KING OF HEARTS

by
Craig M. Tiede

152 New York Avenue #4

Jersey City, NJ 07307
(814) 490-8976
FADE IN:

INT. JUVENILE TREATMENT FACILITY - DAY

A GUARD enters the visitor’s room.

AARON ADAMS, 18, sits alone at a table playing Solitaire.

Aaron draws a card from one of the piles. He flips over the
King of Hearts. He places it on top of the Queen of Hearts,
in another pile. He looks up at the guard.

The guard nods toward the door. Aaron collects the cards and
stands. He walks toward the door.

GUARD
Don’t forget.

The guard motions to a bag near the table. Aaron goes back
and picks it up.

INT. DR. CARROLL’S OFFICE - DAY

DR. CARROLL, 42, straightens a stalk of bamboo in a terra-

cotta pot on his desk. He lets go of the stalk and the bamboo
tips over.

DR. WARNER, 36, bursts in.

DR. WARNER
We can’t let him leave.

Dr. Carroll straightens the bamboo, again watching helplessly

as it falls.

DR. CARROLL
We can’t make him stay.

DR. WARNER
Do you know where he’s going?

Dr. Carroll searches the files on his desk and grabs one. He
opens it and reads.

DR. CARROLL
Ithaca.

DR. WARNER
And what’s in Ithaca?
 2.

DR. CARROLL
I don’t know. We don’t need to
know. It’s his life now.

Dr. Carroll closes the folder.

DR. WARNER
His brother. His brother’s in
Ithaca.

Dr. Warner awaits a response.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

Did you hear what I said?

DR. CARROLL
I did. We’ve been over this. He’s
made remarkable progress. This
story has a happy ending.

Dr. Warner looks out the office window.

DR. WARNER
He was waiting.

DR. CARROLL
Only for a chance to start over.

Dr. Warner sees Aaron outside. He watches Aaron walk down the
snowy road, carrying his bag away from the facility.

DR. WARNER
And he will.

Aaron disappears from view as a flock of birds appears in the

sky.

EXT. WOODS - DAY - NOVEMBER, ELEVEN YEARS EARLIER

A buck plods through deep snow and stops in a thicket.

A FATHER, 39, and his two young sons watch from a tree,
above.

The buck nibbles on a branch. The father raises his rifle.

The FIRST SON watches intently. The SECOND SON shivers.

The buck raises its head. The second son tumbles from the
tree and into the snow below. The father fires.

The buck runs off unharmed.

 3.

FATHER
Shit.

The first son leaps from the tree. He runs to inspect the
deer’s fresh tracks.

The father descends the tree. The second son whimpers.

FATHER (cont’d)
You’re all right.

The father leans his rifle against the tree and yanks the
second son from the snow. The second son wipes his face.

FATHER (cont’d)
What are you crying for?

The second son sniffles, hiding his eyes. The father

retrieves his rifle.

FATHER (cont’d)
Here. You want to hold it?

He replaces the safety and holds the rifle out. The second
son hesitates. The first son bounds back toward his father.

FIRST SON
I’ll hold it, Dad.

The father pulls the rifle from the first son’s grasp.

FATHER
You know how. I have to teach your
brother.

He again holds the rifle out for his second son.

FATHER (cont’d)
Go on.

He crouches behind his second son, placing the rifle in his

hands. They aim the gun toward the thicket.

FATHER (cont’d)
How’s that feel?

The father holds him still as he tries twitching free.

FATHER (cont’d)
Listen, I’m gonna teach you this.
In this world you’re either the
hunter or the hunted.
 4.
FATHER(cont'd)
Remember that. Now, look straight
ahead. Stay focused, strong.
Then...

The father jerks the rifle, as if he were firing it.

FATHER (cont’d)
Boom!

The second son wriggles free from his father’s tight embrace.
The father stands, rifle at his side.

FATHER (cont’d)
Just like your mother.

Both sons’ faces flash with stunned sadness. The father heads
off beyond the thicket.

FATHER (cont’d)
Come on. Follow me.

The first son hurriedly leaps through the snow, trying to

keep up. The second son lags behind.

EXT. WOODS - DAY

The father emerges from the woods and approaches a car. He

unlocks the trunk and places his rifle inside. He takes off
his hunting jacket, removing a camouflage flask from an inner
pocket. He takes a quick swig as his sons arrive at the car.

The father closes the trunk, leans against the car and drinks
from his flask. The second son stares at him.

FATHER
Go grab me my pack of smokes.

The second son walks toward the car.

FIRST SON
I’ll get ‘em!

The first son runs toward the car. He and his brother both
rush to the door, slamming into it simultaneously. The
father, taking another swig from his flask, is rocked by the
impact and spills alcohol all over his shirt.

FATHER
Would you two cut it out? You never
gave your mom this much trouble.

The father brushes the wetness from his shirt. The second son
looks back at him, angrily.
 5.

The first son opens the car door and retrieves the pack of
cigarettes. He runs around and hands them to his father.

FATHER (cont’d)
My lighter, too.

The first son runs back around and peers inside the car.

FIRST SON
I don’t see it.

FATHER
It’s right next to--
(remembering)
Shit. I think there are matches in
the glove compartment.

The father places a cigarette between his lips.

The first son climbs inside the car and removes his gloves.
He opens the glove compartment and sees a matchbox atop a
pack of playing cards. He grabs both and jumps out.

The first son opens the pack. He shuffles through the cards
and sees that each bears a photo of a naked woman.

The second son grabs the matchbox from his brother and walks
around to the rear of the car. He stops and faces his father.

FIRST SON
Whoah.

The father turns and sees him ogling the pack of cards.

FATHER
Hey! Get outta those.

The father grabs the cards. The second son removes a match
and strikes it. It bursts into flame.

FATHER (cont’d)
Stop playing around and give me the
Goddamned matches!

The father reaches out to grab the box away. The second son
tosses the lit match toward his father. It catches the
father’s shirt, setting it on fire.

The father drops his flask, spilling more alcohol. He is

immediately enveloped in flames.
 6.

The first son screams and runs toward the father. The father,
ablaze and panicking, launches himself back onto the car,
smashing his head through the rear window.

The father lets go of the playing cards. They rain down on

him, the boys and the car.

FIRST SON
Dad!

The inside of the car fills with flames. The father kicks and
screams in agony.

A flock of birds is startled out of a nearby tree.

The first son stumbles away from the car, in shock.

The second son remains frozen in horror, surrounded by cards.

FIRST SON (cont’d)

No!

The birds scatter overhead.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT - OCTOBER, PRESENT DAY

TIM ADAMS, 20, jolts awake, gasping and covered in sweat.

He sits up in bed and gets his bearings. He is alone. It is

1:40 A.M. and quiet, but for the sounds of his quick breaths.

Tim gets out of bed and goes to the window. He looks out from
his sixth-floor single-occupancy room at the sleepy college
campus below and sighs.

He opens his desk drawer and removes a prescription bottle.

He removes the cap, spills two pills into his hand and pops
them into his mouth.

He swallows hard, tossing the bottle back into the drawer.

Tim gets into bed. He scoots all the way over to the wall,
pulls the covers up over his chest and stares at the ceiling.

He exhales and closes his eyes.

INT. PASSENGER BUS - NIGHT

MARY ANN, 20, looks up from her book. She is seated near the
middle of the bus. She looks toward the front at the other
passengers, all of whom are sleeping.
 7.

She turns to review the rows behind her. Aaron is seated two
rows back, staring at her.

MARY ANN
Can’t sleep either, huh?

She smiles at him.

MARY ANN (cont’d)

I hate taking the late bus. I’d
never let myself fall asleep. No
telling what these creeps might
try.

She points to a disheveled, older man asleep near the front.

MARY ANN (cont’d)

Like that one. Tell me he doesn’t
look like a psycho killer.

AARON
You can’t always tell by looking at
someone.

Mary Ann gets up from her seat and sits in a vacant seat
directly across from Aaron. She sees he is playing Solitaire.

MARY ANN
You’re a guy. You don’t understand.
What do you have to be afraid of?

Aaron returns to his cards.

MARY ANN (cont’d)

Which school you go to?

AARON
I don’t. Just visiting.

MARY ANN
Who are you visiting?

Aaron looks up as he flips over the King of Hearts.

AARON
My brother.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim lies awake, covers tossed to his side. It is 3:10 A.M.

 8.

He grabs his pillow and throws it at the opposite wall. He

sits up in bed, kicking the covers to the floor.

He goes to his dresser and pulls out a sweatshirt and track

pants.

EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS - NIGHT

Tim runs along the campus’s main road. Though the parking
lots are full with cars, he is the only person in sight.

He reaches the end of the road. Rather than turn around, he

runs down a dirt path leading into the campus woods.

EXT. CAMPUS WOODS - NIGHT

Tim runs. There are some lights along the path, but it is
much darker than before.

Having trouble seeing, Tim slows down and jogs in place. He

looks back toward the main road.

He runs on, farther into the woods.

Tim passes the last light marking the path. It quickly

becomes too dark for him to see where he’s going. His running
slows. Before stopping, he trips and falls to the ground.

TIM
Shit.

Tim pushes himself up and blindly walks back toward the spot
of his fall. Rustling sounds emanate from the woods.

Tim feels something with his foot. He kneels and reaches out
his hand. The rustling gets louder.

His hand brushes against something in the path. He cries out

and lurches backwards, falling again.

A fawn emerges from the woods and stands before Tim.

Between them lies the cause of Tim’s fall: a dead doe.

Tim bolts up and rushes at the fawn. The fawn takes off into
the woods. Tim leaps over the dead doe and sprints back down
the path toward the light.
 9.

EXT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - NIGHT

Tim, still sprinting, enters the parking lot. Flashing lights

from an ambulance and campus safety car pierce the black sky.

Tim slows as he nears the ambulance. He runs up to GRIFFITH

WESLEY, 26, his Hall Director, as Griffith walks groggily
away from an officer.

GRIFFITH
I’m too old for this.

TIM
What’s going on?

GRIFFITH
An incident on your floor.

A second officer exits the hall, leading BRIAN HAMMOND, 19,

toward the safety car. Brian is handcuffed. His hands are
bloody and bruised.

TIM
Brian?

Brian looks up at Tim, but does not respond. The officer

places Brian in the back seat. Tim looks to Griffith.

TIM (cont’d)
What did he do?

Griffith leads Tim toward the ambulance. Seated inside, his

face cut and bruised, is CLAY GLASSMAN, 19.

TIM (cont’d)
Clay?

Clay looks up. One of his eyes is swelled shut.

TIM (cont’d)
What happened?

CLAY
We were asleep. He got a phone
call. I figured it was one of his
teammates, or some girl. So I told
him to keep it down. Next thing I
know, he’s throwing the phone at
me, punching walls, going crazy.

GRIFFITH
His grandmother died.
 10.

Tim turns to Griffith, then back to Clay.

TIM
Are you OK?

CLAY
I’ve been better.

A paramedic approaches the ambulance doors.

TIM
Come see me when you get back.

Clay nods. The paramedic closes the ambulance doors. Tim

considers Brian in the safety car.

TIM (cont’d)
He lived with her. His parents
weren’t exactly--

GRIFFITH
Doesn’t excuse him going apeshit on
his roommate. Someone needs to get
you guys to understand that anger’s
not the only acceptable emotion.

Tim blushes. Griffith leads Tim toward the hall. The safety
car pulls out.

TIM
I’m sorry I wasn’t here.

GRIFFITH
Jamie’s on duty. She did a good
job. You are entitled to a life.

TIM
Yeah.

The ambulance pulls out of the parking lot. Tim watches it

leave, until its flashing lights disappear from view.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim exits the elevator. JOHN BARNUM, 20, KEN LONGNECKER, 20,
and ROBB WILLING, 18, are in the hallway.

KEN
Dude, you missed it.
 11.

ROBB
Brian went berserk on Clay’s ass.
John pulled ‘em apart. It was
fucked up.

TIM
You guys should get to bed.

Tim heads toward his room.

KEN
Where were you anyway?

Tim stops and turns back to them.

TIM
Couldn’t sleep. Went for a run.

JOHN
Good thing someone with a clear
head was around to take control.

TIM
Good thing.

Tim unlocks his door.

JOHN
Maybe I should be an R.A.

KEN
John...

TIM
Maybe.

TED RACE, 18, opens his room door, startling them all. He
peers out from his dark room.

TED
Could you keep it down please? I
think there’s been enough commotion
on this floor for one night and I
would like to get some sleep.

John advances toward Ted’s door. Ted closes it slightly, but

not all the way.

JOHN
Sure, bud. Sorry this floor’s cum
motion disturbs you.

Robb laughs. Ted slams his door and locks it from inside.
 12.

KEN
Come on. Back to bed boys.

Ken yanks Robb’s shirt and leads him down the hall. John
remains intent on Tim.

JOHN
Can’t really run away when you have
to come back, can ya?

Tim pauses, then enters his room.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim closes the door behind him and slides to the floor.

EXT. CAMPUS QUAD - DAY

Aaron exits the passenger bus holding his playing cards. He

looks around at the mass of students and parents and up at a
“Welcome Future Students” banner.

He starts off into the crowd.

Mary Ann rushes out of the bus, holding Aaron’s bag.

MARY ANN
Hey! You forgot...

Aaron’s gone.

INT. SIXTH FLOOR BATHROOM - DAY

Steam rises from an occupied shower stall.

Inside, Ted works his shampoo into a lather. Ted steps

beneath the running water and the suds wash over his face.

Suddenly, the shower curtain is ripped back. Ted opens his

eyes and sees someone plunging a knife toward his chest.

Ted screams.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - DAY

Tim sleeps up against his door. He’s awakened by Ted’s

screams.
 13.

INT. SIXTH FLOOR BATHROOM - DAY

Tim runs into the bathroom. He finds John, Robb and Ken
inside, laughing. Ken is holding a camcorder and Robb is
holding a plastic butcher’s knife and ketchup bottle.

Ted is sitting naked, in the shower stall, hiding his face.

The running shower washes ketchup from his body.

TIM
What’s going on?

Robb and Ken, still laughing too hard, can’t speak.

JOHN
We’re just making a little movie.
Our man Ted here is the star.

Tim looks perplexed.

