book of photos. Brian riffles through it. The plant blooms. KIERSTEN (impressed) Like time-lapse photography... 17. BRIAN Yeah. (beat) So, you'll get me the answers, right? Kiersten scowls, exasperated. Brian puts up his hands. BRIAN You can get back to me on that. He is gone. Kiersten shakes her head, then picks up the photos, flips through them. She looks up, in the direction Brian left. EXT. ROAD - DAY Brian shambles along, alone. Todd and Eric, having lain in wait, suddenly appear, bursting with some new scheme. ERIC If you say there's no monster, then switch rooms with me. BRIAN What? ERIC Switch rooms with me. TODD Yeah--you sleep in Eric's room and he sleeps in your room. BRIAN You just want my room. Eric and Todd pause--then Eric jumps back in step with Brian. ERIC Nuh-uh...I want you to prove me wrong. I dare you to switch rooms. TODD (advising Eric) Double dare him. ERIC (certain that this is the clincher) I doubledare you to switch rooms. BRIAN Not interested. 18. Eric and Todd stop walking, falling behind as they exchange a disappointed look. Eric has an inspiration. He hurries back up to Brian; Todd does, too. ERIC I'll pay you. Brian cocks an eyebrow. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM - NIGHT The door, propelled by a kick, slams open. The kick leaves a large scuff mark. Brian plods in, sets down a large wicker laundry basket. Eric holds his own covers in his arms. ERIC You have to stay the whole night. And you gotta sleep with your leg sticking out of the covers. And with the door closed. BRIAN (deadpan) Oh, stop. You're frightening me. On top of the bedding in the basket is a shoe-box lid which contains Brian's pocketwatch and paraphernalia. He lifts it out and sets in on Eric's small desk, sits down-- Pebbles click-clatter off the window. Eric goes over and raises the sash. EXT. STEVENSON HOUSE - NIGHT Todd, holding a sleeping bag, stands in a spill of moonlight. TODD Hey Eric! ERIC Hey Todd! Good thing you made it-- (louder, for Brian's benefit) I think he's gonna bail! TODD Yeah, we'll make sure he won't! ERIC So get up here! Use the trellis. Todd regards the trellis. Ivy snaking in and out of it, the trellis climbs the wall, stretching up past Eric's window, far up the side of the house. 19. TODD ...naw...it looks kinda high up. I'll meetcha at the door. He's gone, off around the house. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM Eric turns from the window, dashes out, almost colliding with Glen in the hallway. ERIC Gonna let Todd in. GLEN Hold on. (addressing them both) Do either of you have the good scissors? They're missing again. Eric's eyes widen. He looks at the bed, then back at Brian significantly. Brian grimaces, shakes his head. BRIAN No. GLEN Well, if you run across them, put them back where they belong. Eric nods and takes off. Brian turns back to the watch. Glen steps forward, watches over Brian's shoulder. CLOSE ON THE WATCH as Brian, using a jeweler's screwdriver, tightens a mechanism. He releases a tiny lever. Minute gears spin; ticking can be heard, distinct from the soft whirring. GLEN You got it running! Brian grins as Glen picks up the watch, examines it. GLEN Grandpa'd be happy. You have his mechanical touch. It must skip a generation. Brian's smile turns a little sad. Glen hands the watch back. Brian places it on the table, in the watch stand. GLEN I wanted to tell you, Brian...what you're doing here is nice-- (more) 20. GLEN (Cont'd) switching rooms with your brother, so he won't be scared. (beat) I'm counting on you to see this through. No night frights. Okay? Brian nods. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Eric and Todd climb the stairs into Brian's room, intimidated but pleased. Todd's shoes thunder on the stairs. Eric surveys the disassembled stuff on Brian's worktable. He reaches for an electric train-- BRIAN (O.S.) Don't touch that! Brian steps forward, takes the train, sets it back down. BRIAN You can use the bed, and you can walk from the bed to the door and back, and that's it. Brian grabs the pillow off his stripped bed, turns to leave. He stops at the stairs. BRIAN You can touch my light--but only to turn it off. (beat) And no fart contests. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Brian stops in the doorway, stares at the bed. In a decisive move he turns out the light, forces himself to walk calmly to the bed and sit on the edge. He jerks his legs up, lies down. Brian looks at it, then pulls it in a bit. He lies back, closes his eyes. BRIAN (as derisively as he can manage) ...monsters. Slowly, smoothly, as if with a mind of its own, the foot slips back into the safety of the covers. 21. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM - LATER The waxing moon shines brightly. Brian comes awake with a start. He tilts his head, listening--muffled, indistinct sounds of laughter can be heard, fading quickly to silence. Puzzled, frowning, Brian starts to swing a leg out of bed. He stops--thinks--then pushes the covers away from him until they touch the floor, covering the space beneath the bed. A long step, and Brian is safely in the middle of the room. He goes to the door, keeping an eye on the bed, unable to see beneath it--the covers block his view. INT. HALLWAY Brian sidles out of the door, listens--he hears a muffled voice, and moves silently toward it, to the vent in the wall by the attic stairs. The voice becomes clearer as he nears: TODD (O.S.) (low and scary-like) So she goes out, and five minutes go by, then ten... (Brian reaches the vent) So the girl's waiting for her roommate to get back, and she's getting real scared... INT. ATTIC ROOM The vent is flush to the floor. Todd is in his mummy bag, only his face visible, sitting across from Eric. The Tensor lamp is the campfire between the two, the gooseneck bent down so that the lip of the shade nearly touches the floor. TODD (low and scary-like) --oh, yeah, the room's on the second floor--so she's waiting, and suddenly, from outside, she hears 'thump-THUMP...thump-THUMP.' So she gets real brave and she sneaks over to the door and she hears it again: 'thump- THUMP...thump-THUMP!' INT. HALLWAY Brian raises one eyebrow, listening. 22. INT. ATTIC ROOM TODD And so she opens the door and she screams 'cause she sees her roommate coming up the stairs-- only the ax-man cut off all her arms and legs and she's draggin' herself up by her chin 'thump- THUMP...thump-THUMP!' Todd, in his mummy bag, writhes on the floor, impressively depicting the predicament of the limbless roommate. ERIC ...wow... INT. HALLWAY Brian shakes his head, disbelieving. TODD (O.S.) It happened to a girl a friend of my cousin knew. Brian thinks. He hits the riser in front of him with the palm of his hand: 'thump-THUMP...thump- THUMP.' All sound from upstairs ceases. Brian grins darkly. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM Brian comes through the door--and stops dead in his tracks. The bedcovers have been thrown all the way back, away from the floor, onto the mattress--they lie in a long pile against the wall. Brian stares. The black inkiness of the under-the-bed gapes at him. Brian lowers himself into a half-stoop, half-crouch, peering into the darkness. Is there something there? Brian throws a look at the desk--the stand is empty; his pocketwatch is gone. Brian's eyes go wide. He looks-- and sees it under the bed, just on the edge of the shadow. Brian reaches his hand up along the door frame to the light switch. He flips the switch-- and A MONSTROUS, HORRIFIC, CHILLING HOWL comes from right behind him. Brian spins in the still-dark room. A blue glow flickers behind the door. 23. INT. ATTIC ROOM Todd jumps back from the stairs, bumping into Eric. ERIC (stepping back) (panicked; a hiss) What was that? TODD (another step back) I dunno. (futilely optimistic that Eric will do it) Go find out. Eric considers this. ERIC No. INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM Brian forces himself toward the blue glow and noise. He reaches for the knob, yanks the door back, stares into-- --the family's 25" diagonal television set, sitting on its side, plugged into the switched socket, tuned to an SCTV rerun featuring Count Floyd. Brian snaps off the light switch (shutting off the set) and whirls, ducking to look under-the-bed. The watch chain becomes taut--the watch is pulled smoothly out of view, into the deep shadows under the bed. CLOSE ON Brian, a cold sweat on his forehead, all doubt drained from his face: Eric was right. INT. HALLWAY Brian darts his head out; a light shines from beneath his parents' door. Brian's eyes go wide with anticipatory dread-- and then the light goes out. Brian slumps, relieved, then snaps a look back over his shoulder into the room-- INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM Brian tilts the TV set down onto the throw rug. INT. HALLWAY The television set slides heavily down the hall atop the throw rug pulled by Brian. 24. INT. STAIRWELL Brian grapples with the set, controlling its roll one step at a time, top-to-side-to-bottom-to-side, down the stairs. INT. LIVING ROOM Brian pushes the set into place. He adjusts it slightly. His gaze-- almost against his will--is drawn back up to the ceiling, in the direction of Eric's room. DISSOLVE TO: INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING CLOSE on Brian, asleep but not comfortably so. A hand reaches, grabs Brian's shoulder, shakes him. ERIC (O.S.) Hey, Brian! You okay? Brian starts awake--for a moment really scared. Then he places himself. He has spent the night on the couch, using a dropcloth as a blanket; also in the room are paint cans, rollers, and a ladder. Eric and Todd stand over Brian, gloating. TODD I guess this means we get our money back. ERIC What happened? Did the monster come? Brian ignores the question--he examines the T.V. TODD Maybe it cut out his tongue. ERIC That's cats. TODD No, they just get it. Monsters cut 'em out and wear 'em on a necklace. Brian remote controls the T.V.: the opening theme of the Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner show plays ('No more rehearsing or cursing our parts/We know every part by heart'). 25. TODD Looks like you got two weird things in your house, Eric. A monster...and a giant chicken. Brian stares at the screen. Wile. E. Coyote, supergenius, at a drafting table, T-square flying, creates a blueprint for Bugs Bunny's destruction: a Rube Goldbergian trap. ERIC It's a wash. He's not talking. On screen, Wile E. feverishly builds that trap. Brian's mouth curls into a smile. Without looking away, to Eric: BRIAN I'm sleeping in your room again tonight. Eric and Todd look at each other wide-eyed. BRIAN BUILDS HIS TRAP - SERIES OF SHOTS A. Brian measures the clearance under Eric's bed, jots it down. B. At the side of the house, Brian braces his mangled bike between his knees, straining to remove the sprocket-- it gives, and Brian clunks himself in the forehead. He rubs the bump, then starts on the handbrake. C. A sign on a chain draped across a dirt-packed access road reads 'MUNICIPAL DUMP - CLOSED.' Beyond it, Brian hikes toward the dump, bookpack over his shoulder. D. Heaps of refuse blot out the horizon. Brian spots something, wrestles it out: the aluminum support frame of an old rocking horse. He tests the tension of one of the four large springs hanging from the uprights. They will do. E. Holly, Glen, and Eric divide their attention between their partially-emptied plates and Brian, who is wolfing down the remainder of his dinner. Brian finishes his milk, and without setting his glass down-- BRIAN May I please be excused. Before the response, he is gathering up his dishes. F. Eric's bed is supported by a stacks of books. Brian loosens a leg bolt with a crescent wrench. G. By the last light of the day, Brian secures the pedal and gear to the front of the bed. He cranks the pedal around (not unlike starting a Model-T) pulling the legs out, expanding the springs until the castors are against the ground. 26. BRIAN (singing softly) 'Roadrunner...the coyote's after you...' H. Brian's hand squeezes the brake handle. He snaps a rubber band around it, and doubles it. The handle stays squeezed. Brian pulls out the books. The bed stays up. BRIAN (spoken) 'Roadrunner...if he catches you-- you're through.' INT. ERIC'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Brian lies in bed in the dark room, awake, waiting. The door opens. It is Holly. Her work shirt is speckled with paint--so is her hair and her hands. HOLLY Brian? Are you awake? BRIAN Yeah. HOLLY Eric asked me to give this to you. She holds out the flashlight. Brian takes it from her. HOLLY (slightly questioning) He said that tonight, he wanted you to have it. Brian lets this go by. Holly smiles, goes to the door. BRIAN Mom? She turns. BRIAN (like he's saying goodbye) I love you. HOLLY (puzzled, but pleased) I love you, too. She pulls the door shut. Her footfalls recede; the hall light goes out. There is the sound of a door closing. 