The Skull Ring (51 page)

WALTER

Damn. Looks like we'll have to hike out after all.

JULIA

No more tonight. I'm beat.

WALTER

No, you're not beat. They'll never beat you if you don't let them.

JULIA

I am a mountain. Somebody told me that once.

(beat)

So, your place or mine?

WALTER

Mine's closer.

They go inside the cabin.

CUT TO:

INT. CABIN.

The fire burns low. Walter and Julia are in the loft. Walter's head is bandaged with rags.

WALTER

Want me to build up the fire?

JULIA

Yes, I do.

She takes his hand and kisses it. He runs his hand over her shoulders and then traces the scar on her belly.

Julia sets the gun beside the mattress.

WALTER

Careful, you might get burned.

She unbuttons his shirt.

JULIA

Hey, it's my soul, remember? I can do what I want with it.

They kiss like the world is ending. We see the same flickering fire against darkness that opened the movie. The chants are replaced by their moans and whispers of passion.

As the screen goes dark, Walter whispers one last time.

WALTER

Jooolia.

FADE TO BLACK

CAST LIST:

Julia Stone, reporter

Dr. Forrest, therapist

Walter Triplett, handyman

Mitchell, lawyer

Snead, police chief

Wheatley, the cult’s High Priest

Mabel Covington, nosy neighbor

Rick O’Dell, reporter

Douglas Stone, father

Sue McCallister, reporter

James Whitmore, detective

About Scott Nicholson:

I believe we build valuable ideas together, some of them inside a book, and some outside a book. I am honored that you shared my ideas and brought them to life in your imagination. I invite you to write a brief review or tell your friends about these ideas we have shared.

I’m author of more than 30 books, including
The Red Church, Liquid Fear, Chronic Fear, The Harvest,
and
Speed Dating with the Dead
. I collaborated with bestselling author J.R. Rain on
Cursed, The Vampire Club, Bad Blood
, and
Ghost
College
. I’ve also written the children’s books
If I Were Your Monster, Too Many Witches
,
Ida Claire
, and
Duncan the Punkin
, and created the graphic novels
Dirt
and
Grave Conditions
. Connect with me on
Facebook
,
Goodreads
,
LibraryThing
,
Twitter
, my
blog
, or my
website
. I am really an organic gardener, but don’t tell anyone, because they think I am a writer.

Feel free to drop me a line anytime at
[email protected]
, or visit my
Author Central page
at Amazon to ask a question. Thanks for sharing your valuable time with me.

Return to Table of Contents

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