JOHN (cont’d)
My student film. I’m making a
slasher flick. Except instead of
all the victims being chicks,
they’re gonna be guys. Ted should
feel honored. He’s the first
victim. The first victim sets the
tone, tells you what it’s all
about.

Ted stands and quickly grabs his towel and shampoo. He

hurries out of the bathroom, almost slipping. Ken and Robb
laugh harder.

Tim turns and leaves the bathroom, following Ted.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Tim runs after Ted. Ted unlocks the door to his room.

TIM
Ted, wait!

Ted enters his room, slamming his door as Tim reaches it.

John, Robb and Ken exit the bathroom. Robb is still laughing.
Ken has regained his composure. They approach Tim.

KEN
We didn’t plan for it to be him. It
coulda been anybody.
 14.

ROBB
Yeah. But he was so...

Robb starts laughing hysterically again. He leans on John to

keep from doubling over. Tim whips around to face them.

TIM
Apologize.

John approaches Ted’s door and knocks.

JOHN
Hey, Teddie. We’re sorry. But, it
could still get bigger when you hit
puberty.

Robb laughs harder. Tim fumes. Ken motions to John.

KEN
You better get to your tour.

John considers Ken, then Tim. He heads for the stairwell.

JOHN
We’ll film more when I get back.

TIM
Not here you won’t.

JOHN
You know, Tim? I’m starting to get
the feeling you don’t like us.

John leans against the stairwell door. It opens and John

stumbles backwards into NINA NEEDHAM, 20, as she enters.

NINA
Men are idiots.

Nina props John up.

ROBB
Hey, Nina.

KEN
Hey, babe.

Nina goes to Ken and they kiss. She eyes Robb suspiciously.

NINA
Robb, what’s with the ketchup?
 15.

ROBB
It’s for John’s movie. You shoulda--

Tim shoots Robb a look. Nina notices the tension.

NINA
Nevermind. It’s probably a guy
thing. And, I probably don’t care.

KEN
(to John)
When you comin’ back?

JOHN
Four. So, make sure you two are
dressed by then. I might get stuck
being an overnight host for one of
these tour brats. And I’m not gonna
be responsible for introducing
anyone to your sexual depravity. I
wouldn’t want to be a bad
influence.

Tim glares at John. John winks at him and enters the

stairwell.

NINA
Then we better get to it, big boy.

Nina leads Ken toward his room.

KEN
Sorry again, Tim.

Nina and Ken enter Ken’s room. Robb stares after them,
absentmindedly squeezing the ketchup bottle, dribbling some
onto the floor. Robb looks down at it, then back up at Tim.

ROBB
I’ll get that.

Robb reenters the bathroom.

Tim goes to knock on Ted’s door, but stops himself when he

hears Ted crying.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - DAY

Tim paces in his room, talking into his cell phone.

 16.

TIM
I realize today’s like your own
personal Christmas and everything,
but... I really need to talk. I’m
on duty tonight, so I can’t--
(sighs)
Just call me, all right? I’m kinda
freaking out.

Tim ends the call. There’s a knock at his door.

He opens the door to find LANA OVITS, 21, standing in the

hallway. She’s holding a blanket and a stuffed knapsack.

LANA
What is wrong with you?

Tim is startled by her question.

LANA (cont’d)
It’s gorgeous out. Let’s go.

Tim’s phone rings. He mutes it and tosses it onto his bed.

LANA (cont’d)
You’re not gonna get that?

TIM
Who do I need to talk to? You’re
here.

Lana smiles. Tim exits his room, locking the door behind
them. His phone is silent, but lit.

INT. DR. WARNER’S OFFICE - DAY

Dr. Warner is at his desk, on the phone.

DR. WARNER
This message is for Tim Adams. Tim,
my name is Dr. Warner. I’m calling
about your brother.

EXT. ADMISSIONS OFFICE - DAY

John exits the admissions building and greets a large group

of students and parents. Behind him is a welcome banner for
the college’s “Discovery Day.”
 17.

JOHN
I hope you all realize how lucky
you are to get the college’s finest
tour guide. For those of you who
scored below average on the SAT,
let me help you out. That’d be me.

A few parents and students in the group chuckle.

JOHN (cont’d)
So what’s say we get started?

John leads his group away from the admissions building.

Amidst the group, near the back of the crowd, is Aaron.

EXT. CAMPUS QUAD - DAY

Tim lies on Lana’s blanket, beneath a weeping willow on the

bank of the campus pond. He is resting his head on her lap.

Tim makes a daisy chain from a group of daisies collected at

his side. Lana reads to him from the paper she’s holding.

LANA
‘According to Descartes, doubt
alone, not just obvious falseness,
is enough to nullify a belief.
Noting that our senses may be
deceiving us in any given moment,
he came to discard his belief in
all things that he physically
experienced, conceived or
remembered, ultimately concluding
that perhaps nothing is certain. If
we can doubt even that which we
believe we know, including our
memories, in what can we
conceivably believe at all?’

Tim finishes the daisy chain as John’s tour group walks by.
Lana looks up.

LANA (cont’d)
Tim, are you listening?

TIM
Huh?

Tim looks up at her, breaking the chain.

 18.

TIM (cont’d)
Yeah. We should doubt everything.
And lots of other big words.

Lana lifts Tim’s head from her lap.

LANA
This is important.

TIM
Maybe if it had pictures.

Lana shakes her head. Tim sits up and picks at the grass.

TIM (cont’d)
I’m just tired. Besides, a “B”
won’t kill you.

LANA
When was the last time you got one?

Lana stands and shoves the paper into her bag.

TIM
Lana, wait! I’m sorry. I just don’t
do philosophy is all.

Lana sighs.

LANA
I don’t know why I bother. I know
you’re no help with this stuff.
But, it’s due tomorrow. So, I
should go.

She starts tugging on the blanket. Tim rolls closer to her.

TIM
This is the last nice day we’re
gonna have. Tomorrow’s November.
It’s probably gonna snow. Stay.

He reaches out to her.

LANA
I have to go. But, I’ll see you
later. You’re on duty tonight,
right?

Tim frowns and nods.

 19.

LANA (cont’d)
Nina wants me to go with her to
this costume party off-campus.
Assuming she and Ken ever...
Separate. I’ll get out of it.

TIM
If you want.

LANA
You don’t want me to come over?

Tim laughs. He stands and they fold the blanket together.

TIM
I just meant do what you want. You
don’t have to stay in just because
I do.

Their folding brings them to face-to-face.

TIM (cont’d)
Like how I don’t have to be into
philosophy just because you’re
going to be the world’s greatest
thinker.

He leans in and kisses her.

LANA
It’s a good thing you’re such a
good kisser, or I’d have no use for
you at all.

Tim smiles and watches Lana walk away. He looks down at the
trampled daisies beneath his feet.

EXT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - DAY

Tim approaches the front entrance.

A MALE STUDENT and FEMALE STUDENT stand outside. The female

is holding an animal cage with a white rabbit inside.

TIM
You can’t take that inside.

Both students stop and regard Tim.

MALE STUDENT
Why?
 20.

TIM
Animals aren’t allowed in the hall.

The female student pokes the male student.

FEMALE STUDENT
Did ya hear that? He says you’re
not allowed in the hall.

The male student playfully shoves her.

FEMALE STUDENT (cont’d)

But he’s part of my costume.

MALE STUDENT
She’s Alice.

Tim considers the rabbit’s white fur and pink eyes.

TIM
Sorry.

Tim walks past them and enters the building.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - LOBBY - DAY

The lobby is decorated for Halloween. Tim pushes aside some

cobwebs and presses the elevator’s up button.

The elevator doors open and Tim steps inside.

INT. ELEVATOR - DAY

JED HOWLAND, 18, is in the elevator. He blushes when Tim

enters, fidgeting with his hands in his pants’ pockets.

TIM
Jed.

The elevator doors close.

TIM (cont’d)
You didn’t get out.

JED
Oh. I’m going upstairs. I just
forgot to push the button.

Tim eyes Jed suspiciously. He pushes the sixth floor button.

The elevator begins moving. Jed pushes the button for the
thirteenth floor.
 21.

JED (cont’d)
I hear you’re on duty tonight.

TIM
You guys are gonna behave, right?

JED
Don’t we always?

Tim looks at Jed incredulously.

The elevator creaks to a stop. Tim and Jed look at one

another. Tim repeatedly pushes the sixth floor button.

After a moment, the elevator moves, arriving at the sixth

floor. The doors open.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Tim exits the elevator. Jed remains inside. There are several
boxes piled by the elevator.

JED
That was weird.

TIM
I’ll call it in. Aren’t you getting
out?

JED
I’ll chance it.

The elevator doors start to close. Tim reaches his arm in and
stops them.

TIM
Just remember... I’m here all
night. And, I’m watching you.

Jed shivers in mock fear. Tim removes his arm. The elevator
doors close.

Tim considers the boxes and heads for room 603. The door is
open.

Inside, JAKE PRESTON, 18, stands on top of a dresser. He’s

stretching his 3’11” frame to its capacity trying to reach an
iron on his closet’s top shelf.

TIM (cont’d)
What’s your roommate doing in the
elevator?
 22.

Jake grabs hold of the iron cord. He yanks it from the shelf.

JAKE
Fucker needs to stop putting my
shit on the top shelf.

Jake hops down from the dresser, iron in tow.

JAKE (cont’d)
I don’t know, but he’s been in
there all afternoon. He’s up to
something.

Tim briefly looks back toward the elevator. Jake sets up a

mini-ironing board on his desk.

TIM
Any plans for tonight?

JAKE
I was considering going trick or
treating as Shaq. But then I
remembered I’m white.

Tim smiles.

JAKE (cont’d)
Why?

TIM
I’m on duty.

JAKE
Like I’m gonna be any trouble.

TIM
No. But, now I know I have another
pair of eyes.

JAKE
Sure. Things get crazy around here,
you let me know. I’ll break out my
brass helmet, bust some kneecaps.

Jake places a shirt on the ironing board.

TIM
I’m very impressed that you iron.

JAKE
It’s all about the details, man.
 23.

Tim smiles and heads back out into the hallway. Jake catches
his finger on the iron and smarts from the burn.

TIM
I’m taking a nap. Let me know if
there are any details I miss.

Tim looks down at the boxes by the elevator as he heads to

his room. He barely avoids walking into Brian, who, under the
supervision of a campus safety officer, is carrying another
box toward the elevator.

Tim flinches back, startled.

TIM (cont’d)
Brian? What’s going on?

BRIAN
Movin’ out.

Brian drops the box to the floor among the stack of other
boxes. He heads back toward his room, room 614. Tim follows.

TIM
Why?

BRIAN
I think they call it summary
suspension. Apparently the student
conduct code mentions something
about not pummeling your roommate.

TIM
They suspended you?

Brian enters his room and begins tossing the last of his
belongings into another box. Tim inches past the safety
officer to stand in the doorway.

TIM (cont’d)
Did you even have a hearing?

Brian uses his arm to sweep a shelf of empty beer cans into
the box. He pulls some photos from his bulletin board.

BRIAN
I did it. What do they have to
hear?

Brian empties his desk drawer.

 24.

BRIAN (cont’d)
All he had to do was keep his mouth
shut. Give me a moment, you know?

Brian turns to Tim.

BRIAN (cont’d)
But nobody will give a guy his
space.

Brian picks up the box and pushes past Tim.

TIM
I’m sorry about your--

BRIAN
My key’s on the bed.

Tim watches him walk down the hallway. The sounds of moaning
and the squeaking of bed springs emerge from Ken’s room.

Tim looks back into the now half-empty room and sighs.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim awakens from his nap. He rubs his eyes and looks at his
clock. It is 8:10 P.M.

TIM
Shit.

Tim grabs his phone and sees that he has two messages. He
turns the sound back on and dials.

INT. RESIDENCE HALL OFFICE - NIGHT

JAMIE HOLMES, 21, hangs a key in the key box. The phone
rings. She answers it.

JAMIE
Tower Office, this is Jamie.

INTERCUT TELEPHONE CONVERSATION - TIM AND JAMIE

Tim furiously dresses himself.

TIM
Jamie. I’m here. I just fell
asleep. And my ringer was off.
 25.

Jamie considers the keys in the box. Many have been hung
facing in opposite directions. She sighs into the phone.

JAMIE
You’re confusing me for someone who
cares. I’m out of here at 8:30.
Just make sure you get the duty
keys by then.

She hangs up and begins rearranging the keys.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim clicks off his phone and heads toward his door. He
glimpses his reflection in his room mirror and stops.

His hair is matted and he has pillow lines on his face.

TIM
Great.

Tim grabs a hat and pulls it far down on his forehead. He

opens his door, squinting to avoid the hallway lights.

Tim leaps back in fright. K STEVENS, 21, is standing in his

doorway covered in red make-up from head to toe.

K
You look like shit.

TIM
You--

Tim falls speechless as his eyes adjust.

K
Just because I’ve decided to stay
in with my best friend who,
according the message he left me
earlier today, is ‘freaking out’ -
notice he mentioned nothing about
also looking like shit - does not
mean I’ve decided to forego all
that’s fabulous about Halloween
night. Hence, my costume.

K dramatically displays himself for Tim, striking a pose.

TIM
What are you?
 26.

K
A red state. More precisely, a
homosexual in a red state. I mean,
honestly, can you think of anything
more frightening?

K enters Tim’s room and flips on the light. He unzips his red
bag and takes out a stack of DVDs.

K (cont’d)
And since today is, as you so
appropriately called it, my
personal Christmas, I come bearing
gifts. My favorite scary movies.
Full of knife-weilding psychos to
scare you and big, perky tits to
scare me.

K shivers for effect. He notices Tim still staring.

K (cont’d)
What? It’s dry.

K wipes his red arm on Tim’s bed covers as proof.

TIM
I have to go lock up.

K
And then you’ll tell me what was so
God-awful serious that I had to
cancel my plans?

TIM
Please. How many times have you
seen “Rocky Horror”?

K
Sixty-eight. So tonight was going
to be special.

Tim rolls his eyes.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim exits his room. John, Jed and Robb are in the hallway.
Robb drips red food coloring into a bottle of corn syrup.

TIM
No way.
 27.

JOHN
Chill. The next scene’s outside.

ROBB
And ketchup just looks like
ketchup.

