FADE IN
Scene 1
Belsen, Germany, 1946
INT. Night. A small bar in the Belsen suburbs. The room is dimly lit with candles.
A number of people sit in the smoky room, drinking and smoking.
The corner table. Benjamin and Jacobson, both middle aged, are seated in their chairs, facing each other.
Holding his drink in his hand, Benjamin watches Jacobson.
Jacobson looks at the burning cigarette in his hand. He wipes his nose with a handkerchief.
The barman behind the counter. He takes a pull from his cigar. Exhaling smoke, he watches the people in the smoky haze.
The corner table. Benjamin peers at Jacobson’s face.
Benjamin: (in Yiddish) “You said all of them are dead. Then why did you come back to Belsen…to collect their death certificates?”
Jacobson takes a drag from his cigarette.
Jacobson: “We all know there are no such certificates. I belong to Belsen, though I live in Norway...with my daughter. The war is over... that’s what they say. And I came back...whether or not I could find anyone I knew.”
Benjamin drinks and watches Jacobson.
O.S: the clatter of something falling, somewhere in the room.
Jacobson takes another drag from his cigarette.
Jacobson: “It’s not that I hoped to find anyone back here. You know...memories haunt a man...whatever the situation is.”
Jacobson sobs.
An old man sitting at the next table turns and looks at Jacobson. With a frown, he takes a sip from his glass.
Jacobson: “You said you are from Flensborg. What are you doing in Belsen?”
Benjamin looks at the glass in his hand.
Benjamin: “There are only a few of us left in Flensborg...I mean, our people. I lost my family in ‘43. I tried to find their graves...but in vain. I don’t think I will see any of them again. Now, I hate to live in Flensborg. So....I am wandering. I know...I must face the truth...but I can’t.”
His eyes brimming with tears, Jacobson closely watches Benjamin.
Jacobson: “Some truths don’t seem like truths at all.”
Benjamin pats Jacobson’s hand.
Benjamin: “It’s alright Jacob. Tell me everything again. I mean... from the beginning.”
Watching Jacobson, Benjamin takes another sip from his glass.
Benjamin: “I couldn’t grasp everything you said.”
A waiter comes and places a bottle of beer on the table and goes back.
Benjamin takes the bottle and pours a drink into Jacobson’s glass.
Benjamin: “Come on...drink it...and tell me everything once more. You said something about the baby cry.”
Jacobson raises his hand.
Jacobson: “Shh...I know what I said.”
He looks at his glass. He slowly picks up the glass and takes a sip.
Jacobson: “Yes...the baby cried...and that ended everything...everything...”
He suppresses a sob and looks at the glass with wet eyes.
Scene 2
Cut to: Ext. Dusk. The woods behind a Belsen village.
Head lights of army trucks moving through the village street.
Jacobson: V.O: “It was in 1942. It was very cold...but we had to hide somewhere... somewhere in the woods. They were combing all the villages...systematically...looking for our people...and the communists. The brown shirt bastards...all over Belsen.”
The woods. A group of people including men, women and children move cautiously through the woods in the semidarkness. Some women hold their babies in their hands. Shivering in the cold, they move slowly and silently through the woods. They are a close pack, holding each other and looking around with panic stricken eyes.
O.S: A twig snapping somewhere near.
They stop walking and stand still.
Jacobson watches the dark woods. He looks at his wife, who is holding their baby in her hands.
Jacobson’s wife looks back at him. She looks down at their daughter Hannah, 9 years old, who is standing near them.
Jacobson turns around and looks back at the village.
The village. Burning houses. Thick black smoke shoots up to the sky.
With sad eyes, Jacobson’s wife and Hannah watch the village burn.
Cut to: The village. The half eclipsed moon hangs above the tree line, occasionally visible through the gaps in the spreading smoke.
Squinting his eyes, Jacobson watches the moon.
The group of people watch Jacobson. One of them whistles in a low voice.
Jacobson turns. Holding his wife’s hand, he hurriedly walks towards his men.
Hannah watches the village burning. She reluctantly turns around and walks towards the group.
Jacobson: (In Yiddish) “Shh...wait.”
The whole group stands still, in silence.
Jacobson slowly looks around.
The group watches Jacobson, in silence.
The woods rustle in the slight breeze.
O.S: The barking of dogs, somewhere near.
Jacobson’s wife holds the baby closer to her body and looks around.
Hannah holds her mother’s shoulder and looks around with frightened eyes.
The village. The almost fully eclipsed moon in the sky above the smoldering houses.
Jacobson. V.O: “The moon was going behind the shadow. Then I saw them”.
Cut to: The woods. A group of men in hooded black robes walk in a line through the woods, carrying lighted black candles in their hands.
V.O: The low voice of rhythmic chanting.
Jacobson and the group watch the line of men in the black robes.
Still chanting, the men in the black robes walk towards a lighted area in the woods.
Jacobson : “Shh...don’t move...stand still”.
The wind rustles through the trees.
The men in black robes walk through the woods towards an area lighted with wooden torches fitted on the ground.
The village. The burnt down houses. The smoke filled sky above. The fully eclipsed moon is visible through the shifting gaps in the smoke.
The woods. Jacobson motions with his hand to his team to stay where they are. He carefully walks towards the group of the men in the black robes.
Jacobson’s wife watches Jacobson disappear into the darkness of the woods.
The lighted area in the woods. About 30 people in black robes carrying lighted black candles, stand in a circle around a crudely made wooden altar. A semiconscious girl of about 11 years lies on the altar as if she is drugged. The area is lit up with large wooden torches fitted on the ground. A tall man in a hooded red robe stands behind the altar, carrying a small leather bound book in one hand and a gleaming stiletto in the other.
V.O: The rhythmic chanting in German.
“Hail Loki...the mighty lord of all beasts...
Hail Ferniz...the glorious son of Loki...
Hail Loki...the lord of all living creatures...
Hail Ferniz...the glorious prince of all days and nights.”
The man in the red robe looks up at the sky. His face is clearly visible in the torch and candle lights.
Jacobson moves closer to the lighted area. Carefully, he approaches a tree and hides behind it. He looks around suspiciously as if he heard something. Cautiously craning his neck, he looks at the group in the lighted area.
The lighted area. Smoke from some incense spreads all over the place.
V.O: The rhythmic chanting.
Jacobson watches the 4 or 5 SS men in uniforms standing in the lighted area, holding Dobermans in leashes. He watches the hounds look around impatiently. One hound barks, looking towards where he is hiding.
The SS man pats the dog.
The SS man: “Hush...easy...”
The man looks around the woods.
The lighted area. The man in the red robe watches the fully eclipsed moon.
He looks down at the girl, lying on the altar.
One restless dog looks around and barks.
V.O: The chanting.
“Hail Loki...The mighty lord of all beasts and men...
Hail Ferniz...The glorious son of Loki...”
Jacobson watches the scene with wide open eyes.
The lighted area. The man in the red robe raises his hand and looks around.
The men in the circle stop chanting and watch the man in the red robe.
The man in the red robe reads from the book in his hand.
The man in the red robe: (In German) “You come from beyond the primitive darkness, oh lord, to carry the infinite glory of the cosmic elements unto the end of time...”
The flames of the torches and the candles dance in the wind. The smoke from the incense spreads rapidly.
Still hiding behind the tree, Jacobson watches the scene.
The lighted area. The man in the red robe continues to read.
The man in the red robe: (continues) “...and we have to go through the act of establishing the glory of the superior kind. Mighty Ferniz, reincarnate in our weak hearts and lead us in our quest for the shining path. Lord...relish the feast of this night and no night shall go without thy presence among us.”
The men in the circle: “Hail Ferniz...the mighty lord of all beasts... Hail Ferniz...the glorious prince of darkness...”
The girl’s POV: Straining, the girl on the altar opens her eyes and looks up at the man in the red robe.
Holding the stiletto, the man in the red robe raises his hand.
The burning torches, their flames shimmering in the wind.
Jacobson closely watches the scene.
The lighted area. The man in the red robe looks up.
The fully eclipsed moon in the sky
The man in the red robe: (continues) “…mighty Ferniz, let the links of the chain strengthen the fraternity of the beasts.”
He looks down at the girl on the altar and in a swift motion, brings down the stiletto.
Jacobson gasps.
Hannah. V.O: “Oh...Papa...”
Jacobson suddenly turns around and sees his daughter Hanna standing behind him.
Hannah watches the scene with horrified eyes. She is about to scream.
