Chapter 72:     Action Thriller

an excerpt from THE MOVIE--

INTERIOR, HOTEL SALON, WILD PARTY GOING ON

POKEY is sitting on a sofa with a pretty Japanese-American girl, MAKI 
YOSHIDO.  They are quite cozy, pressed together and talking intimately, 
both have drinks in hand.  POKEY swirls his whiskey soda, enjoying the 
clink of ice cubes, then tosses it back in one gulp.  He signals a 
passing waiter.  (WAITER is a young hip-looking man)

POKEY:    Another, please.

WAITER:   Coming right up, sir.  And the lady?

MAKI:     Oh no thanks, I'm good. (raises her glass to show it 
          half-full of something blue)
         
WAITER leaves them, she turns back to POKEY-

MAKI:     Say, for a guy who wouldn't drink earlier, you're sure making 
          up for lost time.

POKEY:    Hey, guess I'm just in a party mood tonight.  Maybe because 
          of you, Maki Yoshido.

MAKI:     I can totally understand that, you guys REALLY put out some 
          awesomely sexy music tonight.  Sure got me turned on.

POKEY:    Oh?  And just how Turned On do you mean, my little lotus flower?

MAKI:     (shy)  Oh...a LOT...or, I don't know... (giggles, rolls eyes, 
          too embarrassed to say it) ...I'm not usually like this.

POKEY:    Oh, THAT much?  Then I'm satisfied...well, almost. 

MAKI:     (cautious) So maybe I should...help you to be...more 
          satisfied? (shocked)  God, what am I saying?

WAITER:   (arriving with another whiskey soda, handing it to POKEY) 
          Here you go, sir. (hesitates)   Oh and by the way, they've 
          been playing a recording of tonight's concert in the kitchen--
          pretty awesome stuff, man. (gives thumbs-up sign)

POKEY:    (smiles, returns thumbs-up) Thanks, Bro. 
          (back to MAKI) Well, uh, Maki, maybe we two should--uh--go 
          somewhere else and... 
          (his CELL PHONE rings) 
          ...'scuse a sec. 
          (he reads display, takes the call)  

          Yeah, hi Melly, whazzup? (face shifts from smile to shock) 
          WHAAAT?  Shit, how bad are you hurt?  Uh uh..okay, but I 
          don't know where Liss is, she disappeared with Scott Richter 
          an hour ago and...no wait, there she is, hang on...
          (stands up and waves, staggering slightly) 
          LISSANDRA! COME HERE QUICK!  

          (back to phone) Yes, we're coming now.  You're on the ROOF?  
          Uh, yeah, if we can get into the building, it's... (looks 
          at his watch) ...quarter after two in the morning.  But we'll 
          try, coming now, 'bye! 

MAKI is watching him with big eyes, confused but aware that POKEY has 
an emergency going on.

POKEY:    I'm sorry, Maki--and I mean TOTALLY sorry--but I gotta go 
          right now!  Big emergency!

MAKI:     I can tell.  But wait--don't you want my phone number?

POKEY:    Oh God, yes!  But write fast while I get Lissandra up to 
          speed! (heading over to meet LISS, trying not to stagger 
          any more)

MAKI:     Lissandra who? (frowns, looks for her competition, relaxes)  
          Oh yeah, she's in your band too.  Okay, I'll write, you do 
          what you have to!

POKEY meets LISS halfway, they talk animatedly, we can't hear them, 
but LISS is obviously shocked.  She nods, hurries to get her coat and 
purse, ready to go at once.  POKEY is pulling on his own jacket when 
MAKI brings him a piece of paper.

They look at one another for a second, then both grab for a passionate 
but hurried First Kiss.  LISS arrives and raises her eyebrows in wonder, 
looks to POKEY, back to MAKI. The girls nod to each other once before 
POKEY and LISS zip out the door.