JED
I get to be the second victim!

Tim pushes the elevator’s down button. Moaning sounds emanate

from Ken’s room.

ROBB
Jesus. They’ve been at it all day.

JED
Dude’s my hero.

Jed grabs the corn syrup bottle and vigorously shakes it.
John approaches Tim.

JOHN
That kid ever come see you?

TIM
What kid?

JOHN
A kid on my tour today. He asked
about you.

Jed stops shaking the bottle. The syrup’s barely pink.

JED
Dude, this isn’t working.

Jed hands John the bottle. John motions to Robb for the dye.

JOHN
(shaking his head)
Tweedle-Dumb and Tweedle-Dumber.

Robb hands John the dye.

JOHN (cont’d)
He didn’t come by? Maybe I gave him
the wrong room number.

Tim shakes his head.

TIM
What was his name?
 28.

JOHN
Tom Nethers.

John adds more dye to the bottle.

JOHN (cont’d)
Didn’t say how he knew you.

TIM
I don’t really recognize the name.

John shakes the bottle.

JOHN
You gotta admit. My idea’s bomber.

Tim looks to the elevator, willing it to come.

TIM
So why’s he do it? Your killer?

Jed grabs the corn syrup bottle and shakes it.

JOHN
What do you mean why? ‘Cause he’s a
psychopath. Why does everybody need
a reason for everything? Sometimes,
shit just happens.

TIM
Nothing just happens.

The elevator doors open. Tim steps inside, but the elevator’s
not there.

INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT - NIGHT

Tim screams as he tumbles half a floor before landing on the

elevator’s ceiling. The impact causes the elevator to drop
slightly farther, creaking loudly.

Tim looks up. John, Robb and Jed appear in the open elevator
doorway above. K walks up behind them.

K
What the Hell?

Robb turns to see K and nearly falls into the shaft himself.

ROBB
Holy shit!
 29.

TIM
I’m fine. Just go call Safety.

Robb and Jed run off. K kneels and peers into the shaft.

K
I think we can get you out.

K looks to John.

K (cont’d)
Can you hold my feet?

John stares at K.

JOHN
You’d like that, wouldn’t you?

K looks down at Tim.

K
Are all your residents knobs?

K reaches out to Tim. Tim reaches back, but their hands don’t
touch. John acquiesces, grabbing K’s ankles, allowing K to
reach farther.

Tim reaches out and grabs K’s arm. John tugs on K’s ankles,
pulling both out of the shaft. The three collapse on each
other. John uncomfortably wriggles from beneath them.

Tim looks down at his hands, streaked with red make-up.

TIM
Dry, huh?

K
You’re welcome, bitch.

INT. RESIDENCE HALL OFFICE - DAY

Jamie is re-hanging keys in the key box. Tim enters.

JAMIE
Why are men always late?

Without looking up, Jamie grabs a ring of keys and tosses

them at Tim. He barely catches them before they hit his head.

TIM
The elevator’s broken. I had to
make a sign.
 30.

Jamie re-hangs the last key. She closes the key box and heads
for the door. Tim turns to leave. A group of costumed
residents walks by.

JAMIE
Tell Griffith to send that repair
bill to Jed Howland.

Jamie turns off the office light and Tim turns back.

JAMIE (cont’d)
Apparently, he was riding the
elevator all day, asking female
residents if they wanted to see
what he got at the mall. The
unfortunate, or lucky, ones who
said yes - depending on which
desperate co-ed was telling the
story - were then treated by Jed to
him pulling his penis out of a hole
he’d made in his pants’ pocket.

Tim looks stunned.

JAMIE (cont’d)
If I were his R.A., I’d cut it off.
Tell him that if he gives you any
shit.

Jamie ushers Tim out the door, closing it behind them.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - LOBBY - NIGHT

Jamie and Tim walk through the lobby.

JAMIE
I don’t know how you do it. If I
had to work on an all-male floor,
there’s no way we’d all live
through it.

Jamie starts toward the stairwell. Tim heads toward the main
entrance doors. Jamie stops and turns to him.

JAMIE (cont’d)
Do you wear sunscreen?

Tim stops walking and looks back at Jamie, confused.

 31.

JAMIE (cont’d)
We had a guest lecturer today, in
my Human Sexuality class, who said
you guys are killing yourselves
because of an unending quest to
achieve hyper-masculinity.

Jamie awaits a response. Tim looks dumbfounded.

JAMIE (cont’d)
Guys usually refuse to wear
sunscreen because lotion isn’t
masculine. Even though you’re at
greater risk for getting skin
cancer than women are for getting
breast cancer.

Tim takes a deep breath and turns back toward the main doors.

JAMIE (cont’d)
You have nothing to say to that?

A group of guys with skateboards appears outside the doors.

Tim opens the doors and lets them in.

TIM
Nope.

The skateboarders enter the hall and go toward the elevator.

They whistle at Jamie as they walk by. One of them nods and
smiles at her. Jamie cannot hide her disgust.

JAMIE
U-G-L- Why are you looking at me?

Another of the skateboarders presses the elevator up button.

Jamie points to the sign above the elevator button, which
reads “Out of Order.”

JAMIE (cont’d)
Do any of you wear sunscreen?

The skateboarders shake their heads, confused.

JAMIE (cont’d)
Fine. Be stupid. Kill yourselves.
See if we care.

Jamie stalks off into the stairwell. The skateboarders

collectively read the sign, then shuffle toward the
stairwell.

Tim locks the main entrance doors.

 32.

As he turns toward the stairwell, Aaron appears in the glass

behind him.

Aaron bangs on the door, startling Tim. Tim turns back and
opens the door.

Aaron withdraws a cigarette from his mouth and tosses it to

the ground. He steps on it and enters the lobby.

Aaron walks to the elevator.

TIM
Elevator’s busted.

Aaron notices the sign above the elevator buttons. He looks

around for the stairs.

TIM (cont’d)
Around the corner.

Tim points to the stairwell. Aaron nods.

Aaron enters the stairwell and Tim secures the doors.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim enters. He doesn’t notice Lana sitting on his bed.

TIM
So get this. Jed - the one you
think is too pretty to be straight -
spent the whole day pulling his--

Tim sees Lana. She looks both hurt and angry.

LANA
K tells me you two have a movie
night planned.

Lana stands and walks up to Tim.

LANA (cont’d)
(whispering)
I thought we were spending the
night together.

K rolls his eyes. Tim takes a deep breath.

TIM
He just came over. We haven’t hung
out in a while and he--
 33.

LANA
So tell him to go.

K
If you two wanna scrump, I got
movies. Go for it.

K reaches for the stack of movies.

TIM
K...

Lana exhales.

TIM (cont’d)
It would be nice if my best friend
and girlfriend could get along.

LANA
It would be nice if your best
friend and girlfriend were the same
person.

Lana pushes past Tim and exits his room.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim follows Lana into the hallway.

TIM
Where are you going?

LANA
To the party.

Lana goes to Ken’s room and knocks.

LANA (cont’d)
Nina, I know you’re in there. The
whole floor knows you’re in there.
I’m going. Meet me upstairs.

Lana looks back at Tim.

LANA (cont’d)
You said I should do what I want.

Lana enters the stairwell. Ken opens his room door and steps
out into the hallway naked.

KEN
Somebody need something?
 34.

TIM
Yeah, pants.

Ken reenters his room. Tim sighs.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim enters. K lounges seductively on Tim’s bed.

K
Finally. We’re alone.

Tim closes his door.

K (cont’d)
She thinks we’re fucking.

TIM
She doesn’t think we’re fucking.

K
I hope not. Bagging straight boys
is so out these days. Besides, the
recruitment committee ran out of
toasters.

Tim takes a seat on the floor, up against the bed.

K (cont’d)
You called me, remember? What’s up?

TIM
It’s stupid.

K
This’ll work a lot better if you
let me be the judgmental one.

Tim turns to K.

TIM
The dream.

K nods.

K
You’re right. It’s stupid.

Tim turns away.

 35.

K (cont’d)
It’s not stupid. You lived through
some fucked up shit. But, you know
it’s just a dream.

Tim puts his face in his hands.

TIM
Then why do I--?

K
Because tomorrow’s November. And
you’ve apparently forgotten that
this is an annual thing.

Tim considers K’s remark.

K (cont’d)
You should tell her, you know.

TIM
No way.

K
You told me!

TIM
Yeah, but--

K
But what?

TIM
I’m not in love with you.

K smacks Tim’s head with Tim’s pillow.

K
And look at ya. All the worse for
it.

K climbs off the bed and sits beside Tim on the floor.

K (cont’d)
The truth shall set you free.

TIM
Whatever that is.

K
All right, then repeat after me.

Tim turns to K.
 36.

K (cont’d)
I’m in love with you, K.

Tim grabs the pillow and smacks K with it.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Nina exits Ken’s room, fully dressed. Ken, in his underwear,

pulls her back to him and they kiss. He’s holding a beer.

KEN
Have fun.

NINA
We will.

Nina turns to leave, but stops and turns back.

NINA (cont’d)
Hey. Do you have anything Lana
could use for a costume? I don’t
think she has anything.

KEN
Like what? She can’t exactly wear
my bong.

Aaron rounds the corner. He sees Nina and Ken and steps back.

NINA
Shut up. You want Tim to hear?

Ted exits his room. Aaron watches him intently as he walks

toward the bathroom. Ted shoots Ken a dirty look. Nina
nervously shifts in place.

Ted looks back at Nina before entering the bathroom.

NINA (cont’d)
I feel sorry for him. Something
must have happened to him as a kid.
You don’t get that creepy by
accident.

Ken drinks a sip of beer.

KEN
So what would she want?

NINA
I don’t know... How about your
camo?
 37.

KEN
Oh yeah. That’d be real sexy.

NINA
It’s a costume party, not a gang
bang.

Ken sets his beer in the hallway and disappears into his
room. Aaron watches Nina. Ken reemerges moments later with a
camouflage hunting jacket and pants.

NINA (cont’d)
Perfect.

KEN
Just don’t let any sorority girls
throw up on it.

Nina kisses Ken. He closes his door, forgetting about his

beer. Aaron watches as Nina enters the stairwell.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SEVENTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Nina exits the stairwell and goes to Lana’s room. She knocks.
Lana opens her door. Nina holds out Ken’s hunting outfit.

NINA
Voila.

LANA
What is that?

NINA
Your costume. It’s Ken’s.

LANA
I’m not wearing that.

NINA
You need a costume, don’t you?

LANA
I figured something out.

Nina sighs.

NINA
All right. Half hour?

Lana nods and closes her door. Nina reenters the stairwell.
 38.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Nina exits the stairwell and goes to Ken’s room. Ken’s door
is closed and his beer is still in the hallway.

She knocks. There’s no answer. She hangs Ken’s hunting outfit

on his doorknob and reenters the stairwell.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim and K are watching “The Monster Squad.” In the movie, a

kid is looking at a note pad with ‘Mr. Alucard’ written on
it. K starts laughing hysterically.

TIM
What?

K points to the screen, still laughing. The kid starts

writing the name backwards, showing that Alucard is simply an
anagram for Dracula.

K
For no reason. He looks at the name
and for no reason starts reworking
the letters. The whole plot hinges
on this moment. It’s fucking
awesome.

The music swells as horror washes over the kid’s face.

TIM
(rolling his eyes)
Pass me my phone.

K tosses Tim his cell phone.

TIM (cont’d)
I’ll be back.

K
Want me to pause it?

Tim looks at K incredulously.

K (cont’d)
Fine. But, look where you’re going
this time. I’m not rescuing your
ass twice.

Tim stands and opens his room door.

 39.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim walks toward the bathroom, passing Ken’s room. A wire

hanger hangs from the doorknob.

Tim sees Clay in his room at the end of the hall. He goes to
Clay’s room.

TIM
Hey.

Clay looks up. His face, though cleaned up, is still marred
by cuts and bruises.

CLAY
Hey. Guess I got a single now, huh?

TIM
Looks like.

CLAY
I didn’t think they’d suspend him.
Thought they liked winning football
games too much.

TIM
You all right?

CLAY
It’s a good day to look like a
monster. Everybody just thinks it’s
make-up.

Tim laughs.

CLAY (cont’d)
I wish I’d hit him back.

TIM
No you don’t.

CLAY
Maybe not right now. But, tomorrow,
when this ain’t just make-up...
Yeah I do.

INT. SIXTH FLOOR BATHROOM - NIGHT

Tim stands in a stall, urinating. Jake enters.

 40.

JAKE
Things goin’ all right? I need to
bust some knees?

Jake enters another stall and closes the door.

TIM
All good. Except for Jed.

JAKE
Yeah I heard. Like anybody’d buy
that shit at the mall.

Someone dressed in Ken’s hunting camouflage emerges from a

third stall. The Hunter quickly exits the bathroom.

Tim flushes.

TIM
You wanna come watch bad horror
movies with me and K?

Tim washes his hands.

JAKE (O.S.)
Sure. If I’m not there in ten
minutes, check the pipes. I
probably got flushed.

Tim laughs.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim and K watch the movie. There’s a knock at Tim’s door.

TIM
Come in.

The door opens and Jake enters. He looks at K.

JAKE
Homosexual in a red state? Nice.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

The Hunter turns Ted’s doorknob. It is unlocked. The Hunter

begins entering. Ted rushes up to the door from inside.

TED
Hey! This isn’t your--
 41.

The Hunter smacks Ted aside, enters the room and closes the
door behind them.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim, K and Jake hear the door slam and banging next door. Tim
gets up, opens his door and peers into the hallway. There’s
nothing but silence.

TIM
I’m gonna go do my rounds now.

K and Jake, engrossed in the movie, barely register a

reaction.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - THIRTEENTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim enters the hallway. The floor is silent and pristine.

He walks through the hallway, passing a few rooms with the

doors propped open. The women inside are quietly reading or
watching TV.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - TWELFTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim enters the hallway. The floor is rocking, the carpet is

worn and nacho cheese is strewn on the wall. Four guys are
playing croquet in the hallway.

TIM
Not in the hall.

The guys pick up the balls. As Tim proceeds down the hall,
one mockingly swings at Tim with his stick.

Tim stops at the noisiest room on the floor and knocks. The
door opens at his touch. Inside, he finds a group of guys
encircling another guy funneling beer.

