MARABETH
I’m just waiting for them to show up, that’s all.
SUZIE BRIGHT
And what are you going to tell them when they do?
MARABETH
(sighing heavily)
That’s what I’m trying to decide.
CUT TO:
INT. REBECCA BERGEN’S HOUSE – MORNING
With gray light falling on the CERAMIC ANGELS that line every available surface.
CUT TO:
INT. REBECCA’S ROOM – MORNING
Rebecca’s tray lays on her empty bed: breakfast consumed, medicine taken (except for the downs), the TV on. A bald, bearded, bespectacled man is on the screen, identified in glowing type as THE ASTOUNDING RODNEY.
ASTOUNDING RODNEY
(cheerfully smug)
Yes, I’ve spent the very best part of the last twenty-five years blowing holes in fake psychics, phony evangelists, cheesy spiritualists of every stripe.
FLIP MARTINDALE
So what do you expect to find in Sleepy Hollow?
ASTOUNDING RODNEY
Some kind of colossal hoax, of course! I’ve yet to run into a so-called “supernatural” phenomenon that didn’t have a completely natural explanation… and usually a fairly ridiculous one, at that.
Rebecca comes out of the walk-in closet. We see, now, the LARGE SUITCASE laying half on its side: the source of the loud noise from before. It lays where it fell; it’s too big, and she’s too weak to budge it.
She is dressed now, entirely in black. It sets off the sickly, sweat-slick pallor of her skin.
Suddenly, DIZZINESS overcomes her; the room starts to SPIN.
REBECCA
Oh, no…
And as she EASES HERSELF CLUMSILY TO THE BED – eyelids fluttering as she SLIPS INTO UNCONSCIOUSNESS – RODNEY’S VOICE gets absorbed into the echo-ambiance of the dream…
FADE INTO:
REBECCA’S DREAM
Against a RED, CHURNING BLACKNESS, we see JOHNNY’S BARBED WIRE LOCKET plummet thru slo-mo space. The tips of the barbs are red and wet.
A DEMONIC FACE
almost subliminal, flashes jarringly at her.
THE LOCKET
continues to fall, opening. The picture of the BEAUTIFUL PUNKED-OUT YOUNG WOMAN is once again inside.
THE DEMON-FACE
flashes once again: translucent, handsome, ruthless, frightening. Almost as if it were chiseled out of animate ICE…
THE LOCKET
plummets, streaming blood that FALLS UP.
CUT TO:
INT. REBECCA’S BEDROOM – LATER
As Rebecca suddenly, joltingly awakens on the bed. The TV is flickering bright in her face. And the light in the room has changed.
REBECCA
Jesus…!
On the screen, Flip Martindale is interviewing a FAT- FACED SUIT identified onscreen as DONALD RAYMIRE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
D.A. RAYMIRE
Let me just repeat that we believe there is no threat to public safety. This is a ridiculous hysteria, hyped completely out of proportion.
FLIP MARTINDALE
Then why have Federal agencies been brought in, as well?
D.A. RAYMIRE
Well, we’re not entirely stupid, okay? Obviously, something happened in Lockwood and Ft. Sallee. We’re just not clear as to what, so we’re keeping our eyes open and our bases covered.
FLIP MARTINDALE
So what do you have to say about the estimated 40,000 people who have already left town?
D.A. RAYMIRE
We hate to see people respond superstitiously, especially since we don’t believe there’s anything supernatural about this situation. We also fear the potential for looting and vandalism that comes with that many abandoned houses.
FLIP MARTINDALE
And do you hold Johnny Death responsible for this?
D.A. RAYMIRE
Without a doubt. If he shows up in this town, he is going to be sorry.
Rebecca looks away from the screen and down the hall, following a BEAM OF LIGHT that streams in through the living room window.
Shining on all those tiny, cheerful, powerless ceramic angels.
REBECCA
(woozy)
I gotta get out of here…
CUT TO:
A NEWS VAN marked KPOW NEWS crosses the border into the county.
Not only is there steady traffic on the main roads, but quite a few vehicles are packed with families and belongings. Note a surprising number of U-Haul vans, trucks and trailers.
All heading out of town. SUPER-TITLES:
4:14 P.M.
ANGLE – INSIDE THE VAN
LINEY is driving. KINEDA is riding shotgun. They are both young, intense, cool-looking, in excellent physical condition. Liney is African-American. Kineda is Japanese-American. They are both dressed in black.
LINEY
Looks like there’s at least a little evacuation goin’ down.
KINEDA
Not nearly enough, man. Check these bozos out.
Liney scopes out the SACRILEGE-MOBILE (a BLACK CADDY HEARSE with upside-down crosses and all kinds of devil-headed iconography) in the lane beside them, also heading into town.
FOUR SATAN-WORSHIPPING DEATHROCK TEENS – three guys and one gal – sneer at them through the windows.