EXTERIOR PARAMOUNT BUILDING, NIGHT. POKEY and LISS are standing at the entrance, otherwise alone. The only lights are streetlights, the building is dark. POKEY tries to force the door without result. LISSANDA is calling on her cell phone. LISS: Mel? We're downstairs but can't get in. You're going to have to come down to us. Can you walk at all? Otherwise we'll have to call the police and... okay, we'll wait for you down on the Parking Level. You sure? Okay. POKEY: So can she make it on her own? LISS: Says she thinks so, but it may take a few minutes. She RILLY doesn't want to get the Police involved.
INTERIOR, STAIRWELL PARAMONT BUILDING. MELLY is coming downstairs, slowly, limping, dragging herself along t he railing, sobbing in pain and frustration. At least she has managed to get her cloths on, if somewhat sloppily. MELLY: Oh God, I'm too slow, this is taking too long. Oh, Addy Addy Addy, what's going to happen to you? (more weeping and wailing, poor me)
INTERIOR PARKING GARAGE, NIGHT LISS and POKEY are waiting by the van, the only people around. They hear the stairway door crash open and see MELLY, staggering out, almost falling, obviously in pain. POKEY: There she is! They rush to her and catch her before she falls, holding her up. LISS: God, Mel, how bad are you hurt? MELLY: I don't know yet. But enough...ow! POKEY: You said you've been attacked by another Bigfoot right here in downtown Seattle? MELLY: Yes, Addy's squatch Adversary Daklakht, you know, that Nokhon cop who's after him? He jumped us on the roof of the Paramount and has done something really bad to Addy! LISS: Oh no. Is Addy hurt? MELLY: Not physically, but he's been brainwashed and commanded to go KILL Felix Sinsley, you know, Peter's father. I've tried to call and warn the Sinsleys to RUN, but it's an unlisted number. POKEY: KILL him? Like in REALLY kill DEAD? MELLY: I think so, he can't stop himself. So WE have to. LISS: Where is he now? MELLY: Running to Monroe. He's fast but we can drive faster and get there ahead of him. Let's go. NOW! They hurry to the van, Melly limping badly. LISS: I'll drive. Pokey's had too much to drink. MELLY: Yeah, I picked up on that. Damn, Pokey! POKEY: (embarrassed) Yeah, I...I don't know what happened... MELLY: I think I do. They climb into the van and drive off into the downtown Seattle night.
INTERIOR, VAN, DRIVING AT NIGHT LISS, POKEY and MELLY are in the middle of a dramatic conversation. MELLY seems over the worst but she has been crying. LISS: (astounded) You guys HAD SEX? POKEY: (bewildered) I thought that was impossible, Adam's promise... MELLY: It wasn't really Addy...well, it was, but he was possessed or something. And I'd call it RAPE instead of "sex". LISS: O God no, Meleee! (starts to sob) MELLY: Don't you start crying too, Liss, you're driving and we've got to keep going as fast as we can! LISS: Yeah, yeah, (sniff) I'll tough it out. MELLY: About the drinking--Pokey, what happened? POKEY: I dunno, I'd had one drink all night until 'bout half hour ago--and then just started belting one down after another, like I was out of control. It was weird, I didn't even realize what I was doing, like a switch had turned off in my head. MELLY: Half an hour ago? While Addy and I were...breaking his promise? POKEY: Yeah. I was just about to start my fifth whiskey and soda when you called. At least I set that one down, or I'd be pretty useless by now. It's bad enough I can't drive. Shit, this kind of scares me, I don't want to go back to...you know. MELLY: Yeah, I know. Oh Pokey... LISS: Uh Mel, thinking about this: if Adam can't stop himself, how do we? Slap him down? POKEY: Liss is right, there's no way we can do shit against Adam. He outweighs all three of us! MELL: Actually, I did get through to him when I sang "The Sound of Music". But I couldn't keep it up forever and he got away. POKEY: His mantra! MELL: Yeah, so maybe we'll have to do one more concert tonight. Y'know, if he attacks us... LISS: I take it we're still not calling the Police? MELLY & POKEY: (in emphatic unison) NO!!! MELLY: They'll just shoot him down...again. No Police! LISS: But we can't just let him... MELLY: We WON'T! But if I have to choose between