TIM (cont’d)
Hey!

They don’t hear Tim. He yells more loudly.

TIM (cont’d)
Hey!

The hall’s fire alarm blares. The group turns to see Tim in
the doorway, as other residents of the floor exit their rooms
and head toward the stairwell.
 42.

TIM (cont’d)
Out!

Tim ushers the group out of the room and enters the
stairwell.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim pokes his head around the stairwell door and calls out
into his hallway.

TIM
Everybody out. Let’s go!

EXT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - NIGHT

Tim holds the doors open as the last few residents exit. He
ushers the mass of students out into the parking lot.

TIM
Everybody back!

Griffith exits the hall and approaches Tim.

TIM (cont’d)
Just a pull?

GRIFFITH
No. Activation. On your floor.

Tim looks at Griffith, surprised. Both walk farther into the

parking lot, as fire trucks race up.

K and Jake approach Tim.

JAKE
How much does it suck to be these
guys and always have to act like
it’s a real fire?

K
What about when it is?

K points up at the Tower. Tim, Jake and Griffith look up.

Flames have appeared in the window of a seventh floor room.

TIM
Holy shit.

K
That’s your floor!
 43.

Word quickly spreads among the throng of residents that a

room is on fire. Firemen race from the trucks into the hall.

GRIFFITH
Make sure everybody stays back.

A safety car pulls into the parking lot. Griffith runs to it.

JAKE
That’s not your room is it?

Tim shakes his head. He visually counts rooms. He turns pale.

TIM
It’s Ted’s.

A female resident screams and everyone looks up en masse.

Someone appears in Ted’s room window, ablaze, with arms
flailing.

TIM (cont’d)
Oh my God.

Tim rushes over to Griffith.

TIM (cont’d)
He’s in there! Ted’s in there!

Tim points toward the Tower. Griffith turns as the fiery

figure uses a desk chair to break the window. More residents
scream as the chair and pieces of glass hurtle to the ground.

The figure’s blood-curdling scream pierces the night sky.

Everyone watches in horror as the figure leaps from the
window and the flames mark its path to the parking lot below.

Residents scream in terror and scramble out of the way as the

fiery figure smacks against the pavement.

Tim remains frozen in horror.

EXT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - NIGHT

Groups of sobbing, stunned residents clutter the parking lot.

Griffith talks with firemen and safety officers. Paramedics

load a body bag into the back of an ambulance.

Tim kneels in the parking lot, just outside the section

cordoned off by caution tape. He stares at the scorched
pavement. K and Jake stand behind him.
 44.

K
Come on.

K tries to lift Tim up. Tim jerks free.

K looks around the parking lot, aware of onlookers.

K (cont’d)
People are watching. Get up.

Tim looks up at K.

TIM
He lit himself on fire.

K
You don’t know that. It could have
been an accident. It could have
just happened.

Tim stands.

TIM
Nothing just happens.

Tim walks back toward the hall and looks up at the broken
window. The room is now dark.

John, Robb, Ken and Jed walk up from behind, carrying a

camcorder and other props for John’s film.

JOHN
What the Hell happened?

Tim doesn’t answer. He stares straight ahead.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - LOBBY - NIGHT

Griffith corrals the sixth floor residents in the lobby.

Other students file in and enter the stairwell.

K and Tim hold the doors for stragglers. Griffith pulls Tim
aside.

GRIFFITH
The counselor will be here in about
fifteen minutes. I’ll keep your
guys down here. Can you just do a
quick rounds of the building and
let anybody who looks like they’d
need it know that she’s on her way?
 45.

Tim blankly nods. He heads toward the stairwell. K rushes

after him.

K
You want me to stay?

Tim shakes his head. K touches Tim’s arm.

K (cont’d)
Call me. Whenever you’re done.

Tim nods and enters the stairwell.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim opens the stairwell door. The floor is vacant. Every room
door has been unlocked and propped open. Breeze from the
rooms’ open windows whistles through the hallway.

The burning stench is too much for Tim. He turns back into
the stairwell and almost vomits.

Tim gains control of his stomach and enters the hallway. He

walks to Ted’s room door, which is open, but blocked by
caution tape. Everything inside is black and drenched.

Tim steps beneath the caution tape and enters.

INT. TED’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim’s feet squish into the soaked carpet. He starts coughing

and covers his mouth with his arm.

The ceiling is covered in soot. Ted’s bedding, desk and

dresser are charred.

On the wall, above Ted’s desk is a calendar. Tim reaches out

and wipes soot from it. He looks at his blackened hand, then
back at the calendar. It is set to November.

Tim walks to the broken window. He peers out at the parking

lot below.

There, in the spot where Ted fell, is the fawn.

Tim leans for a closer look, scraping his arm against the
jagged glass. He jerks back, grabbing his bloody elbow.

He notices something on the floor and bends to pick it up.

It’s a scorched Ace of Hearts playing card. He drops it back
to the floor and looks back toward the parking lot.
 46.

The fawn is gone.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SEVENTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim knocks on Lana’s door. There’s no answer.

Jamie opens her own door and peers out.

JAMIE
She’s not there. I don’t think
she’s back yet.

Tim nods and heads toward the stairwell, holding his elbow.

JAMIE (cont’d)
Tim?

Tim looks up at her.

JAMIE (cont’d)
I know I have it easy. With the
girls. If you need anything...

Tim enters the stairwell.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - LOBBY - NIGHT

Griffith, Tim and Tim’s residents, including Clay, Jake, Jed,

Ken, John and Robb, sit with DR. HARE, 42.

DR. HARE
Go ahead. Say what you mean.

Many of the residents fidget uncomfortably in their seats.

Tim stares blankly at his cell phone. John leans forward.

JOHN
OK. This is bullshit.

KEN
John...

JOHN
No. It is. Did anybody here even
like him? Not think he was fuckin’
weird?

John looks around the room. No one speaks.

 47.

JOHN (cont’d)
I don’t see why we’re supposed to
have feelings to process about a
guy who was obviously so--

CLAY
What? Obviously so what?

John waits a moment, choosing his word carefully.

JOHN
Weak.

Clay shakes his head.

DR. HARE
Clay? What would you like to say?

CLAY
Ted was-- I mean, none of us really
knew him. But... If he did this...
I don’t see how that’s not, at
least a little bit, our fault.

DR. HARE
Blame is very--

JOHN
Our fault? Was it your fault that
Brian beat the snot out of you
yesterday for no reason? How is
some fucked up weirdo, choosing to
destroy himself, our fault? Why do
we have to sit here talking about
some... somebody none of us gave a
shit about when he was alive?

DR. HARE
John, while I appreciate your
feelings, I do have to remind you
of what I said at the beginning of
the conversation. We all agreed to--

JAKE
That’s exactly why! None of us gave
a shit. Not one of us.

JOHN
What are we? The fucking Girl
Scouts? We’re supposed to all be
best friends, braid each other’s
hair, tell each other all our deep
dark secrets?
 48.
JOHN(cont'd)
You might want to look down and
remember that you have a dick.
We’re guys. None of us gave a shit
because none of us got paid to give
a shit. That was Tim’s job.

Everyone looks to Tim, who has tuned out the entire exchange.

DR. HARE
Tim?

Tim looks up, dazed.

DR. HARE (cont’d)

Would you like to respond?

TIM
John’s right. It was my job. I’m
supposed to...

Tim trails off. Dr. Hare looks to Griffith, concerned.

John stands and walks toward the stairwell.

JOHN
I’m going back to my room.

GRIFFITH
John, you should sit back down.

John turns to Griffith.

JOHN
And you should stop living your
college glory days by playing Den
Mother to this bunch of pussies,
Griff. Don’t take it out on us that
your life went nowhere.

John enters the stairwell. Jed and Robb quickly follow. The
others stay, uncomfortable.

Tim looks again at his phone. He notices the message icon.

TIM
Excuse me.

Tim stands and walks toward the lobby doors.

 49.

EXT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - NIGHT

Tim listens to his phone message. His face drains of all

color. The phone slips from his hand. It hits the pavement as
the message continues to play.

DR. WARNER (O.S.)

He said you two were going hunting.

INT. QUAD RESIDENCE HALL - THIRD FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Tim runs toward K’s room door. He knocks. There’s no answer.

From the bathroom at the end of the hall, Tim hears someone
singing. He walks toward the bathroom.

INT. QUAD RESIDENCE HALL - BATHROOM - DAY

K is in a shower stall, washing the red paint from his body.

He is singing.

K
‘I’ve tasted blood and I want more,
more, more! I’ll put up no
resistance, I wanna stay the
distance. I’ve got an itch to
scratch, I need assistance. Touch-a
touch-a touch--’

Tim yanks the shower curtain back, startling K.

TIM
He’s out.

INT. QUAD RESIDENCE HALL - THIRD FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Tim sits outside K’s door. K exits the bathroom, towel

wrapped around his waist, some red paint still in his ears.

K
If you wanted to see me naked that
badly, all you had to do was ask.

K unlocks his room door. Tim stands and follows him inside.

INT. K’S ROOM - DAY

K dresses. Tim stands at K’s window, looking out.

 50.

K
They let him out two days ago.

K goes to his mirror and attempts to style his wet hair.

K (cont’d)
Maybe we should go down to the
counseling center. You can--

TIM
(turning to K)
Did you hear me? They released him.
And he said he was coming here.

K
(turning to Tim)
I heard you. This is just a lot of
shit, all happening at once. I
think you need to stand still for a
minute and take a deep breath.

Tim starts for the door.

TIM
Are you coming with me or not?

K
I’ll go with you to campus safety
if you’re that concerned. But,
we're not driving all the way to
some juvie jail in the middle of...

Tim pauses at the door. K walks over to him.

K (cont’d)
If he was coming to see you, he’d
have been here already. You haven’t
seen him, have you?

Tim turns to face K.

K (cont’d)
It’s been eleven years. And they
let him out. Why would they do that
if he was still nuts? If you ask
me, this doctor who called you was
pretty irresponsible at best. At
worst, a little Planters himself.

TIM
It was exactly what... You think
it’s just a coincidence? Ted
burning to...
 51.

K
What I think is that you--

Tim grabs K by both shoulders.

TIM
What if it was Aaron? What if it
was Aaron trying to let me know
that he’s here?

INT. DINER - DAY

DINAH, 51, drops a plate of eggs, bacon and sausage in front

of a trucker. A delivery person enters and tosses a small
stack of newspapers inside. He waves to Dinah and exits.

Dinah walks over to the stack of papers and gasps.

DINAH
Oh my God. You hear about this?

She pulls a paper free from the stack and carries it back
behind the counter. She holds it up for LEWIS, 47, the chef
at the kitchen stove. Lewis squints to look at the paper.

LEWIS
Hear about what? You know I can’t
stand the liberal media.

She pulls the paper back and looks at the front page.

DINAH
A kid up at the college committed
suicide. Set himself on fire and
jumped out a sixth floor window.

LEWIS
That’s why I never went to college.
Too damn much stress.

Lewis grabs two eggs and cracks them.

DINAH
Yeah. I’m sure it had nothin’ to do
with repeatin’ the tenth grade
three times.

The eggs hit the griddle and sizzle as they fry. Dinah reads.

DINAH (cont’d)
He was a freshman from Jersey. Poor
family. Can you imagine?
 52.
DINAH(cont'd)
(shaking her head)
What makes a person do something
like that?

Lewis slides the eggs onto a plate with toast and potatoes.

LEWIS
Order up!

DINAH
You’re a real softie, ya know that?

Dinah grabs the plate and tucks the paper under her arm. She
carries it to the end of the counter and drops the plate in
front of The Hunter.

DINAH (cont’d)
What’s this world comin’ to, huh?

She holds the paper out for The Hunter. The Hunter takes the
paper and looks at the front page. Ted’s college photo
appears next to the headline, “Freshman Takes Life, Tower
Terrorized.”

The Hunter grabs a ketchup bottle.

INSERT - NEWSPAPER STORY

Which reads: “The student was later identified by campus

officials as Ted Race, 18, from Hackensack, New Jersey.”

BACK TO SCENE

Ketchup splatters onto Ted’s photo.

INT. TIM’S CAR - DAY

Tim and K drive East along Interstate 88.

TIM
Which way am I supposed to go?

K
Depends which way you want to go.

TIM
I don’t care--

K
Then it doesn’t matter--

TIM
As long as we get there.
 53.

K
You still haven’t told me where
this place is.

Tim pulls a paper from his jacket pocket and reads.

TIM
Essex.

K grabs an atlas from beneath the passenger seat. Tim speeds

past a police car nestled in a speed trap. K turns toward the
police car, surprised when it doesn’t pull out after them.

K
(consulting the atlas)
You didn’t tell me it was this far.

TIM
You didn’t ask. So how do I get
there?

K
By driving forever.

K closes the atlas and sighs.

K (cont’d)
Take 90 to 87.

K looks at Tim, who does not avert his gaze from the road.

K (cont’d)
For the record, I think this is
mad.

TIM
(turning to K)
For the record, your brother didn’t
set your father on fire in front of
you.

K is momentarily shamed silent. Tim’s cell phone rings. He

looks at the caller I.D. and sees the call is from Lana.

K’s eyes widen.

K
Look out!

K points to a skunk as it runs out into the road. Tim turns

the wheel and slams on the brakes. K clenches his eyes shut.

Tim runs over the skunk.

 54.

Tim pulls the car over. The car behind them races by, horn
blaring. He looks into the rear view mirror. The skunk lies
dead near the edge of the road.

The pungent odor reaches both their noses. K coughs.

K (cont’d)
Too bad evolution didn’t take into
account cars.

TIM
Can’t protect yourself from
everything.

Tim pulls back onto the road.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Lana knocks on Tim’s door. There’s no answer. She leans

against the wall and sighs.

She looks over at Ted’s room. The door is closed, but the
caution tape remains.

She sees burn and water marks along its edges. She doesn’t
notice the sound of the stairwell door opening and closing.

Lana steps back from Ted’s door and into Aaron. She screams.

AARON
Whoah.

LANA
(regaining her composure)
Sorry. You scared me.

AARON
Didn’t mean to.
(nodding toward Ted’s
door)
You know him?

LANA
Not really.

