INGENA by Cindy Jones IAMCINDIANAJONES@netscape.net INGENA (FL: INGENA FINAL DRAFT.FDR) WGAE Reg.No. 139489-00 FADE IN: EXT: BECK FARMHOUSE-EVENING Neat little Victorian Farmhouse on the outskirts of a small Texas Hill Country town. There are rabbit hutches off to the side. A half open window. We see first one then two chubby legs of 4 year old VALERIE BECK as she slides out of the window backward and drops to the ground. We watch the little girl through tall dead weeds. She's trotting toward the rabbit hutches. Valerie clutches the wire of the hutch with both hands, smiling, looking in at the two WHITE RABBITS. Through the weeds we see the vague image of something crouching, low to the ground. We hear a low, rumbling growl. VALERIE smiles, squatting down, holding her hands out. She wiggles her fingers. VALERIE Here kitty, kitty. We see Valerie's mother JENNY BECK at the window. She yanks it open the rest of the way and leans out. JENNY Valerie! (BEAT) Valerie! We see the form crouch lower in the brush, again growling. Jenny is looking out the window, clearly frightened. Valerie is smiling, reaching out to the creature. We see the empty window where Jenny had been. EXT.BECK-PORCH-EVENING Jenny comes out of the house, screen door slamming behind her. She stands on the porch searching visually. JENNY (CONT'D) Valerie! Answer me! We see Ingena. Part human, part tiger,she appears to be in her late twenties or thirties. She looks like a woman, but her skin is snow white and traced with pale blue stripes. Her mouth is open, her wide, flat tongue is out a little. She is panting. Long white canines, sharp as ice picks indent the flesh of her black, full lips. Valerie is scratching her behind the ear. JENNY (CONT'D) Valerie! Valerie rolls her eyes, making a sound of exasperation and stands up in the weeds. Jenny sees her and is visibly relieved. She goes to Valerie, stoops and scoops her into her arms. She kisses the child's face and pats her on the backside. JENNY (CONT'D) You scared me to death! Don't you ever do that again or I'll spank you. I swear I'll spank you. We watch as she carries Valerie back into the house. The door slams shut behind them. We see the rabbit hutch. The door is sagging crooked on ripped hinges. The rabbits are gone. EXT. SMALL TOWN OF CIBOLO, TEXAS- TO ESTABLISH-EVENING EXT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE-- small farm house type with porch. The yard is full of bikes and toys. Out front is a patrol car. INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOME-EVENING BILLY FRANCIS, a Sheriff's Deputy and his wife ELLIE are at the table eating dinner with their four kids, JILL (17) BO (11) SAM (8) and BECKY (4). The furnishings are modest, the house a little messy. THUNDER rumbles and we hear RAIN pattering on the tin roof of the house. BILLY Bo, pass me the peas. Bo passes the peas and in doing so knocks over Jill's glass of tea. BO Shit! Ellie hands him a paper towel. ELLIE You say that word in school and it'll get around that you're a potty mouth. Other people won't let their kids hang around with you and YOU won't have any friends. Sam laughs, nearly spewing milk from his nose. SAM Potty mouth! BILLY Knock it off, Sam. Your mom wasn't tryin' to be funny. A knock at the door. Billy starts to get up but Ellie stops him. ELLIE Stay put, Billy. I got it. Ellie opens the door. We see MATTIE PEFFER, a forty year old woman from the neighborhood on the porch. She smiles nervously. MATTIE I'm sorry to bother y'all at supper time, Ellie, but I'm lookin' for Edgar. ELLIE Come on in, Mattie. MATTIE No, y'all are eatin'. If you'd just ask Sam if he's seen him... ELLIE (Calls out to Sam in the next room) Sam, did you see Edgar before you came home? SAM No ma'am! Billy takes Sam's cap off and swats him (not hard) on the head with it. BILLY Don't yell at your mama. Get up and go in there. MATTIE That's okay, Billy. Let the boy eat. Edgar hasn't got much of a dinner bell on his stomach. Billy goes to the door. MATTIE (CONT'D) I imagine he'll come home when he gets hungry enough to notice. BILLY I was fixin' to go out anyway. MATTIE (smiles gratefully) Thanks. BILLY (smiles back) It's my job. We see the kids at the table as Ellie sits back down. Billy is strapping on his holster and gun. ELLIE You didn't get to eat your supper-- again. BILLY I don't think it's gonna hurt me. He grabs his hat off the deer horns by the door then leans to kiss his wife. BECKY Kiss me! BILLY How could I forget? He kisses his four year old girl and heads for the door. Before he gets there the emergency tones go off on his radio. We hear the fifty year old dispatcher CLARA's nasal, thick Texas Accent. CLARA All units please go to the corner of Live Oak and Butler Street. Billy picks up his radio. BILLY Unit five, Cibolo. CLARA Go ahead, Billy. BILLY I'm on my way to that location. What you got? CLARA Can you public service this office, unit five? BILLY Not if y'all need me there in a hurry. Just tell me. When I get there am I gonna have to worry about somebody shootin' at me? CLARA Negative, five. Daniels has some sort of animal he wants you to look at. BILLY Ten-four. Thanks, Clara. Billy goes to the door then turns back to his family. BILLY (CONT'D) Y'all be good for your mama while I'm gone. EXT. STREET SCENE 1-EVENING It's drizzling rain. Red and blue patrol car lights flash on the shoulder of the road, reflecting in the standing water. A thirty year old deputy, DANIELS, is talking to an elderly woman MRS. SCHUMACHER, who has a raincoated Shih-tzu on a leash. DANIELS Sheriff's on his way ma'am, but I can tell you what he's gonna say. (BEAT) It's an animal. Some kinda dog. I'd guess a rockwyler. Til people start takin' our leash laws serious we're gonna keep havin' this sort of thing. The Sheriff's pickup comes barrelling down the road, lights flashing, siren blaring. Lights in houses lining the street are flipping on, people peering out the windows. SHERIFF MERCER piles out of the car. He is fifty years old, not aging that well. He is wearing a cowboy hat which he tips to Mrs. Schumacher. SHERIFF Evenin' Miz Schumacher. How ya doin'? MRS. SCHUMACHER I was fine until Biffy spotted this thing on the side of the road. SHERIFF Don't you worry, ma'am. We'll take care of it. The Sheriff shines his flashlight, walking closer. He squats down, leaning forward, squinting. His eyes open wide, his mouth swinging open. He rises, stumbling backward to the others. He leans back against his pickup. SHERIFF (CONT'D) Oh, my God. MRS. SCHUMACHER What is it? DANIELS Sheriff! Do you know this dog? The Sheriff has one hand over his mouth, the other he is using to fan himself with his hat as he struggles not to vomit. SHERIFF It's not a dog. It has a hand! (BEAT) It's a kid! Mrs. Schumacher's eyes open wide. DANIELS Are you sure? The Sheriff nods, his hand clutched over his mouth. SHERIFF Where's Billy? Get on the radio! DANIELS What do I say? MRS. SCHUMACHER Maybe you should see if anyone has been turned in missing. DANIELS Are you sure he's dead? SHERIFF He's tore up so bad you thought it was some sort of dog. MRS. SCHUMACHER A Rottweiler. Daniels looks pained and embarrassed. SHERIFF Miz Schumacher, you run on home now. We got everything handled here. MRS. SCHUMACHER Well it