27. PREPARING THE BEDROOM - SERIES OF SHOTS A. The bedcovers are thrown back in a dramatic swoop by Brian. Revealed beneath is his Monster-Hunting Gear: a pocketknife, the alarm clock, a spool of 150 lb test fishing line, a hockey stick and a big bag of Doritos (Nacho Cheese). B. Brian strains to be quiet as he slides the dresser across the floor, in front of the walk-in-closet door. C. Brian crisscrosses the fishing line around the room. He ties one end to the hammer-guard of the alarm clock. D. At the door, he disassembles and removes the inside knob, leaving the hall-facing knob and bolt in place. E. He wedges a two-by-four against a piece of plywood that covers the heating vent. F. Brian lays down, the hockey stick, knife, and flashlight beside him, on the wall side. He adjusts their positions. He makes a few practice grabs, quick. He is ready. INT. THE BEDROOM - LATER Moonlight filters through the window. Brian waits, munching Doritos as quietly as possible. He has an inspiration. He scatters Doritos around the perimeter of the bed. Experimentally, he leans down and makes a 'little man' with his hand and walks it toward the chips. His finger steps on a chip, results in a crunching sound. Brian smiles. INT. THE BEDROOM - MUCH LATER Brian isn't going to make it. The alarm clock ticks away, hypnotically. Brian is right on the edge of sleep. Crunch. Brian pulls the blankets tighter. CRUNCH Crunch. Brian's eyes open, but he does not move. More crunches. Brian turns his head s-l-o-w-l-y, looking as far out of the corners of his eyes as possible. The crunching pauses, then turns into the unmistakable sound of chomping. Whatever is out there, it sure likes Doritos (Nacho Cheese). Brian stealthily reaches one hand down to his knife. He positions the handbrake, waiting. He doesn't breath. The alarm clock is triggered; it RINGS. Brian cuts the rubber band. The brake pads open. The rope releases. Sprockets spin. Springs snap. The trap works; the bed collapses, slamming to the floor; Brian spins, the flashlight in his hand and on-- 28. The beam catches something rushing straight towards Brian, straight for the under-the-bed; a brief impression of yellow eyes--then it is gone, back into the dark. Brian snaps the light across the room, almost catching something in the peripheral of the beam. The alarm, ringing shrilly throughout, begins to whir down. Brian makes long sweeping arcs with the flashlight, systematically covering the room. Nothing. The alarm is spent. Silence. Brian peers into the dark. A shape rises up behind him. Brian becomes aware of it just as an arm slaps across his chest-- Brian shouts, and an instinctive jerk becomes a passable judo throw, propelling the shape over his shoulder to the floor. Snapping the flashlight around in a two-handed pistol-grip, Brian pins the shape in the beam-- And the room light goes on. Brian looks over; Glen is standing in the doorway. BRIAN Dad! The monst-- The word stops as Brian looks back at what is in his beam: an innocuous pile of clothes: T-shirts, jeans, and sweaters, all slightly yellowish in tint--and one ratty red bathrobe...and a Washington Senators baseball cap. Brian's eyes go wide. BRIAN --er... CLOSE ON Glen as his eyes track from one corner of the room to another, his expression going from tired annoyance to shock to disbelief to wide-awake anger. He focuses on Brian, on the collapsed bed, flashlight out in front of him, one foot on the floor. Brian shifts his weight slightly; a chip crunches. GLEN Christ, Brian--I was counting on you... (beat) I give up. Brian, intimidated by Glen's forcefulness, starts to feel bad, but then remembers: BRIAN Wait a minute! I...there is-- 29. GLEN A monster? It's a pile of clothes, for Chrissakes. He kicks the clothes. Unseen by Glen, two folds in the clothes open like eyelids and stare up hatefully. Brian's eyes widen. GLEN The next time you leave your room will be the first time you vote. Brian is speechless. He rubs his eyes, looks at the clothes. They look normal. BRIAN But-- Glen snaps off the light and reaches for the door knob; it comes off in his hand. He gives Brian one more glare, then pulls the door shut. Brian swallows, keeps the light unsteadily on the clothes. He stretches for the hockey stick. Cautiously, he jabs the stick into the clothes, barely. Nothing happens. He gives the clothes a good poke. That does it. The sleeve snaps the hockey stick out of his hands, across the room. Brian half-leaps, half-sprawls back; he loses the flashlight. The clothes gather in on themselves, start to change-- Brian slams the laundry basket over the clothes pile, throws his body on top of it. The basket forces itself up off the floor. Brian is pitched hard, heels-over-head, to the ground. The basket continues to rise. Brian gapes as the thing becomes visible: long, flat feet with extraordinarily long toes. A yellowish hand curls out from under the lip of the basket and throws it off. The Monster From Under the Bed glowers at Brian, eyes aglow with malevolent intelligence. The ratty old red bathrobe still exists; the monster wears it with a certain panache. He grins, face splitting in half, revealing jagged rows of teeth. His name is MAURICE. MAURICE Boo. Brian stifles a scream. He grabs the rug and pulls hard. The monster's feet go out from under him; he lands on his back. Brian scrambles away, onto the bed, pulls in his ankles as a claw-like hand slashes down, making four ragged tears in the mattress. Brian leaps over the monster, runs for the door. 30. The knob has been removed; the door won't open. Brian looks despairingly at his own handiwork, lunges for the window. Halfway across the room, fishing line wraps around Brian's ankle, the still-attached alarm clock acting as weight for the makeshift bolo. The monster, grinning, reels Brian in. Brian reaches, desperately trying to extricate his leg. Working frantically, inches out of reach, Brian gets loose from the line. He rolls away, grabbing up the hockey stick. The monster looks down at the clock dangling at the end of the line. The minute hand is nearly straight up. Brian sees the monster throw a look at the window. Dawn washes the sky. The monster drops the clock and rushes for the bed. Brian, thinking fast, leaps between the monster and the bed, brandishing the stick. The monster pulls up short. The two gauge each other. For all its ugliness, the monster is not much taller than Brian. It raises its claws. BRIAN I'll scream. MAURICE That's good--let's both scream. Let's get your dad back in here. The monster takes a deep breath--then lets it out in a gasp as Brian slugs him in the stomach. BRIAN (a hiss) Shaddup. The monster raises a hand, takes some time to recover. MAURICE (gasping) Whoa, time out... Brian pauses...then sees that the monster is furtively edging toward the bed. Brian glances out the window. He sees the lighting sky, smiles. He steps in front of the bed. BRIAN Yeah. Why don't we just wait? The monster recovers amazingly fast, growls and feints, ramming Brian out of the way with a shoulder. He makes it to the bed-- just as the sun edges over the horizon. The monster slips his fingers in under the bed frame and pulls up. His fingers pass through the box-spring and mattress--his hands have become two-dimensional, intangible. 31. Brian jumps onto the mattress. The monster panics. Brian levers the stick between the bed and the monster, pries him away. The monster tries to move, but his now-intangible feet have no purchase. He falls, hands inches from the bed. A gradient effect, beginning at the monster's fingertips, turns him from yellow to gray to black, transforming him into his own shadow. Brian stares as the arms and legs flatten. BRIAN What's happening? MAURICE What d'you think? BRIAN You're dying. The sunlight-- you're a vampire! MAURICE (gasping) Puh-leez. No such thing...as vampires...Gotta get back under the bed... BRIAN No way. You wrecked my bike. You stole my watch. You been pulling stuff, trying to get me in trouble. MAURICE (hurt; defensive) That's my job. Brian sucks on his lower lip, thinking. He looks toward the window. The sun has almost cleared the horizon. MAURICE What, you never did anything just for a laugh? Maurice's eyes, wide and pleading, lock with Brian's. The two gaze at each other, until finally the monster's eyelids drop closed. BRIAN Damn. Brian sighs at his victory turned hollow. With both hands, he raises a corner of the bed, watching the monster, not at all sure if it will do any good. Maurice's eyes open slightly. His gaze flickers to the bed; he tries to move but can't. Straining to hold the bed up, Brian puts his arm around Maurice's still-solid torso and pushes him into the shadow. 32. Brian lets the bed drop. He collapses to the floor. Suddenly, the bed lifts, raising away from the floor like a trapdoor. Brian jumps back. The monster, fully recovered and quite pleased, holds the bed easily above his head with one arm. He looks like he is standing waist deep in an inky pool. His gaze flickers to the window--just as the sun clears the horizon, he grins a yellow grin at Brian. MAURICE (confidentially) Brian-- (beat) 'Catch ya later. He disappears, the bed dropping to the floor. INT. STEVENSON HOME - HALLWAY - DAY In the master bedroom, Glen sits at a desk covered with bills, a printing calculator and the check book. Holly holds an invoice. The tone of the argument is not harsh-- just hard. GLEN It's certainly the liberal solution to a problem. Throw money at it. HOLLY Well, since I seem to be responsible for getting this place fixed up-- GLEN When we made the decision to live here, we knew it meant a lot of work. HOLLY For both of us. GLEN I'm commuting four hours a day. Do you think I enjoy that? HOLLY You don't seem to enjoy much of anything nowadays. GLEN (moving to shut the door) Maybe there's not that much to enjoy. 33. Down the hall, Brian steps out of Eric's room with the laundry basket. Glen spots him. GLEN Where do you think you're going? BRIAN I finished cleaning. I was going back up to my room. GLEN Well, get there and stay there. Glen shuts the door. A beat; Brian turns to the stairs. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Brian lies on his back, wide awake, staring up into the darkness. Suddenly, another one of Eric's screams pierces the silence. Brian starts, then frowns, a little scared. A pause. MAURICE (O.S.) (from under the bed) Brian...hey, Brian. Brian's eyes go a little wider. He doesn't move. MAURICE (O.S.) Yo! Brian! I'm back! Why'd you switch rooms again with that whiffleball? You know he sucks his thumb? (beat) C'mon, I know you're up there. I can hear you holding your breath. Brian begins breathing again. MAURICE (O.S.) Okay, fine. Here--I brought you something. A thing lands on Brian's chest. He squirms out from under it. MAURICE (O.S.) Catch ya' later! A clatter from below, and then silence. Brian gingerly picks up Maurice's gift, holds it up into a spill of moonlight: his grandfather's pocketwatch. Surprised, he looks down over the side of the bed. Nothing. EXT. SCHOOL - PLAYGROUND - KICKBALL DIAMOND - DAY A kickball game in progress. Ronnie is on second base; Brian is the catcher. 34. A lanky red-headed girl kicks a grounder. Ronnie rounds third and heads for home. Brian, in the baseline, waits for the throw. Ronnie accelerates, lowers his shoulder and slams into Brian, sending him sprawling in the dirt. Ronnie stands up, grins at Brian, turns toward his dugout. The throw from first rolls in. Brian picks it up. With deadly aim, he hurls the ball as hard as he can, nailing Ronnie in the back of the head. Ronnie stumbles, recovers, spins. BRIAN You didn't hit the plate. You're outta-- Ronnie has already launched himself at Brian, and the two go down into the dust amid shouts of 'Fight! Fight!' EXT. STEVENSON HOME - DRIVEWAY - DAY Brian gets out of the car, walks toward the house, the condemned man escorted to the chair--by Glen and Holly. GLEN I want to know why you threw the ball at him in the first place. BRIAN To get him out. HOLLY No mouth, Brian. The principal said the game was over, and then you threw it. GLEN Christ. A new school, and more fighting. Do you have any idea how disappointed we are in you? (he opens the front door) You're never going to get out of your room. A look of pure anger crosses Brian's face as he goes inside. INT. ATTIC ROOM - DAY Brian trudges up the stairs, to his desk. He digs into his pocket, pulls out the pocketwatch, flips it open-- --pieces of shattered crystal rain down. Brian is shocked: the crystal is gone, the casing dented...the hands still. The benign Sun is frozen, peeking out of the wedge. 35. Brian grips the watch, fists going white-knuckled--he spins to throw it against the wall, stops. A deep breath. He sits down, starts to take the watch apart, blinking back tears. INT. ATTIC ROOM - LATER Brian is asleep, his head on the desk. Just the desk lamp is on. Suddenly the bulb SHATTERS, throwing the room into darkness, snapping Brian awake. He whirls-- Maurice stands silhouetted in moonlight, twirling a slingshot by the elastic. He hitches his Senators cap back on his head. MAURICE The name's Maurice, but back home they call me 'Dead-eye.' Brian scrabbles for the light switch he has rigged to a bunch of extension cords--he flips it-- LIGHT FLOODS THE ROOM: two shadeless floor lamps, super-8 movie lamp, mechanic's light, the overhead light; extension cords criss-cross the floor; a string of miniature Christmas lights circle the room, blinking, casting colored shadows. Maurice disappears. The slingshot clatters onto the floor beside the same pile of clothes from before. BRIAN It's like when your eyeballs get bigger when it gets darker. If the lights go on, you turn into clothes. Right? MAURICE (like his mouth is filled with cotton) Oh, c'mon--we did the man-versus- monster thing to death all ready. BRIAN Go away. Don't bother me anymore, or Eric. I got enough problems without you sneaking around. (beat; it registers) Maurice? MAURICE That's my name, don't wear it out. C'mon, Brian. I gave back the watch. Brian considers. He flips the switch; the lights go off. Maurice re-forms into his bipedal self. He pockets his slingshot, spies the watch. 