Between Needs & Desires

Masters of Horror

MASTERS OF HORROR 

"INCIDENT ON AND OFF A MOUNTAIN ROAD" 

BROODING MUSIC swells as THREATENING CLOUDS roll along in TIME LAPSE. The CREDITS begin. 

CLOSE on the right eye of ELLEN. She stares straight ahead.  

A MELANCHOLY SONG PLAYS as we PULL BACK to REVEAL her face. 

SONG 

It's good to hear your voice 

It's good to hear your breathing… 

She is a dark-featured, attractive woman in her late 20s. As the camera pulls back, it becomes apparent that she is at the wheel of a car, gazing at the road coming at her. A serious, enigmatic impressment’s LATER 

POV through the windshield as the car continues along the wooded road. 

NEW ANGLE on the car as it rounds a turn. 

SONG  

Every time I turn around You're gone… 

ANGLE ON the broken stripes of road paint rushing by. 

SONG 

But tonight I won't have anyone… 

The car continues along a winding mountain pass, illuminated by the full moon. 

SONG 

Well, I should call the cops 

Or I should call your father… 

ANGLE ON the broken stripes of road paint rushing by. 

SONG

Just saying you don’t care… 

CLOSE ON Ellen, still in her trance. 

SONG

So maybe 

SONG

Everybody notices when you're gone… 

The TIRES SQUEAL as the car continues. 

CLOSE ON Ellen, still in her trance. 

SONG

Everybody wonders what 

We did wrong… 

She reaches over to fiddle with the radio. The signal is WEAK and GARBLED. Her eyes momentarily leave the road as she checks the dial. 

After a beat, she looks up. Her eyes go WIDE and she SCREAMS. 

POV through the windshield on a BUICK parked in the middle of the road. She is headed straight for it. She jerks the wheel and SLAMS on the brake.As the car HURTLES to a halt, Ellen bounces against the steering wheel and is pounded into unconsciousness. 

The car comes to a stop on the other side of the Buick. 

We hold on her face, eyes closed, only for a second before we-

A MAN'S VOICE begins. 

BRUCE (V/O) I believe anything can happen to anyone...anywhere...at any time. 

Ellen's head rests on the steering wheel. Her eyes are open. There is a rumble of THUNDER and a FLASH OF LIGHTENING. Ellen blinks. She takes a deep breath and lifts her head. Cagey, she glances around. All is silent. 

She looks through the windshield at the empty road. She thinks for a beat, then winces as she places a hand to her head. 

ELLEN Oh, my God. 

She pulls down the rear-view mirror to examine a SMALL LACERATION at her hairline. 

ELLEN  Oh, s**t. 

She twists the keys in the ignition and the engine SPUTTERS. She grabs her purse and fishes out her cell phone. She taps out a number, but gets nothing. 

She pops open the glove compartment and pulls out a SMALL FLASHLIGHT. She checks it and finds that it works. 

She gathers her purse and opens the door. 

EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD – MOMENTS LATER 

CLOSE ON the rear license plate of her car, which reads "Oregon – RNI 8H4." 

ANGLE ON the driver's door as Ellen gingerly gets out. She spots the Buick behind her. Its lights are on and it doesn't appear to be seriously damaged. 

ELLEN Oh, great. 

She glances around in the darkness. 

ELLENHello? 

She shines her flashlight towards the Buick. 

ELLENAre you okay? 

Cautiously, she approaches. The driver's door is partially ajar. 

ELLEN Hello? 

She moves up to it to find that the car is empty. She glances up to the treetops. An odd, SCREAMING SOUND is heard–perhaps animal, perhaps human. 

ELLEN Hello? 

She turns back to the Buick and pulls open the driver's door. Her eyes widen at what she sees. 

REVEAL a BLOOD-SPATTERED garment on the passenger side and MORE SPATTERS on the driver's seat. Ellen shines her flashlight down and finds a THICK SWATH OF BLOOD. It TRAILS from the car across the pavement to a steel railing. 

Ellen stands at the railing. She shines her flashlight down the CLIFF. 

ELLEN  Hello? 

ELLEN'S POV looking down the mountain. A steep dirt incline leads about fifty feet into a thick forest. Halfway between the trees, a DARK FIGURE lumbers through the brush. 