She looks at Aaron, suspiciously.

LANA (cont’d)
You live here?

AARON
Nah. I’m looking for Tim Adams.
 55.

LANA
Funny, me too.

Lana returns to Tim’s door.

LANA (cont’d)
I don’t think he’s here.

Two maintenance men enter the stairwell, carrying a new

window. They proceed to Ted’s room.

LANA (cont’d)
You are?

AARON
Tom Nethers. A ghost from his past.

The maintenance men lean the window against the hallway wall.
One of them unlocks Ted’s door, leaving the key in the lock.
They carry the window inside.

Lana peers inside Ted’s room. Aaron watches her intently.

AARON (cont’d)
I was here for the Discovery Day.
Thought I’d... pay him a visit.

LANA
It’s probably not the best time.

One of the maintenance men sees Lana looking in and quickly

closes Ted’s door. Aaron notices the key still in the lock.

AARON
Yeah.

Aaron notices the “R.A.” placard beside Tim’s door.

AARON (cont’d)
What’s that mean? R.A.?

LANA
Resident Assistant. Tim’s
responsible for all the guys on
this floor.

Aaron raises his eyebrows.

LANA (cont’d)
Want me to tell him you came by?
 56.

AARON
Nah. I’ll just catch up with him
some other time. You know where the
bathroom is?

Lana motions down the hall. Aaron heads toward the bathroom
and enters. Lana grabs the dry erase marker from the board on
Tim’s door and considers leaving a message. She doesn’t.

She returns the marker and enters the stairwell.

Aaron peeks out the bathroom door. The stairwell door closes.

EXT. REST STOP - DAY

K sits on Tim’s car’s hood, facing the highway. He’s eating

french fries from a paper bag. Cars and trucks whiz by.

Tim is nearby, holding his cell phone to his ear.

Tim places the phone in his pocket and walks over to the car.

TIM
Still no answer.

K stuffs his mouth with a handful of fries.

K
Griffith’s OK with you taking off
like this?

Tim nods.

TIM
Just for the day. Said he
understood that I’d need to get
away.

K
Did you tell him about--?

TIM
No.

Tim’s cell phone rings. He looks at the caller I.D. The

incoming call is from Lana.

K
Answer the phone. She’s gonna keep
calling. Just tell her.
 57.

K grabs a new handful of fries. Tim turns his cell phone off
and looks disdainfully at K.

TIM
You almost done?

Tim gets back into the car. K drops the fries back into the
bag and hops off the hood.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

The maintenance men exit Ted’s room, carrying shards of

broken glass. One of the men shuts Ted’s room behind them,
not noticing the key is gone.

EXT. JUVENILE TREATMENT FACILITY - DAY

Tim’s car pulls into the facility’s snowy parking lot.

INT. JUVENILE TREATMENT FACILITY - DAY

Tim and K enter the main building.

Tim goes to the unstaffed reception desk. K sits in the

waiting area beside WILLIAM, 31, who is completing a job
application on a clipboard that rests on his massive belly.

Tim nervously looks around, and down the nearest hallway. K

notices the magazines placed on the waiting room table.

K chuckles. William looks up at him. K points to a copy of

“Time” magazine.

K
Time? Isn’t that a little...
Inappropriate?

William returns to his application without responding. Tim

looks back at K, who shifts nervously in his seat.

DUCHESS, 35, emerges from an office down the hall and walks
to the reception desk. She sees Tim.

DUCHESS
Can I help you?

TIM
I’m here to see Dr. Warner.
 58.

DUCHESS
Do you have an appointment?

TIM
No, I--

Duchess’s phone rings.

DUCHESS
One moment.

Duchess answers the phone. Tim turns back to K, frustrated.

DUCHESS (cont’d)
Hello?

William turns to K, perplexed.

WILLIAM
Is this question legal?

K, startled, slowly turns to William. William holds out the

application and points his pencil toward a specific line. K
leans in for a better view and reads it aloud.

K
‘Have you ever physically
restrained anyone?’

K looks up at William.

K (cont’d)
Why would that be illegal?

WILLIAM
I thought they couldn’t ask about
your sex life.

K
No, I think they--

K pauses and considers William’s expectant face.

K (cont’d)
Yeah, leave that one blank.

William nods approvingly and returns to his application. K

gets up and walks over to Tim.

DUCHESS
I told you. You have to be Mama’s
big boy today. I’m working.
 59.

Tim turns back to Duchess. She looks up at him.

DUCHESS (cont’d)
I can’t really talk now. Bye.

Duchess hangs up.

DUCHESS (cont’d)
I’m sorry. Who are you?

Dr. Warner emerges from another office down the hallway.

TIM
My name’s Tim Adams.

Dr. Warner stops in his tracks upon hearing Tim. He makes a

beeline to the reception desk.

DR. WARNER
Tim?

Tim looks up at Dr. Warner.

TIM
Yeah. Are you--?

DR. WARNER
You’re late. Let’s go to my office.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

John, Jed and Robb stand in the hallway arguing.

ROBB
But, I’m the killer!

JOHN
No, your arm’s the killer. And
Jed’s arm will look the same as
yours.

Jed grabs Robb and makes slicing motions against his throat.
Robb wriggles free.

ROBB
No way! Why can’t you be a victim?

JOHN
‘Cause I’m the director. I’m in
charge. The guy in charge is never
a victim. Stop being such a pussy
and let’s just plan the scene.
 60.

Nina enters from the stairwell and walks to Ken’s room.

ROBB
But how come I have to die?

JOHN
‘Cause you’re young and stupid. The
young and stupid always die.

Nina turns to them.

NINA
Are you seriously still making that
movie? After what happened?

Robb and Jed look toward Ted’s room door.

JOHN
The show must go on.

NINA
You’re depraved.

John advances toward Nina.

JOHN
Don’t get your crotchless panties
in a bunch because I didn’t ask you
to be in my flick. No chicks die in
it. And if chicks aren’t gonna die,
I don’t see what the point is in
having them around.
(grins)
In the movie, I mean.

NINA
Is this a guy thing? Being
completely oblivious to the world
around you? Is it in your genes?

JOHN
You’re screwing my roommate, Nina.
So, I think you asking me what’s in
my jeans is a little out of line.

Jed stifles a laugh. Nina knocks on Ken’s door. John walks

back toward Robb and Jed.

JOHN (cont’d)
He’s not there. Went to get your
bitchy ass some weed.

Nina walks to the stairwell. She pauses before entering.

 61.

NINA
I have nothing against your fantasy
world, John. But, somebody really
died. Somebody we knew. Forget
directing for one second. Try
acting. Like a human being.

Nina bursts into the stairwell.

JOHN
I don’t know about Ken, but I think
I prefer her when her mouth’s full.

INT. DR. WARNER’S OFFICE - DAY

Dr. Warner is seated behind his desk. Tim is seated in front.

K wanders about the office, perusing the shelves overstuffed
with books and toys. Tim listens intently.

DR. WARNER
When your brother came to us, he
was completely withdrawn. We
weren’t sure he even knew what had
happened.

K notices an Alice in Wonderland chess board set up on a

table in the corner. He goes to it and picks up the Queen.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

Don’t.

K turns to Dr. Warner.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

The match isn’t finished.

K returns the Queen. Dr. Warner takes a folder from his desk
drawer.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

When he first started to respond,
he did so not with words, but with
these.

Dr. Warner removes a stack of child’s drawings from the

folder and slides them across the desk toward Tim.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

It was clear from the drawings that
he had memory of the event. But,
what was additionally clear was
that his memory was dissociative.
 62.

Tim picks up the drawings and begins looking at them. Each

shows three figures standing around a car.

TIM
What does that mean?

DR. WARNER
In the drawings, there were always
three figures. Your father, your
brother, and--

TIM
Me.

DR. WARNER
No. The third person is someone he
called ‘The Monster.’

Tim looks closely at one of the drawings. In it, a boy is

screaming, a man is on fire and a red, horned beast holds a
lit match.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

In Aaron’s mind, it was the monster
who was responsible for what
happened to your father. He was
just a witness.

K walks behind Tim’s chair and looks down at the drawing.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

Your brother’s mind dissociated him
from the act. The trauma of the
experience was so severe, he
mentally escaped from it. Though he
had memory of being there, his
memory became one in which he was
an innocent bystander.

K
How does something like that
happen?

DR. WARNER
No one’s sure. There’s very likely
a biological component.

Tim looks up from the drawings.

TIM
Then why didn’t that happen to me?
 63.

DR. WARNER
I can’t say. But, the dissociation
is often so effective in those who
employ it, it becomes automatic.
Your brother didn’t know he was
responsible. It wasn’t that he
simply forgot. He remembered the
events clearly. As they didn’t
happen. His mind placed all the
blame for what he’d done on the
shoulders of someone else. The
Monster.

Tim looks back at the red horned beast in the drawing.

TIM
So he never knew what he did?

DR. WARNER
It took years. But, eventually
Aaron did come to know that he was
The Monster. That he was the person
responsible for what had happened
to your father.

Tim places the drawings back on Dr. Warner’s desk.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

For most patients, that revelation
comes with significant pain,
anguish and an often violent
depression. For Aaron, it was the
exact opposite. It was if a light
switch had simply flipped inside
his head.

Tim stands and walks to the window. He looks out at the snowy
road leading away from the facility.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

He became a completely different
person: chatty, charming, downright
gregarious.

K
And why is this a bad thing?

DR. WARNER
Most people, if they were to learn
that their memories were wrong, and
they were responsible for a
terrible death, would be horrified.
Often suicidal.
 64.
DR. WARNER(cont'd)
For Aaron, it was as if the
knowledge cured him. My colleagues
believe that moment of revelation
was the end of his dissociation,
resulting in a synthesis of his
memory and actual events. I don’t.

Tim turns to Dr. Warner.

TIM
Then why did you release him?

DR. WARNER
Because his time was up. Because
there are more troubled young men
than there are beds in a facility
like this one. And, because I was
the only one convinced that he was
not better.

K
I still don’t understand why you
think he’d come after Tim now.

DR. WARNER
After the breakthrough, your
brother began mentioning you
incessantly. Wondering what you
were doing, if you were happy...
Making plans for what you two would
do together when he was released.

Dr. Warner leans forward on his desk.

DR. WARNER (cont’d)

If, as I suspect, your brother’s
dissociation has willed itself into
permanence, he could be capable of
great violence, yet never feel
responsible for it.

Tim walks back to his seat.

TIM
Do you think he could harm anyone
else?

DR. WARNER
If, as I believe, the monster is
still within him, yes. Have you
seen him?
 65.

TIM
It’s been eleven years. I wouldn’t
know him if I did.

Dr. Warner opens the file folder and unclasps a small ID

photo of Aaron from the front flap. He hands it to Tim.

Tim goes pale. K grabs the photo and looks at it.

DR. WARNER
You know now. And you have. Haven’t
you?

INT. TIM’S CAR - NIGHT

Tim and K drive West along Interstate 90. It is lightly

snowing. Tim’s face has not yet regained its color. K fidgets
uncomfortably in his seat.

K
Just because he was there, doesn’t
mean--

TIM
Stop.

K
(turning to Tim)
So he came there looking for you.
That’s what he said he was going to
do. But he never said he was going
to hurt you.

Tim continues staring ahead at the road. K sighs, frustrated.

K (cont’d)
I heard all the same stuff you did
back there. But, I don’t buy it. It
was eleven years ago. It isn’t
possible that he really does just
want to start over? You’re the only
family he has left. Why wouldn’t he
seek you out?

TIM
I said stop.

K turns back to face the road.

 66.

K
He admitted your brother was never
violent in all the time he knew
him. Only that he could be. Well,
Hell Tim, any of us could be. But,
you’re not sitting there thinking
that John or one of your other
missing link residents killed Ted.
Because it doesn’t make sense. Ted
was weird and pretty obviously
socially isolated. Probably
severely depressed. When that’s
stuff’s going on you--

TIM
Don’t change your calendar.

K
Huh?

TIM
(turning to K)
I was in his room. Last night,
before everyone was let back on the
floor. His calendar was already set
to November. Why would he change
the month if he was gonna kill
himself?

K
I don’t see what that has to do
with--

Tim turns back to the road.

TIM
You think it’s just a coincidence?
Why would he burn himself alive?

K
Because he didn’t have a gun, or a
knife or a bottle of pills. He
obviously wasn’t thinking clearly.
And, neither are you. You’re
letting your past, and your dreams,
affect--

Tim suddenly veers the car to the road’s shoulder and brings
the car to a stop. Trucks pass. Snowflakes accumulate on the
windshield.
 67.

TIM
It was exactly the same. It was
exactly what he did to our father.
He was there. In the building.
Looking for me.

Tim turns on the wiper blades and watches them brush the
windshield free of snowflakes.

TIM (cont’d)
He did it, K. Just like before.
What if he does it again?

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

John enters from the stairwell, holding his video camera.

Robb follows, sulking. Jed bounds in behind Robb.

JOHN
I can’t believe I had to get killed
in my own movie. You’re a fuckin’
girl.

ROBB
I’m sorry. I didn’t wanna do it,
all right?

John stops and turns back to Robb.

JOHN
You’re a massive, fucking vagina.

ROBB
I told you I’d be the killer. But,
I’m not gonna let Jed strangle me.
Who knows where those hands have
even been?

JED
Dude, I let you kill me. What’s the
big deal?

Robb walks toward his room. He looks at Ted’s room door.

ROBB
You ever think maybe Nina’s right?
I mean it hasn’t even been twenty-
four hours since--

Jed laughs.
 68.

JED
So this is all about Ted?

ROBB
Forget about it.

Robb turns to unlock his door. John advances on him.

JOHN
Seriously, Robb. People die. In
tragic ways. All the time. But, Ted
did it to himself. I’m sorry, but I
don’t have sympathy for that.
Besides, this is a movie. It’s not
real. Get a grip.

JED
Yeah, Robb, you give your mother
this much trouble when you were a
little girl?

Robb’s face turns red. He enters his room and slams the door.

INT. TED’S ROOM - NIGHT

The Hunter eavesdrops at the door.

INT. ROBB’S ROOM - NIGHT

Robb is lying face down on his bed. There’s a knock at the

door. Robb looks up.

JOHN (O.S.)
Open up.