36. MAURICE Hey--I did not return it in that condition. What happened? BRIAN Ronnie Coleman broke it. MAURICE Tsk. What kind of person has no respect for other people's property? BRIAN You stole it! MAURICE So call your lawyer. How'd it happen? BRIAN What's it to you? Ronnie smashed it, and then I got in trouble. (beat) I always get in trouble, and I don't do anything! MAURICE (amazed) You get in trouble, and you don't do anything? BRIAN No. MAURICE You let them get away with it? BRIAN Huh? Maurice pulls a pack of Lucky Strikes out of his pocket, shakes one out, lights it one-handed from a matchbook. MAURICE Brian, you've come to the right place. I can help you. I can get you what you want. He blows smoke across the match, extinguishing it. BRIAN (a little greedy) What? You mean--like wishes? MAURICE Wishes are strictly bush-league leprechaun, pal. I'm a monster. Monsters don't do wishes. 37. BRIAN What do...monsters do? MAURICE (imparting a great secret) Revenge. He waits, smiling smugly. Brian is less than enthused. MAURICE Oh, come on--Revenge! You know, get back, even-up, tit-for-tat, retribution in the best Old Testament sense! Vengeance. (beat) Revenge! Brian raises an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth twitching into a grin. Maurice seizes on this. MAURICE Okay. This Ronnie guy. Big kid, slack jaw, hair like a whisk broom? BRIAN (sullen agreement) Serious chromosome damage. MAURICE Right! I know him! He's in my district. I can get him for you. Brian is starting to get into this. BRIAN Yeah? How? Maurice holds up one finger ('allow me to demonstrate'), and slides beneath the bed with a flourish. BRIAN Ronnie Coleman's under my bed? MAURICE No...but under your bed is the way to under Ronnie Coleman's bed. BRIAN Aah--you won't do it. MAURICE Brian--you gotta learn to trust people. Besides, it's not like you could come with me... 38. Brian's eyes light up. He looks toward the bed. The forbidden beckons. MAURICE ...noooo, oh, no. Forget it. Wrong. Totally unprecedented. Brian is grinning, now. MAURICE I was joking. It was a joke. You're not allowed down there. You could get hurt. (beat; sinister) I could strand you. Brian frowns, then leans toward Maurice. BRIAN You won't do that, 'cause I'm taking this. He brandishes the flashlight. MAURICE Whoa, there, Thunder--no lights. Definitely not allowed. Brian flicks on the light, angles it toward him menacingly. MAURICE Hey. Bring that along, why dontcha? BRIAN Let's go. MAURICE You're sure now... Brian hesitates, then grins tightly, every late-night Charles Bronson film of the last five years replaying in his mind. BRIAN Let's nail that toad to the wall. MAURICE Y'know...you're my kinda guy. Maurice lifts the bed. MAURICE After you. Brian kneels. Looks at Maurice, dubious. He extends his hand into the darkness. It does not go through the solid floor. 39. MAURICE Oh, yeah, that's right. We gotta go together. Dull people can't do it. Using one hand to support the bed, Maurice grabs Brian's arm, helps him in. Brian, tentative, expecting to contact floor, is startled to find none. He loses his balance, plunges straight through the shadow; from below comes a THUD. MAURICE (calling to Brian) Good. (a sinister smile) Real good. He disappears into the shadow. The bed THWOMPS to the floor. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - ATTIC STAIRS Brian picks himself up off the ground. He is next to a closed door, at the bottom of a narrow, steep staircase that leads up to the rectangle shadow of the bed. Maurice skitters down the staircase to him. Brian panics, searches the floor beside him. MAURICE Lose something? Maurice dangles the flashlight from one finger. Brian grabs it. Maurice pulls open the door, steps out into INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Brian peers down the hall--the ends, if any, are lost in the distance. Doors are scattered along the walls; some reach high with low-set knobs; others are short; there are Dutch doors and French doors and doors that hang crooked, but still shut tight. The walls loom, seemingly on the verge of collapsing in on themselves. The dark mahogany wainscotting and dark red wallpaper swallow the light from the tiny flickering gas lamps near the ceiling. Brian steps into this. His jaw is slack. A frayed red runner cuts a swath down the polished black floor. Maurice is already moving down the stairway. He realizes Brian isn't with him, stops. MAURICE Yo! Brian! Let's move 'em out! We're burning nightlight, pard! Brian starts slowly, then hurries to catch up to Maurice. 40. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - STAIRWELL Brian gasps. The hallway has ended; they are at the bottom of a huge well. Archways lead to other hallways; above, there are tiers of landings running around the circumference, and more hallways. Further up, the landings droop and twist, whole sections torn away, until there is just black. In the center of the well is a massive staircase, spiralling up, offshoots connecting the landings. It continues far up, finally standing alone, dilapidated, too impossibly high to support its own weight--but it does. And there, at a dizzying height, it ends at a small landing, at a pair of tall doors, seemingly suspended in the darkness. Brian grabs Maurice's robe. BRIAN (a croak) Where are we? MAURICE Hm? Oh...we go one flight up, and it's the third door on the left. He heads up the stairs. Brian hangs onto the robe, eyes wide, letting Maurice lead him on. INT. STAIRWELL - RONNIE'S STAIRS A wrought-iron circular stairway disappears into the bed-shaped black area. MAURICE Here we are. BRIAN But--but Ronnie lives clear over by Lake Skopski. How..? MAURICE (a little smug) Magic. Maurice climbs the stairs into the shadow, disappearing from the shoulders up; Brian follows, bumps his head, unable to go through. Maurice reaches down and pulls him up by the collar. INT. RONNIE'S ROOM - NIGHT Maurice and Brian look for all the world like two decapitated heads sitting on the floor under a bed. They whisper: BRIAN This is somebody else's house! 41. MAURICE No duh--where'd ya park the squad car, Dick Tracy? It's Ronnie Coleman's bedroom. BRIAN ...bitchin'... Movement from above startles Brian; an ankle flops down, hangs in front of his face. A beat, and he reaches for it--but Maurice grabs his wrist. MAURICE Wait--too primitive. Good instinct, though. Hmm, now...what deviltry to perpetrate tonight? A banshee wail, perhaps? (he runs a scale, coughs) ...mm, maybe not...lessee...We gotta watch our step here. Every night like clockwork this dingus gets up to go to the bathroom. I almost got caught once planting cigarettes in his bookbag. BRIAN (thoughtful) What time does he usually get up? Maurice shoves his cap back, cocks an eyebrow...then grins. INT. RONNIE'S ROOM - LATER Ronnie snurfles awake. Groggily, he stretches and sits up-- --and the sheet yanks tight, slamming Ronnie back onto the mattress, pinning his arms. He struggles mightily, trying to get up--the sheet snaps taut and he is pinned again. Maurice and Brian grin like madmen at each other across the bedshadow as they strain to keep Ronnie pinned. RONNIE Mom! Dad! Help! Brian almost lets go of his side--but Maurice puts a hand out in a 'not yet' gesture. MAURICE (his most horrible voice) Screaming will only make it worse... Ronnie squirms half-heartedly. The fear is numbing. 42. RONNIE I gotta get up... Maurice nudges Brian, indicating it's his turn. Brian shakes his head 'no'; Maurice eggs him on. BRIAN (screechy old-type voice) If he gets up, I get his toes. You can eat the rest. Maurice looks at Brian: 'That's disgusting.' Brian shrugs; it was just a first attempt. Above, Ronnie gives up the struggle; he grimaces in humiliation. A tear squeezes out of one eye, rolls down his cheek-- --the door opens; the light goes on. Ronnie's dad, a solid man with an iron-grey brush cut, steps into the empty room. MR. COLEMAN I gotta be to work early, this better be good-- Mr. Coleman sees the wet stain on the bed sheet. MR. COLEMAN (quiet) Dammit. Dammit, Ron, I thought you'd whipped this bedwetting thing. You're almost a man, and-- RONNIE I couldn't move, Dad...I couldn't move my arms, I couldn't get up... INT. UNDER-THE-BED - RONNIE'S STAIRS Where Brian and Maurice crouch. Brian's eyes are bright as he listens: so this is power. Maurice watches Brian listening. MR. COLEMAN (O.S.) (sounding more defeated than Ronnie) Get up and change your sheets. Clean yourself up. We'll talk about this later. RONNIE (O.S.) ...yes, sir... INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY The hall stretches long and deep. Far off, Brian and Maurice cavort away. They high-five, laugh, and continue on. 43. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NEAR DAWN With Maurice's help, Brian pulls himself out from under the bed. He looks back in at Maurice, exhilarated. BRIAN Man, that was great! MAURICE Yeah--you're a natural, kid. BRIAN Thanks-- MAURICE So whaddaya say, Bri? Tomorrow night. Same bed-time? Same bed- channel? Brian's immediate impulse is to say 'yes,'but he stifles himself to give it some thought. MAURICE You. Me. Moonlight. Magic. C'mon, Brian--take a walk on the wild side. That's it. Brian grins--and Maurice grabs his hand, shakes it jive-style: normal, thumb clasp, wrist clasp, slap five, fist- tap, thumb clasp variation leading to ascending birdies. MAURICE 'Catch ya later. And he is gone. EXT. SCHOOL - PLAYGROUND - DRINKING FOUNTAINS - DAY Ronnie, sweating and dusty, bends to take a drink. BRIAN Careful there, Ronnie. You wouldn't want to splash any. People might think you had an...accident. Ronnie straightens, murder in his eyes. Brian leans against the wall. Other kids, including CRAIG, wait in line. RONNIE If I wanted any of your lip, Stevenson, I'd take it off my zipper. 44. BRIAN (aside, to Craig) It's in his permanent record. I saw it. Blew me away. Imagine...Ronnie Coleman--a bedwetter. Whoa, reality check. RONNIE Shut up, Stevenson. That's a lie. More kids gather like sharks smelling blood. CRAIG He wets the bed? BRIAN (nodding) His dad's very upset about it. RONNIE SHUT UP! Too late; in the eyes of his peers, Ronnie is already guilty. Brian pushes away from the wall and strolls out through the crowd, saying to Craig as he goes by: BRIAN Ask him about the rubber sheets. The kids sense the kill. Faces beam with grim pleasure, crowding in, obscuring Brian as he saunters off. CRAIG Rubber sheets! Brian smiles and does not look back. INT. STEVENSON HOME - ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Brian waits, impatient. He jiggles his foot out over the edge of the bed, bait for Maurice. Finally, Maurice appears. BRIAN Maurice! It was great! He was dying out there! MAURICE Cool your jets, okay? Let's go. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - MAIN CHAMBER Brian rushes out ahead of Maurice-- --and collides with BILLY, a monster wearing crossed toy gunbelts. Billy drops a box, and dozens of doll heads, arms and legs--Barbies, G.I.Joes, Baby Tears--spill out. 45. A Barbie-head comes to rest near Maurice's foot. He picks it up. BILLY Hey! You stupid..! That's mine! Billy grabs the head from Maurice, and scurries around the hall, picking up the parts. Maurice ushers Brian away. MAURICE Doll dismemberment is so small time. No finesse, y'know? BRIAN (agog) There's more than one of you? MAURICE Sure--hey, I'm good, but get real. We divvy things up by school districts. Lucky you--you were in mine. They pass a monster, MARY JANE; Brian swivels his head, staring at her: she wears a flannel nightgown, Mary Janes, and is cutting up a very elegant evening gown. She drops the scissors and holds up a string of very elegant paper dolls. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - STOREROOM High wooden shelves line narrow aisles. There is one whole shelf of stuffed animals lying on their backs wearing toe-tags, a purloined plush-toy morgue. Maurice moves along expertly, putting things into a canvas bag: a roller skate, a stale taco guacamoled to a paper plate, a Tupperware container of mud. Brian steps into the room tentatively, intrigued by the contents of the various bins. He peers into one, blinks. He reaches in, pulls out a dead goldfish, holds it gingerly between his fingers. He looks to Maurice for an explanation. MAURICE Dead goldfish. Take the live ones out of the tank, float these suckers in belly-up, and there's one kid who feels really bad and gets a lecture on pet responsibility to boot. Nice little double-whammy item. Brian tosses the fish back into the bin. A large chest is on the floor. He opens it. It is filled with ballpoint pens, keys, sunglasses, claim stubs, earrings (singles), lighters. 46. Brian paws through it, puzzled--then the light dawns, and he laughs. Maurice grins, picks out a pair of dark glasses. MAURICE (giving Brian the glasses) Here. At least pretend you're cool. Brian puts them on. He peers around the room. BRIAN It's kind of dark... He takes a few steps--and bumps into the wall. He takes the glasses off sheepishly, stows them in his shirt pocket, and something else catches his eye: a stack of dirty magazines. Brian takes the top one off the stack, pages through it. BRIAN Wow...you get to look at all these? MAURICE Yeah. No big deal. BRIAN I found a copy of Playboy when I was trash-digging once--it was great. Boy, my mom-- An idea hits him. He closes the magazine, rolls it up and sticks it in his back pocket. BRIAN There's a stop I wanna make. INT. TODD'S ROOM - NIGHT Maurice watches from under the bed as Brian slides the magazine into the top dresser drawer, shuts it. On the way into the shadow, he grins down at Todd's sleeping form. BRIAN Explain that to your mom. INT. HOUSE #1 - SERVICE PORCH - NIGHT Brian pays close attention as Maurice, using a sneaker on his hand, tracks mud across the floor, dipping into the Tupperware container, examining his handiwork like an artist. 