|
|
(We open in total darkness. As the camera moves back, we hear voices.)
Marsha: Ooh, this is spooky.
Butch: Where are we?
Slip: It's too damn dark.
Butch: Ow! Who stepped on my foot?
Jane: Sorry, Butch!
Marsha: There's gotta be an end to this tunnel somewhere.
Butch: Do you see anything yet, Slip?
Slip: I still can't see... *he's cut off with a thud and a groan* wall.
Marsha: Is that light up ahead?
Butch: It might just be the stars around Slip's head.
Jane: I think it is light!
Butch: Slip, are you ok? Ready to move on?
Slip: *Rubs his head* I'm fine. Let’s get that door open.
(Cut to the backstage area again. The others through an opening in the wall behind some sets.)
Butch: I think we're in the backstage area again.
Slip: That was excitin'.
Marsha: Yeah, but now we've gotta find Sally, Chuck, Rachel, and Sach!
(That's when Sach comes screaming onto the stage! He runs right into Slip!)
Sach: Oof! Chiefy! Chiefy, are you hurt?
Slip: SACH!
*Slip growls at him.*
Sach: Chiefy, I'm sorry, but I saw a ghost! A real ghost!
Slip: *Folds his arms* Show us where you saw it.
Sach: Over here! (He pulls them towards the stage.) I saw her right out here!
Slip: On the stage?
Jane: *Shivers* Did it get colder in here?
Butch: (Gulps) It is a little spooky.
Sach: Yeah! (Drags Slip in front of the curtain)
Slip: I don't see no ghost.
Sach: She was right here a minute ago! (Sighs) She was awfully pretty. Kind of familiar, too...
Marsha: (She gasps and points at the curtain as it parts) What's that?
Slip: What the...
Jane: Oh my gosh!
(A spectral figure all in white, with long golden hair and a soft, pale face, a gossamer and lace gown floating around her, wanders into the room.)
Sach: (Ducks behind Slip) There she is! This theater's haunted!
Slip: *His eyes widen* Holy shit...
(She wanders past the others, towards the other end of the stage...and we can see quite clearly that it's Sally.)
Marsha: Hey, I think that's Sal!
*Slip just watches her, his eyes still wide.*
Jane: Is she okay? Why is she acting like that?
Marsha: Sal? (She goes to her, snapping her fingers; Sally ignores her)
Jane: Oh! Why is she ignoring you?!
Slip: Sal! *follows after Sally*
Sach: Chiefy! (They all follow Slip. Sally wanders through the dark hallways, not seeing, not hear. Slip hurries in front of her.)
Slip: Sally, stop, it's me, Slip! *takes Sally's shoulders*
(Sally just continues staring ahead.)
Marsha: Slip, what's wrong with her?
Butch: There's something weird here.
Sach: Chiefy, is she...not with us?
Slip: Her mind ain't. *shakes her gently* Sal, look at me!
Jane: She's just starting straight ahead! It's like she doesn't even know you're holding her!
Sach: Sally? Are you in there?
(But Sally ignores him. She just starts moving again, this time towards the other end of the stage.)
Slip: Follow her! *follows on Sally's heels*
(They follow Sally to what would once seem to have been a women's lounge area. The room was once elegant and warm, filled with plush lounge sofas and chairs and chandeliers and huge mirrors...but the furniture is now dusty and covered with cobwebs, the chandeliers and mirrors are badly tarnished, and there's an obviously fake skeleton couple sitting on one of the sofas. Sach screams and jumps behind Slip the moment he sees them.)
Sach: Eeeeek! Chiefy, look it what happened to those guys!
Slip: They're fake, Sach!
(Sally glides across the floor and into the door marked "Ladies" in tarnished brass.)
Slip: Sally! *tries to follow her, but find the door locked; he bangs on the door* Sally!
Marsha: You shouldn't be goin' in there anyway, Slip. That's the ladies' room.
Slip: I don't care!
Sach: (Whimpers) What happened to Sally?
Butch: And what if it happens to us?
Slip: *Pounds on the door* Sally!
*A very cool air cuts through the room.*
Jane: *Shivers again* It IS getting colder in here!
Sach: (Shivers) This time, I'm agreein' wit' ya, Janey.
Butch: There's somethin' in here!
Marsha: This is gettin' creepier by the minute!
*A flitter of black cape brushes by Slip and seems to meld into the shadows.*
Slip: *Immediately stops pounding on the door* What the hell was that?