Robb sits up on his bed and considers the door. He gets up

and opens it.

ROBB
What?

JOHN
I’m sorry. Jed doesn’t know about
your mom.

ROBB
Whatever.

Robb goes to close the door. John blocks it with his hand.
 69.

JOHN
You wanna be the killer, you can be
the killer. I just thought your
pretty screaming face would make
all the girls go wild.

Robb loosens his grip on the door. He backs up and John

partially enters the room.

ROBB
Can we just take a break? It’s a
little weird right now.

JOHN
Sure. As long as you agree to be
the fourth victim.

Robb sits on his bed.

ROBB
I thought I was a fucking massive
vagina. Why you being so nice all
of a sudden?

JOHN
I happen to like fucking massive
vaginas.

John grins lasciviously.

JOHN (cont’d)
And, fucking with assholes. So
what’s say we go fuck with Jed?

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

John and Robb are standing outside room 603. Jake exits the
room carrying a book bag. He looks up at them.

JAKE
Do I wanna know?

John nods toward the room door.

JOHN
Your roommate’s a bit of an
asshole.

JAKE
Oh. So I already know. Well, have
at him. He’s taking a nap and I’m
heading to the library.
 70.
JAKE(cont'd)
Don’t fuck with my shit or you’ll
have one motherfucking angry dwarf
to deal with.

Jake heads toward the stairwell, leaving his room door open.

JOHN
No problem, little man.

Jake turns back.

JAKE
Call me that again and you’ll be
eligible for the Vienna Boys’
Choir.

Jake enters the stairwell. John and Robb quietly sneak into
Jake’s and Jed’s room.

INT. JAKE’S AND JED’S ROOM - NIGHT

Jed is asleep on his bed, face up and mouth wide open. Robb
starts to laugh. John quiets him with a look.

John cautiously tiptoes over to Jake’s desk. He opens the top

drawer and searches. He takes out a red marker pen and slinks
toward Jed’s bed.

John removes the marker cap and points the marker tip at
Jed’s forehead. He looks back at Robb. Robb nods.

John carefully starts writing “EAT ME” on Jed’s forehead.

Robb sits on Jake’s desk, tipping over his iron. Robb catches
it before it hits the desk and makes a sound.

In the middle of John’s writing of the “M,” Jed unexpectedly

closes his mouth and John jerks back. John waits a moment,
then finishes.

Robb starts laughing again. John quickly caps the marker,

drops it to the floor and ushers Robb out of the room.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

John and Robb exit Jake’s and Jed’s room and double over with
laughter. They proceed back to Robb’s room.

As Robb’s room door closes behind them, Ted’s door opens.

 71.

INT. JAKE’S AND JED’S ROOM - NIGHT

Jed softly moans and rolls over onto his stomach. The door
opens. The Hunter steps inside.

The Hunter closes the door and walks over to Jed’s bed.

The Hunter turns back toward the door and notices the iron on
Jake’s desk. The Hunter goes to the desk, picks up the iron
and plugs it in. The iron’s orange light comes on. The Hunter
holds it and turns back to Jed.

Jed slowly starts humping the bed.

The iron’s orange light goes off. The Hunter unplugs the iron
and walks back to Jed’s bed.

Jed moans again, clears his throat and stops humping the bed.
The Hunter presses the iron’s steam button, and a burst of
hot, wet air is released.

Jed rolls over onto his side, facing The Hunter.

The Hunter quickly presses the iron down onto Jed’s face. Jed
immediately awakens and tries leaping out of the bed. The
Hunter holds Jed’s head firmly in place with the iron. Jed’s
attempts at screaming are muffled by the iron.

The Hunter grabs Jed’s pillow and drops the iron. Jed tries
to cry out, but chokes on his own saliva. The Hunter presses
the pillow down onto Jed’s scarred face and holds it firmly
in place until Jed’s body stops writhing.

The Hunter removes the pillow and looks down at Jed. The
first “E” and “A” have been burnt off. The “T,” “M” and
second “E” remain.

The Hunter notices the red marker on the floor. The Hunter
picks it up, removes the cap and writes an “I” in between the
“T” and “M” on Jed’s forehead.

The Hunter picks up the iron, which has burned its impression
into the carpet near Jed’s bed. The Hunter again presses it
to Jed’s forehead, burning off the second “E.”

The Hunter steps back from the bed and tosses a Two of Hearts
playing card onto Jed’s bed.

The Hunter considers the new message on Jed’s forehead:

“TIM.”
 72.

EXT. QUAD RESIDENCE HALL - NIGHT

K stands alone in the parking lot. Tim’s car pulls away.

INT. ROBB’S ROOM - NIGHT

John and Robb are lying on separate beds, watching porn on

Robb’s TV. Robb is struggling to stay awake. John notices
Robb’s eyes close and jerk open.

JOHN
Who falls asleep during porn?

The sex sounds from the porn tape compete with the sex sounds
coming from John’s and Ken’s room next door.

JOHN (cont’d)
Jesus.

John turns up the volume on Robb’s TV with a remote control.

ROBB
Cut it out. I’m tired.

John turns the volume down. Ken’s and Nina’s moaning next
door gets louder.

JOHN
Must be nice having a double to
yourself.

ROBB
If I ever had it to myself.

Robb closes his eyes and rolls over. John sits up, disgusted.

JOHN
I gotta piss.

John gets up.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

John enters the hallway. The Hunter rounds the corner and
sees John walk to the bathroom and enter. Sex sounds from Ken
and Nina and the porn tape echo in the hallway.

The Hunter walks to John’s and Ken’s room. The Hunter stops
briefly, listening to Ken and Nina, then continues on to
Robb’s room.
 73.

The Hunter stops, looks in and sees the porn on TV and Robb.

INT. SIXTH FLOOR BATHROOM - NIGHT

John stands in a stall, urinating. The bathroom door opens.

JOHN
Please tell me this means you’re
done.

John turns his head, expecting to see Ken, and accidentally

pees all over the floor.

JOHN (cont’d)
Shit.

John zips up. He unrolls some toilet paper, kneels to the

floor and cleans up his mess.

JOHN (cont’d)
Ken, seriously man. Your dick’s
gonna fall off.

The door to John’s stall is pushed in, and John falls. He

looks up and sees The Hunter staring down at him.

JOHN (cont’d)
What the fuck? Lemme guess. Nina’s
playing Bambi?

John starts to stand. The Hunter grabs John’s hair and

thrusts his head into the toilet bowl. John tries to struggle
free. The Hunter pushes his face farther into the bowl.

The Hunter pulls John’s head up. John gags, gasping for air.
The Hunter slams John’s head down, smashing it against the
toilet seat. Blood gushes from his head and runs into the
toilet bowl.

The Hunter thrusts John’s head back into the bowl, holding it
there until John stops struggling. The Hunter steps back and
considers John’s limp body.

The Hunter raises a leg and flushes the toilet.

INT. RESIDENCE HALL OFFICE - NIGHT

Griffith is sitting at his desk. He hears someone put keys in

the unlocked office door.
 74.

Griffith stands, goes to the door, unlocks and opens it. He

startles Tim, who is standing outside.

TIM
I didn’t think you’d be here.

GRIFFITH
Yeah, well... I don’t really have a
life of my own. According to John,
anyway.

Griffith returns to his desk. He sits. Tim removes his keys

from the door’s lock.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
Did getting away help?

Tim enters.

TIM
Actually, I need to--

GRIFFITH
What?

Griffith motions for Tim to sit down. He does.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
Talk to me.

Tim reaches into his pocket and removes the photo of Aaron
Dr. Warner gave him. He looks at it, but shields it from
Griffith’s view.

TIM
I don’t really know how to begin.

Tim looks up at Griffith.

TIM (cont’d)
I don’t think Ted killed himself.

Griffith sighs.

GRIFFITH
He did, Tim. They found alcohol and
matches in his room. And, a note.

Tim looks surprised.

TIM
A note?
 75.

GRIFFITH
It wasn’t in the best of shape.
But, yeah. In Ted’s writing.

Tim looks down at the photo, cupped in his hand.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
Apparently, he had a pretty
extensive history. Was on and off
numerous meds. His mom thinks he
stopped taking them. If we’d have
known--
(leaning in)
But, we didn’t. What happened to
Ted was not your fault.

TIM
You’re sure?

Griffith nods and leans back. Calm washes over Tim’s face.

GRIFFITH
The funeral’s on Monday. After last
night, I wasn’t sure any of your
guys would want to go, but... We’re
making a van available in case.

Tim stuffs the photo back in his pocket.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
I know it seems like they don’t
need you right now. But, they do.
Guys are just... It’s harder for
us. And I know it seems like you
have no idea what to say or do.
But, you do. You’ll make it through
this. You just have to do it
together.

Tim feigns a smile and stands. He empties his office mailbox

and heads toward the door.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
Oh. One other thing.

Tim turns back.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
Brian’s back. Or, he will be. Seems
someone was able to talk the Vice
President out of his summary
suspension. Just in time for this
weekend’s game.
 76.

Tim exhales.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
I already talked to Clay. So, he
knows. Try to get some sleep.
Tomorrow’s a new day.

INT. SIXTH FLOOR BATHROOM - NIGHT

The Hunter props John’s body up on the toilet, setting him

down on the seat.

The Hunter drops a Three of Hearts playing card on the floor.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

The Hunter exits the bathroom and goes toward Ted’s room.

The stairwell door swings open and K bounds in, in front of

The Hunter, who quickly steps into Robb’s room. K goes
directly to Tim’s room and does not notice The Hunter.

INT. ROBB’S ROOM - NIGHT

The Hunter peers out and sees K at Tim’s door. Robb rolls
over and sees The Hunter standing in his doorway.

ROBB
Hey. Where’d ya get that?

The Hunter closes Robb’s door and turns.

INT. JOHN’S AND KEN’S ROOM - NIGHT

Nina and Ken are in Ken’s bed. Nina is on top of Ken, bucking
like a rodeo cowboy. They both cry out and she collapses on
top of him.

Ken rolls out of bed, from beneath Nina, and grabs his bong.
He fills it with weed, lights it and returns to the bed.

Nina sits up and takes a hit from the bong.

Something bangs against the wall adjoining Robb’s room. Ken

walks over to the wall and bangs on it.

KEN
Yeah, yeah.
 77.

Ken turns to Nina who starts getting dressed.

KEN (cont’d)
You’d think he’d be happy for me.

Ken takes a hit.

KEN (cont’d)
I’m happy for me.

Ken sets the bong aside and leaps on Nina before she can
button her shirt.

INT. ROBB’S ROOM - NIGHT

The Hunter is on top of Robb, strangling him. Robb tries to

get free, but The Hunter is too strong.

Robb’s eyes bulge. He gurgles. His breathing stops.

The Hunter stands, reaches down and closes Robb’s eyes.

The Hunter drops a Four of Hearts playing card onto the bed.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Tim enters from the stairwell. Ken and Nina moan in tandem
from inside Ken’s room.

Tim approaches his door and finds K sitting beside it, with a
pillow and sleeping bag.

K
If he comes back here, I’m gonna be
here, too.

Tim manages a smile. He unlocks his door and enters.

The Hunter opens Robb’s door and sees K enter Tim’s room.

Tim’s door closes and The Hunter steps out.

The Hunter walks to Tim’s door and turns the doorknob. It is

locked.

The Hunter steps back from the door and reaches out for the
“R.A.” placard. With brute force, The Hunter pulls it from
the wall.
 78.

INT. JAKE’S AND JED’S ROOM - NIGHT

Jake enters, carrying his book bag, bleary-eyed. He notices

Jed sleeping in his own bed, covers pulled up over his head.

Jake quietly closes the door and undresses. He notices the

unpleasant odor in the room. He walks closer to Jed’s bed.

He sees the iron mark in the carpet and turns to look at his
desk. The iron is not there. He looks up at the closet and
sees the iron on the top shelf.

JAKE
Fucker.

Jake hops up into his bed and cracks the window nearest him.
He pulls his covers up over his head.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - NIGHT

Tim bolts upright in bed, sweating and gasping for air.

He looks around the room and gets his bearings. K is asleep

on the floor beside his bed. It is 4:20 A.M.

Tim slides down the bed toward his desk. He removes the
prescription bottle from his desk drawer. He removes two
pills and considers them. He places the pills back in the
bottle and tosses it back into the drawer.

Tim lies back down, takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Brian exits the elevator, carrying a duffle bag, and enters

the vacant hallway. He goes to his room and knocks.

There’s no answer. Brian knocks again.

The door opens and Clay sleepily peers out.

BRIAN
I’m back.

Brian pushes the door open and tosses the duffle bag onto his
empty bed. Clay shuffles back to his bed.

Brian starts toward the elevator. He pauses, and turns back.

 79.

BRIAN (cont’d)
I’m sorry.

Clay looks up at Brian. Both remain still for a long while.

CLAY
I know.

BRIAN
I don’t suppose you wanna help me
bring my stuff in from the car...?

Clay laughs and gets back into bed.

CLAY
I wanna kick the crap out of you.
So, let’s say I don’t and we’ll
call it even.

Brian fights off a smile as Clay rolls over. He turns and

starts back toward the elevator.

Brian pushes the elevator’s down button and the elevator

doors immediately open. Brian steps in.

As the elevator doors close, The Hunter exits Ted’s room.

EXT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - DAY

Brian exits the hall and jogs out into the parking lot. Snow
covers the ground and flurries fill the air.

He reaches his car and unlocks the trunk. As he raises the

trunk door, The Hunter exits the hall’s main doors.

Brian pulls two boxes out of his trunk and sets them on the
snowy pavement. He rearranges the boxes still in the trunk,
pulling out a smaller box near the back.

As he turns to set the small box on top of the other two

boxes, he sees The Hunter standing behind him. Startled, he
drops the smaller box to the ground, spilling its contents.
Among the contents is a beer funnel and tube.

BRIAN
Fuck, bro.

Brian kneels and begins putting the items back into the box.
He notices The Hunter isn’t moving. He looks up.

BRIAN (cont’d)
Can I help you with somethin’?
 80.

The Hunter kneels and picks up the beer funnel and tube.
Brian stands, still holding the smaller box. He holds it out
for The Hunter.