47. INT. HOUSE #2 - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Methodically, Brian switches records into the wrong sleeves-- then returns them to the rack, out of order. Maurice appears in the doorway to the kitchen, and he holds up: MAURICE Ta-da! The good scissors! First we make 'em dull... (cuts at a table leg) Then, we hide the evidence. (hides them under a couch cushion) Not bad, huh? Perfected this little technique myself. He turns to head out, but remembers something. MAURICE Oh, yeah--you'd better check your couch when you get home. INT. DONLEAVY TWIN'S ROOM - NIGHT Maurice scrambles out from under an infant bed; Brian comes out from an identical one across the room. One headboard reads KYLE, the other NATHAN. Maurice hurries to his work. MAURICE Here. Hold this. He puts Kyle into Brian's arms, lifts Nathan out and puts him over in Kyle's bed. Brian looks worriedly down at Kyle. Maurice takes Kyle and sets him into Nathan's bed. Maurice looks from one bed to the other. He wrings his hands and laughs a fiendish mad-scientist 'Mu-u-uwahhahah' laugh. INT. HOUSE #3 - TOP OF STAIRS - NIGHT Maurice carefully positions the roller skate on a step, angling it just so, sighting along it. POV - MAURICE, along the skate, through the toe strap. It centers on a barrel cactus in a tub...then moves across to a china cabinet. It wavers back toward the cactus--then decisively fixes on the china cabinet. Target sighted. Maurice smiles. Brian comes out of the bathroom. BRIAN (sinisterly pleased) I didn't flush it--and left the seat up. 48. MAURICE (claps him on the back) I like it. Brian grins at the praise. EXT. SCHOOL - PLAYGROUND - DAY Hectic recess activity: running, shouting, ball-dodging. Brian sits in the shade of the building, away from it all. He pulls out the sunglasses from Maurice, puts them on. INT. ALAINE'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT Maurice and Brian pig out. Brian eats the middle of the Oreo cookie and dumps the chocolate cookie outside back into the jar. Maurice chows down chocolate cake. BRIAN (through cookie) ...want some milk? --and he opens the refrigerator door. Light spills out and Maurice drops out of frame with a 'FWUMP.' Brian looks over at where Maurice last stood--then looks down. On the floor is the pile of clothes, a cake slice on top. BRIAN ...sorry. Brian reaches in and unscrews the fridge light bulb. Maurice is once again standing there, wiping cake off himself. MAURICE (a bit miffed) Next time wait for me to unplug it. He grabs the jug of milk and takes a swig, then passes it to Brian, who does the same. Maurice upturns the cookie jar, shakes crumbs onto a paper towel. Brian takes another swig, emptying the milk jug. He starts throw it away--but Maurice takes it, recaps it...and puts it back into the refrigerator. MAURICE Always, always put the empties back. Maurice folds the crumb towel into a little knapsack, leaves. Brian follows, losing an Oreo from his handful, not noticing. 49. INT. ALAINE'S ROOM - NIGHT Brian slips back under the bed. Maurice follows, snapping the paper towel, raining cookie crumbs onto the girl's sheets. INT. STEVENSON HOME - KITCHEN - MORNING Brian, dark rings under his eyes, not real alert, holding his bookpack, stands just inside the swinging-shut kitchen door. BRIAN I missed the bus. HOLLY Because you overslept again. I'll get my car keys. Brian leans against the doorframe, covers a yawn. KIDS ON TRIAL - SERIES OF SHOTS The parents' lines run together like a single lecture, anger building. A. An OVAL-FACED KID, seven, an expression of total innocence. MOM #1 (O.S.) --And if you thought more about the consequences before you did things-- B. A LANKY FIFTH GRADER glowers out from under long greasy hair. MOM #2 (O.S.) --things like this wouldn't happen. But no--I have a kid who's an idiot-- C. A RED-HAIRED GIRL, eight, absolutely expressionless, save for her quick bird-like blinks, regular as a metronome. DAD #1 (O.S.) --If I've told you once, I told you a thousand times: don't leave your toys where people can break their necks on 'em--stop that BLINKING! D. A DEFENSIVE NINE-YEAR-OLD BOY. DAD #2 (O.S) Now just sit there, shut up and listen. Are you trying to disappoint us? The boy starts to answer 'no,' but thinks better of it. 50. MOM #3 (O.S.) You don't want people to like you, do you? It's a loaded question; the boy starts to say 'yes,' stops; he frowns, concentrates, trying to dope out the right answer. DAD #2 (O.S.) Answer your mother! E. A GUILTY GIRL, six, sinks down in a straight-back chair. MOM #4 (O.S.) Fine. Be that way. But I'm the parent and you're the kid and you're going to sit here until you've decided you're ready to come out and join the rest of us and be a decent human being. Off screen, a door slams with a BANG! INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY - NEAR THE ATTIC STAIRS A door swings all the way open, flat against the wall. Maurice comes through, holding a TV remote-control. The door swings back-- revealing an entry way that wasn't there previously. Brian comes through with an arm load of socks. Maurice tosses the remote-control onto a heaping pile of remote- controls. He pulls another from a pocket, tosses it, pulls another, tosses, etc., about a dozen in all. Over this: MAURICE Did you get 'em? BRIAN Yeah. MAURICE They don't match? BRIAN Of course not. (rubs the mismatched socks on his cheek) Still dryer-soft, too. To one side is a pulley-system clothesline with socks hanging from it. Brian pins a sock, pulls the line, pins another; the sock line goes off into infinity...and comes back from same. Two monsters pass by, each lugging one end of a grandfather clock. Maurice grabs Brian by the shirt and hauls him away, scattering the arm load of socks. 51. MAURICE A ballgame! C'mon! INT. UNDER-THE-BED - MAIN CHAMBER As Maurice hauls Brian past the clock-carrying monsters (who wrestle it up upright). There is the unmistakable CRACK of a bat; Brian dives away from Maurice-- --as a baseball smashes into the grandfather clock, starts it BONGING. MAURICE Yo, Brian! Little help! Brian stares at the ball in front of his face. He picks up the ball, rises, and sees: ANOTHER ANGLE - MAIN STAIRWELL currently in-use as the playing field for a game of indoor Monster Baseball. There are monster 'fielders': Mary Jane crouches on an endtable, punches her glove, chatters ('C'mon batter c'mon batter SWING!'); a fat one is in right, PORSCHE sunglasses on, a boom-box blaring rave-up rock'n'roll. All over the playing field are various breakable objects-- lamps, vases, aquariums, television sets, Baccarat crystal, objects d'art, etc. Home plate is a china serving dish. Maurice swings two bats--smashing a lamp behind him in the process. He tosses one bat away--another crash off screen. Striding toward Brian is SPIKE, a stocky monster in a black chest protector and protective mask. He flips the mask up. SPIKE Give me that, and git. No spectators on the field. Spike jerks his thumb toward the stairs, where a raucous group of fans throw beer cans and popcorn boxes at him. SPIKE All right. Imaginary runners on second and third. Still two out, no score, top of the third. Brian watches the game as he wanders around past the fans. Spike passes the mound, tosses the ball to the pitcher, a monster wearing OVERALLS, who winds up. Spike, still on his way to the plate, drops to the ground--the ball whizzes past where his head was. Maurice line-drives it into a stack stereo system, toppling it. From his prone position: 52. SPIKE That's a triple. Two runs score. The BLEACHER BUMS think its a homer, and let him know. Maurice taps his bat lightly on home plate, shattering it. Spike steps up, brushes the fragments away with a whisk broom, puts down another plate. Out on the field, two groundskeeper monsters hurriedly drag away the stereo, replacing it with a place glass window. Brian smiles, but shakes his head, not that interested. He looks up the stairs, up to the door far above. He puts a hand on the bannister. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - MAIN STAIRWAY High above the baseball game. Brian looks down, then up at the door, keeps climbing. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - MAIN STAIRWELL A line drive rips toward Maurice. He raises a sterling silver tray into its path. The ball PWHANGS into the tray, denting it; the ball drops; Maurice catches it with his cap. MAURICE Sen-say-tion-al play! Oh, my! He bows with a flourish. Turns proudly toward the stands, searches, but can't find Brian. SPIKE (O.S.) Okay, batter up! C'mon, we gotta get this stuff upside in an hour! Maurice finally spots Brian's figure, climbing up near the ruined section of landings. MAURICE Oh, shit! He dashes for the stairs, ignoring the protests behind him. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - MAIN STAIRCASE - LANDING Brian picks his way up the ruined steps. The shadows here are deeper, more enveloping. He pulls the flashlight out of his back pocket, turns it on. He puts a foot on the next step-- A huge yellowish arm, muscles bunching on top of muscles, snaps down over his shoulder, tears the flashlight out of Brian's hand. The light clicks off. >From the shadows comes a voice like razor-sharp icicles. 53. VOICE Bye-bye, Sunshine. A shape looms; a huge hand grabs Brian by the head, and lifts him out over the banister, the endless drop below him. Brian grabs the thick wrist with both hands. His feet scramble for purchase but find none. MAURICE (O.S.) He's with me, Snik! And Maurice is there, defiant and wary. SNIK, one menacing yellow eye much larger than the other, light glinting crazily off them both, glares down at the smaller monster. Snik holds Brian without strain--or a whole lot of concern for Brian's life. He has the teeth of a shark; he is hunched over from the weight of his muscled back and shoulders. MAURICE He's the new guy. Snik looks at Brian. His brow furrows. He looks at Maurice. SNIK (indicates the stairs) Rules broken. (indicates Brian) Neck broken. Maurice hops onto the banister, keeps his voice low so Brian (trying to swing a leg over Snik's arm) won't hear. MAURICE Headless people have limited potential, Snik. He's with me. (Snik no comprende) The boss okayed it. Remember? Bri-an Ste-ven-son? Snik's eyes widen a little; his gaze flickers towards the upper doors. Understanding floods his face. SNIK Ah...this is the one? Maurice gives Snik a dirty look, snaps a finger to his lips. Snik lifts Brian back over the banister--but doesn't set him down. Snik's thumb and forefinger cover Brian's ears. SNIK Too much for you, Maurice? Need some help, I think. MAURICE No, Snik. I'll take care of him. 54. SNIK You'd better. Snik drops Brian to the floor. Maurice helps him to his feet, then practically pushes him down the stairs. Snik clears his throat for attention. Maurice and Brian give it to him. Snik holds up the flashlight. He unscrews the end, drops the batteries into his hand. He grins, not straining as he crushes the batteries, the acid dripping down his arm. He throws the flashlight and endcap at Brian, who picks them up. SNIK Don't bring it again. Brian. (displays the batteries) Or head be next--Brian. Maurice shoves Brian around, downstairs, watching Snik. Snik is pleased with himself. ANGLE - UPPERMOST DOORS, high above this tableau. The doors are split; a dark shape, backlit by flickering light, hunches within, watching. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - MAIN STAIRCASE Maurice trundles Brian back toward the archway. Brian jerks out of his grasp. He is a little angry, mostly terrified. BRIAN Who was that guy? He was going to kill me! MAURICE (shaking out a cigarette, finding matches) Who? Snik? Naaww! He's all talk-- and big hands. He's just grumpy-- and dopey... and Sneezy, too, when the pollen count is high. Actually...he just got up on the wrong side of the bed. (lights cigarette, looking toward the bed- shadows) 'Course, down here, we all do. Brian gives a small, pained smile. Maurice seizes on this: With a hearty laugh, he claps Brian on the back-- throws a quick, worried/relieved and unseen-by-Brian look back up the stairs-- and guides Brian away. ANGLE - UPPERMOST DOORS The shape draws back into the shadows. The doors BOOM shut-- 55. INT. THE BEDROOM - NIGHT --and as the BOOM trails away, Eric's eyes open. He looks to his window: the wind has picked up--thunder BOOMS again. Tree branches rattle against the pane. Eric's eyes take in the room warily. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Eric slowly emerges from the stairwell, pauses at the top. ERIC ...Brian..? No answer. He takes a few tentative steps into the room. ERIC ...Brian? Can I have the flashlight? He moves to the bed, reaches a hand toward the lump under the covers. He jabs the covers. He shakes the covers. He pulls them, revealing Brian's pillows, shaped into a sleeping form. Eric looks very worried. EXT. SCHOOL - LUNCH TABLES - DAY Kiersten is eating lunch with ALAINE, a dark-haired girl with big eyes. Brian, pale and worried, wearing sunglasses, steps forward from out of the shadows. BRIAN Kiersten! I gotta have the answers to the homework. KIERSTEN No way, Jose. She gives the sunglasses a perplexed, unimpressed look. Brian pulls them off. He squints at the sunlight. BRIAN Mr. Finn said if I get another 'F,' he's going to call my folks. C'mon-- just let me borrow the key. Kiersten shakes her head. BRIAN Mr. Finn'll never find out you were stealing answers. 