The Skull Ring (48 page)

Julia?

Walter shakes her. Julia has been dreaming.

WALTER (CONT'D)

Hey!

Julia opens her eyes again. Walter is standing on the loft ladder.

WALTER (CONT'D)

You okay? You were yelling in your sleep.

Julia is wide awake now, confused and crying.

JULIA

Are you one of them, Walter? Are you him?

WALTER

Shhh. You were having a bad dream, that's all.

JULIA

Tell me you're not one of them.

WALTER

No, I'm one of us. The good guys. You're safe with me.

Walter climbs into the loft beside her and wraps his arms around her, strong, comforting, safe.

WALTER

(quiet and soothing)

You're a mountain, Julia. You're above it all.

CUT TO:

INT. CABIN—DAWN.

The storm has passed. Morning light leaks through the cabin windows. Julia rolls over in the loft and sees Walter building up the fire.

JULIA

Looks like they didn't get us.

WALTER

Not yet.

JULIA

About last night—

WALTER

Nothing happened. Forget it.

JULIA

(beat)

Sounds like the storm's over.

Walter pulls a pot of coffee from a hook over the fire. Julia, still dressed as she was the night before, climbs down from the loft.

WALTER

You look like something the cat drug in.

JULIA

Anybody ever tell you you had a way with women?

WALTER

A few. None like you, though.

JULIA

What's that supposed to mean?

WALTER

Never mind.

(beat)

We need to come up with a plan. Snead's people might figure out where we are. We ain't too far from where my wife disappeared.

JULIA

What do we do now?

WALTER

We might be safe here for a day or two, but we're going to have to hike over the mountains to the next county. I doubt if Snead's got people over there.

JULIA

Unless you believe the conspiracy theory that Satan's everywhere.

WALTER

I'll take on the devil any day, because he don't exist. What I won't do is let him eat us up from the inside out. Shhh.

Walter holds up hand, listens. From outside comes the faint whirring of a helicopter.

WALTER (CONT'D)

Stay here!

CUT TO:

EXT. WOODS BY THE CABIN.

Walter runs to the Jeep, starts it, and backs under the trees. He dashes back inside the cabin.

CUT TO:

INT. CABIN.

Julia kneeling beside Walter's open backpack. She holds up a skull ring similar to hers, only this one has rubies for eyes.

JULIA

It was you.

WALTER

I don't know what you're talking about. Don't flip out on me now, Julia. Please.

JULIA

(pointing to fire)

Smoke signals for Snead's helicopters. Fire for the devil.

Walter slowly approaches. Julia grabs the fire poker and swings it at his head. He ducks the blow but trips over the hearth and falls. Julia runs past him out the cabin door.

CUT TO:

EXT. WOODS BY THE CABIN.

Walter calls from the cabin door.

WALTER

Jooolia!

VOICES OVER as Julia runs through the woods.

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

He owns you, Julia.

SNEAD (V.O.)

You belong to him, whore.

DOUGLAS STONE

Time for you to become one of us, Jooolia.

MITCHELL (V.O.)

Crazy bitch. If it wasn't for the money, I'd have dumped you years ago.

The voices come faster and faster, overlapping in her head. Behind every tree she imagines a robed creep, the woods are alive with threats, she's losing it big-time as she runs.

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

Become the whore Judas Stone.

SNEAD (V.O.)

He cares for you so very much.

MITCHELL (V.O.)

If it wasn't for the money—

WALTER (V.O.)

She started remembering things, things that never happened.

DR. FORREST (V.O.)

Open the door, Julia.

GOAT'S HEAD (V.O.)

You're mine, Judas bitch. And I take what is mine.

SEVERAL VOICES(V.O.)

Lord Master Satan, we offer you this blood in your cursed name, that you may smile upon us and bless us.

MITCHELL (V.O.)

Julia!

SNEAD (V.O.)

They cut out his heart.

Mitchell's voice comes again, louder, standing out. It is Mitchell for real.

MITCHELL

Julia!

Julia trips over a root and sprawls on the ground. She looks up and sees Mitchell hiding behind some bushes.

JULIA

Mitchell?

MITCHELL

Are you okay?

(beat)

Come on, get up. He'll see us.

Mitchell helps her up, half-dragging her behind the bushes.

JULIA

How did you find me?

MITCHELL

Deed records. A source told me somebody named Triplett had kidnapped you. The cabin was in the property listings.

Mitchell peers through the bushes.

MITCHELL (CONT'D)

Now we just have to wait for the cops to show up.

JULIA

Cops? You told them where we were?

MITCHELL

Maybe some dumb part of me wanted to be a hero, hoping you'd forgive me for what I...for what I almost did.

(fake tenderness)

You've been so confused lately—

JULIA

Did you tell them where we were?

MITCHELL

Look, I came to Elkwood because you need me. You’re mine.

JULIA

(pulling free)

I’m nobody’s.

MITCHELL

You're not going to walk away from me.

Mitchell makes another grab at her, but she tries to pull away and Walter has found them.

WALTER

She walks wherever she damned well pleases.

MITCHELL

Julia, you’re sick. I can help.

Julia looks from one to the other, undecided. Walter takes a step toward Mitchell.

MITCHELL (CONT’D)

Stay back.

Mitchell pulls a pistol from inside his jacket and Walter stops. Mitchell motions for Julia to come to him.

Julia and Walter's eyes meet, then she goes to Mitchell's side.

WALTER

(to Julia)

I'm not one of them.

MITCHELL

Don't be stupid, honey. Look at all I can do for you. When we get back to Memphis, I'll take care of everything.

WALTER

The cops will get you.

Mitchell waves the gun at Walter.

MITCHELL

She’s mine, and so’s the money.

Julia moves closer to Mitchell, takes his arm. He smirks in triumph.

JULIA

(to Mitchell)

I need a strong man.

Julia pretends to stumble against him, then chops down on his wrist. As Mitchell's arm swings down, he fires three times. Julia is practically hanging from his arm now, and Mitchell loses the gun trying to shake free.

MITCHELL

You bitch.

Mitchell backhands her across the face and dives for the gun, but Walter is faster. He points it at Mitchell.

MITCHELL (CONTD

You going to shoot, redneck? I don't think you have the balls for it.

JULIA

(to Mitchell)

You and Lance Danner set me up with Dr. Forrest. You wanted me so helpless that I'd fall into your arms and stay there forever.

MITCHELL

(to Walter)

Can't you see how messed up she is?

JULIA

But there was one thing you didn't count on. The Brotherhood.

WALTER

Satan worshippers. Did you know Snead was in Satan's little circle, Mitchie?

MITCHELL

Who the hell's Snead? You're both crazy.

JULIA

You’d never be a Satanist. You'd never worship anything besides yourself.

MITCHELL

I'm in it for the money. Why else would I want to marry such a wacko?

JULIA

I don't have any money.

WALTER

(to Julia)

What do we do with him?

JULIA

I just want him out of my sight. Out of my life.

Walter motions with the gun down the forest slope. Mitchell walks away.

WALTER

You heard her. Get.

Mitchell stops when he's out of range. He cups his hands and shouts at them.

MITCHELL

You know that college guy that lives next to you? I paid him and his friends to fuck with your mind. To peek in your window.

Mitchell takes a few more steps and calls again.

MITCHELL (CONT'D)

He mailed me a pair of your panties. Think about that the next time you're on some headshrinker's couch.

WALTER

(to Julia)

And you were going to marry that guy?

JULIA

(shrugs)

Alpha-male psychos. They come and go.

WALTER

He said you had money.

JULIA

Who knows, with Mitchell?