ELLEN Are you okay down there? It was my fault! I-- 

There is no response from the approaching figure as it comes into better view. He is large and wears a LONG CLOAK and a WIDE BLACK HAT that obscures his face. We see now that the lumbering gait is caused not by a limp, but by the heavy object he drags behind him. 

ELLEN  My phone doesn't work! I can't call for help. 

The Figure shuffles up the incline toward her. Ellen narrows her eyes and shines her flashlight for a better look. The Figure continues towards her, stumbling but determined. Suddenly, she GASPS. 

ELLEN'S POV on the bloodied, slashed-up face of a YOUNG WOMAN as it drops out from behind the shuffling Figure. She stares straight at Ellen with a look of horror. 

YOUNG WOMAN Help me! 

Ellen's eyes go wide. At just this moment, the Figure lifts his head and doffs his hat to REVEAL himself. 

This is MOONFACE. He boasts an ENORMOUS BALD HEAD, CHALKY WHITE SKIN, and BLOODSHOT EYES. He GROWLS at Ellen, REVEALING a set of wicked SILVER CAPPED TEETH. 

Suddenly, in a BLUR OF MOVEMENT, Moonfaced wields his razor-sharp hunting knife and slashes at Ellen, sending her stumbling back onto the pavement. Her cell phone skitters across the road. 

Ellen backpedals on her feet and hands, GASPING. We see now that she is dressed in a skirt and high heels. 

Moonfaced GROWLS as he leaps onto the railing and is framed by the light of the ENORMOUS FULL MOON. He LANDS on the pavement with a THUD. 

He moves in on Ellen, who leaps to a crouching position. She glances this way and that. She spots the phone, but it is out of reach. 

Moonfaced slashes the air before her. She leaps up and throws herself over the railing, the blade cutting air just past her head as she vanishes into the void below. She half-nosedives/half-tumbles down the hill, rolling and stumbling, but finally managing to right her forward flight. 

ANGLE ON Moonfaced as he glares down the incline, GROWLING after her. LIGHTNING strikes, illuminating his features for a brief second. 

EXT. WOODS – MOMENTS LATER 

Ellen GASPS and PANTS as she barrels through trees and underbrush in a full-on terrified panic. LIGHTENING FLASHES as she runs. Moonfaced races behind her. 

QUICK CUTS as the chase continues. Ellen's breath comes short and ragged. Moonfaced GROWLS. FLASHES OF LIGHTENING providing momentary illumination through the dark branches and foliage. 

Ellen races along. Suddenly, she TRIPS over a root and STUMBLES to the ground. She GASPS. Recovering herself, she glances behind her and finds nothing. She leans against a tree and catches her breath.  

Bruce's voice begins. 

BRUCE (V/O) You've always got to expect the unexpected, and do the unexpected. 

Ellen runs up to a large field set before the cabin, laughing. Bruce runs after her and catches up quickly. 

BRUCE 

I'm right behind you! Yeah! 

He tackles her and they tumble to the grass together. 

BRUCE 

I guess I'm too fast for you, huh? 

Bruce rolls on top, pinning her to the ground. She smiles up at him. 

ELLEN 

I let you catch me. 

BRUCE 

I don’t think so. 

ELLEN Yes. 

BRUCE No. 

They stare into each other's  for a beat. She smiles. 

ELLEN Let me up. 

Bruce stares into her eyes. His own expression has darkened, and there is a coldness to him that we haven't seen before. 

ELLEN  Bruce, let me up. 

He does not respond. 

ELLEN  Let me up. 

She grabs his jacket and tries to pull herself up, but he's got her pinned. 

ELLEN  Let me up. 

He grabs her hand and helps her up. She looks into his eyes as he studies her intently. 

ELLEN  What? 

BRUCE It's time to do the unexpected. 

A small smile tugs at his lips. He reaches into his pocket and fishes something out. 

BRUCE  What do you say? 

Ellen stares at Bruce's hand, speechless. REVEAL a beautiful DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING, glinting in the sunlight. He waits for her reply. 

EXT. WOODS -

A FLASH OF LIGHTENING illuminates Ellen's teary eyes. She leans against the tree. Her breathing is RAPID. 

ANGLE ON Moonfaced as he crunches through the brush, paces away. 

Ellen grits her teeth. 

ELLEN 

Do the unexpected. 

FLASH OF LIGHTENING illuminates her purse nearby. 

Moon face’s boots strike the ground, very close now. Ellen breaks cover, pounces on her purse and hits the ground running. He follows. 