Jacobson suddenly covers Hanna’s mouth with his hand and holds her tightly against him.
V.O: A baby cries from where Jacobson’s team is waiting.
The lighted area. The man in the red robe swiftly turns and looks towards the woods from where the baby’s crying was heard.
Still cupping her mouth with his hand, Jacobson holds Hanna tightly against him.
The lighted area. The man in the red robe takes a step forward.
The man in the red robe: “What? Who is out there? Find them....find them now. Don’t let anyone escape”.
Holding the leashed dogs, the SS troopers storm towards the woods from where the baby’s crying was heard. Some men in the black robes, their hoods pulled back and guns in hand, follow the SS men.
Cupping his daughter’s mouth and pulling her down with him, Jacobson crouches and hides in the bushes below the tree.
The SS troopers rush into the woods, shouting orders.
O.S: The dogs’ barking.
One of the SS men passes by with his dog, a few yards away from where Jacobson and Hannah are hiding. They rush through the woods without noticing Jacobson and Hanna.
V.O: The baby cries again.
Holding Hanna, Jacobson shuts his eyes and leans his head against Hanna’s shoulder.
Hanna watches the man in the red robe.
The lighted area. His face visible in the light of the torches, the man in the red robe looks straight at where Hanna is hiding.
The girl lies on the altar, her body limp and drenched in blood. The stiletto lies near her bloodied neck.
Flames of the wooden torches dance in the wind, giving a red glow to the incense smoke.
Hannah’s wide open eyes watch the man in the red robe.
V.O: People shouting and the sound of gunfire, continuous and deafening. Loud cries of women and children.
Jacobson, his face pressed against Hanna’s shoulder, suppresses a sob.
Hanna, with a dazed look in her eyes, watches the man in the red robe.
Flashes and smoke from the gunfire, visible through the trees and foliages.
O.S: The incessant gunfire. The sudden silence.
Holding Hanna tightly against him, Jacobson crouches in the bushes.
The lighted area. The man in the red robe and some men in the black robes stand amidst the wooden torches in complete silence.
Scene 3
Cut to: INT. Night. The Belsen bar.
Holding the glass in his hand, Jacobson sits in his chair, looking at Benjamin.
Benjamin watches Jacobson for a long moment.
Benjamin: “The dogs didn’t see you? I mean...the dogs couldn’t even smell you?”
Still keeping his eyes closed, Jacobson shakes his head.
Jacobson: “No. Maybe the wind...the wind saved us.”
He opens his eyes, looks at Benjamin and takes a sip from his glass.
Jacobson: “Maybe there was something else...”
Benjamin: “Something else, what?”
His eyes riveted to the glass, Jacobson slowly shakes his head.
Jacobson: “I don’t know... but, I had a feeling... that something else was in those woods...I mean...besides those people and the dogs”.
He shakes his head again.
Jacobson: “And I thought those dogs were a little scared…scared of something in those woods. Still, I don’t know... what it was... that scared those Dobermans”.
Jacobson takes another sip from his glass and looks at Benjamin.
In the flickering light of the candle, Benjamin watches Jacobson, in silence.
Scene 4
Concord suburbs, New Hampshire, 1972.
EXT. Day. The street in front of a big house with an iron gate and a driveway reaching up to the house.
In the breeze, dry leaves rustle through the street. A pick up van passes by.
Cut to: INT. House. Living room. Thomas Cray, aged 62, fumbles with a suitcase which is lying on a couch. He frantically tries to fold some clothes and put them into the suitcase.
Leaning on the wall and her hands folded across her chest, Ellis, 52 years old, watches Thomas Cray.
Cray hurriedly walks towards the window and looks out to the street.
EXT. The open gate.
INT. Cray gets back to the suitcase, closes it and presses it hard. The lock clicks into place.
Cray: “Ellis, he will be here any moment. Do you remember everything I told you?”
Ellis: “Yes Thomas, I remember everything. Every word you told me”
Cray watches Ellis closely.
Cray: “You are sacred, isn’t it?
Ellis: “Yes... I am scared. But, don’t worry. I will do everything as you have instructed.”
Walking towards the corner of the room, Ellis takes a shot gun from there. She holds it in her hands and studies it.
Cut to: Ext. Street. A black car slowly eases to a stop in front of the gate. Opening its front doors, Hyde and Rick, two crew cut young men in their early thirties, get out.
INT. Room. Cray watches Ellis studying the gun. Suddenly he turns and runs towards the window. He looks out at the gate and turns around with a gasp.
Ellis: “What’s it, Thomas?”
Cray looks at Ellis in bewilderment.
Cray: “It is not Sam. These are Hansen’s men.”
Cray slowly shakes his head.
Cray: “They didn’t give me much time. I told Hansen I am going to Ottawa. But, somehow he knew.”
EXT. Street. The young men look at the house through the open gate.
Hyde: “He had left the gate open. But his car is still in there.”
Rick: “May be Mr. Cray is in a hurry”.
INT. Room. Carrying the gun in her hands, Ellis hurriedly walks up the stairs to the 1st floor. Reaching up the landing, she turns around and crouches in a firing position, hidden behind the banisters.
Cray: “Ellis...you must do exactly as I had told you. Don’t forget the basement, and the candles. Just go on as usual...for your own safety.”
Ellis nods frantically. Hiding behind the banisters, she points the gun down into the room.
EXT. Street. Another car passes by. Hyde and Rick watch it move away. They watch the deserted road and look back at the house.
INT. Room. Cray looks out through the window.
Ellis watches the room, the gun steady in her hands.
EXT. Street. Closing the gate behind them, Hyde and Rick walk up the driveway.
INT. Room. Cray takes in a deep breath and rubbing his hands together, he stands upright.
EXT. Driveway. Hyde and Rick approach the garage. Standing near Cray’s car, they look at each other, their long overcoats flapping in the wind.
Rick nods and Hyde walks towards the front door. Hesitating for a moment, he presses the door bell.
INT. Room. Ellis listens to the sound of the bell and squint her eyes to watch the scene below. Cray slowly walks towards the door. He looks back at Ellis, turns and holding the door knob, pulls open the door
EXT. Hyde stands in front of the door. He looks at Cray with a grin.
Hyde: “Hello Thomas...long time, no see”
Standing behind Hyde, Rick grins.
Cray looks at the two young men and shifts his gaze towards the closed gate.
Hyde: “Are you in a hurry, Mr. Cray? Why don’t you invite us in?”
Cray looks at Hyde for a moment.
Cray: “What do you want, Hyde?
Hyde: “You know what we came for. Now, Thomas, you just relax. We’re not looking for trouble. Mr. Reinhard sent us to get back his... er... his package.”
Cray: “What package, Hyde?”
Rick: “Come on, Mr. Cray...”
INT. Room. Ellis overhears the conversation, from where she is hiding.
Rick: V.O: “We don’t have much time to waste...you know. Mr. Reinhard is so mad that he will blow our brains out if we don’t get back soon”.
Cray watches Rick without any expression on his face.
Cray: “Okay Hyde, come inside. We will talk”.
EXT. From the POV of the gate. Hyde and Rick get into the house. The trees near the house sway in the breeze.
INT. Room. Hiding behind the banisters, Ellis watches Cray and the young men walk into the room.
Hyde looks around the room and watches the suitcase on the couch.
Hyde: “So you’re all set to go, Thomas?”
Cray slowly walks towards the couch and looks down at the suitcase.
He turns and looks at Hyde.
Cray: “Yes...I’m going to Canada. Yesterday I told Reinhard... that I’m going to Canada.”
Hyde laughs. He turns and looks at Rick.
Hyde: “Did you hear that Rick? Mr. Cray is going to Canada. He will go to Canada and Reinhard can have our brains as dessert for his dinner.”
Rick: “Mr. Cray, you go to Canada or Canaris, we don’t care. Just hand over the package and go wherever you want.”
Ellis nervously watches the trio from behind the banister, the gun in her hands at the ready.
Cray looks at Rick.
Cray: “Who are you? I haven’t seen you before”.
Hyde: “Don’t worry, Thomas...he is a friend. Rick launders Reinhard’s conscience thrice a day.”
Hyde chuckles.
Rick grins.
Cut to: EXT. POV of the ‘thing’. From the bushes at the backyard of the house, something watches the house.
O.S: Something like the panting of a dog.
INT. Room. Rick watches Cray with a mean look in his eyes.
Rick: “Don’t burn your brains old man. Mr. Reinhard badly wants his package. After all, you stole it from him. But you’re pardoned. He sent us to collect it and leave you free to live.”