Sach: Another g...gh...ghost!
Butch: No, it wasn't white, like Sally.
Sach: Ghosts can be other colors!
Slip: This one's black... *starts walking toward the shadows* Show yerself!
Jane: I hate this!
Butch: (He takes Jane's hand) I'll protect you, honey.
*Jane wraps herself with Butch's arms.*
Slip: Ya hear me? C'mon outta there!
*There's a swoosh of a cape. Then we see a wide, toothy grin amongst the black of the shadows.*
Slip: *Stops cold* The hell?
Marsha: (Grabs Whitey) Whitey, save me!
*Whitey's frozen stiff.*
Sach: I never liked the Cheshire Cat in the Alice stories.
Slip: *Growls; to the shadows* Get out here!
Sach: D...don't get out here!
*The grin fades. Moments later, a figure steps out of the shadows, dressed in all black. His head is down, black slight curly hair is over their forehead and eyes, shielding the face.*
Slip: *Gasps, his eyes wide again* Shit, no...
*The figure raises his head to reveal Chuck, grinning oddly.*
Marsha: (Screams) Oh my god! What did they do to Chuckie?
Sach: Oh Chuckie, they stuck you in an ugly tux!
*Whitey screams, too!*
Butch: (His eyes widen in horror) Chuck?
*Slip stands stock still, shocked as Chuck moves closer to him.*
Chuck: *still grinning* Hello, Slip.
Butch: Chuck, I don't like that look in your eyes.
Sach: He's scarin' me.
*Slip's mouth moves a little, but no sound comes out.*
*Jane turns to bury her face in Butch's chest.*
Sach: Chuckie, how'd ya take Chiefy's voice, and can you tell me how you did it?
Chuck: *Moves so he's nose to nose with Slip* I've rendered you speechless.
Slip: What?
Butch: Chuck, he's your brother! Don't hurt him!
Sach: Chuck, he can see ya. You don't have to be close enough to him to smell the onion and liverwurst sandwich he had at Ma's this afternoon.
*Chuck ignores everyone but Slip. He just continues grinning at him.*
Slip: Yer sizin' me up. Chuck, you got som'en on yer mind. What're you plannin'?
*Chuck takes a step backward, still grinning.*
Butch: Chuck, come on!
*Slip's eyes flick around him, trying to figure out what he's thinking.*
*In the blink of an eye, Chuck grabs Slip's arm and bites down just hard enough to draw a little blood. Slip is too shocked and surprised to do anything more than watch wide-eyed.*
Butch: Chuck, are you crazy? You're not a vampire!
Marsha: Yeah! I can see ya clear as day in the mirror. Vampires ain't supposed ta have a reflection!
Sach: Why are ya bitin' the Chief? He don't taste too good, an' he's probably high in calories!
*Slip finally gets his faculties about him and shakes his arm free. There's teeth marks on his arm, a couple of them bleeding just a little.*
Slip: What the hell are ou doin', kid?!
*Chuck just grins back at him, his white teeth slightly tarnished with red.*
Sach: Chuckie, you're gonna need a rabies shot after this!
Slip: *glares at Sach* That ain't funny!
*There's a swoosh, and cool air floats through the room again.*
Sach: He's gone! He disappeared!
Butch: But...how?
Marsha: This is crazy!
Slip: *Looks around the room* He ain't gone. He's still here.
*Jane is crying silently. Whitey is sobbing silently.*
Butch: Where is he?
Sach: I ain't sure I wanna know!
Slip: CHUCK! Get out here NOW!
*We hear a faint, deep chuckle from across the room.*
Sach: This ain't funny, Mr. Ghost or whatever you are!
Marsha: I wanna go home!
*Whitey nods quickly and repeatedly.*
Slip: I ain't goin' nowhere without the others!
Sach: Yeah! We can't leave behind our friends!
*We hear the chuckle again, a little louder and a little longer this time.*
Slip: Dammit, Chuck, stop that!
Sach: Yeah, you're givin' me the willies!
Butch: Chuck, where are you?
*We hear a flap and find Chuck sitting on a dresser near the door. He's still grinning.*
Sach: (As they all whirl around) Chuck, where didja go? You nearly gave me a heart attack!
Butch: (He goes to him) Chuck?
Chuck: *Finally looks at Butch, still grinning* Hello, Butch.
Butch: (Gulps, then) Chuck, what are you doing? Why did you bite your own brother?
Chuck: It scared him.