saving Addy or Mr. Sinsley, it's a no-brainer. That's just how it is. POKEY: Art and Elaine! They might have the Sinsleys' number. MELLY: Tried that, no answer. Tried my Dad too, but he's away on business. LISS: So what can we do? POKEY: (thinking, then realizing) DAGROLYT! He can stop Adam! LISS: Yes! That's IT! MELLY: Of course! Damn, why didn't I think of that? My brain must be turned off too! LISS: Hey, you're in PAIN, Mel, what do you expect? How did Adam... uh...DO it to you anyway? MELLY: Missionary position...he... (she sobs, they stare at her) ...kinda squashed me. POKEY: Missionary? He laid on TOP of you? Oh Shit! He weighs... LISS: Shit Mel, you're lucky you weren't totally crushed to death! MELLY: Yeah, I almost was. Lucky me.
EXTERIOR, HIGHWAY 2; NIGHT The van whizzing up the road past a sign: "MONROE 20 miles"
INTERIOR, VAN, STILL DRIVING AT NIGHT MELLY is trying to call again, letting it ring. MELLY: Where the HELL ARE you, Art and Elaine? (she hangs up) Crap! They left the party hours ago, their cell phone's turned off, no one taking the home phone...where could they be? POKEY: We'll just have to concentrate on finding Dagrolyt, that's who we really need anyway. MELLY: Yeah and pretty quick! Not much time left now... (checks her watch) ...shit, it's already 3 o'clock. We've got maybe 45 minutes before Addy arrives at the Sinsley house and we're still 15 minutes away from the Hacienda! (tries again, franticly punching the keys of her phone) POKEY: And even if he IS around, he won't be at the house anyway. We might have to go looking for him in the woods. Out to the Mother Meadow and back again will take at least 20 minutes. We're screwed! LISS: And we're not even sure that Dagrolyt IS still around. He might have gone to... MELLY's cell phone rings. MELLY: SHUT UP EVERYONE! (intensely scrunching down to hear her phone) What? Hello? Who is this...? Oh...oh..oh my GOD! Kha, Dagrolyt! Ra, Ra, ha Ma-ellia... listen, Adam's in trouble! Uh.. Dadamet e'...in trouble, shit, how do you say that? what? No? No what? What no, no...no? The others have been staring at her in wonder, now MELLY looks up at them with a blown-away expression on her face. Pokey, you speak better Nokhontli than me-- I can't understand what he's saying and he can't understand me. POKEY: Yo, let me try. (takes MELLY's phone) Kha, Dagrolyt. Dadadamet ebne skay'tarrat! Oh, you already..uh..Ahat ayara ka? Ra'kha! Wait, Ha ø'ø skog-arayatat... Oh, oh, okay, Ra, ra--ra'kha! What? What, you'll..meet us..? Okay, got it, Hahatli wobwandle Monroe-zaabl. Ra, ha ayaratat. Cool man, Ta'ash, ka'sba-tli-ka!" He ends the call and nonchalantly hands the phone back to MELLY, who is dumbfounded, as is LISS. They stare at POKEY with mouths open. POKEY: (playing it) What? We're cool, he already knows what's going on and will meet us half-way on the road from the ranch into Monroe. LISS and MELLY cheer loudly. POKEY smirks a little. LISS: Well, Pokey, how cool you ARE! Hey, I'd do you right now if I wasn't driving. POKEY: Better take a rain check on that, Liss--and just keep driving, we got us a Sha-haka to meet!
EXTERIOR, COUNTRY ROAD, NIGHT The van comes up the road, DAGROLYT steps out of the woods and flags it down. He is wearing Adam's clothes, checkered shirt, big baggy blue jeans, but also has his Sha-haka pouch. Side door opens, he climbs in.
INTERIOR, VAN DAGROLYT is squeezing himself into the back of the van where ADAM usually sits, between musical instruments. It's a tight fit. DAG: (quite cheery) Hallo frienz, how you are thanks?" MELLY: Oh Dagrolyt, thank God! DAG: Okay: thanks you, God. Ha ha ha. POKEY laughs, the girls look irritated at him. He shrugs. LISS: Okay now, Sinsley house? POKEY: Yeah, hit it! We don't have much time. LISSANDRA resolutely turns the van around and accelerates, putting on some speed. MELLY: (to DAG) It's Adam, he... DAG: Know. Ha ayara. MELLY: No? Why do you keep saying "No"? POKEY: He's saying that he "KNOWS". MELL: Oh...yeah...now I get it. (wrinkles pretty little brow, confused) But how CAN he know? DAG: I Sha-haka. (looks to POKEY) Ayaratat? POKEY: Yeah, we understand. You are a cool magic-man. DAG: Yes, I cool. It be