certainly doesn't look like it. Can't tell the difference between a dead person and a dog! SHERIFF I'd appreciate it if you'd keep that bit of information to yourself. Daniels picks up his radio just as Billy pulls up in his patrol car. Billy gets out. DANIELS Unit three Cibolo Sheriff's Office, we have a possible ten nineteen. (BEAT) Unit three, Cibolo S.O. A ten nineteen! Clara, you better pick up that radio! CLARA Go ahead three. DANIELS We got a ten-nineteen here! CLARA And I'm on the phone long distance. I don't have time for your foolishness. Tell me in plain Eng'lish what a ten-nineteen is! DANIELS A dead body, Clara. A DEAD BODY. Do you think you can call whoever you're talkin' to back, if we got a DEAD BODY here? (BEAT) Sheriff wants to know if anybody's been turned in missing. CLARA Negative. Not a soul-- other than Miz Beck's bi-weekly Valerie disappearance. She called back though. Valerie was in the yard, like she always is. DANIELS Nobody else? CLARA Not a soul. DANIELS If that status changes, ten-eighty seven this ten forty three. CLARA What? DANIELS Holler at us. CLARA Ten four. DANIELS Unit three- out. CLARA Did you want me to notify the J.P.? DANIELS Oh, yeah. Call Judge Hodge. CLARA Ten four. BILLY What have y'all got? He moves closer to the body. Squatting . SHERIFF Hit and run. Billy takes off his raincoat in the drizzling rain.. BILLY It's Edgar Peffer. Mattie's boy. (BEAT) This is no hit and run. SHERIFF What are you saying? BILLY See that ground, all tore up in a circle? Dirt and leaves all scattered over him. This boy's been attacked by an animal. A big one. Probably some kind of cat. Billy covers the body with his raincoat. Horrified expressions on the faces of the Sheriff, Daniels and Mrs. Schumacher who picks up Biffy and holds him close. INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOME- NIGHT Ellie throws a dishrag over the back of a chair and plops down, putting her feet up on the sofa. The door opens and Billy comes in. ELLIE Hey, you. He leans down and kisses his wife. BILLY Hey. He sits down on the end of the sofa. Taking her bare feet in his hands he begins to rub them. ELLIE Billy? What's wrong? BILLY Edgar's dead. ELLIE What? The phone rings. Ellie starts to get up. BILLY Sit still, I got it. He picks up the phone. BILLY (CONT'D) Hello? (BEAT) I'm off duty. Look at the schedule. Daniels is on. Why, what you got? (BEAT) I'm on my way. Get Daniels and the Sheriff to meet me there. Billy hangs up the phone. BILLY (CONT'D) I gotta go back out. ELLIE But- BILLY There's a party at the Oatman house. Teenagers. ELLIE What happened to Edgar? BILLY Some kind of animal got him. ELLIE Oh, God, somebody's dog? BILLY Looked more like a cat attack. Mountain lion maybe. It'd take one Hell of a bobcat to... Listen, darlin', keep the doors locked and don't go out in the dark to take out the trash or anything. ELLIE Don't worry. Billy kisses her quick then heads for the door. He opens it then stops cold in his tracks. ELLIE (CONT'D) What? What is it? BILLY The porch light at the Oatman's. He turns then and heads back into his house. His flashlight is on, he's walking with purpose. BILLY (CONT'D) Jill's friends with the Oatman kid, isn't she? ELLIE Yes, but- BILLY When I was her age, if my house was close enough to see the porch light at Oatman's I'd have gone to that party. ELLIE Jill wouldn't sneak out! Billy opens the door to the room that Jill shares with her little sister. We see his flashlight beam shine across the room to Jill's bed. Dark hair spills across her pillow, the shape of her body is visible beneath the quilts. Sticking out from the covers is a foot with a white sock on it. ELLIE (CONT'D) See? I told you she wouldn't sneak out. She's not wild, Billy, like you were. BILLY See that foot? ELLIE Huh? BILLY It's pointing the wrong direction. ELLIE What are you talking about? BILLY There's no way she'd be sleeping with her leg that severely broken. Billy yanks the covers back. We see that the dark hair on the pillow belongs to a china doll. A big fluffy pom-pom is strategically placed where Jill's butt should have been and the foot sticking out from the quilts is a sock stuffed with toilet paper. ELLIE Oh God! Billy is headed out of the room as he speaks into his radio. INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE-HALLWAY-NIGHT Billy is headed down the hallway to the front door, still speaking into his radio. BILLY Unit five- Unit one? SHERIFF Go ahead five. BILLY I'm on my way to that location. Be advised, I got a missing pup. My girl, Jill, is not where she's supposed to be. If ya'll would keep an eye out for her, I'd appreciate it. If she turns up, hang on to her 'til I get there. SHERIFF Ten four. ELLIE Oh, Billy, what if-- BILLY It'll be okay, Ellie. EXT. OATMAN HOUSE-TO ESTABLISH-NIGHT INT. OATMAN HOUSE-NIGHT There are teenagers all over the living room, beer bottles and cans everywhere. In the middle of it all is Jill Francis, sitting on the couch with a wine cooler. Beside her is NICK BROOKS, good looking preppy son of Hayden Brooks. On the other side of Nick is the young host, DUSTIN OATMAN. BOBBY ZAHN is on the floor leaned back against the couch, he's a clean cut good looking kid, a jock. Also present STORMY DECKER, Jill's best friend and the only black girl at Cibolo High. Stormy is a cheerleader and a wit. Then we have Vickie Tabor, the school bully-- also a cheerleader, and her chubby friend ALLEY who is on the fringes enough to do whatever Vickie tells her so she will let her hang out in the same circles. There are other teenagers drinking, talking laughing... JILL How did you get your parents to leave you here alone? My parents never go anywhere! DUSTIN I don't have to do anything. They go all the time. We have a condo in Lake Havasu. BOBBY Where's that? DUSTIN Somewhere in England, I think. BOBBY Stormy, get me a beer. STORMY (laughs) Get it yourself! BOBBY I would but the floor seems to be spinning and I don't seem to be able to keep up with it. STORMY Then you don't need a beer. BOBBY Shut up, mom. Jill gets up and goes into the kitchen Stormy follows. VICKIE What the hell is SHE doing here? (indicates Jill) Don't you know who her daddy is? (BEAT) If he busts our party because she snuck out... NICK Shut up, Vickie. Stormy hands out beer. She starts to give one to Bobby but sees the near empty bottle of whiskey in his lap. STORMY You still have Crown. Jill hands Dustin a Pearl light and Nick a Lone Star. DUSTIN I don't know how you can drink this crap, Vickie. VICKIE 68 calories in a Pearl Light. I can drink this stuff all night long and still be able to fit in my size five cheerleader uniform. STORMY (Nearly blows beer through her nose, laughing) Size WHAT? Vickie shoots her daggers then pops the tab and takes a drink. Jill hands Nick a beer and he grabs her by the wrist, pulling her down next to him. He puts his arm around her and she smiles. Vickie looks pissed. BOBBY We should party at your dad's building sometime. NICK Too much security. They'd catch us. VICKIE What's the big deal? We wouldn't bother the cows. NICK They are called surrogates and it wouldn't be cool. JILL My Aunt is having her baby that way. VICKIE Is your Aunt even married? JILL No. But I don't think that should keep her from having