BERSERK POV SHOTS as they run. Ellen's feet slam into the ground, slogging through wet muck and leaves, while Moonfaced follows at a terrific pace, narrowing the gap fast. 

Ellen happens upon a series of fallen trees, all overgrown with heavy brush and vine and leaves, completely blocking her path. 

ELLEN Oh, s**t! 

She turns and her eyes go wide. She SCREAMS. 

REVEAL Moonfaced not 10 feet away, his fists clenched, his silver teeth bared. He GROWLS. 

Their eyes lock. Suddenly, she loses her footing and stumbles back against the mass of trees. Moonfaced pulls his KNIFE. It WHOOSHES as he SPINS it in the air and catches it by the blade. He waits a beat, then HURLS it straight at Ellen's head. There is THWACK as it lands in a tree, just inches away from her. Moonfaced charges towards her. 

She squeezes through the fallen trees. In a flash, he rips the knife out of the tree and comes after her. They crawl beneath the vines and briars on their bellies, Moonfaced quickly narrowing the gap. He takes a savage stab at her legs with the knife. She SCREAMS and kicks back at him. His face falls into the dirt. 

She struggles out of her coat and squeezes under another thick branch, leaving it behind. She scrambles up to a thin, low-hanging branch. She grasps it and tests it tension. She grows calmer, as if she now has an idea. 

ELLEN  Eat that, you motherfucker. 

ANGLE ON Moonfaced. He finds his knife in the dirt and continues to wriggle along on his belly. 

He crawls up to her booby-trap and grasps the branch, sending the scissors FLYING. 

Ellen proceeds through the woods. She stops mid-flight as she hears Moonfaced SCREAM. She waits for a beat, hears nothing more, then continues along. 

Moonfaced GROANS as he wrenches the scissors from his eye. He CLAPS a hand over his wound and GASPS. 

Ellen races along. LIGHTENING FLASHES and THUNDER CLAPS. She stops short at a large, natural DEPRESSION in the earth about five feet deep. She teeters precariously at its edge, her eye

Bruce's voice begins

BRUCE (V/O) When everything else fails you, try anything. 

EXT. WOODS -- 

CLOSE ON Ellen's shoe as it comes down on a medium-sized TREE BRANCH, cracking it in half and creating an almost perfect spear-like edge. She jams it, point up, into the pit.

ELLEN 

(whispers) Okay. Okay. 

She hikes up her skirt and slip off her UNDERPANTS. She quickly tears out the ELASTIC WAISTBAND. She dumps her purse out and rifles through the contents. She finds a HAIR ELASTIC, then paws around for something else. 

ELLEN  Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? 

She finds what she is looking for--a mean-looking NAIL FILE. She holds it in her mouth as she wraps the elastic around a long twig, then slides the nail file beneath the elastic. She quickly tears off a long piece of the hem from her skirt. 

She threads the elastic from her underpants across the abutment of a small tree, then grabs the swatch from her skirt and ties it around another long twig. Moonfaced GROWLS behind her. 

She holds back the elastic with the long twig and positions the nail file in front of it. She trails her skirt hem along the ground and ties it to a stake, fashioning a TRIPWIRE. 

She ducks behind a tree and waits in silence. 

ELLEN 

Come on. 

(whispers) Come on. 

LIGHTNING FLASHES. 

ELLEN 

Come on, you bastard. Come and get me. 

ANGLE ON the silent, motionless trees. 

ELLEN 

Come on, you bastard. 

(raises her voice) Come and get me! 

Finally, the foliage CRACKLES ahead of her. Ellen GASPS and crouches low. 

A DARK FIGURE lurches towards her. A FLASH OF LIGHTENING REVEALS that it is Moon face’s victim, the Young Woman. 

ELLEN Oh, no. 

She whimpers as she holds out her duct-taped wrists and proceeds towards the pit, oblivious to her surroundings. 

ELLEN  No! No! No! No! No! 

Ellen leaps towards the Woman. 

ELLEN No! No! No! No! 

There is a LOUD c***k as the camouflage gives way. The Woman plunges straight down. She hits bottom with a THUD and SCREAMS. 

Ellen clamps her hand to her mouth in horror. POV into the pit on the Woman. She CRIES OUT. A FLASH OF LIGHTNING REVEALS the stake below, driving right through her upper thigh. She HOWLS in pain. 