Cray looks straight into Rick’s eyes.
Cray: “There is no package. Now, you get out of my house. I will talk to Hyde.”
Rick pulls out a magnum from his waist.
Ellis tensely watches and takes aim with her gun.
Cut to: EXT. The back yard. The ‘thing’s POV. From the bushes, the ‘thing’ watches the house.
O.S: An angry, dog like snarl.
INT. Room
Rick: “Playtime is over Mr. Cray. We didn’t come here to chat with you about your flight to Canada. Tell me...why is that old woman hiding up there… behind that staircase?”
In a swift motion, Cray pulls out a pistol from under the pillow on the couch. He turns around, crouches and fires at Rick.
Rick is thrown back by the impact of the shot, hits the wall and falls down.
In reflex action, Hyde pulls out his gun and shoots at Cray, twice.
Cray falls over the couch and then on to the floor.
Squinting her eyes, Ellis takes aim and pulls the trigger of her gun.
Hyde suddenly turns around to look up at the staircase. Ellis’s shot hits him in the chest and he is thrown back to where Cray is lying.
The smoke filled room in the silence. The three dead bodies scattered on the floor.
Cut to: EXT. Backyard. The ‘thing’s POV. The thing is now much closer to the house. It watches the window of the living room.
O.S: An angry, dog like growl.
INT. room. Ellis slowly stands up from where she was crouching. Still holding the gun in her hands, she walks down the stairs and looks at the dead body of Cray.
Cut to: EXT. Backyard. The POV of the ‘thing’. The ‘thing’ watches the window.
O.S: The low growling.
INT. Room. Ellis suddenly turns as if she heard the growling. She looks around the room and walks towards the body of Cray. She looks down at the dead man for a long moment.
Cut to: EXT. Backyard. The POV of the ‘thing’. It is much closer to the window now.
O.S: The low growling.
INT. Room. Ellis turns around suspiciously. Holding the gun in her hand, she slowly walks towards the window that opens to the backyard. Coming close to the window, she parts the window curtain with the barrel of the gun.
Cut to: EXT. Backyard. A full grown wolf watches Ellis through the window pane.
INT. Room. With panic stricken eyes, Ellis looks straight into the gleaming eyes of the wolf.
Scene 5
Manchester, New Hampshire, 1994. The Baxter residence.
NIGHT. INT. Timothy Baxter’s study room.
Timothy, 52 years old, sits on his chair behind the table. In the light of the table lamp, scattered papers lie on the table. In the partial light of the table lamp, Timothy watches the whisky glass in his hand. He places the glass on the table and takes a yellow envelope from the paper heap. He slips a photograph half out of the envelope and stares at it for a long moment.
Rosemary Baxter: V.O: “No Tim... there is nothing to be ashamed of it. Nothing, my son. You must understand that...he liked me very much... but... you know the circumstances...he had to leave me...Tim...please understand”.
Timothy raises his head as if he heard something and looks around. He pushes the photograph back into the envelope and put the envelope into the drawer of the table. Taking the whisky glass in hand, he gets up from the chair and walks towards the window.
The window curtains slightly move in the wind.
Moving close to the window, Timothy parts the curtain and looks out.
Cut to: EXT. The half moon above the tree line in Timothy’s courtyard.
INT. Room .Standing in the semi darkness, Timothy looks out.
O.S: An owl hoots, somewhere.
He slowly takes a sip from the glass.
Scene 6
EXT. Dusk. The park.
Sophie, 9 years old, swings on a swing, her hair flying wildly in the wind.
Timothy sits on a bench near by, reading a newspaper in the diminishing daylight. The newspaper partially covers Timothy’s face from Sophie’s view.
Her eyes closed, Sophie swings.
Sophie: “Daddy...let me swing some more...please daddiee...”
Timothy: (without looking up from the paper) “Enough Sophie... we have to go home ...it’s too late.”
Sophie: “Hmm... I don’t want to go...please daddiee...”
Sophie’s swinging slows down. She slowly opens her eyes and looks around.
Slowly lowering the news paper, a man in a black hooded parka looks at Sophie from the bench where Timothy was sitting.
With frightened eyes, Sophie watches the man.
The man’s face, barely visible in the twilight, looks straight at Sophie.
The swing comes to a stand still. Sophie tries to call out something, but her voice barely comes out.
The man in the black parka slowly nods his head.
The man: “Come on Sophie... it’s time to go. Come darling...we have a long way to go.”
With wide open eyes, Sophie stares at the man and slowly slips down from the swing.
The deserted park, except for Sophie and the man.
Sophie stares at the man. A wind blows, rustling the plants around.
The man: “Come on, Sophie... we have to go, sweetie.”
Sophie turns and runs towards the woods on one side of the park.
Sophie : “Daddy... Daddiee.”
Suddenly she stops running and looks back at the bench.
The empty bench.
Sophie continues to run. She enters the woods. Breathing heavily, she holds on a tree and closes her eyes.
O.S: The low sound of something snarling.
She opens her eyes and looks around. Her dazed eyes fix on one point.
The wolf watches her from the dark shade of another tree. It looks straight at Sophie’s eyes.
Sophie gasps and begins to run again through the woods
Sophie : “No... noo... Daddiee... help me...”
Sophie stops running and breathing heavily, she stands in front the gate of her house.
She holds on the gate and pulls hard. The gate doesn’t open. With horrified eyes, Sophie watches the chain and padlock with which the gate is locked.
Sophie pulls again.
Sophie: “Daddy...open the gate... please... daddiee...”
She stops pulling and slowly looks back.
The wolf stands a few feet away from Sophie, staring at her.
Sophie watches the wolf. She opens her mouth to cry, but no sound comes out.
Baring its fangs, the wolf takes a step towards her.
Still watching the wolf with sheer terror in her eyes, Sophie leans on the gate.
Suddenly, with an angry growl, the wolf lunges at Sophie.
Sophie screams.
Sophie : “No... nooo...”
Scene 7
INT. Sophie’s room. Sophie suddenly sits upright on her bed, panting.
Sophie: “Daddy... Daddiee...”
Cut to: INT. Timothy’s study. Standing by the window, Timothy stiffens and turns around.
Sophie: V.O: “Daddie... daddiee...”
Timothy hurriedly walks towards the table and places the whisky glass on it. Getting out of his room, he runs up the stairs to Sophie’s room.
Cut to: INT. Sophie’s room. Sophie sits on her bed, her eyes closed.
Sophie: “They are here daddy...”
Timothy rushes into Sophie’s room and switches on the light. Seeing her sitting on the bed, he looks around.
Sophie begins to sob.
Timothy: “Sophie...what’s it darling...why are you crying? You had a bad dream? Sophie...open your eyes, baby...”
Timothy sits near Sophie and holds her.
Sophie desperately hugs Timothy. She opens her eyes and slowly looks around.
Sophie: “I saw it daddy... It’s out there...near the gate.”
Timothy: “No darling. Nothing is out there. You just had a nightmare...that’s all. Now, calm down. Nothing is going to hurt you.”
Sophie slowly shakes her head.
Sophie: “I saw it daddy. It came for me. Please, don’t leave me alone”.
Timothy: “No baby... Daddy is not going anywhere. Now, you lie down and try to get some sleep. There is nothing out there.”
He slowly lays Sophie back on the bed. He eases her hands from his shoulders and covers her with a blanket.
Timothy: “You try to get some sleep...okay?”
Sophie looks at Timothy and slowly nods. She turns on her side and pulls the blanket over her head. Timothy stands, watching Sophie for a long moment. He looks around.
He looks at the Madonna on the wall and walks towards the window. Pulling the curtains to one side, he looks out of the window.
Cut to: EXT. The courtyard. POV of the ‘thing’. Something watches Timothy stand by the window. It watches Timothy pull back the curtain.
INT. Sophie’s room. Timothy pulls the curtain back to place and turning back, looks at Sophie. He switches off the light and slowly walks out of the room.
INT. The corridor. Without making any sound, Timothy closes the door of Sophie’s room. Standing there, he takes in a deep breath.
EXT. Timothy’s house in the dim moonlight.
Scene 8
EXT. Day. Dr. Jane Pat’s psychiatric clinic.
INT. Jane’s room. Jane, aged 39, Timothy and Fr. Jason Janowski are sitting on couches.
Fr. Jason Janowski, aged 70, sits with his hand around Sophie, who is nervously standing near him.
Sophie holds her ‘animal picture book’ close to her chest.