a baby if she wants one. VICKIE I think there ought to be a law that says if you're not good looking enough to get a husband it's illegal to have kids. JILL My Aunt is pretty. VICKIE (makes a face) If you say so. Red and blue lights flash though the windows, the kids all jump to their feet. Bobby stands up and then sits back down. DUSTIN Oh, shit. I'm a dead man. EXT. OATMAN HOUSE-NIGHT Kids are pouring out the back door; Nick and Jill come out too, making a mad dash for the woods. INT. OATMAN HOUSE- NIGHT Dustin and Stormy are alone-- the others have run. DUSTIN Quick! Help me stuff the bottles under the couch! STORMY Why? She smiles and flips off the lights. It's dark. We hear a knock on the door. EXT. OATMAN-WOODS-NIGHT Kids are running through the woods. Nick is pulling Jill along with him, holding her hand. EXT. OATMAN HOUSE PORCH-NIGHT Sheriff Mercer and Deputy Daniels are ringing the doorbell. EXT. OATMAN-WOODS-NIGHT Drunken Bobby is stumbling through the woods. Nick and Jill find a large tree to hide behind. We see others scattering. JILL This is my fault. NICK What? JILL Vickie was right. I did sneak out. Nick pulls her into the circle of his arms. NICK So, if I turn you in, will your Dad go easier on me? JILL Shut up. NICK I'm glad you snuck out. Jill smiles up at him, his mouth a fraction of an inch from hers. NICK (CONT'D) Even if this is all your fault. He smiles then kisses her. They are leaning against the tree. We see the back of Ingena's head as she watches them from behind another tree. We see Bobby behind Ingena. He is peeing in the grass about ten yards from her, but hasn't seen her yet. She is naked, her hands palm down on the bark of a huge oak tree. She extends her claws, still watching Nick and Jill, and digs them into the wood of the tree. Pulling back with her buttocks she begins to yank at the tree with her claws jerking and tugging like a cat working a scratching post. We hear the sharp intake of Bobby's breath then see his face as he sees Ingena. Ingena looks back at Bobby, over her shoulder. She slowly extracts her claws from the tree then looks down at Her hand, the claws retract into the ends of her fingers. We see Bobby's shoe as he pees on it. We see Bobby's face. HE is having a hard time with what he is seeing. Ingena smiles and crooks her finger. Bobby's mouth is hanging open, he is shaking his head 'no'. Ingena is smiling. She runs her hands over her breasts and down the front of her body. She holds her arms out to Bobby, beckoning him to come to her. OFF BOBBY'S FACE EXT. OATMAN-HOUSE-PORCH DUSTIN Can I help you, sir? SHERIFF Yeah, open this door, son. The door closes. We hear the rattle of the chain then it is opened, barely. DUSTIN May parents are asleep. It's pretty late. SHERIFF We got a report that there was a party goin' on over here. DUSTIN Oh no, sir! Absolutely not! SHERIFF Well then, all right. 'Night, son. DUSTIN (yawns) Good night,Sheriff. The door closes. DANIELS You believe him? SHERIFF Naw, Hell no, but I don't give a shit as long as they're quiet now SHERIFF (CONT'D) (to his radio)Unit one Cibolo S 0 CLARA Go ahead, one. SHERIFF There's nothin' goin' on here. I'm going to the house. CLARA Ten four, Sheriff. Good night. SHERIFF Ten-four. EXT. OATMAN HOUSE-NIGHT Billy gets out of his patrol car as the Sheriff and Daniels are stepping down from the porch. BILLY What's going on? SHERIFF Nothin'. They've busted up and I'm goin' to the house. I've been down at the office since eight this morning. BILLY Sittin' on your ass behind a desk can be pretty taxing. The Sheriff looks pissed- very pissed. We hear a boy scream-- it's coming from the woods. A girl screams, then many voices terrified, crying out. Billy runs up the hill toward the woods. The Sheriff stands as if rooted to the ground. He is looking up the hill, watching Billy. We hear more screams, the cries of the teenagers. EXT. OATMAN-WOODS-NIGHT Billy is running into the woods. He encounters a herd of teenagers running in his direction. He catches Dustin by the arm. BILLY Hang on there, son. What are y'all runnin' from? DUSTIN I don't know! I heard somebody scream then somebody yelled there was a dead kid-- so I hauled ass- uh, I mean, I ran. Daniels catches up to Billy. BILLY Is my daughter out here? DUSTIN Yes sir. I think so. BILLY You're gonna go with Daniels. (then to Daniels) Put him in your car then get back here. We're gonna have to round up these kids and get 'em out of here. (BEAT) And when you come back, bring the Sheriff with you. Billy continues into the woods and meets Vickie, and Alley headed out. BILLY (CONT'D) Y'all all right? Did you see anything? VICKIE We just heard screaming. BILLY Do you know where Jill is? VICKIE She's out here someplace-- with Nick Brooks. ALLEY Mr. Francis, I'm so scared! BILLY It's going to be okay, Alley. (BEAT) Daniels! Hold up, I got two more headed your way! The kids go toward Daniels and Billy goes on into the woods. BILLY (CONT'D) Jill! He's making his way up the hill when we hear a scream. The brush parts and Jill stumbles out, clinging to Nick. She has blood all over her face and hands. She falls into her father's arms. He takes her face in his hands. She's crying,clinging to him. JILL Daddy! BILLY Are you hurt? He is pushing her hair back trying to see where the blood is coming from. JILL No. There's a dead kid up there! And Bobby! Bobby was screaming! NICK He's up there. We tried to get to him. BILLY How long since you heard him holler? NICK I don't know, everything is happening so fast. BILLY A minute? Two? Five? NICK Maybe two. BILLY Where's the body? NICK Up the hill. Straight up this trail. JILL Oh, Daddy! (She's crying) Somebody is coming, crashing up the hill. Jill is terrified. JILL (CONT'D) Daddy! BILLY Daniels? DANIELS Over here! Daniels comes out of the brush. BILLY Take these two and go straight to the car. Keep an eye out for more kids. JILL No, Daddy! I don't want to go with him! You take us out. YOU! BILLY It'll be okay. Y'all go on. I gotta help Bobby. JILL (starts to cry) No, Daddy! BILLY (More firmly) Go with Daniels. You'll be safe.( BEAT) I promise. NICK I'll go with you, Mr. Francis. I can show you where Bobby is. BILLY No. You go on. I don't need to be worrying about another kid out here. Billy nods to Daniels and he takes Jill's arm. She leaves reluctantly. Billy goes farther into the woods. BILLY (CONT'D) Bobby! His flashlight beam falls on a tree with raking claw marks in the bark. Billy stops and puts his fingers on the marks, gaging their depth. We hear someone crying. BILLY (CONT'D) Bobby! Bobby stumbles from the brush. We see him in the beam of the flashlight, covered head to ankles with blood. His clothes are shredded. He is crying. BILLY (CONT'D) Bobby? Billy helps ease him to the ground. He pulls back the shirt from Bobby's abdomen which is a bloody mess. He picks up his radio. BILLY (CONT'D) Unit five, S.O.? CLARA Go ahead, five. BILLY Go ahead and roll EMS. I'm bringin' one out. EXT. OATMAN HOUSE- DRIVEWAY- NIGHT The Sheriff is standing by his car when the ambulance pulls up. Bill comes out of the woods carrying Bobby. The Sheriff comes running in his direction. BILLY Is anybody else missing? SHERIFF No. He's the last one. BILLY The kids say there's a body in the woods. SHERIFF Better go check it out, Billy. I'll stay here with the kid. BILLY EMS can take care of him- that's their job. You come with me. Billy heads back into the woods. Daniels and the Sheriff trail behind him. SHERIFF ( muttering to Daniels) This is bullshit- him givin' me orders. I'm the Sheriff. DANIELS Billy's been a cop for 15 years, you've only been one for two months. EXT. OATMAN-WOODS-NIGHT Billy, Daniels and the Sheriff are walking up the trail with their flashlights. The Sheriff looks three shades of scared...I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks! The beam of Billy's flashlight trails over the terrain. BILLY There! Over there- see it? Billy jogs up the trail and shines his flashlight down into the bloody brush. SHERIFF Oh, my Lordy! DANIELS I'll call for the judge. BILLY If you go callin' the judge out in the middle of the night for a dead calf you're liable to piss her off. SHERIFF (stepping closer now) What? BILLY It's a calf with the hide peeled back.