56. KIERSTEN I wasn't stealing answers. BRIAN I'll tell Mr. Finn I saw you stealing answers. ALAINE (sarcastic) Oh, like Mr. Finn'll believe you over Kiersten. Brian looks at the two of them. He puts on the shades. BRIAN Forget it. He walks back into the shadows. Kiersten catches up to him. KIERSTEN Brian--are you feeling okay? You look like you need some sleep. BRIAN Don't need sleep. I need answers. KIERSTEN Listen, Brian--I'm not going to cheat for you...but if you want to, I'll help you study. Brian turns away. BRIAN I don't need anyone's help. INT. STEVENSON HOME - ATTIC ROOM - DAY The window. Eric's face appears in it; he scans the room. Brian lays on the bed, asleep. Eric's eyes widen. EXT. STEVENSON HOME - DAY Eric drops the last few feet from the tree beside the house. Todd kicks the tree trunk with his shoes, alternating feet. TODD What's he doing? ERIC Sleeping. TODD Oh. Boring. 57. ERIC It was your idea to run a surveillance. TODD How else do we find out what he's up to? ERIC Well, we could ask him. TODD (not hearing him) Maybe he's sleeping off a bad bottle of rotgut. (nodding) Drunks do that. Eric starts around the house to the back door. Todd follows. ERIC He's not a drunk. He's been at school all day. When would he drink? TODD Haven't you seen the commercials? Where the kid pours the stuff into a thermos? ERIC Brian doesn't have a thermos. Eric heads inside. Todd gets an idea. TODD Eric! (Eric stops at the door) I know what it is! ERIC What? TODD (he checks for listeners) Drugs. ERIC (beat) Get real. He turns, lets the door swing shut behind him. Todd comes out of his musing in time to catch it and follow Eric inside. TODD Facts, Eric--look at the facts... 58. INT. STEVENSON HOME - ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Brian works alone at his desk. He twists on the gold back of his pocketwatch, turns the watch over. The crystal is gone, and the sweep second hand is bent, but the watch runs. The glaring Man-in-the-Moon face fills the wedge. Brian makes an 'Oh, yeah!' gesture, hops up, grinning. INT. HALLWAY Brian heads for his parents room, puts his hand on the knob-- halts in his tracks. GLEN (O.S.) --so we should have just sold the house. Is that it? Use the money to buy something half the size in a worse area. HOLLY (O.S.) At least it would have been our house! But you wanted to live in your boyhood home-- GLEN (O.S.) We decided to move here-- you were pretty thrilled when dad died and left us the house-- Brian spins away from the door. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Brian shuts off the overhead light. He shuts off the light on the night table. A match scratches to life. Brian lights a candle. He sits on the bed in the soft glow, turning the watch over and over in his hands, waiting for Maurice. INT. KIERSTEN'S ROOM - NIGHT Kiersten looks angelic as she sleeps. Brian and Maurice slip out from under the bed like mechanics on crawlers. BRIAN Hey! That's Kiersten-- From outside comes the sudden sound of a small dog YAPPING. The two jump. They relax when nothing else happens. MAURICE I don't think everyone heard--why don't you just call 911? Brian ignores him; he cannot take his eyes off Kiersten. 59. MAURICE So what's this Kiersten chick like? (Brian doesn't answer) Hey! (Brian tears his eyes away) So what's she like? BRIAN (offhandedly) She's a girl. She's real smart. She always knows the answer, always raises her hand-- MAURICE --always has her homework done? BRIAN Yeah...always. Thinks she's so much smarter than everybody else. Maurice grins, rummages through the desk top. He finds a peechee, finished homework inside. MAURICE Check out this action. Maurice pulls at his jaws with both hands, hard, straining-- and his face elongates. Brian stares, shocked. Gradually, painfully, he molds the lower half of his face into the muzzle of a dog. Growling and yapping, Maurice chews up the homework. He finds Kiersten's Polaroid flip-book, flips through it, dunks it into a fish tank on her bookshelf. Maurice grins, then notices the plywood box in one corner. MAURICE What the hell is that? BRIAN Her science project. MAURICE Yeah? Maurice swings open the door, draws back the curtain-- light pours out--he leaps away with a shriek, dropping the curtain. Maurice looks down at his hand. It is shadow-like, slowly reverting to normal. Brian has seen all of this. BRIAN Are you okay? Maurice, royally pissed off, strides to the box, fumbles around behind it, yanks out the plug. He leans into the box. 60. Brian looks away from him, back at Kiersten. A beat, and an off- screen maleficent chuckle from Maurice, and then Maurice is back at Brian's side. He grabs his arm. MAURICE C'mon, c'mon, let's go, we've all seen a girl before. Let's move it. BRIAN What'd you do? MAURICE You'll find out, you'll love it, c'mon, let's go. He hustles Brian under the bed. Maurice pauses to look at Kiersten himself. He makes a 'not bad' expression, then goes. INT. SCIENCE CLASSROOM - DAY Brian breezes through the door...then slows. At one of the lab tables are MR. FINN, Kiersten, several other students. Brian looks closer. On the table is Kiersten's plant-box and the night-blooming cereus--now planted upside down, the roots sticking out. Kiersten holds the flip-book. KIERSTEN But I have this--you can see how it used to look-- She tries to riffle it, but it is now a solid brick. It flips out of her hand. Kids giggle. MR. FINN Do you at least have your report? KIERSTEN (very sad) ...no. (beat) I did it, but my dog chewed it up. Mr. Finn frowns at her. RONNIE Oh, right! Some of the students laugh. MR. FINN Kiersten, you know no report means a zero. Brian hangs his head, turns away slowly; there is no joy in his expression at all. 61. RONNIE (O.S.) Ooooooh...busted! INT. STEVENSON HOUSE - ATTIC ROOM - DAY Todd is under the worktable. Eric crouches, trying to see. ERIC What is it? What're you doing? Todd backs out from under the worktable holding a dinosaur book and a calculator. TODD The monster from under the bed! It's dragging Brian away at night. Look. Eric inspects Todd's discovery. It is a fourteen inch-long dust- ball smear that could be anything from a fish to-- TODD It's a footprINT. It stepped in all that dust under there and left a track. (beat) I'm figuring out how big it is. By measuring the length of the footprint and the impression depth, then using the... (checks book) ...'cube square' law-- ERIC How big is it? TODD (calculating the final number) It's a seven-foot-eight, three hundred-and-seventeen pound Troll. Eric stares at him. ERIC ...and it fits under the bed? Todd looks at the display. New calculations may be in order. INT. STEVENSON HOME - DINING ROOM - EVENING Brian is the last to the table, and late--the others have started to dig in. As he sits, Holly gets a good look at him. 62. HOLLY, Honey, you look... (the word escapes her) Are you okay? She reaches over, feels his forehead. Brian shies away, starts to pile food onto his plate. BRIAN I'm fine. HOLLY (she examines him critically) You're thin as a rail. You need to eat more. Eric frowns at Brian's overflowing plate. HOLLY You look...peaked. GLEN 'Peaked.' What is 'peaked'? HOLLY My mother used to say it-- and he looks it. BRIAN Need a plate for my salad. He scoots his chair back from the table, heads for the kitchen. GLEN Is that a new shirt? Brian looks down at it. BRIAN No. GLEN It looks big on you. Brian looks down at it, shrugs, heads into INT. STEVENSON HOME - KITCHEN - EVENING Brian opens a cupboard, reaches for a plate--and can't reach the shelf. He is puzzled. He reaches up, slower-- his fingers are an inch short of the plates. He goes up on tip-toe and touches them. He lowers himself off tip-toe, looking worried. 63. INT. ATTIC ROOM Brian rummages through his dresser. He pulls out a ruler. INT. ENTRY WAY - CLOSET Brian runs his finger up the family growth chart, finds the mark for his twelfth birthday. He turns, stands with his back against the door. He levels the ruler on top of his head. Holding it steady, he slips out from beneath it to look. The ruler is a full inch below where it was on his last birthday. Brian stares unbelieving at the chart. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Brian paces the room, waiting. He crouches beside the bed, leans forward and extends a hand toward the shadow-- and the hand goes through. He yanks it back like its been scalded. Brian examines his hand wonderingly. He regards the shadow, then again extends his hand toward it. The hand passes through, and Brian keeps putting his arm in, up to the elbow. Suddenly, his arm is jerked and his face hits the mattress. Brian wrenches his arm out, dragging Maurice, who is gripping Brian's wrist, part-way out through the shadow. Maurice pulls again, and this time Brian goes into the shadow. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - ATTIC STAIRS --as Brian and Maurice catch themselves halfway down the stairs. Brian is a little amazed, but Maurice is ebullient. MAURICE A natural! A one-hundred percent, no holds-barred, died-in-the-wool, no-assembly-required natural! I knew you had it in you. Brian looks at him, realization coming slowly to him. BRIAN ...what? MAURICE What do you think? Geez, I thought I caught on quick-- but you! You're already moving through shadows! BRIAN No, I'm not--you pulled me through. 64. MAURICE What's this false modesty? You put your hand through all on your own. (he salutes) Brian...It is an honor to have you on our side. Now-- let's go. He scampers down to the bottom of the stairs. BRIAN Hold it! Maurice looks back up at Brian, halfway down the stairs, the shadow exit visible above him. MAURICE What? BRIAN (accusingly) You used to be normal? I'm going to end up like you? MAURICE Well, normal's a relative term, but...Yeah. Where do you think monsters come from? Ugly storks? No-- they were all kids once, just like you--and me. The full weight of this hits Brian. BRIAN I'm turning into a monster. MAURICE Bitchin', huh? Brian springs toward the top of the stairs. MAURICE Hey! Where you going? Brian stops. He looks angrily down at Maurice. BRIAN You should've told me, Maurice! I thought you were my friend. MAURICE ...slipped my mind. Okay-- listen. You're upset. That's understandable. I remember when I found out. (more) 65. MAURICE (Cont'd) I went totally batshit. But--look where I am today. (beat) Take some time, Bri. Think about it. Brian turns away from his words--looks up at the shadow. He swallows, extends his hand. It goes through. MAURICE If you want to talk it over, well... (significantly) --just drop in anytime. Brian glares down at him, then spins--and is gone. MAURICE (calling after him) After all, what are friends for? Maurice folds his arms, slumps back against the wall. Smiles. INT. ATTIC ROOM Brian lies in bed fuming, his arms crossed. He stares angrily up at the ceiling. With a decisive jerk, he rolls over, away from the under-the-bed, toward the wall. DISSOLVE TO: INT. STEVENSON HOME - ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Brian has fallen asleep. He is shaken by the shoulder. He pulls his covers around him. The gentle shaking continues. GLEN C'mon, Brian. Wake up. Brian sits up sleepily. Glen leans over him. Eric, in his pajamas, stands in the stairwell, leaning on a railing. INT. DINING ROOM Holly sits at the table. Brian warily takes his seat. Glen and Eric are already sitting, Eric still yawning. Holly reaches across the table and squeezes Eric's hand. HOLLY We wanted to talk to you two because...your father and I have come to a decision, and it affects all of us. 66. GLEN We feel you're grown up enough to understand it. Brian is immediately suspicious. Eric looks suddenly worried. HOLLY Your father and I have decided to separate for a while. Brian's face is frozen--but his eyes show understanding. ERIC (a little foggy) A business trip? HOLLY Not exactly-- BRIAN No. Can't you see? They're getting a divorce. Eric looks away from him quickly, to his mother. HOLLY No, we're not getting a divorce. We're going to try to work things out, but we have to be apart for a while. It's just a trial separation. BRIAN It's what you do before you get a divorce. GLEN Enough of that, Brian. HOLLY We're not getting a divorce. ERIC (relieved) So Dad's not leaving. Good. GLEN Eric, listen to me. I'm going to live in the city for a while. It might--I hope--we hope it won't be for long. ERIC You don't have to go. 67. GLEN Yes, Eric. I do. And it would be a big help if I knew I could count on the two of you to understand-- ERIC I'll be good! I promise I'll be better-- you won't have to go live in the city. I swear to God, I'll be better. Brian too-- he'll stop being bad, he promises. Right? Promise, Brian! Brian looks away, ignoring Eric. ERIC Brian--promise. HOLLY Eric, it's not your fault, or Brian's fault--or anybody's fault. Sometimes two people-- ERIC (to Brian) This is your fault! Brian pushes his chair back, stands, heads for the stairs. HOLLY Brian--it's not your fault-- GLEN Are you all right, Brian? Brian turns back, no emotion in his eyes for his crying brother, his mother, his father. BRIAN Sure, dad. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Glen gives Brian a hard look, nods. Brian turns away. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Brian puts his watch-care paraphernalia into his bookbag, including the watchstand. He crouches by the bed, puts one hand into the shadow--still amazed he can do it. He takes a last look around--and the mask cracks. For a moment, he looks as if he is going to cry. The look becomes one of determination; he slips under the bed, and is gone. 68. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Seven monsters play what looks like a street craps game. Cigarette smoke fills the air; Maurice kneels for his turn; monsters chatter for or against him, depending on their bets. Maurice fires into the chalk circle, nailing the aimed-at cat's eye. The monsters groan and cheer; money changes hands. Brian appears in the doorway, spreads his arms wide. BRIAN You got me! Maurice leaps up and lets out a WHOOP-- INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Maurice and Brian make slow progress as a drunken two person conga line. Maurice wears a beerhelmet, sucking from the plastic straw that hangs near his head. Brian carries a teddybear and a plastic bag filled with water and two live goldfish. In the other hand he carries a beer. BRIAN Hey! Let's go scare Ronnie some more! MAURICE Yeah! Let's steal all his clothes so he'll have to go to school naked! BRIAN Yeah! Let's nail all his furniture to the ceiling! So he'll wake up upside-down! MAURICE Yeah! INT. RONNIE'S ROOM - NIGHT The pair appear beneath Ronnie's bed. Maurice scrambles out-- and a baseball bat slams down dangerously close to his head. MAURICE Wow! Ronnie, crouched on his bed, takes another cut at Maurice-- --who squirms, barely avoids the blow, grabs Brian-- 69. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - RONNIE'S STAIRS The two tumble down, THUDDING to the floor in a tangle. MAURICE We...we gotta go get him! BRIAN (inspired) No. Let's--not. Maurice considers this, then grins. The two sit in the hall, snickers turning to belly laughs. INT. RONNIE'S ROOM - NIGHT Ronnie crouches on the bed, tense, a baseball bat held at ready in each hand, prepared to wait all night. He cocks his head. From far away, is that the sound of laughter? INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Brian and Maurice, still chuckling, use each other for support as they struggle to their feet. Spike barrels around the corner, red-faced--he stops right in their faces. SPIKE (winded) Night light...at Guberman's...burned out...party! He rockets off. Maurice grabs Brian by the shoulders. MAURICE The nightlight at the Guberman's is burned out! PARTY! INT. UNDER-THE-BED - STAIRS TO NURSERY A queue of monsters, fidgeting, anticipating, goes up the stairs to the shadow. Maurice escorts Brian through. MAURICE Coming through! New guy! Excuse me, pardon me, coming through! (aside, to Brian) Stick with me kid--I know the doorman. (back to business) Get out of the way! Yeah, you! 70. INT. NURSERY - NIGHT A baby in Dr. Dentons sleeps. Six monsters stand around the crib-- a macabre variation on adults cooing over a newborn. Maurice rises up from beneath the crib. Brian appears over Maurice's shoulder, grinning--until he sees the baby. Maurice gestures magnanimously. MAURICE After you, Brian. BRIAN Uh...it's just a baby. Maurice looks uncomfortably at the other monsters, who exchange looks. A murmur of 'who's the wimp?' is heard. MAURICE Yeah. So? Look, Bri--we can't have this new generation growing up not believing in monsters. Fear is an important character builder. It's our duty: break 'em when they're young. BRIAN Hey! Let's go watch Kiersten sleep! MAURICE (out of the corner of his mouth) Brian, you're embarrassing me. (louder) G'head, Bri--just give it a good scare. He glowers at Brian, then gestures sharply, prompting him. Brian leans forward hesitantly. The monsters lean forward, anticipating. Brian wiggles his fingers at the baby. BRIAN Boo. Boo. The monsters are disappointed. Some 'tsk.' MAURICE What are you--the toothfairy? Like this. Maurice makes a horrible face, climbs halfway into the crib, waking the baby with really gross slurping sounds. The baby's eyes go wide; he cries. The other monsters join in. The kid really bawls. Brian doesn't like it. 71. BRIAN Stop it! (yanks Maurice back) Cut it out! The monsters stare at him, their disgust and anger becoming palpable. Brian spins, runs to the door-- MAURICE Brian-- --and yanks it open. LIGHT spills into the room from the hallway-- the monsters transform-- And so does Brian's arm--it transforms into a sleeve. Brian stares in horror at his arm. He hurls himself at the hall light switch, shuts it off, runs. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET - NEAR DAWN Brian rushes out the door of the house, to the sidewalk-- then slows. Stops. He has no idea where he is. He looks around, spots a street sign. He gets his bearings, turns, and walks away, a tiny lone figure on a long empty street. EXT. STREET - NEAR STEVENSON HOME - DAWN The sun breaks the horizon. Brian, terrified, looks at his arms-- but they do not change. He lets out a deep breath. He squints at the sun, pulls out his sunglasses...looks at them. He tosses them into the gutter, where one lens shatters. INT. STEVENSON HOME - ERIC'S ROOM - DAY Eric, dressed, lies across the bed, head hanging off, eyes closed. Todd bursts in, rushes over to him. TODD (excited; low) I figured it out. I know what the monster is doing with Brian. Eric gives no response; Todd plows on. TODD It's a body snatcher. See, it's taking over Brian and using his body to prepare the way for the invasion force! 72. ERIC (beat) I don't feel like playing, Todd. I don't feel good. I'll see you tomorrow. TODD But-- ERIC Tomorrow, okay? Eric turns his head away. Todd looks at him, crestfallen. He leaves slowly, watching Eric the whole way. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT Brian sits on his bed, light switch in hand. He checks over the side of the bed; nothing. He pulls his knees up, waits. Wraith-like, Maurice slips into the room. He stands with his fists on his hips, staring at Brian--who starts, looks up. BRIAN I'm not going. I don't want to live down there. I don't want to be-- (beat) I'm not going. MAURICE You don't want to be what? Go ahead, say it. You don't want to be like me. BRIAN I am not going. (he looks away) You didn't want me to be your friend. You just wanted me to turn into a monster. MAURICE (not liking the accusation, 'cause it's pretty accurate) Can't make somebody do something they really don't wanna do. Now, c'mon-- Maurice grabs Brian by the arm; Brian pulls away. He grabs the light switch. Maurice leaps for his arm--Brian snaps on the lights, and Maurice transforms into clothes. Brian catches his breath. He reaches into the clothes, ignoring the slapping sleeves. Brian's hand emerges from the pocket of the robe with Maurice's matches. The sleeves freeze, drop. 73. Brian tears a match from the packet. He holds it to the striking surface. BRIAN Leave me alone. Don't come back here. Do you understand? (no answer) Do you understand? Silence. Brian strikes the match. The clothes shrink back. BRIAN Don't make me do this. Just promise to leave me alone. MAURICE (a long pause) (muffled) I promise. BRIAN ...okay. He shuts off the lights. The match illumines his face; Maurice re-forms, and moves toward Brian. MAURICE (with a sneer) You trusted me? BRIAN Yes. Maurice, about to mock him, pulls up short. MAURICE (shakes his head sadly) It's not that easy. Ducking his head, he dives past Brian into the under-the-bed. The match burns down; Brian drops it; the room goes black. INT. ERIC'S ROOM - NIGHT A hand covers Eric's mouth gently. He snaps awake, cries out. BRIAN (removing his hand) Shh--quiet. ERIC Geez--I thought you were the monster. Brian swallows this without comment. He holds the flashlight. 74. BRIAN Here, take this. If you hear anything, turn it on-- and yell-- even if it's only a pile of clothes. Especially if it's a pile of clothes. Okay? ERIC No. I'm not going to. You're trying to scare me again. BRIAN No--I'm not-- ERIC I promised to be good. I'm not going to have any more nightmares. Eric won't take the flashlight. Brian sets it on the bed. He pauses in the doorway, turns on the lights, and then he goes. Eric gets out of bed, and shuts off the lights. He climbs back under the covers. He picks up the flashlight. He clicks it on, off, on again. Dead batteries. No light. ERIC Thanks a lot, Brian. He drops the flashlight beside the bed, rolls over angrily. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Maurice backs away from Snik, who looms over him. SNIK You did bad, Maurice. Bad for morale. If he rabbits, others will, too. (beat) Time to take your medicine. MAURICE I told the Boss how to get him-- SNIK Boss'll get him; yes, always gets 'em. But you shouldn't have lost him. Snik steps forward, light dancing off his eyes. INT. ATTIC ROOM - NIGHT - LATER HOLD ON: Brian sleeping--and then Holly is shaking him awake. 75. HOLLY Eric's gone-- Brian, startled awake, snaps on the lights. Holly pauses, takes it in, puzzled--but dismisses it for larger concerns. HOLLY Your brother's gone. I went to check on him--Do you have any idea where he is? Brian shakes his head slowly. She looks down, worried, thinking. She stands up suddenly, heads out of the room. HOLLY Todd's house. Maybe he's there. (halts at the stairs) My God--Glen. You don't think he'd try to go there, do you? Brian shakes his head again. Holly hurries down the stairs, leaving Brian alone in the room. He leaps from the bed. INT. ERIC'S ROOM - NIGHT Brian surveys the room. The dresser has been pulled away from the wall, two of its drawers almost all the way out. The mattress is askew on the box spring, the sheets strewn on the floor. The overall effect is one of fast packing--or a fight. Brian picks up the blanket--it is ripped in several places. BRIAN Maurice. Something catches his eye. He kneels-- ANGLE - BENEATH THE BED, where the crushed flashlight lies on the edge of the shadow. BRIAN Snik. EXT. STEVENSON HOME - NIGHT Brian drops from the tree near his window, bookpack on one shoulder. He races down the sideyard, disappears. EXT. TODD'S HOUSE - REAR - NIGHT CLOSE ON: Brian, as he crouches beneath a window. He reaches up, taps on the glass, waits. Nothing. He taps again, harder. 76. TODD (O.S.) (muffled) Go away, Eric. I'm already in trouble. Brian taps again. The window slides open. TODD (O.S) If my mom catches me sneaking out-- HEY! Brian springs, lifts Todd bodily out through the window. EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT Todd sits on a tie, very suspicious of Brian. TODD There really are monsters under the bed. BRIAN Yes. TODD And they've got Eric. BRIAN Yes. TODD (looks closely at Brian) Have you been doing drugs? BRIAN No. Christ, Todd--you gotta believe me. I mean...you always believe everything! Brian is exasperated. Reluctantly, he tries one last gambit: BRIAN I know why you're in trouble. Your mom found a Playboy in your underwear drawer. The Christmas issue--there was a girl on the cover painted like a candy cane. TODD How'd you know that? BRIAN (ashamed) Because I put it there. Brian turns away. Todd stares at him, shocked. 77. TODD You're telling the truth. Brian spins, spreads his arms for emphasis: BRIAN Yes! TODD At least I didn't lie to my mom. I told her I got the magazine from you. Brian smiles, a sad smile. He holds the bookpack out to Todd. BRIAN Here. You're going to need these. Todd takes the bookpack warily. He looks inside. He near- reverently takes out a pair of old sneakers. BRIAN They're an old pair of mine. They should fit okay. Todd looks up at him. A slow smile spreads across his face. TODD What's our plan? INT. KIERSTEN'S ROOM - NIGHT The blankets are tented, lit from inside. A pebble ricochets off the window. Kiersten pops out of the blankets, startled, holding a penlight and a paperback copy of SALEM'S LOT. Another pebble hits. Cautiously, she moves to the window. EXT. KIERSTEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT As Kiersten's head darts into view through the window, darts back. A beat. She looks back out. She raises the window. Brian stands there, looking up at her. BRIAN Hi, Kiersten. KIERSTEN What are you doing here? BRIAN Uh...I need some help. KIERSTEN Now? 78. Todd appears out of the shadows, drops a large, heavy rucksack onto the ground. TODD It's crucial. The monsters from under the bed have captured Eric. We have to save him! Brian flinches at the sound of the window slamming shut.He looks over, angry and exasperated, at Todd. INT. KIERSTEN'S ROOM - NIGHT Kiersten goes back to her bed. A pebble hits the glass. She ignores it. Another hits. A beat. Pebbles hit the glass in a staccato series. Kiersten jumps to the window, raises it. KIERSTEN Go away! EXT. KIERSTEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT Brian tosses away the pebble in his hand, drops the huge collection of pebbles he had pouched in his shirt. Todd sits far off to one side, on the rucksack, dejected. BRIAN Todd told you the truth. KIERSTEN You expect me to believe that? TODD I believed it. KIERSTEN That I believe. She moves to close the window. BRIAN Wait! What if I prove it's true? KIERSTEN Monsters under the bed? Fat chance. BRIAN If I prove it--then will you help? Kiersten wavers, considering. That is all Brian needs. 79. BRIAN I'll prove it. (to Todd) We'll have to split up. You know what to do? TODD No problem. Brian nods, spins, races from the yard. Todd lifts the rucksack, slinging it over one shoulder--the rucksack overbalances him, pulling him over. Kiersten shakes her head, slides the window shut. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET - NIGHT Todd, the rucksack heavy on his back, peers out from behind a parked car. He breaks cover, sprints across the street to a tree, spins to put his back to the trunk--the momentum of the sack slams it into the tree; jarred, he sinks to the ground. INT. KIERSTEN'S ROOM - NIGHT Kiersten, moving sneakily, comes in from the hall, penlight on, eating an apple. BRIAN (O.S.) (a cautious whisper) Kiersten! Kiersten freezes, apple in her mouth. Her eyes go wide, her jaw goes slack--Brian's head is now sitting beneath her bed. The penlight, then the apple, thump to the ground. Brian scrambles out, bookpack over his shoulder. BRIAN Well? Do you believe me? Kiersten stares...feels around for her desk chair...sits down slowly, still staring. KIERSTEN Holy shit. EXT. SCHOOL - FENCE - NIGHT Todd drags the heavy canvas bag, all attempt at subterfuge abandoned. He reaches the high fence and groans. He lifts the bag...jerks it up onto his shoulder...it tilts away from the fence. Todd leaps out from under it as it falls. 