Fr. Jason: “Have you seen any of her wolves, Mr. Timothy?”
Timothy: “Not yet, Father. But, in my mind, I can see them as perfect as she sees them”.
Sophie uneasily looks at her picture book.
Fr. Jason: “Don’t worry Sophie. Wolves aren’t as bad as you think. We can even tame them if we try hard.”
Sophie looks at Fr. Jason’s face. She frees herself from Fr. Jason’s hold and walks towards the window that overlooks the street.
Jane: “You know Tim, Fr. Jason was my professor at New York. He knows all about Sophie. I had discussed her case with Fr. Jason, many times.”
Timothy watches Jane and Fr. Jason.
Timothy: “Fr. Jason, I am grateful to you for taking so much concern in my daughter’s problem. I don’t know how to explain...”
Fr. Jason raises his hand.
Fr. Jason: “You don’t have to, Mr. Timothy. I have my own reasons to see your daughter. In fact, I was waiting to meet her as soon as I could.”
Fr. Jason looks at Sophie, who is looking out of the window.
Timothy: “It is getting worst.”
Fr. Jason turns and looks at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “Mr. Timothy, the reason I wanted to see your daughter is not entirely clinical. It has something to do with my own past. When Jane told me about your daughter’s visions...if I may call it so...I was so fascinated that I had a premonition about the outcome of this meeting.”
EXT. Street. (Through Sophie’s POV) Occasional cars pass by in the drizzle. People in raincoats and some people carrying umbrellas walk through the side walk. A group of children in bright hooded parkas pass by.
INT. Jane’s room. Jane gets up from the couch and walks towards her table.
She takes a file from the table.
Jane: “Tim, I had shown Fr. Jason all her medical records.”
Fr. Jason keenly watches Sophie, who is still looking out of the window.
Sophie watches the people walk through the side walk.
Timothy: “Yesterday, she had that nightmare again.”
Fr. Jason looks at Timothy.
Timothy: “She was shouting as if she had some real experience. She doesn’t take them as her dreams.”
Sophie turns and looks at Timothy.
Jane: “Her medical records are not bad. She is intelligent and logical in thinking.”
Suspiciously, Sophie listens to their conversation.
Fr. Jason looks at Jane for a long moment and turns to look at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “What if her experiences are real? What do you think of it?”
Sophie watches Fr. Jason.
Timothy: “But...that is so absurd, Father.”
Fr. Jason: “Absurd in the sense as we see things, Mr. Timothy. May be your daughter has got her own kaleidoscope.”
Sophie looks out of the window and gasps.
Jane, Timothy and Fr. Jason turn to look at Sophie.
Sophie, her face ashen, looks out of the window and closes her mouth with her hand.
Sophie’s POV. A tall man in a black hooded parka slowly walks through the side walk. He turns and looks up at the window where Sophie is standing.
Timothy gets up from the couch and walks towards Sophie.
Timothy: “Sophie...what’s it? You look pale.”
Her eyes wide open with fear, Sophie watches the man in the black hooded parka. She watches him turn back and look at her. Suddenly she screams.
Sophie: “He is here. Look daddy...that man is here...”
Fr. Jason gets up and rapidly walks towards Sophie.
Fr. Jason: “Who’s here Sophie...what did you see?”
With horrified eyes, Sophie looks at Fr. Jason.
Sophie: “That man... in the black coat.”
She bursts into tears.
Sophie: “Daddy... let’s go home.”
Timothy looks out of the window. He watches people in bright raincoats walk by. He places his hand around Sophie’s shoulder.
Timothy: “There’s no one out there in a black coat. Sophie...you are imagining things.”
Jane watches the scene with surprise.
Timothy: “Look out Sophie... there’s no one out there to frighten you. Come on...look out.”
Sophie slowly turns and looks out to the street. After a moment, she looks up at Timothy.
Jane walks towards Sophie. She takes hold of Sophie’s hand and looks out of the window.
Fr. Jason walks back to the couch. He turns and looks at Sophie.
Fr. Jason: “Who did you see Sophie? Tell me...was it anyone you knew?”
Jane looks at Sophie. Placing her finger under Sophie’s chin, she raises up Sophie’s head.
Jane: “Sophie, Tell Fr. Jason what you saw. Don’t be scared. We’re all here and no one will come in here to hurt you. What did you see?”
Sophie looks around with frightened eyes.
Sophie: “The man...the man...no, I can’t tell it. I won’t”
Timothy kneels in front of Sophie and places his hand around her shoulder.
Timothy: “Baby, you tell Fr. Jason what you saw. He won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Sophie begins to sob.
Sophie: “The man... the man in grandma’s room.”
Sophie’s gaze shifts out of the window.
Sophie: “He is out there... I saw him.”
Timothy looks at Sophie in total disbelief.
Jane and Fr. Jason look at each other.
Holding Sophie’s shoulder, Timothy shakes her.
Timothy: “Sophie, have you gone out of your mind? What are you talking about?”
Jane looks at Timothy in surprise.
Jane: “Tim, what is she talking about?”
Scene 9
INT. Day. Timothy’s house. In the silence, Sophie stands in front of Rosemary’s room, watching the closed door.
O.S: The weak wail of a police car siren.
Sophie watches the door with wide frightened eyes. She slowly raises her hand and pushes the door. The door slowly opens with a creaking sound. Sophie watches the dark room in silence.
V.O: In a male voice: “Are you ready to go?”
Sophie gasps and covers her mouth with her hand.
V.O: “Come on...Sophie, its time to go.” Sophie turns and begins to run.
V.O: Come on darling...”
The sound fades away.
Scene 10
INT. DAY. Timothy’s car. Watching the traffic in front of him in the drizzle, Timothy drives.
Sophie sits upright near Timothy, her eyes closed and her hands clutching the picture book.
Timothy turns and looks at Sophie.
Timothy: “But you didn’t tell me anything about grandma’s room.”
Timothy shakes his head.
Timothy: “Grandma’s room…you were imagining that too. Jesus...Sophie, you’re making up a big load of new stories.”
EXT. Street. In the drizzle, Timothy’s car moving amidst other vehicles.
INT. Car. Sophie opens her eyes and looks at Timothy. She slowly shakes her head.
Sophie: “No...I saw him in grandma’s room, daddy. He is living in grandma’s room”.
Impatiently, Timothy looks at Sophie.
Timothy: How can that be Sophie? Your grandma’s room had been locked for the last 32 years. 32 years, you know. We open it only once in a year, for cleaning. Then, how can you see him in there? Sometimes you are talking big nonsense.”
The car stops at a signal. Both Timothy and Sophie watch pedestrians cross the road.
Sophie: “Daddy... I am sorry. I was scared...to tell you this. I thought you would leave the room open...and that man will come out...and take me to the wolves.”
Timothy stares at Sophie.
Sophie begins to sob.
Sophie: “Jane told me Fr. Jason is a very bold man. I thought Fr. Jason will beat that man out of grandma’s room. So that he won’t come back again...”
Timothy shakes his head in total disbelief.
EXT. Street. The signal change and Timothy’s car moves among other vehicles.
Scene 11
INT. Jane’s room. Sitting on the couch, Fr. Jason sips a cup of coffee. Looking out, Jane stands near the window.
Fr. Jason: “You know, people sometimes have strange visions with certain meta dimensions. I had seen it so many times. In Poland...and in this country. Most of those who came alive out of the Krakow ghetto were classic examples of great story tellers. They mesmerized people with their strange visions. In fact, most of them were telling the truth.”
Fr. Jason takes a sip from his coffee and looks at Jane.
Fr. Jason: “All these years I was trying to deduce some meaning out of seemingly meaningless occurrences.”
From where she stands, Jane watches Fr. Jason.
Jane: “Father, I know this kid for a long time. I mean... since Tim brought her to me for medical treatment.”
Fr. Jason: “Treatment for what? Do you think that girl is crazy?”
Jane walks towards Fr. Jason and standing near the couch, she looks at him.
Jane: “I am not sure. That’s why I wanted you to meet her. I thought you could help her...with your.... so called experiences.”
Fr. Jason looks up at Jane and nods.
Fr. Jason:” Every experience has its own meaning...and value.”
Fr. Jason gets up from the couch, takes another sip of his coffee and places the cup on the table. He turns and looks at Jane.
Jane: “Anyway you promised Tim that you will visit his house, tomorrow.”
Fr. Jason walks towards the window and looks out. Silently he watches the sparse traffic for sometime. He turns and looks at Jane.