(BEAT) Look at the teeth marks in this meat. EXT. BROOKS MANSION-LAWN-NIGHT We see Ingena's face. She is looking up the hill toward the mansion. EXT.BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT A beautiful mansion. French doors and windows are open with billowing white curtains. EXT.BROOKS MANSION-LAWN-NIGHT We watch as she lopes up the hill toward the mansion. There is a pool on the lawn. She drops down on all fours, and laps the water before stretching and sliding in. In a moment her head appears above the water's surface. INT. HAYDEN BROOKS BEDROOM-NIGHT The lights are off, the windows standing open. White gauze curtains blow in the building wind. In the bed we see HAYDEN BROOKS. He is in his forties. He is asleep. We can make out his handsome features plainly in the moonlight. He stirs. Ingena leaps through the open window. Her mouth is open wide, we see her teeth and the incredible spread of her jaws. She lands on top of Hayden, whose hands reach and roughly grab her upper arms. He holds her at arm's length. His expression is one of shock and surprise.. He lets go of one of her arms , his hand gliding over her skin to cup her breast. She begins to caterwaul loudly. Her eyes are half-lidded. She leans toward him and he catches the back of her head in his right hand, pulling her mouth to his. He kisses her deeply then rolls her off him and onto her stomach. He kisses the nape of her neck then gently bites her ear. She is beautiful in the moonlight. Slowly he begins to move. She turns her head to the side emitting a low, guttural sound like a Siamese in the throws of passion. We hear someone knocking on the door. Ingena is paying no attention. She is into what she's doing. HAYDEN Goddamit! More pounding on the door, someone in a muffled voice calling his name. He gets up. Ingena is furious she whirls around, snapping and snarling. Crouching on the bed like she wants to murder Hayden for stopping. Hayden is not disturbed by her display. He grabs his robe off a chair and opens the door. INT. HALLWAY-BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT JEROME RAVEL a medical doctor and geneticist who is also Hayden's best friend is just outside Hayden's bedroom with NILA BLACKWELL, Hayden's personal assistant. They are grim- faced as he opens the door. HAYDEN (pissed) What? JEROME There's a problem. HAYDEN There better be. NILA There's been an animal attack in town. A chid is dead. NILA (CONT'D) Has Ingena been in there all evening? HAYDEN What the fuck is that supposed to mean? NILA Nothing! Nothing at all! We just wanted to be sure that everything is all right. Hayden shuts the door hard. Nila turns away a little too quickly. Jerome follows her down the hallway. JEROME Hey- wait a minute! Nila makes a dismissive gesture with her hand as she heads for the french doors and the terrace. EXT. TERRACE: Nila comes out, followed by Jerome. JEROME (CONT'D) You okay? Nila nods, not trusting her voice. In a moment she turns to him and Jerome sees that her eyes are glistening. He pulls her into his arms, she offers little resistance. He holds her. After a moment she looks up at him and they look as though they might kiss.. but she pulls away. NILA Don't, Jerome. JEROME Why don't? NILA I've watched you work your Jungle Book snake trick on too many women to step in that trap myself. JEROME You're different than the others. NILA Exactly. I'm smart enough to know that if I give in to you I'll end up like they did. (smiles) Just another chip in your king size bag of Lays. JEROME (Grins back) I love you. Was that an original line? NILA Of course. Did you like it? HAYDEN You're trying to distract me. ( He smiles softer) How long has it been since you've been with a man, Nila? Twenty years? NILA That is so mean, and so out of the realm of your business. JEROME (sudden amazement) It was Hayden. My God! You haven't been with a man since Hayden. (BEAT) Not even a kiss? NILA Shut up. JEROME You don't have to live that way. He pulls her up close and holds her, and she lets him. She looks up into his eyes. NILA Maybe I like it. He smiles again, he doesn't think so. He slowly makes his move. In the fraction of an instant before their lips touch the door opens and Hayden comes out onto the terrace. HAYDEN I hope I'm not interrupting. Nila jerks back from Jerome's embrace. NILA No! Not at all! Is everything all right? HAYDEN I just got a call from the police. Nick is at the jail. His beer party was busted. He needs someone to go pick him up. NILA I can do it. HAYDEN Thank you. Nila looks at Jerome for an instant. He looks like she's just slapped his face. She leaves them. HAYDEN (CONT'D) What was going on our here just now? JEROME What did it look like? HAYDEN It looked as if you were about to seduce my assistant. JEROME No. I was about to kiss Nila. HAYDEN Leave her alone, Jerome. JEROME What difference does it make to you? HAYDEN I care about her. I don't want to see you chew her up and spit her out. JEROME It's not like that. HAYDEN Ohhhh-- (laughs) what, now you're in love with Nila? JEROME What's it to you? HAYDEN She's not one of those girls that you can sleep with tonight then forget about. JEROME You aren't the one to argue that point, Hayden. OFF HAYDEN'S FACE EXT. CIBOLO HOSPITAL-PARKING LOT-NIGHT Cop cars from everywhere are pulling up, lights flashing. Sheriff Mercer gets out of his car and heads for the double doors. INT. CIBOLO HOSPITAL-HALLWAY-NIGHT As the Sheriff comes in he sees Mrs. Peffer coming down the hall. Her face is very pale. She is clutching a boy's jacket. MATTIE Sheriff? SHERIFF (stops nervously) Evenin' Mizz Peffer-you doin' all right? MATTIE I got a call. They told me to come down here. SHERIFF Yes ma'am? MATTIE They said they had Edgar but wouldn't tell me if he was hurt bad or what. I brought him a jacket (Smiles) It wasn't so cold when he went off to play. SHERIFF (clears his throat twice)I'd like to stay and talk to you but, I gotta be goin' and gettin' a statement right now. He ducks his head and walks away from her. We see her bewilderment. We see Mercer push the doors to the trauma room and disappear. INT. TRAUMA ROOM- HOSPITAL-NIGHT The Sheriff enters the room where a DOCTOR and several NURSES are working on an unconscious Bobby. SHERIFF Billy, you need to get out there and speak to Mizz Peffer about her kid. BILLY Where is she? SHERIFF Standin' outside that door there. BILLY You left her out there without telling her? SHERIFF I'm the Sheriff and I'm tellin' YOU to get out there and tend to her. Two of the nurses exchange glances that say, ' what an asshole'. We see from Billy's expression that he thinks this is bullshit. He shakes his head and heads for the door. He stops just before he pushes it open. BILLY When Bobby wakes up, don't forget to ask him what he saw in the woods. Billy pushes through the door. INT. CIBOLO HOSPITAL HALLWAY-NIGHT Billy comes out and walks down the hall to Mattie. She is leaning against the wall with the jacket held against her like a baby. BILLY Mattie?