A conflicted Ellen considers this for a beat. Sensing something, she whirls around to find Moonfaced right behind her, his knife drawn. He GROWLS. 

Before she can move, he grabs her right by the throat. She GASPS. ANGLE ON the booby trap she has constructed, the nail file GLEAMING in the moonlight.  Moonfaced stumbles backwards, tripping the skirt hem and sending the nail file flying. 

Surprised, he lets go with a GRUNT. She looks down to find that the file has impaled her shoulder, six inches deep. 

She SCREAMS, then breaks the twig off.  

Disoriented, he glances over his shoulder to see the now tripped booby-trap. Ellen stumbles off into the woods. 

YOUNG WOMAN 

(screams) Help me! 

Moonfaced looks to the pit. 

YOUNG WOMAN (CONT'D) Oh, God! Help me! 

She CRIES and SCREAMS. POV into the pit as a FLASH OF LIGHTENING illuminates her horrified expression. She SCREAMS. 

CLOSE ON Moonfaced as he looks down on her. Slowly, he draws his finger to his lips. 

MOONFACE Shh. 

EXT. CRUCIFIX ROAD – MOMENTS LATER 

GASPING AND PANTING, Ellen staggers out of the thick woods and crashes to her knees in the middle of what appears to be a road or a clearing. She catches sight of something O/S and SCREAMS. 

PAN UP an odd construction of a BODY wrapped in BURLAP and BARBED WIRE, tied to an ENORMOUS CRUCIFIX. A ROTTED, almost SKELETAL FACE looks down at her. 

Ellen stumbles down this "Crucifix Road," hyperventilating and crying. She rushes towards the house and stumbles up the porch, where she finds herself face-to-face with a ROTTED CORPSE in a wheel chair on the porch. She CRIES and SCREAMS, flailing this way and that. 

She heads for a path, but not two feet along, finds herself at the CLIFF'S EDGE, overlooking churning RIVER fifty feet below. PAN UP the opposite side of the cliff to REVEAL another cabin. 

She turns to double back, but stops short at the sight of 

Moonfaced. He stands before her, SNARLING and HISSING, the Woman's body at his side. 

Ellen SCREAMS. QUICK SHOTS of the CRUCIFIED BODIES, which are illuminated with intermittent FLASHES OF LIGHTENING. Ellen CRIES and SCREAMS. 

ELLEN No! Please! 

Bruce's voice begins. 

BRUCE 

You're weak, Ellen. You've always been weak. I knew it 

INT. MOONFACE'S CABIN -- BASEMENT –  

CLOSE ON Ellen's bruised and bloodied face as she lies unconscious in a dark room, the nail file still jutting from her shoulder. The sounds of DRIPPING WATER can be heard. 

Ellen rouses. She GASPS as she sits up to find herself handcuffed to a pole. She glances this way and that. The room is dark and grimy, dimly lit with GAS LAMPS. She catches sight of something O/S and SCREAMS. 

REVEAL TWO DEAD BODIES, their EYES ROTTED OUT, leaning against a grimy wall. Ellen SCREAMS as she struggles to her feet. 

ELLEN Oh, no! 

She looks this way and that, and finds more ROTTING CORPSES. She CRIES OUT and struggles with her handcuffs, but it is no use. 

ELLEN 

(cries) Oh, no. 

Behind her lies the Young Woman, motionless, her face and body covered in bloody lacerations. Ellen SCREAMS and crouches back down to the floor. 

Suddenly, in a jolting shock, one of the "corpses", a lanky old man, BUDDY, sits up in his wheelchair and GASPS for air. He COUGHS and SPUTTERS. Ellen's jaw drops. 

BUDDY

Oh good lord, it smells bad in here! When is he going to clean it out, by golly? If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a messy house! And no matter how much I sleep, whenever I wake up it's still the same messy house! 

He wheels closer to her and we get a better view of his grizzled face and SOILED CLOTHING. His eyes widen as he spots Ellen. 

BUDDY  Hi. 

(beat) 

I'm Buddy. Not too many come up that road. Maybe one a night. Didn't make the turn in the road either, huh? 

Ellen trembles and GASPS, her eyes wide as she continues to take in her horrific surroundings. 

BUDDY  Well, one in ten usually don't. He's had a real backlog lately. (beat) 

Did you bring any candy? I like it when they bring candy. Sweets pass the time so much faster, don't you agree? 

Ellen lurches forward and VOMITS. 