Fr. Jason: “Yes, I told him that... and I will go. Mr. Timothy thinks that girl has some sort of mental disorder. You are not sure whether she is normal or not. Then what bothers that poor girl is something we have to find out and make her understand. I have certain ideas about her convictions of what she experiences.”
Scene 12
INT. Day. Timothy’s house. Holding Sophie’s hand, Timothy slowly walks through the corridor towards Rosemary’s room.
As they come close to the closed door, Sophie tightens her grip on Timothy’s hand.
Timothy and Sophie stand in front of the closed door.
Scene 13
INT. Day. Jane’s room. Her hands folded across her chest, Jane stands near Fr. Jason.
Both of them watch the street in silence. An ambulance, its sirens wailing, passes by. Pigeons fly up from the sidewalk and disappear beyond the buildings.
Fr. Jason: “The Carpathian woods. That’s what that girl’s stories remind me of.”
Astonished, Jane watches Fr. Jason.
Scene 14
INT. Day. Timothy’s house. Timothy and Sophie stand in front of the closed door of Rosemary’s room. Timothy looks down at Sophie.
Timothy: “Sophie, you want me to open that door....so that you can check out whether your ghost man is in there?”
Sophie looks up at Timothy in fear.
Sophie: “No. Don’t open it now. He is in there...waiting for someone to open the door.”
Timothy looks at Sophie with sad and worried eyes.
Scene 15
INT. Day. Jane’s room. Standing near the window, Fr. Jason watches the trees on the sidewalk.
Fr. Jason: “You know... some things travel through centuries. They repeat themselves as if in a cyclic process. And wherever they are, they cast their spell around them. May be I am wrong... but, I can feel the unmistakable stench of it.”
Fr. Jason slowly touches his clerical collar and keeps his finger there.
Fr. Jason: “The stench of all those rotten bodies... scattered all over the forests... and the moors...”
Slowly shaking his head, Fr. Jason watches the pigeons come back to the trees on the sidewalk.
With a trace of fear on her face, Jane watches Fr. Jason.
Jane: “Father...what are you talking about?”
Fr. Jason turns and looks at Jane. He blinks his eyes and looks at his wrist watch.
Fr. Jason: “Oh...it’s late. I am sorry Jane, I have to go. I have an important appointment.”
Confused, Jane watches Fr. Jason.
Jane: “Are you alright? You look pale.”
Fr. Jason takes in a deep breath and holding Jane’s shoulder with his hand, he smiles.
Fr. Jason: “Don’t worry Jane. I am perfectly alright”.
Scene 16
INT. Night. Timothy’s study. Sophie sits on a couch, sipping a glass of orange juice.
Sitting on the floor near Sophie, Timothy shows her a photograph.
Timothy: “You haven’t seen this one. Look...this is your grandmother, with grandpa.
They took this photograph in Germany. It was war time. Your grandma went there to collect her dear most art pieces. Paintings...sculptures... such things. See...those paintings”.
Timothy points to the wall.
Two 19th century German expressionist paintings hang on the wall. In one corner of the room stands the bronze statue of an angel, pointing a sword upwards with both hands. The statue is fitted on a long metal pedestal.
Sophie watches the angel for a long moment.
Sophie: “Why didn’t grandpa come back with grandma? You told me that she came back alone.”
Timothy watches the window curtain slowly move in the wind.
Timothy: “I also told your grandpa was killed in a bomb raid.”
Timothy looks at the photograph.
Timothy: This photograph was taken a few days before his death”
EXT. Night. Timothy’s house in the moonlight, still and silent.
The POV of the ‘thing’. Something watches Timothy come near the window.
INT. Night. Holding the photograph in his hand, Timothy stands near the window and watches Sophie drink her orange juice.
Cut to: Timothy sits in his chair, watching Sophie sleep on the couch. He opens the drawer of the table and drops the yellow envelope in it.
Cut to: INT. Bathroom. Pouring water over his face from the wash basin, Timothy washes his face. Taking a towel from the rack, he wipes his face. He watches his reflection in the mirror and rubs his face again.
EXT. Timothy’s house. In the moonlight, trees slowly sway in the wind.
O.S: Some where in the distance, the long howl of a wolf.
Scene 17
EXT. Day. The graveyard. Timothy and Sophie stand in front of Rosemary’s tomb.
A bouquet of red roses lies on the tomb. Inscribed on the tomb stone are the words,
‘Rosemary Baxter, 1910-1964’.
Sophie stands holding Timothy’s hand, her eyes closed.
Timothy: (as a continuation of his prayer) “...holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”
Both Timothy and Sophie: “Amen.”
Timothy watches the tomb in silence.
Opening her eyes, Sophie looks around.
Tomb stones in the sunlight.
Holding Sophie’s hand in silence, Timothy walks towards his car.
Sophie stops walking and looks up at Timothy.
Timothy looks down at Sophie.
Sophie: “Daddy... who was that other man?
Timothy: “What other man?”
Sophie: “The other man in that photograph... with grandma and grandpa?”
Astonished, Timothy stares at Sophie. He holds Sophie’s hand and gets in the car and moves.
INT. Car. Sophie watches the rosary hanging above the windshield.
The rosary moves to and fro like a pendulum.
Timothy: “They all lived together. I mean... your grandma and grandpa... and his cousin. Your grandma was in Germany for a long time. It was war time. All they had to move to safer places ... and one day your grandpa was killed... in a bomb raid.”
Sophie watches the dangling rosary.
Timothy: “She was pregnant at that time. I mean... she was carrying me and she had to leave Germany...in order to save herself... and me”.
Scene 18
INT. Night. Timothy’s study. Sitting in his chair, his face partially lit by the table lamp, Timothy stares at the paintings.
In the dim light, the paintings on the wall.
The statue of the angel reflects a speck of light from the table lamp.
INT. Sophie’s room. Sophie sleeps on her bed, a blanket pulled up to her neck.
A photograph of Timothy and a little Sophie rests on the table by the bed.
The Madonna on the wall.
Sophie’s animal picture book lies on the bed.
INT. Timothy’s study. Sitting in his chair, Timothy watches the statue.
The statue watches Timothy.
Scene 19
EXT. Day. Jane’s car moves through the traffic in the slight drizzle.
INT. Car. Jane drives. Fr. Jason watches the traffic through the motion of the wipers.
Fr. Jason: “Why did she leave Timothy... and that child? After all she is her daughter.
Why did she leave them just like that? There should be some good reason...”
Jane: “She was scared... from what Timothy told me. Sort of a paranoiac...and an alcoholic. I had seen her only once.”
Fr. Jason: “Scared of what?”
Jane drives silently. She slowly shakes her head.
Jane: “I don’t know. Timothy told me she wanted to sell their house...and go somewhere else. But he wouldn’t do that. It has something to do with that house.”
Scene 20
EXT. Day. Timothy’s house in the drizzle. The trees around the house sway in the slight wind.
Scene 21
INT. Day. Jane’s car.
Fr. Jason: “She thought that house was haunted? Why should she think like that? And now...that girl has all these strange visions.”
Jane: “Sophie began to act strangely after Carrie went away. May be an abandoned feeling pulled her into some fancy thinking.”
Fr. Jason watches the traffic in silence.
Scene 22
INT. Day. Timothy’s study. Carrying the picture book in her hand, Sophie stands watching the statue of the angel.
Timothy sits in his chair, his hands folded across his chest and his eyes closed, as if he is asleep.
Sophie: “I don’t like this angel. Why is it carrying that sword? Why did grandma bring it here? I don’t like her...”
Timothy opens his eyes and watches Sophie.
Timothy: “Don’t like whom…your grandma or that angel?”
Sophie looks at Timothy in silence. She looks back at the angel.
Timothy: “She was an art dealer... like her father. He was a wealthy man.”
The angel watches.
Timothy: “I got my family name from him. Not from my father.”
Sophie turns and looks at Timothy.
Timothy watches Sophie for a long moment.
Timothy: “...not from my father”.
Sophie: “Why?”
Timothy: “My father had no name... and he was dead when I was born.”
Scene 23
INT. Jane’s Car. Fr. Jason watches pedestrians walk through the wet side walk, carefully avoiding little puddles of water. He rubs his eyes with both palms.
Jane: “Blasted traffic...it is always like this in the rain”.
Fr. Jason turns and looks at Jane. He touches Jane’s shoulder with his finger and smiles.
Fr. Jason: “Don’t swear Jane. Patience always pays”.