okay, Ma-elli-a. We...wrex-kyoo Dadamet. MELLY looks uncomprehending, mouth open, looks to the others for some explanation. LISS: I think he's trying to say "rescue". DAG: Ra, "Rescue!" We go wrex-kyoo Dadamet now. MELLY: God, my brain is just mush, I can't even think straight! (sobs briefly, then bites it off, trying to be brave) DAG: Ma-ellia hurt. Come to Dagrolyt, Sha-haka fix. MELLY: I don't think now is... DAGROLYT does not bother trying to explain, adjusts his position so that he can reach forward to MELLY in the front seat and carefully lifts her up and over (she weighs nothing to him), sets her down softly in his lap. MELLY does not protest. He has her sit up, back to him, gently prods her with a finger here and there, testing her condition, then sniffs under her hair at the back of her neck. MELLY: Ooo, tickles. Just like when Addy... (she begins to weep) DAG: Yes, "Addy", yøramma et skosk. Poor Ma-elli-a. DAGROLYT puts his big hands on MELLY's entire back and shoulders, like an expert masseuse and gives her a very smooth little squeeze-jerk, popping something into place. MELLY cries out, then is calm, looks amazed, rolls her shoulders easily, obviously now pain-free. MELLY: (stunned) That's amazing. Almost all the pain is gone! DAGROLT rummages through his Sha-haka bag and takes out a small leaf- wrapped package, opens it and takes a wipe of orange goo onto his finger, holds it up to MELLY's mouth. DAG: You eat. MELLY: (licks his finger obediently, then makes an icky-face and shudders) Gakk! Oh, maybe the pain was better! POKEY: (laughs) Take two, call me in the morning. LISS: We're almost there folks. Do we have a battle plan? MELLY twists around to study DAGROLYT, we can see that her body and brain are back in gear. MELLY: Dagrolyt does, he's wearing his Adam disguise. POKEY: Awesome plan, bro. (makes thumbs-up sign) DAG: (returning thumbs-up) Ra, "ahww-ssum" bro. LISS: Two more blocks, everybody. (cranks the steering wheel over hard, taking a corner at high speed)
EXTERIOR, MONROE SUBURBAN STREET, NIGHT The VAN is sliding through the corners. (Yes, this is our obligatory high-speed car chase scene, as required for any and every Action Thriller. Only one car, sorry, but hey, it finally gets us to the ACTION after all this dialogue.) A final burst of THRILLING acceleration and the VAN screeches to a stop before a white Suburban house exactly like all the others on the block, except for a red Pontiac GTO parked at the curb. The house is dark, quiet, peaceful. After hesitating a moment, the VAN continues up the street to a more discreet distance, turns and parks with a clear view of the house. Then silence. Nothing happening.
INTERIOR, VAN LISS: This IS the place, right? MELLY: Yeah. I've been here with Peter, last year. POKEY: You're sure? All these houses look alike. MELLY: I'm sure, that's Mister Sinsley's GTO in front. POKEY: No sign of Adam yet. Maybe he won't show. LISS: Shouldn't we just go in and warn the Sinsleys? MELLY: I don't know, the Sinsleys will FREAK and call the Police first thing. I'd rather they just never get involved in any of this. DAG: Rhø. POKEY: Dag says "Wait". LISS: Yes, he has this "ahww-ssum plan". Wonder what it is? MELL: Do you think we should tell him about the "Sound of Music"? POKEY: I think Dagrolyt already knows what to do. And as I recall, he was there when Adam's mother learned it, so he knows about it. MELLY: Might remind him anyway. Dagrolyt, please listen: (sings)"the hills are alive with the Sound of Music.." DAG: (looks at her uncomprehendingly) Myøsik? Tyø? MELLY: Dadamet myøsik-haka! Haka. HAKA! (sings again) "da da da da Daaa da da da da Daa-daa..." HAKA HAKA HAKA for Addy! DAG: (comprehends, bobs head, sings along--but all wrong) Dada dada Daaa... LISS: He hasn't got the melody. This won't work. MELLY: Dagrolyt, listen: this can STOP Dadamet! Da da da... DAGROLYT makes an impatient gesture, clearly having no time for such nonsense. DAG: Stop Dadamet? NO! (turns to POKEY) Dadamet yoto karangar. Ha dosh. (emphatic hand signals) POKEY: Ha ø'ø ayaratat. He says Adam MUST make the attack--but Dagrolyt will finish it. MELLY: Must be a Sha-haka Rule of Magic. Whatever Daklakht did to Addy was definitely some kind of occult mind control DAG: Now, how Ma-ellia say?--"shut up everyone." DAGROLYT sits in the meditative lotus position, his eyes roll up and close. He has obviously gone into a Sha-haka magic trance.