LINEY
Christ in a goddam sidecar, Johnny, you see these sorry motherfuckers?
KINEDA
(grinning)
I think it’s the heads of your fan club, man.
ANGLE – JOHNNY DEATH
Sitting in the back of the news van. He’s got a real faraway look in his eyes, but snaps out of it at the question. Looks out the window. Scopes the Sacrilege- Mobile.
JOHNNY DEATH
Looks like they’re goin’ the wrong way.
LINEY
Somehow, I think that’s the whole idea.
The Sacrilege-Mobile speeds on, in a flurry of flipped birds, faux waves and hard looks.
Johnny watches, a little sadly, then returns his gaze to the filigreed BARBED WIRE LOCKET in his hands.
As his gaze goes suddenly far away…
FADE TO:
FLASHBACK – FT. SALLEE – TWO YEARS AGO
Night. All is quiet in this old logging town. The lights are out in almost all of the cottages, trailers, townhouses and A-frames.
Except for one: a cabin with a single BEDROOM LIGHT agleam.
ANGLE – JOHNNY DEATH
Out front of the cabin, as he pulls up in his ’67 Mustang. It is loosely packed with his belongings. Johnny turns off the headlights, unlocks the passenger door, and idles at the curb, waiting.
Then he sees a FEMININE SHADOW move across the curtains of the one lit window. This does not make him happy.
He gets out of the car, strides quietly over to the window. Raps his knuckles against it. Then waits for the curtains to part.
They do, revealing…
ANGLE – PUNK GIRL
The one from the LOCKET PHOTO, framed in the window. She’s even more beautiful in life; but it’s clear that she’s been crying, and there is a weird mix of love and fear in her eyes as she looks at Johnny.
Johnny blows her a kiss and wiggles his finger: come here. She looks away, half-smiles, starts crying again. He reaches up to open the window.
The window is locked. He tries it again, then shrugs as if to say what the fuck? She hugs herself, won’t look at him. She looks incredibly freaked out and sad.
ANGLE – JOHNNY
He doesn’t know what to do, is starting to freak as well.
JOHNNY DEATH
Oh, man. Come on.
He raps on the window again. She starts at the sound. He does it again, just a little louder; but it’s clear that he’s gonna smash the fucker if she doesn’t open it soon.
She pulls herself together and opens the window, makes herself stare into his eyes.
J
OHNNY DEATH
Are you ready?
She looks away, and a shudder runs through her.
JOHNNY DEATH (CONT.)
Oh, baby, please don’t…
She looks back at him sharply, takes a deep breath.
PUNK GIRL
I’m sorry.
Now it’s Johnny’s turn to tremble. This is not what he wants to hear.
JOHNNY DEATH
We really have to go…
PUNK GIRL
I can’t…
JOHNNY DEATH
Just come outside.
PUNK GIRL
I can’t do this anymore.
Johnny surges forward, takes her arms before she can pull away. He pulls her close, and kisses her hard. She resists, gives in, resists, gives in, gives in some more and then PUSHES AWAY.
PUNK GIRL (CONT.)
Johnny, no!
JOHNNY DEATH
I can’t leave if you don’t go.
PUNK GIRL
Then don’t leave.
(embracing him)
Don’t leave. Don’t leave. Just let it go.
He gently pulls her halfway out the window: bent slightly at the waist, with her head, arms, shoulders and chest outside. He looks around, up and down the quiet street. Her gaze follows his, curiously.
JOHNNY DEATH (CONT.)
You see all this? Well, tomorrow it’s gone.
PUNK GIRL
Stop it!
JOHNNY DEATH
Tomorrow, it’s cinders and bone. That’s it.
PUNK GIRL
Johnny!
JOHNNY DEATH
And I can’t stop it. Nothing can stop it.
PUNK GIRL
(pulling away)
You’re scaring the fuck out of me!
JOHNNY DEATH
I hate scaring the fuck out of you! I just don’t know what else to…DAMMIT!
She starts to close the window. He grabs it, pushes it back. They struggle for a moment. Then he pushes it wide open.
CUT TO:
FLASHBACK – INT. PUNK GIRL’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
She backs away from the window as he gracefully, soundlessly enters.
The décor is purest Teenage Deathrock: tons of black, punctuated by red and the piercing glint of silver. JOHNNY DEATHOID REGALIA is prominently featured on the walls: old newspaper clippings, photos of him, or the two of them together.
But there are big gaps on the walls, as well, where pictures and clippings used to be; and there’s a loosely-scattered STACK OF JOHNNY SHOTS in the middle of the floor.
She STEPS ON A PHOTO of the two of them, happy, as she backs away.
He sees what she’s been doing, tries hard to hide the hurt. But there is so much love in his eyes right now. When he speaks, his voice is hushed but urgent.
JOHNNY DEATH (CONT.)