Jane looks at Fr. Jason and she smiles too.
Scene 24
INT. Day. Timothy’s study.
Timothy: “Your mother didn’t like it, too...I mean the angel. She never liked anything in this house. That’s why she went away”.
Sophie suddenly bursts into tears. She holds the picture book against her face and sobs.
Timothy gets up from his chair and walks towards Sophie.
Timothy: “Don’t cry... please baby, don’t cry.”
Timothy kneels down near Sophie and holds her in his hands.
Timothy: “I didn’t mean to make you sad. Don’t cry Sophie.”
Timothy looks at Sophie’s face, his eyes wet.
Her eyes closed, Sophie holds the picture book close to her face and sobs again.
Sophie: “I hate her too...don’t talk to me about her.”
Timothy holds Sophie close to him.
Timothy: “No darling...I won’t.”
The statue of the angel watches them.
Holding each other, Timothy and Sophie sit in front of the statue.
EXT. Day. Timothy’s house.
O.S: The rumble of distant thunder.
Scene 25
INT. Day. Jane’s car. Fr. Jason watches Timothy’s house as Jane slowly drives the car up the driveway to the house.
Scene 26
EXT. Day. Timothy’s house. The ‘thing’s POV slowly moves around the house, from the driveway through the wet trees and foliage. From a point in the foliage, the ‘thing’s POV turns and watches the house. It focuses on the open window of Rosemary’s room.
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room. Fr. Jason stands by the open window and looks out at the foliage in the courtyard. He turns and looks at the bed. An assortment of things lie scattered on the bed. Letters, small photographs with metal frames, cloths, two 2nd world war German war medals and an open suitcase lie on the bed. A leather bound package, tied around with a slim leather thong and a seal of wax on its knot lies above the cloths on the bed.
Leaning on the wall, Timothy watches the assortment without any expressions on his face.
Standing near Timothy, Jane looks around the room and watches the photographs on the wall.
On the wall hang several photographs of Rosemary Baxter. Rosemary with Timothy at a younger age, Rosemary with baby Timothy, Rosemary with a group of men in military uniforms, Rosemary with a crew cut young man in a black windcheater, standing near a horse.
Fr. Jason closely watches the leather bound package.
Hiding behind the door, Sophie stands outside the room and looks at the package with total panic in her eyes.
Timothy: “I haven’t moved her things after her death. It was kept under the bed for the last 32 years. I mean...except for the time when we open this room for cleaning...once in a year.”
Jane: “Why do you keep this room closed...even after all these years?”
Timothy looks at Jane and slowly shakes his head.
Timothy: “I just didn’t want to open it. I was 19 years old when she died”.
With frightened eyes, Sophie watches the package.
Timothy: V.O: “I never wanted to invade her privacy.”
Fr. Jason: “Even after her death? You must have ample reasons for that.”
Sophie turns and looks at Fr. Jason.
Sophie: “Daddy knows...Daddy knows he is living in this room.”
Astonished, Timothy looks at Sophie.
Cut to: EXT. Day. The foliage. The POV of the ‘thing’. Fr. Jason stands by the window.
INT. Day. The room. Fr. Jason looks at Sophie’s frightened face. He slowly turns and looks at the leather bound package.
Fr. Jason: “About twenty years ago, a woman told me the same story. The story of her visions about wolves and men in black robes. She was a housemaid...in Concord.”
Fr. Jason looks at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “Mr. Timothy, do you know what’s in that package?”
Timothy watches the package and slowly shakes his head.
Timothy: “No... I don’t.”
Cut to: EXT. Day. The POV of the ‘thing’. Fr. Jason stands by the window.
O.S: A dog like snarl.
INT. Day. Room. Fr. Jason looks at Sophie.
Fr. Jason: “If it’s what I think it is, no wonder your daughter is in such a mess”
Jane turns and looks at Sophie.
Sophie watches Fr. Jason with frightened eyes.
Fr. Jason: “In a way, your daughter is right. The devil himself lives in that package”.
With a gasp, Sophie takes a step backward.
Cut to: EXT. Day. The foliage.
O.S: the persistent sound of a dog like snarl.
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room. V.O: Sophie screams.
Sophie: V.O: “Daddy...I told you... he’s in here.”
INT. Day. Sophie’s room. Opening the door, Sophie storms into the room.
Sophie: “He’s in here...daddiee...”
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room. Timothy walks briskly towards the door.
Timothy: “Sophie... Sophie...”
O.S: The door of Sophie’s room being closed with a loud thud.
Timothy shakes his head.
Timothy: “I’m sorry, Fr. Jason. She’s out of her mind.”
INT. Day. Sophie’s room. Tears flowing down her cheeks, Sophie leans against the closed door. She slowly looks around.
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room. Fr. Jason takes a step towards the bed and stares at the package.
Fr. Jason: “No wonder, Tim...”
Fr. Jason looks up at Timothy’s face.
Fr. Jason: “... if I may call you so.”
With a sad smile on his face, Timothy looks at Fr. Jason.
Fr. Jason: “Its presence is so evil and powerful... most people won’t stand the spell of it. You think your wife left you without any reason?”
INT. Day. Sophie’s room. Sophie lies on her bed, covering her face with the pillow.
Her body shakes from her sobs.
The animal picture book lies on the table, near the photograph of Timothy and Sophie.
Sophie suddenly raises the pillow from her face and looks at the window.
The closed window.
Sophie places the pillow back on her face.
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room. Fr. Jason cuts the thong around the package with a scissor and slowly opens the package.
Timothy and Jane watches in silence.
Fr. Jason drops the scissor on the bed and intently looks at the open package.
Cut to: EXT. Day. The foliage.
OS: The angry dog like snarl turns into an anguished wail.
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room. In the open package lies an ancient looking leather bound book and a small rusted stiletto.
Fr. Jason takes in a deep breath and closes his eyes.
Scene 27
INT. Basement of the Concord house. The room is brightly lit with numerous big black candles on a big pewter candelabra. In the centre of the room, a big magic circle is crudely painted on the floor. Men in hooded black robes, carrying burning black candles in their hands stand around the circle. A small girl in a flimsy white gown lies inside the magic circle. The room is filled with smoke from the burning incense.
V.O: Rhythmic chanting in a low voice.
A man in a scarlet robe stands near the altar, carrying a small open leather bound book in one hand and a gleaming stiletto in the other. The candle lights in the smoke.
The chanting slowly fades away.
Scene 28
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room. Fr. Jason opens his eyes. He looks at the book and the stiletto.
Fr. Jason: “The book of the beast.”
Fr. Jason crosses himself and turning around, walks back to the window.
Cut to: EXT. Day. The foliage. The POV of the ‘thing’. Fr. Jason stands by the window.
The dripping trees in the silence.
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room. Timothy steps forward as if to take the book.
Fr. Jason turns and looks at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “Don’t touch it, Tim. Just leave it there. I will take care of it.”
Jane takes a step forward and places her hand over Timothy’s shoulder.
Timothy stiffens and looks back.
Jane: “What’s wrong with that book, Father?”
Fr. Jason: “That book is bound with human skin. And the text in it is written with human blood.”
Timothy and Jane stare at the book with shocking looks on their faces.
Jane: “Are you... are you serious?
Fr. Jason: “That stiletto is a ritual tool. It was probably used to perform human sacrifices.”
Jane steps back with a gasp, her hand over her mouth.
Scene 29
INT. Day. Sophie’s room. Sophie rolls over on her bed. Accidentally her hand touches the picture book and it falls down from the table. Craning her neck, Sophie looks at the book lying on the floor. Its pages open, the book lies on the floor. In one page, Sophie watches the picture of a stag surrounded by some wolves, their teeth bared in angry snarls. Sophie watches the picture with horrified eyes. She suddenly rolls over to the other side, her eyes closed and her breathing heavy.
Scene 30
INT. Day. Rosemary’s room.
Fr. Jason: “Tim, where did your mother get this from?”
Timothy slowly shakes his head.
Timothy: “I don’t know. I’m seeing this for the first time.”
Fr. Jason looks at Timothy for a long moment. He slowly walks towards the bed and closes the leather strip containing the book and the stiletto.
Scene 31
Cut to: EXT. Day. Foliage. The POV of the ‘thing’. The window of Rosemary’s room.
O.S: Sound like a dog growling in anger.
Scene 32
INT. Day. Fr. Jason and Jane stand outside Rosemary’s room, watching Timothy lock the room with a key. Fr. Jason carries a paper bag in his hand. All three of them stand there for a moment, watching the closed door.