80. INT. KIERSTEN'S ROOM - NIGHT Kiersten sips shakily from a glass of water, eyes still wide. Brian sits on her bed, checking his equipment from his bookbag: six different flashlights, including a 4-cell. BRIAN You okay now? A pause, then Kiersten gives a single quick bird-like nod. BRIAN Good. Okay--what I need is that light you were using for your science project. KIERSTEN The fifty-six hundred K? BRIAN Huh? KIERSTEN Fifty-six hundred K. It's the same color temperature as sunlight-- BRIAN Yes. Perfect. (he checks his pocketwatch) So can I have the key? Sunrise is at six. I gotta get going. Kiersten picks up her bookpack, dumps the contents out. KIERSTEN I'm going with you. (Brian is shocked) Give me some of those flashlights. BRIAN No! Forget it. KIERSTEN (holding up the penlight) You're not going to make me go down there with just this? BRIAN But--It's dangerous down there! There are monsters down there. KIERSTEN ...and you're going to take them all on by yourself? Get real, Brian. 81. BRIAN (suspicious) You'll really help me? KIERSTEN I believe you. A beat. Solemnly, Brian trades the 4-cell for the penlight. KIERSTEN Now, turn around so I can get dressed. Brian blinks, then turns. CLOSE ON his face as he listens, nervous and curious, to the rustling O.S. EXT. SCHOOL - FENCE - NIGHT The rucksack is hung up at the top of the fence. Todd, on the other side, his feet braced on the chainlink, hangs on the strap, straining to pull the rucksack over. It goes suddenly, and Todd and the rucksack hit the ground--again. INT. KIERSTEN'S ROOM - NIGHT Brian checks his pocketwatch. The Man-in-the-Moon glares out. BRIAN Todd should be ready. Let's go. He hands Kiersten her bookpack, shoulders into his own with an audible grunt of effort. He climbs into the shadow. KIERSTEN This is where I start getting... (she shudders) BRIAN Look--you don't have to go. It's okay. Just give me the key. Kiersten examines this escape clause. KIERSTEN No...I promised. (beat) Besides--I gotta make sure you don't steal answers. Her shaky smile lets Brian in on the joke. He smiles back reassuringly, reaches a hand out to her. She crawls into the under-the-bed, halts when both arms go through the shadow. KIERSTEN Omigod... 82. BRIAN It's okay...be careful here... They disappear into the under-the-bed. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - KIERSTEN'S STAIRWAY --more alien and sinister than ever. But free of monsters. Kiersten steps cautiously down the stairs, followed by Brian. KIERSTEN (in awe) Like down the rabbit hole... They reach level ground. Kiersten examines her surroundings. KIERSTEN These stairs all go to different rooms? So we grab Eric and get out. BRIAN That's the plan. But his expression says it may be more difficult than that. EXT. SCHOOL - NIGHT Todd moves past the classroom windows in a stoop, rucksack on his back. He straightens, dumps the rucksack to the ground. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Mary Jane goes by, dragging a mud-filled Barbie Dream House. A beat; Brian emerges from a hiding place. He checks; the coast is clear. He signals; Kiersten emerges wide-eyed. EXT. SCHOOL - NIGHT Todd wrestles with two hinged wooden poles from the rucksack. They should fit together, but he can't quite get it. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Brian, Kiersten following, stops along a series of doorways. BRIAN Okay. It should be somewhere right around here. 83. EXT. SCHOOL - NIGHT Todd pushes a wooden rod into a tight canvas sleeve. Suddenly it goes, and the rod shoots all the way through the sleeve. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Brian and Kiersten wait, alert, jumpy. All is quiet. BRIAN C'mon, Todd. Behind Brian, one part of the hallway starts to change. Brian turns as the wall twists in on itself...creaking and groaning, it flattens into a stairway rising up. With a SNAP a door springs into place in front of the stairwell. BRIAN Yeah! It worked! Brian pulls open the door, escorts Kiersten through. EXT. SCHOOL - NIGHT - CLOSE ON Brian and Kiersten as they crawl out from the shadow under-- --an old army cot, Todd lying on top of it. It looks extremely out of place in the empty schoolyard. BRIAN Good job, Todd. TODD It actually worked? KIERSTEN I think I am definitely going to go crazy. BRIAN (leading her to the door) Not yet. TODD Hey! What's she doing here? She got to go? You wouldn't let me! (he catches up to Kiersten) What's it like down there? Is it neat? KIERSTEN Oh, yeah. Neat. 84. INT. SCIENCE CLASSROOM - SUPPLY ROOM - NIGHT as flashlight beams hit a cabinet. Kiersten unlocks it, opens it. She finds the 5600K bulb, gives it to Brian. Brian opens his bookpack, pulls out a mechanic's clamp light with cigarette-lighter attachment and a motorcycle battery. As Todd and Kiersten look on, Brian assembles his Sun-Gun: With wire cutters, he strips the plug off the floodlight. He attaches the wires to the battery, tightens the wing-nuts. He screws the 5600-K bulb in. He flips it on. BRILLIANT WHITE LIGHT floods the room. Brian staggers-- flips the light off quickly. A cold sweat stands on his forehead-- he looks ill, but shakes it off. TODD (blinking, eyes re- adjusting) Oh, man--that'll get 'em. That's like a howitzer or something. KIERSTEN You must know a lot about electricity to do that... (Brian grins) ...how come you get 'F's in science? (Brian's grin fades) TODD Hey, guys, what about this? From deep in the now-empty rucksack, Todd extracts a battered plastic miner's helmet with revolving bubble light on top, puts it on proudly. Kiersten smiles at him; Brian does not. BRIAN What are you gonna do with that? Todd stops grinning. He's not fucking around here. TODD I'm going. Eric's my best friend. Brian tries to stare him down, but the kid's not giving in. Brian starts to say something-- GUARD (O.S.) What're you kids doing here? He stands in the hallway doorway. Brian moves first, grabbing the other two. They race out the exterior door, slam it shut. 85. EXT. SCHOOL - NIGHT The trio beeline for the cot. Brian scrambles under, then Kiersten. Todd hesitates--Brian grabs his arm-- BRIAN You wanna go--then c'mon! --and yanks him down. The classroom door bangs open, and the guard hurries out, flashlight on. He sweeps the yard, spots the cot. He approaches it warily. He grabs a corner and yanks it off the ground. The kids--and the cot's shadow--are gone. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY The three drop from the shadow as it violently disappears. Only Brian lands smoothly. Brian helps Kiersten up. Todd is awed, body slack. He smiles, spins excitedly to the others. TODD (too loud) It's a parallel dimension! Brian shushes him. Kiersten hisses 'Quiet!' Todd gulps abashedly, then looks around some more. TODD (a knowing whisper) It's a parallel dimension. Brian gestures 'quiet,' then 'follow me.' INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY They walk three abreast; with each step, they become more scared. Todd starts to whistle; random scratchy notes, slowly becoming recognizable: the theme from 'Bridge Over the River Kwai.' Brian joins in, then Kiersten. Brian sings softly: BRIAN Comet--It makes your teeth turn green... (Todd joins in) Comet--It's worse than Listerine... NEW ANGLE - MAURICE, sitting on a stairway, back against the railing. His eye is puffy, his robe torn--he's been beat up. Junk food packages surround him: a Chips Ahoy bag rests on his bloated stomach. Maurice cocks an ear, hearing the group, then turns to watch them through the balusters. 86. BRIAN/TODD/KIERSTEN Comet--It makes you vomit-- So get some Comet--and vomit--today! The group laughs as they disappear around a corner. Maurice smiles, too--then his face falls. A beat. He rises suddenly, tossing away the cookie bag, and starts up the stairs. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY The trio move quickly. A monster crosses their path-- Kiersten and Todd are scared; Brian snaps on his flashlight-- the monster transforms into clothes. Todd and Kiersten stare. KIERSTEN It's like chameleons-- protective camouflage. BRIAN Yeah--hand me another flashlight, huh? Brian pins the transformed monster in the beam of the second flashlight, sets it on the floor. The monster is pinned. Todd stares at the clothes. He reaches up to turn on his helmet. It doesn't go on. A tad panicked, he slaps the side of the helmet. The bubble light and the miner's lamp go on-- --and Brian is caught in the beam. Something catches Kiersten's eye--she leans closer to Brian, staring at his arm. The skin looks like cloth. She shines her own flashlight on it--the transformation quickens. Brian yanks his arm out of the lights. Kiersten fixes him with a stare. KIERSTEN You're one of them. BRIAN No...I was supposed to be...but I'm not. He steps toward her. She gestures threateningly with her flashlight. Todd is still staring, frozen in place. BRIAN Kiersten...please--we gotta save Eric. She looks into his eyes. She decides. She turns off the light. Todd still stares. She nudges Todd; he starts, then turns off the helmet. The three stand there for a moment-- KIERSTEN Well? Let's go save Eric. 87. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Brian peeks around a corner, then steps out. Kiersten and Todd follow--then stop, staring. Todd's jaw drops. ANGLE - THE MAIN STAIRWAY, more imposing and sinister than ever. TODD (a squeak) Up there? BRIAN That's where the Boss is-- that's where Eric is. We'll take side stairs and stuff as far as we can. He points toward a hallway, starts for it-- --and Billy rounds a corner, pushing a wheelbarrow full of buttons. He stops when he sees them; they stare back. Billy spins, lets go of the wheelbarrow--buttons scatter-- he runs-- BILLY (his yells echoing) Red Alert! Everybody, lookout, Red Alert-- --and suddenly a beam of light cuts across the hall. The Billy- clothes continue their momentum, sailing through the air, landing, rolling into a ball in the corner. Kiersten holds the monster in the beam of her flashlight. Brian pins it with another. BRIAN Good shooting. TODD Bogies at two o'clock! Spike and Mary Jane race toward them, shouting-- BRIAN Let's go! He leads them at full tilt in the nearest safe direction-- up the main staircase. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - LOWER LANDING Our heroes race through an archway, and come to a dead halt-- They are at the main stairwell, higher up, near a dilapidated section of the stairs, on a balcony--which is a dead-end, the main stairway hanging in space, tantalizingly close. 88. The threesome exchange glances--then turn: this is where they will make their stand. They snap out flashlights. From down the hall come the sounds of their pursuers. BRIAN Kiersten...um...about your science project-- KIERSTEN I figured it out. It's okay. Brian, surprised, gives her a sideways look, smiles-- TODD There's one! He snaps on his light--Brian grabs his wrist, knocking the flashlight down. It is Maurice. MAURICE (gestures to an alcove) Quick, in here! Brian appraises him, surprised, suspicious. MAURICE C'mon! No time! TODD You're gonna trust him? He's a monster! Brian gazes at Maurice; Maurice, too, waits for the answer. BRIAN He's my friend. Maurice's face relaxes--the boy he once was can almost be seen. Out of the dark comes the sound of approaching monsters. MAURICE So hide already! The three duck into an alcove. MAURICE HEY! DOWN HERE! HERE THEY ARE! Kiersten frowns, looks at Brian. Brian keeps watching. The monsters run up to Maurice--who starts running from them. MAURICE C'mon! This way! Let's get 'em! Monsters race after him, shouting their bloodlust. 89. Brian smiles, relieved--and happy that he was right. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Maurice shouts encouraging lynch-mob sentiments as he leads the monsters. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - LOWER LANDING As Brian leaps from the landing to the stairs. Todd tosses him his pack. Kiersten steps onto the banister to follow. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Maurice skids to a halt, points frantically at a stairway. MAURICE Up there! There they go! The monsters rush up the stairs, leaving Maurice in the hall. MAURICE (calling up the stairs) Give 'em one for me! INT. RONNIE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT as Spike scrambles out from under the bed, looks up-- --into Ronnie Coleman's grin, his bat already coming down-- --and Spike is nailed. Mary Jane stumbles over him as she rushes in, and CRACK! she's down, too. The rest of the posse surge out-- easy targets for Ronnie's deadly-accurate swings. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - RONNIE'S STAIRS The monsters come flooding back down the stairs, yelping, running scattershot from the Avenging Wraith of Baseball. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - MAIN STAIRCASE near the top. Brian peeks out quickly over the top step. In front of the tall doors are two SENTINEL MONSTERS. Todd and Kiersten lean close. Brian rubs his jaw. Todd's helmet bumps against Kiersten's head. She gives it a look--then looks at it again. Smiles. 90. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - UPPERMOST LANDING. The sentinel monsters, bored at their posts. Unseen by them, a hand sets Todd's helmet on the floor. Gives it a push. It slides across the landing, to in front of the monsters. The monsters look at it. Exchange a puzzled glance. One takes a tentative step closer to the helmet-- --one of Todd's sneaker's, thrown hard, hits the side of the helmet. The revolving light goes on; the monsters are caught, changing back and forth between monster and clothes. The trio spring onto the landing. Todd and Kiersten go about pinning the monsters; Brian steps past them, eyes fixed on the doors. Immensely tall and impossibly narrow, polished black wood, covered with intricate runes. Nightmare doors. Brian readies the Sun-Gun. Kiersten and Todd look on as Brian forces himself to touch the knob. He turns it. He pushes. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - MASTER BEDROOM The doors part. Brian peers through. He steps in, Todd and Kiersten close behind; they gape at the room-- Toys of all eras fill the room, on tall standing shelves. Train tracks and race-car tracks criss-cross the floor. All is covered with dust and cobwebs--an attic filled with forgotten, worn-out treasures, now rotting, and hiding rats. Hanging from the ceiling are model airplanes of all sizes and types. At the far end of the room is a fireplace, a chair to one side. A silhouetted figure rises from the chair. BRIAN (over his shoulder) Watch the stairs. Brian steps forward, peering through shadow-mottled room at the shape. He brings the light up, thumb on the ON switch. Backlit by the flames, the figure seems bent over with age, a twisted shape. Then it steps into the light--it is a young boy, Brian's age, possibly younger. A boy who has stopped growing...but hasn't stopped aging. In one hand he holds a marionette, its strings hopelessly tangled. He wears a Victorian nightshirt and velvet dressing gown. When he speaks, it is the voice of a boy-- but with the rhythms and control of an adult. He gazes directly at Brian. BOY Brian. Such a pleasure to meet you. 91. BRIAN I want my brother. BOY And you brought friends. How nice! Brian brandishes the Sun-Gun, no fooling around. BRIAN I want Eric. A heavy arm shoves Brian to the ground--Brian hits hard, bounces up, snapping on the Sun-Gun-- --Snik's foot slams down on the cord; it is torn away from the battery in a shower of sparks. Snik reaches menacingly for Brian, but a sharp gesture and a dark look from the boy cows him. Kiersten has been searching her pack; she is out of flashlights. She looks resignedly at Brian. BOY Now, Brian--what sort of greeting is that? After all, we are so much alike. BRIAN No, we're not. BOY Yes, we are, Brian. You're like all of us down here. You're already one of us-- under the skin. He nonchalantly tries to untangle the marionette's strings. BOY When Maurice told me how you scared Eric--'Monsters are like moths.' Sheer genius. You belong here. You know you do. BRIAN I do not! The boy's efforts at the strings get more frantic, less effective. BOY Stay here with us, Brian. You have friends here. BRIAN Maurice only pretended to be my friend-- to lure me down here-- (beat; grim) Where's my brother? 92. Suddenly, the boy smashes the marionette onto a table top. Splintered pieces scatter. The boy looks at the crushed puppet briefly, then drops it. BOY Snik. Show him Eric. Grinning, Snik creaks open a toychest. He pulls Eric up by the hair. He is a poor Jack-in-the-box, one eye blackened, mouth bloody. TODD Eric! Eric's eyes track, finally focus in on Todd. Todd starts toward him--but Snik pulls Eric out of the chest, a huge forearm across Eric's throat. Kiersten grabs Todd's arm. SNIK C'mon. This puny neck-- break easy. BOY (to Brian) If you stay, you'll be the one in charge of yourself. You'll be the one with power. Not your parents. Not your teachers. You. (beat) Isn't that what you want? Sounds from outside the doors; Kiersten looks that way. KIERSTEN Brian! More monsters-- TODD (looking out) --lots more monsters. Brian looks at Todd, Kiersten. They watch him, waiting for his decision. Brian focuses on the boy. BRIAN I want Eric. Dramatically, Brian pulls a flashlight out of his pocket, brandishes it--looks down at it. It is the penlight. Snik looks at the puny light, chuckles. Brian grits his teeth, aims it at the boy, flips it on-- --the boy flinches away, blocking his face with his arms. Brian whirls, closes on Snik, aims the light at Snik's head. Snik's head--just his head--transforms into an army boot and a pair of sweat socks. His arm is still at Eric's throat. 93. Brian lowers the light--Snik bellows as his head re-forms and his arm becomes a pant leg; Eric struggles out of Snik's grip; Todd and Kiersten grab Eric and they scramble away. Snik grabs Brian with his untransformed arm; Brian aims the light below Snik's waist, turning the monster's legs into a shirt and jacket. Snik bellows again as his still-formed torso collapses on top of the clothes. Brian heads for his friends by the door. Snik recovers, struggles to his feet, ready to give chase. The boy lays a restraining hand on his arm. BOY Don't worry, Snik. They've lost. EXT. UNDER-THE-BED - UPPERMOST LANDING Brian, Kiersten, Todd and Eric look down. Monsters crowd up the stairway. KIERSTEN We're cut off! BRIAN We can make it! Brian leads the others straight toward the oncoming monsters-- just before they meet, he turns down a side landing. It dead-ends short of the uppermost level of the stairwell. Brian leaps across; his friends follow. Monsters scatter, taking alternate routes to get at them. Brian opens a door at random, climbs a stairway to beneath a bed- shadow. He is all set to move smoothly through the shadow--but slams full-tilt into it, his head hitting hard. Brian holds his skull, stares unbelievingly at the shadow. TODD What's wrong? BRIAN I don't know. Brian tries to push his hand through; it stops at the shadow. KIERSTEN (an idea hits her) Ohmigod--What time is it? Brian pulls out his pocketwatch. The watch reads 5:23; the benign sun-face peeks out through the wedge, the malevolent man- in-the moon almost gone. 94. BRIAN We've still got almost half an hour... KIERSTEN (gestures to the watch) Are you sure it's right? Brian looks from the shadowway to the watch. His face falls. BRIAN I didn't fix it. It's still broken. TODD You mean we're trapped? A laugh sounds from below. The four look down at the Boss, who grins triumphantly. BOY Brian. I'm so glad you decided to stay. Brian turns back to the shadow, pushes--then slams his fists at the shadow, in frustration, in anger. BOY (O.S.) Truthfully, I'm surprised you even came down. Imagine, a selfish little bugger who cares for no one trying to do a good deed-- (his taunts lash at Brian) Of course, it did only serve to deliver your friends unto me. So I guess that ultimately all this misfortune is your fault. But, then, you already knew that, didn't you? Brian can take no more. With a roar, he rushes down the stairs, past the others, at the boy--who steps back. Brian sprawls. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Snik comes at Brian. Brian lashes out with his foot, nailing Snik in the shin. Snik howls. Brian kicks viciously at Snik's other leg. Snik howls again, and Brian scrambles to his feet. He brings his leg up with all his might, as hard as he can-- --and Snik catches it inches from his crotch. He wags one finger of his free hand at Brian. Brian' eyes widen in dread. Snik tumbles him backwards to the floor. Brian tries to struggle up--a huge fist smashes into the side of his head, stunning him. 95. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - STAIRWELL where the others watch the fight--Kiersten winces as another haymaker pounds Brian--who stops moving. Snik stands over him, bellows triumphantly. The boy looks up at them. BOY Allie-Allie-otsen-free. (beat; harsher) We're waiting. Kiersten, Todd and Eric exchange glances, all hope gone. Kiersten drops her head--then starts down. Todd follows. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Monsters grab Kiersten, Todd and Eric. Spike strips off Brian's pack--the movement causes Brian to revive. He groans, sitting up. BOY You see, Brian? You cannot challenge my power down here. If I say you stay, then you stay. If I say the shadows are closed, then the shadows are closed. MAURICE (O.S.) Aa, put a sock in it. He steps out of the shadows. Looks at Brian. 'Tsk's once at his condition. MAURICE There's still time to get out. BOY The shadow is closed. MAURICE To Brian it's closed. He came down here to rescue his brother. Not your typical monster behavior, is it? Kiersten's eyes widen. She struggles out of the grasp of the monster holding her, grabs up the penlight off the floor. She shines it--on Brian's arm. Brian does not change. A monster wrestles the light from Kiersten. Brian snaps his gaze to the Boss. BRIAN You tricked me. 96. BOY All part of the game, Brian. Oh, don't look so surprised. Only monsters can move in shadows. You gave up any claim to that privilege when you chose to rescue your brother. This surprises some of the monsters. SPIKE You told me once you start to change, there's no going back. BOY Did you really want to go back? Spike looks down; maybe he did at one time, but not any more. BOY (to Maurice) As for you--I've put up with your behavior long enough. MAURICE I'm just a natural-born rebel. Shoot me. The boy stares at him. BOY Snik. (indicating Brian) Break his neck. MAURICE (steps toward Snik) NO! Snik drops Brian unceremoniously, and gestures to Maurice. SNIK More medicine, eh? Cure you--of life. Maurice hesitates. BOY Your move, Maurice. Maurice looks at the towering Snik--then spins, and runs. Brian, from the floor, stares after Maurice, drops his head. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY Maurice, a bat out of hell, zooms toward a particular door-- 97. INT. UNDER-THE-BED - ALAINE'S STAIRWAY --though the door, up a flight of stairs-- INT. ALAINE'S BEDROOM - MORNING as Maurice zooms from under the bed, waking Alaine, who screams; he races across the room and jumps out the window, crashing through the screen to-- EXT. ROOF --where he leaps across to the next house--he dashes along the eaves, silhouetted against the pre-dawn sky; he dives in through a window-- INT. DEFENSIVE NINE-YEAR-OLD'S BEDROOM - MORNING The kid comes awake as Maurice crashes in, hits the floor in a shower of glass, rolls, shoots down under the bed-- INT. UNDER-THE-BED - STAIRWAY --Maurice drops out of a shadowway, dives down the stairs-- INT. UNDER-THE-BED - HALLWAY --Maurice bursts out of the doorway directly behind Snik, catching him by surprise. He slams him face forward into the floor-- Maurice rolls clear-- Brian commando-rolls to his backpack, grabbing it from Spike, and dives for the Sun-Gun on the floor-- --with his teeth, he strips one of the wires-- --Maurice helps Kiersten, Eric and Todd free themselves-- --Brian twists down the wing nuts on the battery-- BOY Stop them! MAURICE Don't listen to him! What's he ever done for you? Monsters, starting forward, pause to think. --Brian brings the lamp up-- --the boy's eyes widen-- 98. --Maurice's eyes widen-- --Brian thumbs the switch-- BRILLIANT WHITE LIGHT cuts across the room, slams into the Boss, slams him up into the lattice--he flattens into a silhouette-- the light slices through him--the lattice gives way--the Boss is blasted up and away, into oblivion. The bulb EXPLODES-- P.O.V. BRIAN-- --as his eyes re-adjust to the darkness, revealing: The hallway: Some of the monsters have been turned into Hiroshima shadows on the walls. Some are partial shadows. Snik is a mess: part monster, part clothes, part wavering between solid and shadow. Brian drops the lamp. He looks around wildly. BRIAN Maurice? Maurice! A doorway opens; Maurice peers out warily. He surveys the room. MAURICE (shaky) Now, that's what I call rock 'n roll. Brian sighs. Maurice steps out. MAURICE Shouldn't you folks be toddling along? INT. UNDER-THE-BED - ATTIC STAIRS Eric and Todd are on the stairs. TODD Well, we were right, huh? Eric smiles, slaps him five, as Maurice, followed by Brian, hurries past them to the top of the stairs. KIERSTEN (as Maurice goes by) You might not be able to get through now--now that you helped us-- BRIAN Yeah--monsters don't help friends-- 99. Maurice slides his hand through, with no problem. He looks at it, half-through, and then looks down sadly at Brian. MAURICE Face it, Bri--some of us got it, some of us don't. He grabs Kiersten's shoulder, hustles her out--then Eric, and Todd. Maurice looks at Brian, who doesn't move. MAURICE Get out of here, you toothfairy. Brian gives him a long look, climbs through the hole. INT. STEVENSON HOME - ATTIC ROOM - MORNING Brian slides out from under the bed. He glances at the window-- the sun is up, but it hasn't cleared the horizon yet. He turns and looks at Maurice, still in the shadow. MAURICE Well, I promised you excitement. BRIAN Those other monsters are going to kill you. MAURICE Thank you, Mr. Sunshine. Brian spots the penlight, in Kiersten's hand. He takes it. He cocks an eyebrow at Maurice. Maurice arches both eyebrows, a smile spreading on his face. Brian hands the penlight to him. BRIAN It's not very big... MAURICE (sagely) In the land of the blind, the one- eyed man is king. He loses his wise composure, and grins. BRIAN Catch ya later, Maurice. MAURICE Not if I catch you first. He slips back into the shadow, and is gone. Brian pulls out his watch: the sweep second hand ticks to the twelve-- Brian looks up, and the sun clears the horizon. Brian puts his hand to the shadow, trying to reach through it, trying to reach Maurice. It is only a shadow. 100. Brian turns away from the bed, away from the others. Todd knocks on the shadowed floor. Kiersten steps over to Brian. Brian looks up at her. BRIAN Thanks for the help. KIERSTEN All you had to do was ask. Eric puts his hand on Brian's shoulder. Holly and Glen come up the stairs, spot Eric, hurry into the room, relieved and happy. Glen and Holly hug Eric, Brian a little to the side. Eric looks over at him; they smile at each other. Glen reaches out, pulls Brian into the hug. CUT TO BLACK THE END <-------------------- SCREENPLAY STOPS HERE ---------------------->