EXTERIOR, SAME PLACE, ALMOST DAWN Quiet suburban scene at the edge of a forest, long rows of houses, all dark, one VAN parked down the street. A mysterious dark figure comes smoothly running out of the forest, fast and silent (yes, we all know it's Adam, but a really gullible audience might not be certain yet). He leaps over fences in stride, light on his feet, maneuvers deftly around obstacles with cunning skill. Must be a Ninja Squatch! He silently slips behind a certain white house and out of sight. CAMERA closes in as silent seconds pass, creepy music could begin now, but softly. The suspense is...well, you get the idea. SUDDENLY! SCREAMS! A woman's voice. CRASHES! Stuff is getting broken.
INTERIOR, VAN POKEY: Shit, man, Adam must be inside already! MELLY: Oh God, what do we DO now? DAG: (eyes still closed, calm) Rhø. The kids stare at the house wide-eyed but can see nothing happening. The SCREAMING, CRASHING and SHATTERING OF GLASS, however are quite audible to them. MELLY: Dagrolyt! Do something! DAG: (eyes still closed, calm) Rhø. LISS: (agitated) What the hell, is he ASLEEP and dreaming? POKEY: You heard the man, "Rhø". SHOTS ARE FIRED inside the house. MELLY cringes in despair. DAGROLT finally opens his eyes and smiles like a Buddha, touches the side-door latch with a finger. The door slides open and he begins to leave the VAN, evidently in no hurry at all. DAG: Kl'sba. Ha wo tla! (he exits) LIS & MEL: What did he say? POKEY: He said, "I'll be back," what else?
EXTERIOR, IN FRONT OF SINSLEY HOUSE, ALMOST DAWN DAGROLYT saunters up to the front door. It is locked, but he gives it a little shove and it flies inward, the hinges ripped out of the doorframe. He enters, followed by our CAMERA. Coming into the living room we see that it is TRASHED, everything is splinted, shattered, ripped or flayed apart. We focus on the nice big flat-screen TV with a crushed stereo amp buried in the glass. Moving on to the kitchen, more of the same: the dishwasher is half-buried in the wall, the sink is lying on edge on the floor, refrigerator door folded up beside it, food everywhere. Now we have the hallway, not too bad here, some fist-holes in the plaster, superficial damage. Bedrooms to the side, beds shredded, a patina of feathers all over, computers flattened. DAGROLYT moves merrily along, still in no hurry. Oh yes, there has been SCREAMING and SHOUTING all the while, and now we arrive to where all that is going on, at Felix Sinsley's Last Stand: his Den. (This is the large extra room SINSLEY had added on behind the house, building it himself just the way he wanted it. His gun rack, solid old mahogany desk, nice new PC, printer, scanner, hi-fi music system, a Moose-head trophy perched up on the wall. A real man's hangout.) As we (CAMERA) follow DAGROLYT into the debris of an absolutely ruined room, we see that the entire Sinsley family is gathered: FELIX, SARAH and PETER. They are clustered actually, cringing and cornered against the very farthest wall in their house. Crouching before them is a monstrous snarling horrible hairy beast, now closing in for the final kill. It is our very own ADAM, of course, but his face is unrecognizable with wrath and drool and snot. Lots of slime and dripping: meet The Slobbering Monster. But that wild naked buck Bigfoot does not resemble any Adam Leroy Forest the Sinsleys ever knew and when they see the OTHER BIGFOOT enter the room, wearing Adam's familiar checkered shirt and baggy blue jeans, their doomed eyes alight with hope. PETER: It's my friend! SINSLEY: Is that Adam Forest? HELP, man! SARAH: Oh Thank God, Adam, please save us! ADAM turns his head, surprised to see DAGROLT behind him, ROARS in defiance, his rational mind poisoned with Syssk and pivots his body to defend himself from attack. But DAGROLYT is far too fast and too proficient a wrestler: he moves into ADAM's pivot and takes him in a Master Hold, folding him into a ball of arms and legs. ADAM is instantly helpless. DAGROLYT gives a polite but quick nod to the Sinsley family, then hurriedly hauls ADAM out of room and house, offering no opportunity for even the shortest conversation.