Fr. Jason looks at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “Tim, we have some stories to tell each other... don’t we?”
Timothy watches Fr. Jason.
Timothy: “Do you think so?”
Scene 33
EXT. Day. Timothy’s house. The house and the trees, still and silent.
Scene 34
INT. Day. Timothy’s study. Timothy sits in his chair, his eyes riveted to the yellow envelope lying on the table. Sitting on a couch, Fr. Jason watches Timothy in silence.
Sitting near Fr. Jason, Jane watches the statue of the angel.
Fr. Jason gets up from the couch. He walks towards the statue and touches the tip of the sword. He turns and looks at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “Tim...I had my reasons to ask you to show me your mother’s room. I mean...after what your daughter told me about her ghost...the ghost who lives in that room. You know Tim...mystery and miracle are two sides of the same coin.”
Fr. Jason turns and looks at the statue.
Fr. Jason: “I had heard such a story...in 1972...from a woman named Ellis. She was accused of having connection with a mass murder committed in a house near Concord. A man called Thomas Cray and two other unknown men were killed in a shoot out.”
Fr. Jason turns and looks at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “The book and the knife in your grandma’s room were found in that house in Concord, at the time of the killings...I mean, after the incident.”
Timothy watches Fr. Jason in surprise.
Timothy: “What do you mean? My mother’s things were in her room since she came back from Germany. Nothing was taken away from there...at least after her death.”
Fr. Jason walks towards the window and looks out. He turns and looks at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “Then...that might be another book...similar to this one.”
Jane watches Fr. Jason in surprise.
Jane: “How do you know all these things, Father?”
Fr. Jason: “Because, I had kept that book with me for sometime, before it was taken away from Larry’s car”.
Scene 35
INT. Night. The basement of the Concord house. Sitting in a rocking chair, Ellis, now 74 years old, watches Mathau light the black candles on the big pewter candelabra with the small lighted candle in his hand. Rocking the chair slowly, Ellis closes her eyes.
Ellis: “Mathau...”
Mathau Graham, 76 years old, turns and looks at Ellis.
Mathau: “What?”
Ellis: “I have a feeling... a bad feeling”.
Mathau watches Ellis, in the shifting light of the candle flames.
Ellis slowly rocks in the chair.
Ellis: “I’m scared Mathau. All my life I was living in fear…and now... that man is coming back... to destroy whatever little peace we have.”
Mathau watches Ellis for a moment and walks towards her, holding the candle in his hand. He studies her face closely in the candle light.
Mathau: “Ellis...are you alright?”
Ellis opens her eyes and watches Mathau for a long moment.
Ellis: “That priest...that man from Poland.”
Mathau looks at Ellis in surprise.
Mathau: “You mean...Fr. Janowski? How do you know...and what for? You told him everything, back in ‘72. Why should he come back now?”
Ellis slowly looks around.
The burning black candles, their flames still in the silence.
Ellis: “We’re still going on with the game.”
Mathau: “Ellis...you think this is a game? Maybe age is distorting your thoughts. Game...If Mr. Reinhard hears what you say, he will kill both of us.”
Ellis watches Mathau in fear.
Ellis: “I had enough Mathau.”
She looks around.
Ellis: “All these years... of blood and fire.”
The candles burning in silence.
Ellis: V.O: “All these years...I was here. I was here when Thomas was killed. I couldn’t do what he told me to do. You know... the police took away that book. Thomas told me to take it and give it to a man from the clan...in case anything happened to him. Clan...that’s what he said.”
Ellis looks at Mathau.
Ellis: “That man Sam came too late.”
She takes in a deep breath.
Ellis: “Hmm...I had told you these stories so many times.”
Mathau: “That book belonged to Mr. Reinhard. Thomas stole it from him. It’s alright Ellis... we don’t have to repeat the story for nothing.”
Ellis slowly gets up from the rocking chair and holds Mathau’s shoulder.
Ellis: “I am tired Mathau. Let us go back to the outhouse. I want to get out of this stinking room”.
Scene 36
Cut to: EXT. Night. Holding a flash light in his hand, Mathau walks through a narrow stone path amidst the trees and foliage. Holding his shoulder, Ellis walks slowly.
Mathau: “You know Thomas was cheating Mr. Reinhard. But you didn’t do anything to stop him.”
Ellis looks around, her hand still holding Mathau’s shoulder.
O.S: A bird flies away from a tree.
Mathau and Ellis stop walking and look up. Mathau scans the tree tops with his flash light.
Ellis: “Thomas was tired of the game. Yes... game. He wanted to get out. He said it was useless. And I was having those visions... I couldn’t stand it anymore.”
The Concord house in the moon light, still and silent.
O.S: The faint howl of a wolf from somewhere in the woods.
Ellis looks around with frightened eyes.
Ellis: “They’re still here. They won’t let us live in peace...Let’s leave this place. Mathau...please...I can’t go without you.”
Pointing his flash light, Mathau looks around the woods.
Mathau: “No Ellis... we can’t leave like that. Mr. Reinhard entrusted us with something important. We have no way out. It’s too dangerous.”
Squinting her eyes, Ellis watches Mathau.
Ellis: “How can you? Haven’t you seen those little girls. The police won’t touch Reinhard or his people. They are in it with him... all of them.”
A sudden gust of wind shakes the trees.
O.S: Another long howl, somewhere from the courtyard of the house.
Scene 37
INT. Night. Timothy’s house. Sophie sleeps on her bed.
INT. Night. Timothy’s room. Holding the paper bag in his hand, Fr. Jason stands near the statue.
From his chair, Timothy watches Fr. Jason.
Jane sits on the couch, her eyes closed and her hands folded across her chest.
Timothy: “What have you got to do with the FBI? You are not an investigator or anything.”
Fr. Jason walks towards Timothy’s table and place the paper bag on it.
Fr. Jason: “Tim, I can’t explain everything now. You know...I am a practicing clinical psychologist...and a teacher...as well as a priest. Some similarities in my experiences brought me to your home.”
Fr. Jason turns and looks at Jane, who is watching him. He turns back to look at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “As an advocate of spirituality, I have to go way beyond the rational. A friend of mine working with the FBI wanted me to join him to investigate a special case”.
Fr. Jason looks down at the paper bag.
Fr. Jason:” He is retired now. I want both of you to meet him.”
Fr. Jason looks up at Timothy.
Fr. Jason: “His name is Larry Bates. He was the FBI officer who investigated the Concord massacre case.”
Scene 38
INT. Night. Jane’s car. Jane drives and Fr. Jason sits near by.
Fr. Jason watches the night traffic in front of him.
Fr. Jason: “We were tracing a chain of events from the past. Larry and me. We couldn’t convince anybody anything. But we could find a pattern...a pattern of events connected to one another”.
EXT. The car moves in the traffic.
INT. car. The paper bag in the back seat.
Fr. Jason: V.O: “Why has Tim let that dog loose in his compound?”
Jane turns and looks at Fr. Jason.
Jane: “What...what dog?”
Fr. Jason: “Tim’s German Shepherd.”
Jane looks at Fr. Jason with a startled look on her face.
Jane: “German Shepherd? What are you talking about?”
With a trace of surprise on his face, Fr. Jason looks at Jane.
Fr. Jason: “Tim doesn’t have any dogs?”
Jane slowly shakes her head.
Jane: “Tim doesn’t have... I mean... he never had any pets in his house since I had known him. Why did you ask?”
Fr. Jason stares at Jane for a long moment.
Fr. Jason: “Are you sure he doesn’t have any... I mean, now?
Jane: “I’m sure about it. How can he do that when Sophie is so scared of wolves...or any animals, pet or not...”
Fr. Jason looks straight ahead in silence. He turns and looks at the back seat.
The paper bag, in the semidarkness of the back seat.
Fr. Jason: “Then why is she carrying that animal picture book with her...all the time?”
Jane: “Because, I told her to. I thought that might somehow ease off her fear of animals.”
Fr. Jason looks out at the traffic.
EXT.The road. The car moves amidst the traffic.
Scene 39
INT. Night. Timothy’s study. Timothy sits in the partial light of the table lamp. He stares at the statue of the angel.
Scene 40
EXT. Day. Park. Some people watch their kids play in the park.
Sophie swings on a swing, her hair flying wildly in the wind.
Holding a newspaper, Timothy sits on the bench. He watches Sophie swing.
Sophie swings with her eyes closed and a happy look on her face.
Timothy: “Sophie... how do you feel, darling? You look happy today”.