(Beat) Did you come down here by yourself? MATTIE (Nods) They told me to bring somebody with me. I said I would but it's so late. I just want to see Edgar. They wouldn't tell me a thing at the desk. He's all right isn't he? I mean you found him and he's not hurt (BEAT)too bad. BILLY Mattie, we found a boy. We're afraid it's Edgar and we need you to (BEAT) come take a look at him. MATTIE Billy, you know my boy. He's been over at your house with Sam as much as he's been at home. What are you tellin' me? BILLY The boy we found is dead. Mattie catches her breath. BILLY (CONT'D) I hate to ask you, Mattie. God knows how I hate it, but we need you to look at the boy that we found. MATTIE It's not Edgar. BILLY I don't know, Mattie. MATTIE I know it can't be Edgar. If somethin' happened to him, I'd know it. He's my only child and we're.. close. Really (BEAT) close. I'll go with you if you want, Billy, but it's not my Edgar. They walk down the hall together and push through the doors with the sign that reads " MORGUE". INT. MORGUE-NIGHT On one of the stainless steel tables lies a small body covered with a sheet. The CORONER looks up at Billy who nods his head. He pulls back the sheet. MATTIE No. That's not-- it's not! It's not Edgar! This-- it's not-- even a person! It's-- She looks down and we see a small wrist and hand, white/blue and lifeless. On the middle finger the nail is black from an old bruise. BILLY Mattie? Mattie nods, her eyes brimming with tears. MATTIE He smashed it in the car two weeks ago. Ohhh- She puts her hands out toward the lifeless body as though for an instant she thinks to gather him into her arms to hold him, but realizes that there just isn't enough of him in one piece to hold. Her hands go back to her chest where she folds them so tightly they turn white. She makes a small, soft whimper and her knees buckle. Billy is there to catch her up and keep her from falling. She pulls away from him slowly. She's staring down at the body then reaches to touch her son's hair. The ends of her fingers skim the very tips and she stops. She turns to Billy, her face streaming with tears. Billy's eyes well up. BILLY I'm sorry. MATTIE I thought (BEAT) I'd know! If somethin' happened to him... I shoulda known. We were really...c close. Billy hugs her and she crumbles against him. Billy nods to the Coroner who covers the body with the sheet. CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL OUTSIDE THE MORGUE- NIGHT Billy's arm is around Mattie and he is still supporting her as they come through the doors from the morgue. We see Billy's sister JANET coming toward them in the hallway. Her hair is wet from the blowing rain outside. JANET Mattie? Mattie just shakes her head mutely as the tears run unchecked down her face. Janet hugs her, looking over her shoulder at Billy. He just shakes his head. JANET (CONT'D) Is there anybody at your house? Mattie shakes her head. MATTIE I guess I need to call somebody-- make some kind of arrangements. I just don't know where to begin. JANET I'll take you home. We'll fix some hot tea and get you warmed up. You're cold as a frog. Mattie nods numbly and allows Janet to lead her down the hallway. At the doors Janet glances back at Billy. The hallway is crowded with lawmen and media. Billy wades through them and into the Trauma Room INT.TRAUMA ROOM-NIGHT They are still working on Bobby. The Sheriff is off to one side. BILLY Sheriff, the hall's fillin' up with law men. Looked like a news crew out there too. SHERIFF (Excited) Really? Television? BILLY I don't know I didn't ask for their credentials. The Sheriff heads for the door. BILLY (CONT'D) Reckon it'd be best to hold off on lettin' the news in on all this mess-- 'til we figure out what we got? SHERIFF I'm not worried. He turns toward the door. BILLY Sheriff? SHERIFF WHAT? BILLY In case you were wonderin', it was the Peffer boy. SHERIFF Huh? BILLY Mattie Peffer identified her son in the morgue. SHERIFF Oh. The Sheriff straightens his hat then pushes through the doors. INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY-NIGHT Lawmen are standing in clumps talking when the Sheriff steps out into the hallway. SHERIFF Uh, could y'all give me your attention please? The cops break up their individual pow-wows and turn toward him. SHERIFF (CONT'D) I called you all here 'cause a wild animal is loose in Cibolo County. It's killed one kid and ripped up another one so bad we don't know if he's gonna live or not. We see Bobby's mother forty year old LIESEL ZAHN, who just came in the door and heard the speech. LIESEL What kid? Where's my son? Where's my boy, Sheriff? The Sheriff, aware of the cameras, attempts to console her. He goes to put his arms around her. SHERIFF Here now, Ma'am. I'm sorry you had to hear it that way, but your kid's been tore up bad, by some sorta cat. She pushes him back, the camera's clicking and rolling..lights flashing. The television crew is taping. LIESEL Get off me! Where is he? Where is my son? The Sheriff, rattled, can only point to the trauma room door. Liesel goes toward the trauma room, nearly running into Billy who is coming out the doors as she is going in. LIESEL (CONT'D) Billy! Thank GOD! What's going on? I got this call from the hospital and they told me y'all have Bobby down here. They said he's hurt but wouldn't give me any more information. BILLY He's gonna be okay, Liesel. He had a run in with a bottle of whisky and a bobwire fence. Doc's stitchin' him up now. LIESEL Whiskey! BILLY Yeah. He was callin' for you a minute ago. LIESEL To hear that idiot Sheriff tell it he was all but dead! BILLY Naw, he's not dyin' but he probably thinks he is. They got him sittin' up drinkin' that black charcoal to make him hock up the whizbang. He's liable to be sore tomorrow-- but he's gonna be okay. You go on in and see him now. LIESEL Thank you, Billy. All of the lawmen and the camera crew turn toward Billy. The Sheriff is red faced. A news woman puts a microphone in Billy's face. REPORTER So, Officer, the boy in the trauma room is not the victim of a mountain lion attack? BILLY You're gonna have to ask the Sheriff, ma'am. I'm just a deputy. Billy finds his way through the mass of media and law enforcement heading for the door. He pushes through them. EXT. HOSPITAL- NIGHT Billy goes to his patrol car and gets in. We see him back up and drive off. EXT. BECK HOUSE TO ESTABLISH- NIGHT It is raining, there is a terrible storm. INT. BECK HOUSE-- VALERIE'S ROOM- NIGHT Little Valerie Beck is asleep in her bed. Lightning flashes outside her window. She