Slip: *Holds a handkerchief to his arm; steps up beside Butch; pissed* Ya little jerk! *Chuck just laughs again.*
Butch: Scared him? Chuck, you hurt him!
Chuck: *Immediately stops laughing* He isn't hurt. *looks at Slip* Are you, Slip?
Slip: I ain't hurt. I'm PISSED!
Chuck: *Grins again* Show me, Slip.
Butch: Chuck, stop!
*Slip shakes a fist.*
Sach: Chuckie, ya don't know what you're sayin'! The Chief can tear ya to ribbons!
Marsha: What are you doin', boy?
Chuck: Go ahead, Slip. *stares straight into Slip's eyes, still grinning*
Slip: *his fist twitches* You ain't got a clue what yer doin'. Someone's got control-a yer mind.
Chuck: *Laughs again* Oh, I KNOW what I'm doing. *stops laughing* Hit me.
Butch: No, you don't know what you're doing. Slip could hurt you, Chuck.
Chuck: *Grins again* He can't do it.
Slip: *So mad, he's shaking; his fist remains at his side* You little...
Chuck: *Leans toward Slip, still grinning* Hit. Me.
Butch: Stop! Chuck, stop! (He runs over to his friend's side)
*Slip's fist swings, but the force fades. He thumps it faintly into the wall next to the dresser.*
Chuck: *Grins wider* Slip couldn't do it. *leans over, nose to nose* You can't hit your baby brother, can you?
*Slip just stares at him, breathing heavily. Chuck laughs heartily, if a little crazy.*
Butch: But I can. (He hits Chuck as hard as he can in the face.) You forget...my fist is almost as good as Slip's.
*The force knocks Chuck over. Slip catches him. Chuck is conscious, but very dazed.*
Slip: *Nods at Butch* Thanks.
Butch: Anytime. I'm not related to him, so I can hit him whenever I please.
Sach: Chuckie? Chuckie, are you there? Speak to me!
*Chuck groans, wincing.*
Slip: *Gets Chuck up so one of his arms is draped over his shoulders; pats the cheek that was not hit lightly* Chuckie... *readjusts his grip* Someone gimme a hand with him... *Chuck moans.*
Sach: I will. (He takes Chuck's other side and winces) I think he's finally catchin' up wit' ya, Chief.
Slip: Thanks, Sach. *Nods* Take him over to the couch, there.
*Chuck starts mumbling under his breath.*
(They settle him down on the couch. Butch sits next to him.)
Butch: Chuck, are you ok? What happened?
*Chuck just blinks up at the ceiling, his mouth moving slightly.*
Slip: *Leans over and waves a hand in front of his face* Chuckie? You in there?
*Chuck winces as if in pain.*
Slip: Hey... *pats his cheek again* Chuck...
*Chuck's eyes move to Slip, but he seems to be looking through him instead of at him.*
Butch: Now he looks more like Sally.
Sach: Chuck, don't you go ghost on us, too!
*Chuck's eyes slide over to Sach, again looking through and not at him.*
Slip: But he knows we're talkin' to him. Sal ignored us.
*Chuck's mouth moves, trying to form a word.*
Sach: (He grabs Chuck) What is it, Chuckie? (Shakes his shoulders) Please speak to us!
Slip: *Slugs Sach's shoulder* Geddoff!
Chuck: *Looks at Butch; faintly* Hyp...tized...
Sach: Hyp...tized? What about your hip? I don't see it tied.
*Slip slugs Sach again.*
Chuck: *Still looking at Butch; still faint* ...No...tized... *winces*
Butch: Hypnotized?
*Chuck sighs, forming "yes."*
Slip: Hypnotized? By whom?
*Chuck's back to staring at the ceiling.*
Butch: Chuck, do you want me to belt you again?
*Chuck's eyes slide over to Butch again. He pauses, then mouths "Zelda."*
Butch: (Growls; turns to Slip) I think Zelda did this.
Slip: *Also growls* Shit.
*Meanwhile, Chuck's eyes are slowly closing.*
Butch: Maybe we ought to let him sleep off whatever they did to him.
Marsha: Yeah. We've still gotta find Sally and Rachel.
Slip: *Sighs* I ain't leavin' him here.
Butch: Maybe we could carry him.
Slip: We're gonna have to.
Slip: C'mon, I'll take one side.
Sach: I'll take the other side. (He sweeps up Chuck's right side. Slip does the left, and the two lead the half-conscious Chuck out with the others following them as the camera fades out on the scene.)