The Hunter punches Brian hard across the face. The box flies
into the parking lot and Brian grabs hold of the trunk door
to gain his balance.

The Hunter wraps the tube around Brian’s neck and begins
choking him with it. Brian tries twisting around to face The
Hunter, but can’t get his footing on the snowy pavement.

Brian claws at the tube, trying to clear his air passage. The
Hunter thrusts him down into the open trunk and quickly slams
the trunk door down onto Brian’s back.

The Hunter lifts the trunk door and yanks on the tube around
Brian’s neck. Brian kicks and flails his arms, managing to
twist around to face The Hunter.

Lying half in the trunk, Brian tries to position himself so

he can kick The Hunter back. The Hunter releases the tube and
yanks on Brian’s legs. When Brian’s head is all that remains
in the trunk, The Hunter repeatedly slams the trunk door down
until Brian stops kicking.

The Hunter raises the trunk door. A gash in Brian’s throat

seeps blood into the trunk and down into the snow.

The Hunter drops a Five of Hearts playing card into the

trunk.

The Hunter stuffs Brian’s body into the trunk, noticing a gas
container inside. The Hunter removes it, closes the trunk
door and takes the car keys from the trunk’s lock.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - DAY

Tim sleeps. K sleeps on the floor beside him. There is an

insistent knock at Tim’s door. Tim awakens.

Tim gets out of bed, accidentally stepping on K as he makes

his way to the door. K raises his head sleepily and looks to
the door. He pulls himself up onto Tim’s bed.

Tim unlocks and opens the door. Lana stands in the hallway.

LANA
Where have you been?

Lana pushes past Tim to enter.

 81.

LANA (cont’d)
I’ve been worried--

She sees K.

LANA (cont’d)
Oh my God. I’m an idiot!

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Lana walks toward the stairwell with Tim in quick pursuit.

TIM
Lana, wait.

Lana whips around to face Tim, furious.

LANA
Have you two been in there all
along? I haven’t been able to eat
or sleep or think about anything
else since Jamie told me about Ted.
Thinking about you and how... How
you had to be feeling. I kept
calling you. You didn’t answer. I
practically camped out in front of
your door.

TIM
I’m sorry. I--

LANA
Save it.

Lana turns toward the stairwell. Tim grabs her.

TIM
You don’t understand.

LANA
And I don’t want to anymore.

Lana enters the stairwell. Tim considers following her. K

appears in Tim’s doorway.

K
And they think people choose to be
straight.

TIM
(sighs)
Don’t you have class?
 82.

K
Excuse you? I ooze class.

TIM
No, I mean... Don’t you have to go
to class?

K turns around to look at Tim’s clock.

K
Mm. I suppose.
(turning back to Tim)
But, it’s just sports psychology.
Losing sucks. There, I pass.

Tim walks back to his room and enters.

TIM
You don’t have to baby-sit me.

K
I’m not. You couldn’t afford me.

Tim goes to his window and looks out at the snowy parking
lot. Brian’s boxes sit beside an empty parking space.

K (cont’d)
I can go if you want. To class.
But, I’m coming right back.

Tim looks up. He doesn’t turn to K.

TIM
You were right. I was just letting
the dreams... Ted left a note. My
brother didn’t do it.

Tim turns to K.

TIM (cont’d)
So, go. I’ll be OK.

INT. GUN SHOP - DAY

KAT, 45, removes a rifle from a locked glass case. She holds
it tenderly, turning around to show it off to the person in
front of the counter.

KAT
This one here’s a beaut.
 83.

She lowers her hands to the counter, still lovingly cupping

the rifle in them.

KAT (cont’d)
It’s a Cheshire. Custom B2. One
blast with this and boom! Off with
their heads!

Kat chuckles.

KAT (cont’d)
I’ll let ya hold it if ya promise
to treat it special.

Kat presents the rifle to the person in front of the counter.

The Hunter takes the rifle and aims it at her. Kat chuckles
again, this time nervously.

KAT (cont’d)
Now, now. I ain’t your prey.

The Hunter lowers the rifle and hands it back to her.

KAT (cont’d)
So what do ya say? It wouldn’t be
opening day without it.

INT. CLAY’S AND BRIAN’S ROOM - DAY

Clay rolls over in bed and opens one of his eyes. His room
door is still ajar. Brian’s duffle bag sits alone on his side
of the room.

Clay gets out of bed, eyes closed, and scratches his head.

INT. SIXTH FLOOR BATHROOM - DAY

Clay wanders into the bathroom, his eyes still adjusting to

the light. He tries the first stall door, but feels it bump
into someone.

CLAY
Sorry.

Clay proceeds to the next stall and enters. He pulls down his
boxers and sits on the toilet.

Clay peers beneath the stall wall at the feet of the person
in the first stall. They are John’s.
 84.

CLAY (cont’d)
Brian?

There’s no response. Clay rubs his eyes and looks again. He

sees the Three of Hearts playing card at John’s feet.

CLAY (cont’d)
Who’s there?

There’s no response.

CLAY (cont’d)
Oh. That’s right. Only girls can
talk to each other in the bathroom.
Whatever.

Clay looks up without noticing the blood dripping down John’s

pant leg and onto the card.

INT. GUN SHOP - DAY

The Hunter goes toward the exit with his new rifle.

KAT
Don’t stay out there too long. They
say a storm’s comin’.

The Hunter exits the shop without turning back.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - DAY

Tim finishes dressing. He pulls his cell phone out of the

previous day’s pants’ pocket. He sees the message icon and
presses the message button.

He scrolls through the list of messages, each from Lana. He

tosses the phone to his bed and looks over at Aaron’s photo,
sitting atop his desk.

Tim turns to leave his room.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Tim heads for the stairwell. Clay exits his room, wearing
only a towel and carrying a shower caddy.

CLAY
Hey, Tim. Have you seen Brian?

Tim pauses at the stairwell door. Clay walks toward him.

 85.

TIM
No. Why?

CLAY
He came back this morning and--

TIM
Griffith said he talked to you.

CLAY
Yeah, yeah. It’s all right. I
just... It’s weird. He dropped off
one bag, said he was going back to
his car and... I haven’t seen him
since.

TIM
Did he have football practice?

CLAY
Not this early.

TIM
I don’t know.

Clay shrugs and enters the bathroom. Tim enters the

stairwell.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SEVENTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Tim knocks on Lana’s room door. He waits for an answer.

As he’s about to knock again, the door swings open. Lana

looks nonplussed to see him. She starts to close the door,
but Tim reaches out to stop her.

TIM
There’s something I have to tell
you.

INT. JOHN’S AND KEN’S ROOM - DAY

Ken and Nina lie in his bed, cuddling.

NINA
John must be pissed.

KEN
Ah, who cares? Robb’s got an extra
bed. It’s not like he had to sleep
on the bathroom floor.
 86.

Ken reaches toward Nina’s crotch beneath the covers. She

giggles and swats his hand away.

Nina rolls over to face him.

NINA
Go get him.

Ken sits up.

KEN
I’m all about threeways, but not
with John. I’ve seen him naked.

Nina giggles and starts getting out of the bed.

NINA
No. I mean, we’re done. For now.

Ken yanks her back into the bed and kisses her.

KEN
We don’t have to be.

He starts tickling her.

EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY

Brian’s car drives along the main campus road, past groups of
students braving the snow on their way to, or from, class.

As the car heads toward the Tower residence hall, K emerges

from one of the groups of students. The car slows some,
stalking K with its new pace.

INT. LANA’S ROOM - DAY

Lana is sitting on her desk and looks shell-shocked. Tim

sits, numb, on her bed.

LANA
Oh my God. So that’s why you...?
Why didn’t you tell me?

Tim looks up at her, wounded.

TIM
Because I was afraid.

Lana goes to her bed and wraps her arms around Tim.
 87.

LANA
But, I love you, you idiot.

Tim’s eyes well with tears.

TIM
I love you, too.

Lana pulls back and wipes a tear from Tim’s eye.

LANA
But, you saw him. Here.

Tim sniffles and slides back on Lana’s bed.

TIM
Yeah. The other day. I didn’t know
it was him, but--

Lana’s face registers with memory.

LANA
Wait. What does he look like?

TIM
Why?

Lana stands and walks back to her desk.

LANA
Because. Yesterday, when I was
running up and down the stairs to
your room and back, this guy... He
was looking for you. Said he was a
ghost from your past.

Tim sits up, alert.

TIM
Who?

Lana rifles through papers on her desk and grabs a note.

LANA
Here.

She reads it and hands it to Tim.

LANA (cont’d)
Tom Nethers. I wrote it down, so I
could tell you.

Tim takes the note, confused.

 88.

TIM
No. His name’s Aaron. This is the
guy that was on John’s tour.
Somebody from my--

Tim looks closely at the name and stops himself.

TIM (cont’d)
Wait a minute. Gimme a pen.

Lana grabs a pen from her desk and hands it to Tim. Tim walks
the post-it and pen back over to Lana’s desk. He starts
crossing off letters in the name and rewriting them in a
different order below it.

He crosses off “M”, then “O,” then “N,” then “S,” then “T,”
then “E,” then “R,” writing “MONSTER.” All that remains above
from the original name are “T,” “H,” and “E.”

Tim steps back from the desk. Lana reads the note.

LANA
The Monster?

Lana looks at Tim.

LANA (cont’d)
Who’s that?

Tim remains still, horror settling onto his face.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

K reaches Tim’s room door and realizes he’s tracked snow in

behind him. He steps back from Tim’s door and brushes snow
from his jacket and hair, shaking himself off like a dog.

He hears moans of pleasure coming from Ken’s room. He walks

over to the door and listens. He nervously looks around.

Clay opens his room door and K leaps back from Ken’s door.
Clay nods toward K and K half-waves.

K goes back to Tim’s door, opens it and enters.

As he does, the elevator doors open.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - DAY

K drops his bag and begins removing his jacket as he enters.

 89.

K
So much for October. It’s
definitely November out--

K notices that Tim is not inside. He closes the door and

hangs his jacket on the doorknob.

He walks over to Tim’s desk. Aaron’s photo sits on the desk

top. K picks it up.

K (cont’d)
Why are all the cute ones psycho?

K drops Aaron’s photo back to the desk, face down. The movies
from the other night are also sitting on Tim’s desk. K grabs
them and goes to his bag.

Tim’s door opens. K has his back to the door, trying to stuff
the movies into his bag.

K (cont’d)
Where’d ya go?

Tim’s door closes. K turns, holding the movies, and finds The
Hunter standing inside.

K (cont’d)
What the... You do realize
Halloween’s over?

The Hunter does not respond. K sees the rifle The Hunter
holds. His expression changes.

K (cont’d)
Who are you?

The Hunter removes his ski mask, revealing himself to be

Aaron. K drops the movies to the floor.

AARON
Don’t tell me you forgot?

Aaron swings the butt of the rifle toward K’s head. It makes
impact, smacking K into the wall.

Aaron grins from ear to ear.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - LOBBY - DAY

Tim runs across the lobby from the residence hall office.
Lana runs after him, lagging behind.
 90.

LANA
Tim? What’s going on? Was it him?
Was it your brother?

Tim reaches Griffith’s apartment door and bangs insistently.

Lana reaches the apartment door as Griffith opens it. He’s

eating a sandwich.

TIM
What did it say?

Griffith looks perplexed. The tomatoes from his sandwich fall

to the floor. He stoops to pick them up.

GRIFFITH
Huh?

TIM
Ted’s note. What did it say?

Griffith stands, unsure of what to do with the tomatoes. He

takes a moment to think.

GRIFFITH
Oh. Um. Well, it didn’t really make
much sense. Why?

TIM
I need to know what it said.

Griffith notices Lana standing behind Tim.

GRIFFITH
Can this wait? I’m free after my
judicial meeting at two. Come by
the office.

TIM
I need to know now.

GRIFFITH
I don’t--

The tomatoes start dripping seeds from Griffith’s hand.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
I don’t really remember everything.
I know it didn’t make much sense to
his mother.

TIM
Why?
 91.

GRIFFITH
It said something about how his
father’s death was his fault. But,
his father’s not dead. They’re just
divorced.

Tim steps back into the wall opposite the apartment door.

TIM
Oh my God.

GRIFFITH
What?

LANA
Tim, what?

TIM
He thought Ted was me.

Tim looks at Lana, fear settling on his face.

TIM (cont’d)
But, he came back. Because he knows
he was wrong.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - DAY

K is seated at Tim’s desk, holding a pen to a pad of paper.

Aaron is pointing the rifle at K’s head.

AARON
Write it.

K turns his head slightly to look at Aaron, revealing the

welt and cut from Aaron’s earlier assault.

K
I’m not him.

AARON
Write it or I’ll kill you right
here.

K looks back to the piece of paper and writes. As he does, he

knowingly capitalizes all letters but a few in his script.

INSERT - PIECE OF PAPER

As K writes, “I’m SoRRY. I nEVER sHOULD HAVE LIED. It’S ALL

MY FAULT. I’VE GONe TO THE WOODS. IT’S OVEr NOW. TIM”
 92.

BACK TO SCENE

Aaron reviews the message. He looks pleased.

AARON
Good.

Aaron steps back and removes the camouflage jacket.

K looks down at the movies on the floor. He notices “The

Monster Squad” among them. He carefully kicks the others
beneath Tim’s bed, leaving it alone in plain view.

Aaron tosses the jacket at K.

AARON (cont’d)
Time to change.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Aaron and K exit Tim’s room. K is now dressed in the hunting

camouflage. Aaron conceals the rifle behind him. Aaron walks
K toward the elevator and pushes the down button.

Clay exits his room, carrying a book bag, and starts toward
them. Aaron shifts nervously. K looks at Clay and mouths the
word “Help.”

Clay notices K moving his lips, but doesn’t catch the

message. He stops and looks at K quizzically.

CLAY
Huh?

Aaron turns to K, who stares straight ahead at the elevator.

Clay notices the rifle and takes a step back.

CLAY (cont’d)
Hey. You can’t have that in here.

Aaron turns back to Clay and smiles. He raises the rifle,

aims it at Clay and fires.

Clay’s body lurches back into the hallway wall, blood

splattering behind him.

Aaron reaches into the camo jacket and removes a playing

card. He tosses the Six of Hearts toward Clay’s body.

