The Skull Ring (43 page)

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JULIA

I had to find out—

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

What could you possibly find out without me?

JULIA

I went out to the old house. I saw the barn. That's where it happened. I know that's where it happened. And my father...

DR. FORREST

Say it, Julia. Say it so you can make yourself believe it.

JULIA

My father was one of them.

CUT TO:

INT. DARK BARN.

Images of the chanting people in robes. Wheatley slips a skull ring onto Julia's tiny finger. Dr. Forrest and Julia talk over the images.

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

One of the bad people. A creep. You finally believe.

JULIA (V.O.)

He was at the ceremony. When they wed me to Satan.

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

Just the way we shared under hypnosis. I wouldn't let you lie to yourself, would I, Julia?

JULIA (V.O.)

No, Dr. Forrest.

Dr. Forrest's voice grows steady and lulling, and the images begin to fade back to the present.

FADE TO:

INT. JULIA'S HOTEL ROOM.

Julia picks up the skull ring.

DR. FORREST

This means we're approaching healing. We've assessed the damage and we've pictured the effects of the ritual abuse. Now it's time for the final step.

Julia slips the ring on her finger.

JULIA

The final step?

DR. FORREST

Preparing for change. Now you're ready to embrace the past, to become whole. To become the whore Judas Stone.

Julia flings the ring across the room and stands.

JULIA

What?

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

I said it's time for you to become the whole Julia Stone. You're not going to see Dr. Danner while you're there, are you?

JULIA

No. Why should I?

CUT TO:

INT. DR. FORREST'S OFFICE.

Dr. Forrest speaks into the phone. A man is beside her, in shadows.

DR. FORREST

Some patients develop an addiction to their therapists. I've been friends with Lance for many years. But I think you need to sever those ties to Memphis. They're not doing you any good.

JULIA (V.O.)

(dreamy)

I don't want to go backwards. I believe you'll help me heal.

DR. FORREST

Of course I'll help, Julia. You just have to trust me.

The man comes out of the shadows. It is Snead.

JULIA (V.O.)

I'll call when I get back to Elkwood.

DR. FORREST

Don't forget. Have a good evening, Judas.

JULIA (V.O.)

(softly, mesmerized)

'Bye, Dr. Forrest. And thanks.

Dr. Forrest hangs up and turns to Snead.

DR. FORREST

She remembers everything.

SNEAD

Just the way you told her to?

DR. FORREST

Worse.

CUT TO:

INT. BUSY NEWSROOM- NEXT MORNING.

Julia enters the offices of The Commercial Appeal. SUE McALLISTER, mid-30's, modern style, is waiting for her. Sue squeals in delight and they hug.

SUE

Just got your message this morning. I figured you'd call me here, and I didn't want to interrupt you and Mitchell.

JULIA

There was nothing to interrupt.

SUE

That's a damn shame, girl. That man is smokin’ hot.

(beat)

Well, if you're not in Memphis to wreck the sheets with Mitchell Austin, what the heck are you doing here?

JULIA

A little digging.

SUE

Again? Honey, we've been through all the files in the morgue. Hell, you know more about the case than the cops do.

JULIA

I need to follow up on the detectives who worked my father's case.

SUE

Hey, you got something, don't you? I'm your bloodhound.

They walk through the busy newsroom, shouting at each other over pressroom noise, Julia waving to old acquaintances.

SUE

Hasn't changed a bit, has it?

JULIA

Places don't change, only people.

SUE

So you move to the mountains and all of a sudden you're full of folksy wisdom?

CUT TO:

INT. THE PAPER'S MORGUE.

Julia and Sue sit at a table covered with papers and coffee cups. They are poring over the files.

SUE

(holds up a report)

T.L. Snead headed the case, at least early on. It got dropped pretty quick. There's Whitmore, Redding, Ussery, some other detectives.

(looks at a photograph)

And there's little Julia.

Sue hands the photo to Julia. It is a news photo, and behind four-year-old Julia is Snead. The barn behind Julia's childhood home can be seen in the background.

JULIA

T.L. Snead. Can you find out anything about him?

SUE

Let your fingers do the crawling, girl.

Sue mouse-clicks her way through a computer database.

SUE

Hmm. He's not on the current roster. Here we go. Snead resigned four months ago.

JULIA

Tell me, have you covered any cases where Satanism was suspected?