stirs. Outside the window rain is pouring. Jenny Beck comes in and tucks her daughter in, pulling up the covers. Leaning, she kisses her head. She tucks a stuffed rabbit under the covers with Valerie. Jenny leaves the room with one backward glance at her daughter before smiling and closing the door. Valerie is still asleep in her bed. We hear something scratching on the window. Lightning flashes. We see Ingena standing outside the window, her hands pressed against the panes, looking in. INT. HALLWAY BECK HOUSE-NIGHT Jenny has just closed the door and is walking down the hallway when we hear the shattering of glass and the snap of breaking wood-followed closely by Valerie's scream. Jenny flies back down the hall toward Valerie's room. INT. VALERIE'S ROOM-NIGHT Jenny shoves the door open. She screams. CUT TO: EXT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE TO ESTABLISH- NIGHT- STORM. INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE JILL'S ROOM-NIGHT. Ellie covers up baby Becky with her yellow blanket. She then goes to Jill who is sleeping in her bed. She tugs the covers up over her shoulders leans and kisses her on the head. She flips off the night light on a bedside table then goes to the door. She closes it slowly as she looks in on her sleeping daughters. She smiles. INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE HALLWAY-NIGHT Just as the girls bedroom door snicks shut, thunder crashes,the lights flicker and go out. ELLIE Oh, that's great. The door blows open on a gust of wind crashing against the wall. Ellie jumps. Lightning flashes in the doorway illuminating a figure in the doorway. Ellie screams. BILLY It's me! Ellie, it's me! He goes to her, taking her in his arms. BILLY (CONT'D) I didn't mean to scare you. ELLIE I can't take much more. The lights flicker and come back on. ELLIE (CONT'D) Thank God. BILLY How's Jill? ELLIE Better now. BILLY Did you ground her 'til she's ninety? ELLIE No, I caved in completely. I told her she can go to the Brooks boy's house for a Thanksgiving party tomorrow. BILLY She runs off and you give her privileges. ELLIE The other way isn't working! In two years she'll be going off to college- The phone rings BILLY Godalmighty ! (picks up the phone) Hello. (BEAT) Call 'em back and tell them I'm headed over there. He hangs up the phone. ELLIE What now? BILLY Something busted through a window over at the Beck place. There little girl is missing. ELLIE Lord. BILLY Keep the doors locked. ELLIE If it broke through the window, how safe are we? BILLY Get the shotgun out of the closet. Go ahead and load it. I'll get back just as quick as I can. He kisses her and heads back out into the night. She watches him through the open door, as he gets into his patrol car and drives off. She closes the door and locks it, then goes to the closet and takes the shotgun out. She looks at it and it's obvious that she doesn't like to handle it. She puts it back in the closet and takes out a baseball bat. CUT TO: EXT. BECK HOUSE-NIGHT Billy drives up. He's the first officer on the scene. He gets out in the downpour and turns up the collar of his coat. He trots up to the porch and knocks on the door. It is opened by GARY BECK father of Valerie husband of Jenny. Gary has a blanket in his arms. We can't tell if it has a child wrapped in it or what. Lightning flashes and thunder cracks. We see Billy and Gary heading around the side of the house in the downpour. A figure is coming toward him in the rain. Lightening flashes and we see it's Jenny, her nightgown plastered to her body, soaked through. She catches Billy by the arm frantically, beseeching. JENNY This was outside her window! She has a stuffed rabbit in her arms, it's covered in mud. JENNY (CONT'D) Billy help me! Find my baby! Please.. find her! Gary puts the blanket around her shoulders, he's soaked too. GARY I don't know how y'all are gonna track her. This rain's washin' everything out. BILLY Y'all get on back in the house and dry off. I'll see what I can find out here. Don't go back in Valerie's room 'til after I've had a look at it all right? JENNY If anything happens to my baby-- BILLY Don't be thinkin' like that Jenny. You just go on in. It won't help Valerie for you to catch pneumonia. The sheriff and Daniels drive up with an army of cop cars from different areas. The Sheriff gets out of his car. Daniels and the others get out of theirs.. INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE-NIGHT Ellie is sitting in her rocking chair with her baseball bat. She has just nodded off when we hear a huge bang as the front door is thrown open. Ellie almost jumps out of her skin. The wind is blowing hard-- the rain soaking the floor near the open door. Ellie goes to close it. She has to push hard against the wind. Just as it is shut we hear a great thundering crash..shattering glass and splitting wood. Ellie charges down the hall to her daughter's room. INT. JILL'S ROOM Ellie throws the door open and we see her face. Jill is rubbing her eyes, sitting up, dazed. Becky's crib is empty. . ELLIE Oh my God! Jill! Where's the baby? Oh- God! Becky!!! JILL Mom? What happened? ELLIE I don't know! She's crying as they tear apart the room looking for Becky. JILL Where's Daddy? We need Daddy! ELLIE Your daddy's gone to help somebody else! JILL I'm calling 911-- they can send him here! CUT TO: EXT. BECK HOUSE- NIGHT The Sheriff and Daniels are on the porch. The front door is standing open and we see Jenny being consoled by Gary. Law enforcement officers are all over the place. The emergency tones go off on the radio. EXT. BECK HOUSE- SIDE- NIGHT We see water falling in sheets. The rain gutters running over and spilling off the edge of the roof. Billy is standing outside Valerie Beck's broken bedroom window. He is looking at the mud below it with his flashlight. The beam of light falls on the window sill and we see fresh blood. Billy directs his flashlight toward the woods around the house. The beam falls on a tree just across from the window. There are distinct claw marks in the bark. Billy goes closer. He puts his hands on the tree touching the marks that have been dug into the gnarled bark. He hears the emergency tones on his radio and puts it to his ear. CLARA Unit five, Cibolo S.O. BILLY Unit five, Clara go ahead. CLARA Billy, there's trouble at your residence. Jill just called. Somethin's broke through the winder and Becky's missin'. We see Billy's face. He runs toward his car, climbs in and speeds off. EXT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE-NIGHT Rain is pouring. Billy piles out of his car and slams the door. He runs up on the porch. The door to his house is standing wide open. He goes in. INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOME- Billy comes in the front door-- he walks toward the back of the house where the bedrooms are. INT. JILL'S ROOM- NIGHT Billy comes through the door. Jill is in shock and tears she runs to her father. Ellie is standing in the rain that's blowing in through the broken window. She turns around and we see that she's holding Becky's yellow blanket. ELLIE Oh, Billy. BILLY Tell me what happened? ELLIE I don't know! I heard a crash-- Billy is looking at the scene. Thunder crashes. The wind is howling,the rain coming in sheets. Lightening flashes and the tree outside the window is illuminated. A thick branch is sticking through the broken pane. Billy goes to the window. He reaches up and touches the branch that is poking in. He turns toward his wife-- There in the doorway (behind Ellie) is Becky Francis. BECKY I didn't pee in my bed! They all turn around, Becky, in her nightie looking up at them. Billy and Ellie go to her and Ellie grabs her up, holding her tightly. CUT TO: INT. HAYDEN BROOKS' CAR. Hayden and Jerome are driving, looking for Ingena. HAYDEN Keep your eyes on the edge of the road. JEROME This is ridiculous. HAYDEN She's my wife. I"m not going to lock her up like some animal. JEROME How the hell did I let you talk me into this? HAYDEN I don't know what you're complaining about. She's fantastic. The best work you've ever done. Once the world finds out about her you're going to win another Nobel. The car phone rings. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Hello. (BEAT) We'll be right there. He turns off the phone. HAYDEN (CONT'D) She's home. JEROME You need to think about how you're going to keep her there. HAYDEN You worry too much. OFF JEROME'S FACE. EXT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE-DAY Ellie is stuffing a turkey and Janet is cutting up celery. JANET There isn't going to be a funeral for Edgar, just a short memorial. Mattie just can't take it. ELLIE It's just so awful. JANET Are you going to let Sam go? ELLIE He's too young. JANET Death is a part of life, Ellie. ELLIE It can be a part of later life. He's nine years old. It'll give him nightmares. We hear dogs barking outside. Ellie dries her hands on a towel. Billy comes in. Ellie goes to him and gives him a kiss. ELLIE (CONT'D) Did y'all find her? BILLY (shakes his head)It's not looking good. JANET How are the Becks holding up? BILLY Not good. Doc came by and gave Jenny a shot. When I left to come home she was curled up on the couch sleepin' with that baby's stuffed rabbit. ELLIE I wish I hadn't told Jill she could go to that party tonight. BILLY You just be sure you tell her that I'll be takin' her and picking her up. ELLIE She's not going to like it. BILLY Them's the rules. EXT. BROOKS MANSION-- EVENING: The patrol car pulls up outside the Brooks mansion and the front doors open. Nick comes out with a grin and opens the car door for Jill. NICK Hi. JILL Hi. Billy doesn't like this much. BILLY I'll be back at nine. JILL Thanks, Daddy. She starts to get out then pauses. Impulsively, she leans over and kisses her father's cheek. NICK Thank you. Billy half-assed smiles. Jill slides out and Nick closes the door behind her. Billy watches them go into the house then drives off. INT. BROOKS MANSION-EVENING The foyer is enormous. Hanging on the wall under the vaulted ceiling is a portrait of Ingena. Dressed in a flowing silver Grecian gown, she is smiling faintly. Her canines are exposed. Her hair looks blown back from her face as though by a tempest. JILL What's that? NICK My stepmother. JILL In a Halloween costume? NICK (laughs) No. As they step into the next room Jill's eyes widen again, this time as she looks upward at the sweeping staircase. Ingena is descending the stairs on Hayden's arm into a room filled with elegantly dressed people. JILL Nick? NICK She won't bite. JILL Where did she come from? NICK My Dad's imagination. Twisted huh? JILL Why would he want to make a-- what is she? NICK She's an F-1 tiger woman. JILL But why would they make someone like her? NICK Beats me. They cross the room. Everyone is drinking champagne or drinks taken from the silver trays of elegant waiters. Nick and Jill approach Hayden and Ingena. HAYDEN Nicholas, I need to talk to you. NICK I have company. HAYDEN Now. Nick looks at Jill. JILL I'll be fine- you go on with your Dad. Hayden sweeps him out of the room to a library. INT. LIBRARY-EVENING Hayden closes the door and Nick turns to face him. NICK Make it quick, Dad. HAYDEN What were you thinking? You can't bring outsiders here-- now she's seen Ingena. NICK So what are you going to have to kill her? HAYDEN Don't be asinine. NICK I don't have time for this bullshit. He's walking toward the door. HAYDEN Did you at least explain to her how important it is to not tell anyone? NICK No I didn't. She won't tell. She's not like that. Nick leaves the library. INT. BROOKS MANSION- EVENING. Ingena is looking at Jill in an appraising manner. From across the room we hear Jerome. He smiles coming toward them and takes Jill's hand . JEROME You must be the policeman's daughter. JILL Yes sir. JEROME No SIR to it. I am Jerome Ravel. Nick calls me Uncle Romey, and so must you. Nick comes up beside Jill. NICK I haven't called him that in YEARS. JEROME Come over here. I'd like to introduce you to some people. Would you care for some champagne? No of course not, you're under age. He takes a glass from the tray of a passing waiter, smiles and hands it to Jill. EXT. BROOKS MANSION _EVENING Vickie is looking through the windows. Alley is holding her up on her shoulders. VICKIE Oh, my GOD! What is that? That.. thing? ALLEY I don't know, Vickie. I'm having a little trouble here. VICKIE Shut UP, Alley! If you weren't such a fat ass I'd hold you up so YOU could take a peek at this freak show. ALLEY What do you see? VICKIE A bunch of people in formals and tuxes, swillin' champagne and bein' grand. And and...oh my GOD! ALLEY What, Vicki? WHAT IS IT? VICKIE There's (gasp)there's a lady-with- (gasp) a pastry stuck to her ass! (she starts to laugh hysterically) ALLEY Oh, Vickie! Be still! I'm gonna drop you! CUT TO: INT. BROOKS MANSION-EVENING We see all of the guests milling about; the woman in a black silk evening gown who has an eclair stuck to her ass. Nick and Jill are off to the side watching the people. Jerome in particular who is surrounded by beautiful women and obviously enjoying the attention. He looks like he's in his element. The lady with the eclair turns and we see Jerome notice it on her backside. He smiles and she turns to smile back. He puts a hand on her shoulder. JEROME Hold still, dear. He pulls the pastry off her butt. She looks painfully embarrassed but he twinkles. He takes a bite and smiles. We see Nick and Jill laughing. NICK He's bad ass. He designed Ingena. JILL How? NICK Recombinant DNA. JILL I can't even pronounce that. NICK He mixed the genes of a tiger with human ones. Jerome can do nearly anything my dad asks him to. He won a Nobel Prize for his bovine surrogacy research. JILL That's-- NICK Growing babies in cows. It was his idea. It made my dad rich. JILL My Aunt Janet's baby is due in five months. The cow's name is Bridget. NICK Nila names the surrogates. We see Nila talking to Hayden who has his eyes focused on Ingena from across the room. NICK (CONT'D) Over there by my dad. We see Ingena across the room, lapping champagne delicately from a goblet. We see Hayden watching her his eyes are full of adoration. We see Nick and Jill. NICK (CONT'D) Want to see a trick? JILL I guess. Nick smiles and reaches into a large wicker basket by the fireplace. Out of it he takes a big red ball of yarn. Ingena is still lapping champagne. Hayden is beside her, listening to Jerome's story. From inside looking out the window we see Vickie's face. She is peering in when her eyes widen