EXTERIOR, SAME PLACE, EARLY DAWN Noisy suburban scene at the edge of a forest, long rows of houses, lights coming on house after house, one VAN parked down the street. DAGROLYT swiftly runs out of the SINSLEY house, which is darkened and missing a front door, rushes past the parked GTO with ADAM tightly-packed in his arms and vanishes into the forest.
INTERIOR, VAN The kids are watching the scene intently. They see DAGROLYT pass, he flashes them a head-bob and is gone, Adam with him. POKEY hops out and opens the side door in readiness. LISS: Where's Dagrolyt going? POKEY: He said he'd be back, so he must be trying to throw any witnesses off his trail. We wait here. No headlights when you start the motor, Liss, we want to sneak out of here if we can. MELLY: He got Addy out! Oh, thank Go...thank Dagrolyt! LISS: But are the Sinsleys still alive? POKEY: Look, there's Misses Sinsley at the door. SHE's alive anyway. MELLY: And there's Mister Sinsley, he's all right! Oh, I'm so happy! I...(freezes) POKEY: What's wrong? MELLY: (dreading) Who's that? It can't be... They all stare. All three members of the Sinsley family are now gathered in the doorway. PETER limps out onto the lawn to see where all the funny Sasquatches have gone. LISS: Yes, it really is. He was home too. POKEY: Hey, I thought Peter was in a mental ward. LISS: But there he is, the prick. MELLY: He just looks so...changed. Different. POKEY: Yeah, kinda fucked up. Not that he didn't deserve it. MELLY: Yes, he did, but.. (looks away) ...we better get out of here. Where IS Dagrolyt anyway? POKEY: I THINK he said he was going to circle around back to us. LISS: Whaddya mean You THINK? You're not sure? POKEY: Hey, you girls have taken Nokhontli classes too.. LISS: Right, I can barely say "Screw your mother". MELLY: They're here!
EXTERIOR, WOODS, EARLY MORNING The VAN is waiting with motor running at the edge of the woods, just out of sight from the SINSLEY house. DAGROLYT comes out of the woods and runs to the VAN with ADAM still folded up in his arms. POKEY is waiting to close the side door. DAG rolls in smoothly, although the VAN rocks violently from the sudden weight of two squatches. POKEY slams the side door, hops in the front passenger side, and the VAN drives off, away from suburbia. It is rocking violently.
INTERIOR VAN, EARLY MORNING MELLY, LISS & POKEY in the front seats are nervously looking back at two sasquatches brutally struggling inside the suddenly not-so-roomy VAN. DAGROLYT has a good solid grip, both arms and legs wrapped around ADAM, who is a shrieking and growling mindless animal raging to break free. ADAM is frothing at the mouth, blowing snot and slobber everywhere, face reddening, every vein bulging, looks ready to explode. When he SCREECHES it is painfully loud and shrill, the KIDS are wincing, gasping, shaking heads and sticking fingers in ears. LISS: My GOD, he's totally psycho! MELLY: Oh gol, what if Dagrolyt can't hold him? POKEY: Hey, Dagrolyt's a Zen Master at wrestling, he can handle..oh oh! CU DAGROLT's arms around ADAM are bulging with muscles straining at their maximum, now shaking with the effort. CU fingers locked together, but slowly slipping apart, losing their grip. MELLY: ...But Adam is STRONGER! He's breaking FREE! POKEY: We gotta get outta here! STOP the van, Liss, NOW!
EXTERIOR, COUNTY ROAD, EARLY MORNING A narrow stretch of asphalt road through forest, no houses nearby, no other traffic. The VAN screeches to a stop. LISS, MELLY & POKEY jump out. A second later the side door is KICKED OPEN and sent flying to land clattering all the way across the road. ADAM and DAGROLYT spill out, wrestling, rolling, snarling and spitting. ADAM finally wrenches free of DAGROLYT's hold by dint of rage-powered strength, turns and punches DAGROLYT in the belly--sound of heavy impact-- DAGROLYT staggers back. ADAM hits again and DAGROLYT falls. MELLY: We have to use the mantra! (moves toward the fight) LISS: Mel! No, stay back! MELLY: (running to the battling squatches, singing The Sound