Sophie smiles at Timothy. Slowly stopping her swinging, she sets her foot on the ground. She looks around as if looking for something.
The woods around the park gently move in the wind. A number of little birds fly away from a tree.
Sophie watches the woods with a trace of fear on her face.
Timothy: “What’s it baby...had enough fun?”
Sophie turns and looks at Timothy.
Sophie: “Let’s go daddy... I had enough. Come, let’s go”.
Timothy watches Sophie with an amused look on his face. He gets up from the bench.
Holding the swing with her hands, Sophie watches the woods.
Timothy walks towards Sophie. Putting his hand around her shoulder, he follows her gaze.
Both of them watch the woods, in silence.
In the park, some kids play frisbee.
V.O: The kids’ laughter.
Timothy: “There’s nothing to worry about, darling. There are no more wolves in there. Fr. Jason chased away all of them. Come...let’s go home.”
Timothy and Sophie walk side by side through the park.
The woods watch them walk away.
Scene 41
EXT. Day. Larry’s hill top house. Sitting on his wheel chair on the lawn, Larry, a black man of 64, watches Timothy’s car drives up the road towards his house.
Little birds chirp loudly in the bird cage in front of the picture window of the house.
V.O: The chirping of the birds.
The car drives up the hill road.
Opening the front door of the house, Larry’s wife Esther, aged 54, comes out. She walks towards Larry and standing behind him, watches the approaching car.
Larry: “Fr. Jason called me yesterday night”.
He pauses for a moment.
Larry: “He told me the beast is back”.
Esther: “You stay out of it Larry. You aren’t as healthy as you used to be.”
Larry chuckles.
Larry: “Don’t worry Esther. Everybody can see the state of my health.”
The car comes to a stop on the driveway near the lawn.
Cut to: INT. Car. Sitting on the front seat, Timothy and Fr. Jason watch Larry and Esther.
Jane sits on the back seat with Sophie leaning on her shoulder.
Fr. Jason: “Jesus...Larry looks old. Older than I thought.”
EXT. Larry and Esther watch Fr. Jason and Timothy get out of the car.
The bird cage. The birds suddenly stop chirping and sit still in the cage.
Standing near the car, Fr. Jason looks at Larry for a long moment. Then he looks around the house.
Fr. Jason looks back at Larry.
Fr. Jason: “Hello Larry, having all the fun in this remote paradise?”
Larry looks at Fr. Jason with a smile.
Larry: “Everything except my natural crutches. Where are the others?”
Cut to. INT. Day. Larry’s living room. A variety of African tribal masks decorate the wall. Timothy and Fr. Jason sit on the couch. Jane looks out to the woods through the picture window.
Esther leans on the door, holding Sophie close to her.
Sitting in his wheel chair, Larry watches the leather bound book and the stiletto, spread on the low table in front of Timothy and Fr. Jason. He takes a pull from his cigar.
Larry: “Looks like the one we had seen before.”
Jane turns and looks at Larry.
Sophie watches the book and the stiletto with apparent fear on her face.
Fr. Jason: “Yes…but different. This belonged to Tim’s mother. It was never taken out of her room since her death, 32 years ago.”
Larry: “Amazing.”
He turns and looks at Sophie.
Larry: “Esther, why don’t you take her inside and give her some of your special cookies?
Jane looks at Sophie.
Jane: “No...we will go out for a walk in the lawn...and have a look at those birds. Come on Sophie.”
Larry: “Those birds aren’t in their normal senses. I don’t know why.”
Fr. Jason looks at Larry.
Watching Jane and Sophie go out through the front door, Larry takes a pull from his cigar.
EXT. The bird cage. In absolute silence, the birds watch Jane and Sophie come out of the house.
INT. Esther walks towards the picture window and looks out.
Esther’s POV. Jane and Sophie, hand in hand, walk across the lawn.
INT. Larry looks at Timothy.
Larry: “Mr. Baxter, I want to show you something. A big load of something.”
Larry turns and looks at Esther
Larry: “Esther, bring that file over here.”
Esther watches Larry with a scowl on her face, turns and walks into another room.
Larry looks at Fr. Jason.
Larry: “That file is a bit thicker than you saw it last time.”
EXT. Standing at the edge of the lawn, Jane and Sophie watch the slope of the hill.
In the slope, the trees roll in the wind.
Sophie watches the trees in total silence.
Jane: “Nice, isn’t it, Sophie?”
Sophie continues to watch the trees in silence. She slowly turns and looks at the bird cage.
The bird cage. The silent birds.
With a pale look on her face, Sophie turns and looks back at the trees.
Sophie: “It’s out there... in the woods”.
Cut to. INT. Living room. Larry and Timothy watch Fr. Jason open a thick file and spread the contents on the low table.
Cut to: INT. Kitchen. Esther lights up the stove.
Cut to. INT. Living room. Watching the contents of the file, Larry takes a drag from his cigar.
Larry: “In 1972, a man called Thomas Cray and two other men were killed in a shoot out at a house in Concord. This file contains the paper clippings and other details about that event”.
Timothy watches the bulk of paper clippings, photographs and other printed matter.
Headlines such as ‘Mass murder in mysterious house’, ‘Three men killed in shoot out’, ‘Ex-Nazi and two others shot dead’. A photograph of a young man in SS uniform. Another photograph of the dead bodies lying on the floor.
Timothy: “Yes, I knew of it. His name wasn’t Thomas Cray”.
Timothy watches the tribal masks on the wall.
Timothy: “His name was Martin Kroger. A war criminal...and the cousin brother of another Ex-Nazi, Hansen Kroger.”
Larry looks at Timothy in surprise. He turns his head and looks at Fr. Jason.
Larry: “Fr. Jason, your friend has done his home work well. Mr. Baxter...I was in charge of that case and I found out certain strange things... things not that easy to explain.”
Cut to. EXT. Jane sits on the lawn, watching Sophie in surprise.
Jane: “What’s out there? Sophie... you are making up things again. There’s nothing out there.”
Sophie slowly shakes her head.
Sophie: “No...It’s out there... in the woods. I heard it growl.”
Cut to: INT. Kitchen. Esther pours coffee to mugs from a kettle. She stiffens as if she heard something and looks around.
Cut to. INT. Living room. Larry slowly moves in his wheel chair towards the picture window and looks out.
Fr. Jason looks at Timothy
Fr. Jason: “Tim, have you heard of the concept of the werewolf?”
Exhaling smoke, Larry turns and looks at Timothy.
Timothy watches Fr. Jason for a long moment and nods.
Timothy: “Yes, I have heard stories about it. Why do you ask?”
Fr. Jason: “Because, what your mother brought from Germany is the ultimate text to provoke the werewolf. To be precise, the werewolf god Ferniz. It’s called the book of the beast”.
Timothy watches Fr. Jason in surprise.
Timothy: “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Larry: “The legend is very old Mr. Baxter. Many centuries old. Some say it originated in the Carpathian mountains. The werewolf cult is an age old story.”
Timothy stares at the book in astonishment.
Timothy: “But... but what have my mother got to do with it?”
Larry: “If you don’t know anything about it...we are probing in the dark.”
Cut to: EXT. The bird cage. One bird suddenly makes a shrieking sound.
Sophie gasps and turns to look at the bird cage.
Cut to: INT. Kitchen. Esther stands still as if listening to something.
INT. Living room. Larry: “The only eye witness to those murders in that house in Concord was a woman. She admitted she killed one man to defend herself. Anyway, the court acquitted her on the basis of apparent insanity.”
EXT. Jane and Sophie watch the bird cage from where they stand.
INT. Living room. Timothy rubs his face with his palms. He looks at Fr. Jason with tired eyes.
Timothy: “Father, why did you want me to meet Mr. Larry?”
Fr. Jason picks up a paper clipping from the low table. He looks at the photograph of the SS man in it.
Fr. Jason: Thomas Cray... sorry, Martin Kroger used that house in Concord to conduct human sacrifices...to provoke the werewolf God.”
Cut to: INT. Kitchen. Esther slowly walks towards the door to the back yard.
O.S: The birds begin to shriek louder and louder.
Cut to. INT. Living room. Larry listens to the sound of the birds. He looks at Timothy.
Larry: “He used a replica of this book and stiletto to perform the rituals. They were found from the basement of that house.”
Cut to: INT. Kitchen. Esther carefully turns the door knob.
EXT. Sophie stares at the house.
INT. Kitchen. Esther suddenly pulls open the door.