The elevator doors open and Aaron shoves K inside, stepping

in behind him.
 93.

INT. JAKE’S AND JED’S ROOM - DAY

Jake leaps out of bed.

JAKE
What the fuck was that?

He notices Jed has not roused.

JAKE (cont’d)
Didn’t you fucking hear that?

INT. JOHN’S AND KEN’S ROOM - DAY

Ken rushes to his room door. Nina sits up in bed, looking

concerned.

NINA
It sounded like a gun shot.

KEN
Inside?

Ken starts opening the door.

NINA
No, wait!

Nina rushes to him.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - STAIRWELL - DAY

Tim runs up the stairs, two at a time. Lana and Griffith

hurry behind.

LANA
Tim, wait!

INT. JAKE’S AND JED’S ROOM - DAY

Jake goes over to Jed’s bed and pushes him. There’s no

response from Jed.

Jake climbs up onto Jed’s bed and starts kicking him.

JAKE
Wake up, fucker. Didn’t you hear
that?
 94.

Jake bends down and peels back Jed’s covers. He sees Jed’s
charred face and the written message on his forehead.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Tim exits the stairwell door and immediately comes upon the
bloody sight. Clay’s body is slumped against the hallway
wall, a trail of blood displaying its path to the floor.

A few other residents are standing in the hallway staring on

in horror.

Tim rushes toward his room as Ken opens his door. He steps
out, with Nina behind him as Lana and Griffith arrive from
the stairwell.

Lana and Nina scream in unison.

KEN
What the fuck?!

Tim opens his room door and finds his room empty. He hears
Jake screaming from his room down the hall. Tim runs toward
Jake’s room.

KEN (cont’d)
John! John!

Ken enters the hallway and quickly steps around Clay’s body
to Robb’s room. He bangs on the door and it swings open. He
sees Robb lying in bed.

INT. ROBB’S ROOM - DAY

Ken enters Robb’s room.

KEN
Robb, where’s John?

A few steps inside, Ken notices that Robb’s neck is bruised

and his skin is blue. Ken goes to Robb and touches him.
Immediately, Ken falls backwards to the floor. He screams.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Nina runs out into the hall, leaping over Clay’s body. She
sees Ken on Robb’s floor and the look of absolute terror on
his face.
 95.

She looks at Robb’s body, then back at Clay’s, and is

instantly nauseated. She rushes toward the bathroom.

INT. JAKE’S AND JED’S ROOM - DAY

Jake hears someone banging on his door.

TIM (O.S.)
It’s me! Tim! Open up!

Jake looks back at “TIM” written on Jed’s forehead. Jake

turns to the door, frightened.

TIM (O.S.) (cont’d)

Jake, open the door!

JAKE
Did you do this?

TIM (O.S.)
Jake, please open the door!

Jake jumps off Jed’s bed and runs to the door. He unlocks and
opens it. Tim rushes in.

TIM (cont’d)
Did I do what?

Jake points to Jed. Tim goes to Jed’s bed. He sees Jed’s body
and stares at it in horror.

Lana appears in Jake’s doorway.

LANA
Tim! Robb--

Lana enters and sees Jed. They hear Nina scream from the
bathroom.

INT. SIXTH FLOOR BATHROOM - DAY

Tim, Lana and Jake rush into the bathroom, toward Nina’s
screaming. She is kneeling in front of one of the stalls.

As they approach, they see what Nina has seen: John’s body,
propped up on the toilet in the stall, blood and toilet water
dripping from his head, down his body and into a puddle of
Nina’s vomit, partially obscuring the Three of Hearts playing
card at John’s feet.
 96.

INT. TIM’S ROOM - DAY

Griffith stands, talking on Tim’s cell phone. Tim runs in.

TIM
Where’s K?

GRIFFITH
Yes! There are at least three.

Tim sees “The Monster Squad” video at Griffith’s feet. He

bends to pick it up and sees the others beneath his bed.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
I don’t know! Yes! Right in the
hallway!

Tim stands and notices the note pad on his desk. He walks
past Griffith and picks it up.

Tim reads the note. He quickly notices the lowercase letters.

He uses his finger to chart them. He sees that they spell
“monster.”

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
I will. Please hurry!

Tim looks up and out the window. He sees Brian’s car peel out
of the snowy parking lot.

Griffith hangs up. He turns to Tim, hysterical.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
We have to get everyone out of
here.

Griffith starts toward the door. He turns back to Tim.

GRIFFITH (cont’d)
I don’t understand. What’s going
on? Who did this?

Tim turns and walks past Griffith, dazed.

TIM
The Monster.

INT. TOWER RESIDENCE HALL - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY

Tim exits his room. Ken stumbles out of Robb’s room and looks
over at Clay’s body. He sees the playing card at Clay’s feet.
 97.

JOHN
What’s that?

Tim snaps out of his stupor and looks down at the floor. He
bends over and picks up the card. As soon as he sees what it
is, he drops it and runs into the stairwell.

INT. BRIAN’S CAR - DAY

K drives. He turns Brian’s car onto the dirt path leading

into the campus woods. Aaron is seated in the passenger seat,
holding the rifle to K’s temple.

AARON
Here.

K veers the car toward the embankment near a clearing in the

woods. He stops the car.

Aaron opens the glove compartment. He removes a matchbox and

a new pack of playing cards. He opens his door and steps out.
K reluctantly does the same.

EXT. CAMPUS WOODS - DAY

Aaron points the rifle at K and nods toward the trunk. K goes
to it and unlocks it. He sees Brian’s body. He screams and
falls to the ground.

Aaron walks around to the rear of the car and removes the now-
full gas container, which had been wedged between Brian’s
head and one of the boxes.

Aaron uses the gas container to swing the trunk door closed.

AARON
Follow me.

EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY

Tim runs along the campus’s snowy main road. Though there are
several other students walking across campus, he’s the only
one running and the only one not wearing a coat.

He hurries past several male students. None take notice of

him. He rushes past a female student, who turns to watch him
run off. She shakes her head.
 98.

EXT. CAMPUS WOODS - DAY

Aaron leads K down the embankment and into the clearing. K

holds the gasoline container. Aaron has the rifle pressed to
K’s back. K is crying.

K
I’m not Tim.

AARON
Still a liar. After all this time.
Good thing I didn’t learn how to be
a man from my big brother, huh?

They enter the clearing. Aaron stops walking.

AARON (cont’d)
Stop.

K stops walking and starts turning toward Aaron. Aaron raises

the rifle to K’s head and notices K’s tears.

AARON (cont’d)
What are you crying for?

K turns back to face away from Aaron. Aaron lowers the rifle
and walks up tightly behind him.

AARON (cont’d)
Looks like you still have a few
things to learn.

He grabs the gasoline container from K’s hands and sets it

behind them. He swings the rifle around K and lifts K’s arms.

AARON (cont’d)
In this world you’re either the
hunter or the hunted.

Aaron forces K to grasp the rifle. Aaron keeps his hands on

the rifle, too, raising it and aiming it into the clearing.

AARON (cont’d)
How’s that feel?

K’s sobs become more pronounced.

K
I’m not your brother. I wasn’t
there. I’m not him.
 99.

Aaron jerks the rifle back, jamming the butt end into K’s
chest. K whimpers and doubles over. Aaron yanks him back up
to his feet.

AARON
Pay attention. I’m gonna teach you
this.

Aaron again raises the rifle, using K’s hands.

AARON (cont’d)
Now, look straight ahead. Stay
focused, strong. Then...

Aaron presses K’s fingers against the rifle and it fires. K

tries wriggling free. Aaron’s grasp is too strong.

AARON (cont’d)
Boom!

EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY

Tim nears the dirt path leading into the woods as the gun
shot echoes through the trees. He takes off like a bullet
into the woods.

EXT. CAMPUS WOODS - DAY

K kneels in the snow. Though still crying, he’s regained some

composure. Aaron stands behind him, the rifle propped up
against a nearby tree.

K
Why are you doing this?

Aaron takes a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, removing

one and putting it in his mouth. He puts the pack back into
his pocket and removes the matchbox. He strikes a match.

AARON
You never were a quick learner. Or
much of a hunter.

Aaron lights his cigarette and tosses the match into the
snow. He takes a long drag on the cigarette.

AARON (cont’d)
But, you still got me. Got me good.

Aaron tosses the cigarette at K. The lit end hits K’s neck. K
winces and reaches toward the burn.
 100.

Aaron picks up the rifle and walks to the gas container. He

unscrews the container’s cap. He walks over to K and begins
dousing him in gasoline.

K jumps up, taking a swing at Aaron. Aaron smacks him to the

ground with the butt of the rifle, again cutting K’s face.

As K’s blood drips into the snow, Aaron empties the gas
container on top of him.

AARON (cont’d)
Your turn.

Aaron tosses the rifle aside and strikes another match.

TIM (O.S.)
Aaron!

Aaron turns, lit match in his hands, and sees Tim running
down the embankment and into the clearing.

K lifts his head and sees Tim.

K
Tim, no!

Aaron flicks the match behind him and reaches for the rifle.

K quickly rolls over, barely avoiding the match. It falls to

the snow and is quickly extinguished.

Tim charges toward Aaron, but stops when Aaron raises the
rifle, pointing it straight at him.

TIM
It’s me, Aaron. It’s me you want.

Aaron fires the rifle, hitting Tim’s right shoulder. Tim

drops into a fast-growing pool of his own blood.

K
No!

Aaron starts toward Tim, who tries to crawl up the

embankment. He barely gets a few feet before passing out.

EXT. CAMPUS WOODS - DAY

Tim opens his eyes. Aaron stands in front of him, rifle at

his side. K is kneeling between them, crying. He is no longer
wearing the camouflage.
 101.

Tim gets his bearings. He is spread out against the rear of

Brian’s car. He is now wearing the camouflage.

AARON
Well, bro. I’m glad we got that
figured out.

Tim tries to sit up, but cries out in pain.

Aaron raises the rifle and points it at K’s head.

AARON (cont’d)
He’s still an eyewitness. And he’s
not an eight year-old. Somebody
might actually believe him.

K shivers uncontrollably.

AARON (cont’d)
Were you just hoping that I’d never
figure it out? That I’d never
remember?

Aaron awaits a response.

AARON (cont’d)
I’d ask why you did it, but I had
lots of time to figure that one
out. While everybody thought it was
me.

TIM
What? What are you--?

AARON
Either the hunter or the hunted.
Either you or me.

Aaron removes the pack of playing cards from his pocket. He

takes the cards out and casually flips through them.

AARON (cont’d)
And when the cards were down, it
was you.

Aaron tosses the cards up into the air. They rain down on
Tim, the car, and K.

EXT. WOODS - DAY - ELEVEN YEARS EARLIER

The father lets go of the playing cards. They rain down on

him, the boys and the car.
 102.

FIRST SON
Dad!

The inside of the car fills with flames. The father kicks and
screams in agony.

A flock of birds is startled out of a nearby tree.

The first son stumbles away from the car, in shock.

The second son remains frozen in horror, surrounded by cards.

FIRST SON (cont’d)

No!

The birds scatter overhead.

FIRST SON (cont’d)

What did you do?

The first son turns to the second son, catatonia sinking in.

FIRST SON (cont’d)

Tim? What did you do?

The second son does not look away from the fiery car,
entranced by his father’s continued screams.

FIRST SON (cont’d)

What did you do, Tim?

The second son looks at his brother, expressionless. The

first son begins rocking back and forth, his words slowing
and quieting as the flames grow more insistent.

FIRST SON (cont’d)

What did you do? What did you do?
What did you do? What did you do?

The second son looks back at the car, as if for the first
time. When he sees the flames, he screams and runs toward his
father, trying to pull him from the car.

FIRST SON (cont’d)

What did you do? What did you do?
What did you do? What did you do?

The flames are too much for the second son. He stumbles back
from the car as his father’s screams cease. He stares at his
younger brother with an expression of horror.
 103.

EXT. CAMPUS WOODS - DAY - PRESENT DAY

Tim, motionless on the rear of Brian’s car, stares at his

younger brother with an expression of horror.

AARON
The Monster wasn’t me. It was you.

Tim’s horrified expression melts with recognition.

TIM
It was me?

K
Tim! You know that’s not true! It
was him! Remember what Dr. Warner
said.

Aaron steps back from K and laughs.

AARON
Dr. Warner? Really? So you didn’t
forget about me? How sweet.

Aaron walks past K and goes to the car. He yanks Tim up and
forces the rifle into Tim’s hands.

AARON (cont’d)
It was you.

Aaron makes Tim point the rifle at K. K stumbles back,

struggling to gain his footing.

AARON (cont’d)
Still is.

Aaron wraps Tim’s fingers around the rifle. K gets to his

feet and takes off running down the path. Aaron squeezes
Tim’s fingers against the trigger.

The rifle fires.

K drops to the ground.

Aaron releases his grip on the rifle. Tim cries out in a mix
of agony and horror.

AARON (cont’d)
You were my brother. You were
supposed to protect me. You were
supposed to protect all of them.
 104.

Aaron lights a match.

Tim looks up at the flame, catatonia sinking in.

AARON (cont’d)
But you did us one better. You just
protected yourself.

Aaron watches the flame near his fingers.

AARON (cont’d)
Either the hunter or the hunted. I
know which one I am now. Which one
are you?

Aaron blows out the match and tosses it at Tim.

Tim lurches back before realizing the flame has been

extinguished.

Sirens blare in the distance.

Aaron walks off into the woods as the sound of the sirens
grows closer.

K lifts his head and looks back toward Brian’s car. He sees
that Aaron is gone and he jumps to his feet.

There is no blood on the ground. The shot at K missed.

K runs back toward the car as the sirens get louder.

K
Tim? Tim, are you OK?

K reaches the car. Tim is shivering. K looks him over.

K (cont’d)
You’re all right.

A campus safety car barrels down the path toward them.

K (cont’d)
You’re all right.

K turns and runs toward the safety car.

Tim picks up the rifle.

EXT. CAMPUS WOODS - DAY

Aaron walks through the dense trees.

 105.

A gun goes off. The shot echoes from behind him.

He removes a playing card from his pocket and drops it to the

ground.

Aaron disappears amidst the trees, leaving the King of Hearts

behind.

FADE OUT.