of Music) "The hills are alive..." ADAM crouches, a beast ready for combat, turns to face MELLY, who is almost upon him. He hesitates, affected by her song. ADAM: (CU brief confused expression)...who...you? It seems as if ADAM is just about to regain his mind... but snap-reverses to become even more ferocious, SHREIKS and jumps at MELLY. He GRABS her by both her arms and yanks her face close to his. MELLY's face is inches from that of a snot-faced wild-eyed berserker. She suddenly realizes the danger she has put herself into. MELLY: (terrified, shaking) "... with the s-s-Sound of.." ADAM begins to SNIFF at MELLY, who as always, makes him horny. He becomes less ferocious but more excited, presses his face into her bosom and sniffs harder, lifting her to smell her crotch. MELLY: (realizing, indignant, afraid) NO, NO!! NOT AGAIN! STOP THIS, YOU FUCKING MONSTER!! NEVER AGAIN!! She SLAPS ADAM, across his face as hard as she can. He is startled, pulls back--then becomes enraged, SHRIEKS in her face, opens his mouth wide and seems ready to bite off her nose. MELLY SCREAMS the classic girl-being-ravaged-by-monster-in-B-film kind of scream. All out, over the top HORROR! ADAM is already lunging at MELLY's face when DAGROLYT's arm suddenly hooks around his neck and snaps him backwards with tremendous force. MELLY goes sprawling to the ground. MELLY: (eyes closed, still trying to sing but now weeping too much to carry a tune, cries out in a pathetic little squeak) "..the s-s-soun...sob..of mu"....boo hoo..oh, I c-c-cAN'T.. The Sasquatches are still struggling, but it seems DAGROLYT now has a grip ADAM cannot break. However, they continue crashing and thrashing. LISSANDRA runs to MELLY, but seeing how dangerous it is to be close to the battling giants, she calls to POKEY. LISS: Pokey, Adam's mantra: sing it together, "The Hills are..." POKEY: Shit, I don't know the lyrics! LISS: The melody, then! (sings) "la la la, lah dee dee-da dee-dah" POKEY joins in, "da da da...". They sound pretty good, considering. DAGROLYT is straining to maintain his fierce grip on ADAM, who suddenly stops struggling, blinks, frowns--then listens to his mantra. His eyes abruptly seem to register where he is, what's happening. Although still voicing only inarticulate grunts, he sounds less ferocious. LISS: (encouraged) C'mon Mel, SING! MELLY: (collapsed on ground, facing away from the battle) I CAN'T ANY MORE! boo hoo sob wail! ADAM: (concentrating) ..sound of...GRRR! (looks at POKEY and LISS) ...louder...LOUDER! He is distracted enough that DAGROLYT quickly abandons his grip, spins ADAM around to deliver three hard punches. Precise body points: left chest, right chest--and while ADAM is stunned, marks the target with his left hand--a precise straight-fingered right-hand jab to the solar plexus. ADAM's eyes roll up and he staggers, falls to the ground unconscious. DAGROLYT easily lifts ADAM's limp 500+ pound body and dumps him into the popped-open VAN. He fetches the ruined side-door before climbing into the van himself, holding it in place so as not to be seen in traffic. DAG: (shouts) Wo'kro bakhl! POKEY: (to DAG) Bakhl kl'bsa! (to girls) Okay, let's GO! Melly? MELLY: (weeping, sitting on the ground, shakes her head emphatically) Just GO! I'm not coming! LISS: What, Mel? We have to go NOW! MELLY: NO! I'm not going anywhere with that...that THING! (sobbing uncontrollably) LISS: What should we do? We can't just LEAVE her here! MELLY: (weepy & irritated) I can walk home. LISS: But it's 10 miles! MELLY: No, home to DADDY!...boo hoo! POKEY: You walk her home, Liss, Dag and I'll take care of Adam. This is obviously kinda dangerous anyway and I don't want either of you girls getting hurt. LISS: Neither do I, but it's just as dangerous for you! POKEY: One us has to drive the van. Come on, let me be the fearless Indian Brave here. See you when we've got Adam under control. LISS: You mean IF! POKEY wastes no time on a reply, hops into driver's seat and drives the VAN away. LISSANDRA looks relieved. Then kneels beside MELLY, who is still hunched over weeping. LISS: Okay, Mel, time to snap out of it, let's get you home. END OF SCENE, FADE OUT.

Chapter 73

Adam out of Eden