Poltergeist Page #3

Carol Anne starts to cry as she closes the lid. Diane looks

on. She really loves this kid.

22 EXT. FREELING’S BACK YARD - DAY 22

Diane has dug a hole in the dirt. Robbie and Dana watch as

Carol Anne places the cigar box into the earth. Dana is

eating celery and Diane throws her a “you’re chewing too

loud” look. Robbie, from up in the tree, watches fascinated

as Diane and Carol Anne refill the hole. In the background

the football game is winding up with loud interludes between

the time-outs of the final quarter.

CAROL ANNE:

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray

the Lord my soul to keep...

DANA:

(rolls her eyes)

Brother...

DIANE:

(to Dana)

Stifle it!

CAROL ANNE:

If I should die before I wake...

DANA:

(a defiant whisper)

It did.

CAROL ANNE:

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

DIANE:

That was lovely, honey.

ROBBIE:

(staring at the freshly

dug earth, calls down

from the tree)

Mom, when it rots can we dig it up

and see the bones?

DIANE:

Robbie!!

8.

CAROL ANNE:

(brightening-- a new

topic)

Can I get a goldfish now?!

23 INT. CHILDREN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 23

CLOSE UP - GOLDFISH BOWL

Carol Anne stares wondrously as two brand new goldfish nibble

Hertz Mountain from the surface. Robbie sits on his bed in

his PJ's reading a Popeye comic. Distant THUNDER can be heard

as Robbie looks over at his window.

ROBBIE’S POV

A weak flash of lightning outlines the tree he was playing in

earlier. It is not merely the overactive imagination of a

nine-year-old that makes this tree scary to us. The twisted

branches that seem to suggest arms and the split trunk that

appears to suggest horns is all too real even at first

glance.

CLOSE - ROBBIE

He doesn’t want to look. He doesn’t want to scare himself.

But he does.

23-A DIANE ENTERS O.S. 23-A

DIANE (O.S.)

Honey, you’re overfeeding them.

CAROL ANNE:

Tweety-two and Tweety-three wants

seconds.

ROBBIE:

Mom, there’s a big storm headed

this way.

DIANE:

You’ll be asleep by the time it

gets here... if you hurry. Lights

out!

The kids dive for the covers. Diane turns out the light. The

room is overwhelmed by darkness. Carol Anne speaks up first.

9.

CAROL ANNE:

(rapidly)

Closet light! Closet light!

DIANE:

My fault. My fault.

Diane turns on the light in their closet and cracks open the

door. Carol Anne relaxes and waves good-night to her fish.

Robbie looks over at the rocking chair by the bureau. Sitting

straight up is clown doll. It is almost the size of Robbie.

Its stare is devilish and its smile is just a little too

broad for comedy.

Robbie gets up and without looking at the doll, throws a

plaid shirt over its head. He climbs back into bed, outlined

by a blue flash from the window.

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