BUDDY 

I'll take that as a "maybe." 

Ellen clamps her hand to her mouth and cries. 

BUDDY  Your friend is pretty. 

CLOSE ON the Young Woman's body. 

BUDDY  He must think you're both very special. He didn't kill you like the last two. 

Buddy jerks his chin at the first two corpses. 

BUDDY  They was bad girls. Kind of nasty, you know. I guess they sort of deserved it. 

(beat) 

Do you know what they did? Ellen shakes her head. 

BUDDY  They wanted to do…sexy things with him. Said they'd do anything he wanted if he didn't hurt them. But he doesn't want sexy things. Those things are bad. You see so many bad things in your life. It all comes in through your eyes. And sometimes your eyes lie to you. And show you things you don't want to see. So he makes them go away. 

At last, Ellen manages to speak. 

ELLEN Where…are we? 

BUDDY You've come home. (beat) 

I've been here waiting for you. Well, I was waiting for someone, I guess. It might as well be you. Might as well be anyone, really. 

ELLEN 

What…what the f**k is he? 

BUDDY His face is like the moon. So beautiful. I used to call him Moonfaced, but he didn't like that for long. Thought I was making fun of him. 

Ellen's breathing is short and rapid. 

ELLEN 

That sick bastard. He cuts out their eyes? 

BUDDY

(dismissive) 

Oh, he does that with everyone, girl. I thought we was clear on that already. You have to be on certain terms to relate to him and the eyes, well…they're usually the first things that have to go. I guess we're lucky, you and me. 

ELLEN Why hasn't he killed us? 

BUDDY 

Reasons. There must be a million reasons. He might be busy. After all, he has to move those cars miles away to dump them so that no one can ever find us. 

Ellen considers this. 

BUDDY  Oh, he's so smart. 

ELLEN Listen to me, okay? I left my cell phone up on the road. I can get you out of here. Okay? If you can get me out of these 

(shows him her cuffs) 

I can leave and go get us help. Okay? 

BUDDY Sorry. 

Buddy holds up his own arms, which are also cuffed. 

BUDDY  I would if I could, but I can't so I won't. 

Suddenly, there is a THUMP from upstairs. DUST rains down on Ellen. She looks up to the ceiling. Ellen struggles frantically with her cuffs. Buddy launches into another rant as the THUMPING draws nearer. 

BUDDY  So, about the candy. Did you bring any? What's your name anyway? I'm Buddy. Did I tell you that already? We can be good friends for a while. I think he really likes you— 

ELLEN

(interrupts) Shut up! 

BUDDY 

We could sing some songs! Do you know any songs? 

Through the slatted roof, Ellen sees a FIGURE STOMPING overhead. 

BUDDY  I know lots of songs! 

The basement doors are thrown open. Light from above shafts down on Ellen's terrified expression. Buddy instantly wheels back into the darkness and hangs his head. 

Ellen squints and recoils, blinded and terrified by the display. As her eyes adjust, she can make out the focal point of the basement-- 

A large DRILL PRESS in the centre of the room, powered by a WHIRRING GENERATOR and complete with a table and straps to hold a body down. The main drill bit is attached to a large mechanical arm and there is a crank to one side. 

Moonfaced scoops up the Young Woman on the floor and carries her to the table. He positions her so that her head is directly beneath the drill and straps her down. Coming to, the Woman MOANS. Ellen looks on in horror.  

CLOSE ON Moon face’s hand as he pushes a button. The drill bit WHIZZES to life. The Woman SCREAMS. Ellen CRIES and shakes her head furiously. 

ELLEN No! No! No! No! 

Moonfaced turns the crank and the drill begins its descent. 

ELLEN  No! 

The Woman SCREAMS. Moonfaced holds her face down and GROWLS. CLOSE ON the Woman's eye as the drill bit comes down. 

ANGLE ON ELLEN. She jerks against her restraints as the SOUND OF THE DRILL BIT TEARING INTO FLESH is heard. Buddy winces. 

The Woman SCREAMS and her limbs clench. Ellen cries. Buddy looks on in horror. There is another horrifying SQUELCH, and then the Woman's feet go limp. 

ANGLE ON the drill bit as it pulls back, a slimy spiral of gore and brain matter. Moonfaced presses the button. Ellen CRIES. Moonfaced kicks off the switch and the generator POWERS DOWN. 

EXT. CRUCIFIX ROAD –

All is silent.