I just don’t want you to die. That’s all.
PUNK GIRL
I think you’d better go.
JOHNNY DEATH
Come with me.
PUNK GIRL
This isn’t fun anymore.
JOHNNY DEATH
You think I’m having fun? This is fucking killing me! Cuz I love you so much…
This goes straight to her heart. She starts crying again, and it pisses her off.
She summons icy resolve from within. Looks up at him.
PUNK GIRL
I just don’t believe you.
JOHNNY DEATH
What?
PUNK GIRL
(no longer crying)
You heard me. I just don’t believe you. And you know what? NOBODY DOES!
Johnny is stunned. This is obviously painful for the punk girl, as well, but she is on a roll.
PUNK GIRL (CONT.)
Don’t you get it? NOBODY believes you! Everybody thinks you’re nuts! So when you say that all Hell is gonna bust loose on us tomorrow, you know what they do? They LAUGH at you! They go, “Oh, yeah. And my dick is, like, a magic sword!”
Johnny looks at her footprint on their loving photo. Then he looks at her utter defiance. Runs it all through his head for a second.
JOHNNY DEATH
Okay.
PUNK GIRL (CONT.)
I don’t know what your problem is, but you definitely pushed it too far.
Johnny looks at her, then: eyes cold and decisive, mirroring her own. He takes a step toward her. She backs away. He stops.
JOHNNY DEATH
I just want you to know one thing. I’m gonna stay here tomorrow.
PUNK GIRL
Get out.
JOHNNY DEATH
(backing toward the window)
I’m gonna stay by your side like a goddam shadow.
PUNK GIRL
Get out!
JOHNNY DEATH
I will remain in Hell for you.
PUNK GIRL
(hysterical)
GO!!!
There is the thudding of GROWNUPS, awakening down the hall. Johnny backs to the window and climbs outside, balancing in the frame for a moment.
JOHNNY DEATH
I will not leave without you.
And then he has disappeared, through the open window, just as the PUNK GIRL’S BEDROOM DOOR EXPLODES OPEN, revealing her FURIOUS FATHER.
FURIOUS FATHER
Where’s that crazy sonofabitch?
PUNK GIRL
He’s gone.
CUT TO:
THE PRESENT – INT. NEWS VAN – AFTERNOON
As Johnny’s fingers absently trace the contours of the locket.
And he sinks deeper into painful memory…
CUT TO:
FLASHBACK – FT. SALLEE – THE NEXT DAY
A sequence of shots – spanning the length of the day – where we see Johnny following the punk girl around, while bystanders point him out mockingly throughout:
• Johnny in his car, keeping pace with her as she drives down the street;
• Johnny, keeping a steady thirty paces behind her as she walks down the sidewalk with some friends;
• Johnny, three tables over, as she tries to eat at a diner with a whole gang of PUNKED-OUT TEENS. One BIG LUG at her table doesn’t like Johnny at all. They lock in eyeball-war as she begins to cry.
FLASHBACK – HALLOWEEN PARTY – DUSK
Johnny’s Mustang pulls into a field, which is rapidly filling with TEEN-PACKED VEHICLES. As he searches for a parking space, he slowly takes in the details.
The party is in an old house at the far end of the field, surrounded by hedges and a large iron gate. GROUPS OF COSTUMED PARTIERS are headed there.
A HUGE BANNER hangs over the entrance, illegible as yet. There are also DANGLING DUMMIES beyond the hedges, and other examples of Halloween décor.
All of it butt-up against an OLD GRAVEYARD.
As the sun goes down behind it.
He parks, gets out, starts heading for the house. He looks driven and deliberate, but incredibly scared.
As he walks, several costumed partiers watch him pass.
PARTIER # 1
Wow, check him out!
PARTIER # 2
He came dressed as an asshole!
Johnny ignores them, keeps going. As he approaches, he sees a GANG OF GUYS starting to assemble at the gate. They are looking at him. He looks back at them. We now see that the banner over the entrance reads FUCK DEATH! LET’S PARTY!
And that several of the DUMMIES ARE JOHNNY, HANGING IN EFFIGY.
As Johnny reaches the gate, the Big Lug steps up to the front of the crowd. He’s wearing a lame Road Warrior getup, to underscore how big and buff he is.
BIG LUG
You don’t seem to get the message, do ya? She doesn’t want to see you.
Johnny just looks at him.
BIG LUG (CONT.)
That means it’s time for you to go.
JOHNNY DEATH
I’m afraid I can’t do that.
The gang of guys starts laughing. Behind them, the punk girl stands by a tree, with one
of the JOHNNY DEATH DUMMIES dangling beside her.
BIG LUG
Man, how dumb are you?
JOHNNY DEATH
(to the punk girl)
I’m starting to wonder that myself.
(to the Big Lug)
Now are you gonna move, or do I have to fuck you up?