SUE

Bodies are found floating in the Mississippi once in a while. Decapitated and disemboweled, ugly stuff. But the cops never say it's because of Capital 'E' Evil. Here's the unsolved murder cases from the last twenty years.

Sue dumps papers from a folder and they flip through them.

JULIA

Did you notice something about all of these?

SUE

Knife wounds, most of them. Ritualistic behavior.

JULIA

I'm talking about the investigating officer. The same for all them.

Julia leans over and shows a line of type at the bottom of the page: "Lt. T.L. Snead."

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S HOTEL HALLWAY-AFTERNOON.

The hallway is empty. Julia unlocks the door and enters her dark room. A gloved hand clamps over her mouth from behind. The attacker shoves Julia into the room and the door slams shut.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S HOTEL ROOM.

Julia struggles with the attacker. She tries to kick him, but is overpowered.

She drives her elbow against him. He grunts but doesn't lose his grip. He bends her over the bed and twists her arm behind her back. He grabs one of her breasts and squeezes roughly. He starts shoving her skirt up.

Julia snaps her head backward and cracks the man on the chin.

MITCHELL

(disguising voice)

Bitch.

He slams her against the bed and tries to turn her over. His robe pulls up at one sleeve. Julia recognizes his gold wristwatch.

JULIA

Mitchell! Goddamn you!

Fueled by rage, she spins on the bed, struggling, Mitchell trying to pin her to the mattress. She bucks, rolls free, grabs the lamp on the night stand.

Mitchell grabs her blouse and tries to tug her back onto the bed. She swings the lamp, and the cord whips free. The lampshade smacks against the hood.

Stunned, Mitchell tries to hold the hood in place with one hand. Julia breaks his one-handed grip and rolls to her feet, holding the lamp high in a steady, two-handed grip.

Mitchell pulls his hood down, revealing his twisted, angry face, and he slams his fist against the headboard.

JULIA

Why, Mitchell?

Mitchell gets off the bed, eyeing Julia warily as she gives a menacing shake of the lamp. He paces, hair mussed and eyes wild. This is the Mitchell that was only hinted at before.

JULIA

Is that all you ever wanted, you bastard?

MITCHELL

I just...I can't afford to lose you.

JULIA

So you'll keep me by raping me? Wearing a goddamned robe?

MITCHELL

I'm sorry. After yesterday...

(his anger returns)

Why did you have to move to Elkwood? Why the hell can't you just forget it all? You're mine, Julia. You belong to me, not to the past.

JULIA

I'll never be yours. Do you want to know why?

(beat)

Because there's no room inside you. You take it all up.

MITCHELL

I wasn't going to hurt you, just scare you. I wanted you to need me.

JULIA

You do scare me.

MITCHELL

Listen, you're not to going to press charges, are you? I've got a lot of friends in the D.A.'s office. You'll be smeared until you won't even be able to recognize yourself in the mirror.

Julia looks at her reflection in dresser mirror. With her hair in a mess and her clothes torn, she looks insane.

MITCHELL (CONT'D)

I'll put your disorder on trial. And when my experts are done with you, you'll be apologizing to me. Everybody knows crazy people do crazy things. And you're so forgetful that no jury will trust your testimony.

JULIA

(losing it)

Get the hell out.

Mitchell removes the robe and throws it at Julia. He pauses by the door, taking off his gloves.

MITCHELL

Don't think you're the only woman with a hole between her legs. If it wasn't for the money, I'd have dumped you years ago.

The door closes. Julia stares at herself in the mirror, then begins packing. She finds the skull ring on the floor.

CUT TO:

EXT. JULIA'S HOUSE IN ELKWOOD—NEXT MORNING.

Julia stands at the front door, key in hand. She is pale, shaken, almost sick-looking. She tries the door handle. It is unlocked. She looks behind her, goes inside.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S HOUSE.

Julia enters the KITCHEN, grabs a knife from the kitchen drawer. She goes down the hall, pushes open the bathroom door. Nothing.

She enters the bedroom. The room is neat, bed made, teddy bear by the pillows, a novel on the table.

She pauses as if she hears a sound behind her. She slowly approaches the closet. She opens the door, knife ready. No one is there, but a note is pinned to the sleeve of a dress.

It is a crude pentagram drawing done in red crayon. Beneath the pentagram is scrawled: "J-O-O-O-L-I-A."