suddenly, We see Ingena looking back at Vickie. CUT TO: EXT. BROOKS MANSION-EVENING We see Vickie still balanced on Alley's shoulders,looking in the window. VICKIE My GOD! Oh my GOD! ALLEY What now-- a guy with toilet paper on his shoe? VICKIE No. It's oh, GOD put me down! Put me down it sees me! Vickie is scared and shifting on Alley's shoulders. Both girls topple. Vickie hits the ground running, leaving Alley on her backside in the grass. VICKIE (CONT'D) Run, you idiot! Run! Vickie is running away leaving Alley behind. Alley starts to run too, but is neither as quick nor as agile as her buddy. CUT TO: Ingena is walking to the window where Vickie had been. Nick throws the yarn across the room. Ingena, seeing the red ball fly by out of the corner of her eye whips her head around. The champagne flute falls from her hand, shattering on the marble floor. Everyone turns to see what has happened.. then watches in amazement as Ingena runs for yarn. She pounces over the sofa to grab it, then batting it with her hands, she rolls onto her back and kicks it with her feet. Jerome stops his story mid-sentence as the crowd gapes at his wife in embarrassed silence. Hayden glares at his son as he crosses the room. Nick is trying hard not to laugh. Jill's face is crimson. HAYDEN (Quietly) What did I tell you about this sort of thing, Nicholas? He walks past Nick and Jill and goes to Ingena who is playing on the floor with the yarn, her Donnatella Versace gown hiked up to her hips and she's not wearing underwear. HAYDEN (CONT'D) This isn't the time. He takes the yarn and puts it behind his back. Ingena comes around the side. INGENA Give. HAYDEN Not now, darling. We have guests. He turns to his mesmerized and embarrassed guests. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Everyone, please go into the dining room and find your places. As the people drift into the hallway toward the dining room Hayden turns to Ingena. HAYDEN (CONT'D) It's time to eat. Instead, Ingena turns and leaps for the yarn in his hands. Her claws rake his flesh. He gasps. We see blood forming on the marble floor by his foot. NICK Dad! HAYDEN I'm okay. Go-- to the dining room. NICK Should I get Uncle Romey? HAYDEN (Sharply) No! It's not bad. Just (beat) do what I tell you. NICK Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to-- HAYDEN It's all right. Hayden, holding his dripping hand, watches them leave the room. Then he turns to look at Ingena. She is looking at him with an expression that dares him to try and take the yarn. INT. HALLWAY TO DINING HALL-EVENING Nick and Jill are walking to the dining room. JILL Oh, Nick-- his hand! NICK I'm telling Jerome. (BEAT) I didn't mean to rattle her like that. I just wanted to show you how funny she is when she plays. JILL Your dad didn't seem too mad. NICK You just don't know him. EXT. WOODS- LATE EVENING Vickie and Alley are running, they slow up and stop to catch their breath. ALLEY Wh-what was it? What'd you see? VICKIE I don't know! It was fucking weird! It looked like a monster! A kind of lady with stripes. It had big teeth and a dress. ALLEY That's not funny. I don't know why you always treat me like I'm stupid. VICKIE Because you ARE stupid. Stuff a sock in it. I'm telling you what I saw. It was some kind of tiger monster...THING. ALLEY What was it doing? VICKIE Drinkin' champagne 'til it saw me. ALLEY Do you think it's after us? VICKIE Us Hell! It'll be after you before me. It looked really hungry! I'll bet it ate that kid. ALLEY What do we do? VICKIE Shut up. Don't freak out on me. I have an idea. CUT TO: INT. DINING HALL- EVENING All the guests are seated at an enormous, elaborately decorated table. Nick and Jill enter, they are both a little pale. Jerome sees them and excusing himself from the table goes to them. JEROME Where's your father? NICK He's still in the living room. She clawed him and he's bleeding. Jerome starts past Nick who stops him. NICK (CONT'D) He told me not to say anything. Jerome pats Nick on the shoulder. JEROME You did just right. You two have a seat. I'll take care of your Dad. Jerome heads out of the room. INT. BROOKS MANSION-EVENING Jerome walks in and sees the blood. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and goes to Hayden, wrapping it around his bleeding hand and applying pressure. JEROME It's deep. HAYDEN It was an accident. JEROME I knew the hormones would make her more aggressive. HAYDEN It wasn't aggression. JEROME Pregnancy can make human women unstable. You can imagine what it's doing to Ingena. INGENA NOT talk by me. JEROME Of course dear, I didn't mean to talk about you like you're not here. I was only telling Hayden that you didn't intend to hurt him, but your pregnancy has made you more intense. INGENA Very want toy. JEROME That's right, Ingena. I understand. Would you like to go have something to eat now? Nila is in the dining room. INGENA Nila is food? JEROME NO! GOD NO! Ingena- Ingena smiles. HAYDEN God damn it, Jerome. It was a joke! JEROME It's not funny. Ingena,never, ever joke about such things. Do you understand me? Ingena's ears flatten against her head and she hisses at Jerome. Hayden gets between them. HAYDEN BACK OFF! You don't talk to my wife like that. JEROME Somebody needs to explain things in terms she can grasp. (BEAT) We should have used a surrogate like I wanted. HAYDEN She needs her maternal instincts. JEROME Look what it's doing to her personality. HAYDEN She'll be fine. Ingena why don't you join our guests in the dining room. Jerome and I will be there in a moment. She turns and we watch her saunter down the hallway. INT. DINING HALL-EVENING. Jill and Nick are sitting at the table when Ingena comes in. She sits in the chair at the foot of the dining table, on either ide of her are Jill and Nick. The waiters pour champagne as the guests enjoy venison, and roast pheasant. Ingena reaches across several guests and with a swat of her extended claws she pulls a pheasant off a platter. She digs her claws into the bird and begins to gnaw at it like corn on the cob. The guests are pretending not to notice. Jill's eyes stray to Ingena as she chomps and chews. They lock gazes. Jill smiles nervously. Ingena mimics her expression but the smile does not extend to her eyes. The guests are quietly eating. Nick is embarrassed. He hates Ingena. EXT. FRANCIS HOUSE- PORCH- NIGHT Vickie is knocking on the door when Ellie answers it. We see Vickie talking to Ellie. CUT TO: EXT. BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT The night has turned bad. An icy wind gusts as Billy stands at the front door to the Brooks mansion. The door opens and Jill is there with Nick and the butler. JILL Daddy-- it's not nine o'clock yet! BILLY It's time for you to come home. He takes her hand and pulls her out of the house. She looks back at Nick who doesn't understand. Jill follows her father. JILL You told me I could stay until nine! BILLY Don't argue. She gets in on her side. Billy gets in and the car pulls away. INT. HAYDEN'S BEDROOM-NIGHT Hayden is asleep. He shivers and grabs for the covers,tugging at them. An icy wind blows in through an open window. Sleet hits him in the face. He opens his eyes and reaches for Ingena. Her place is empty. Hayden sits up. In the window we can see her silhouette. He gets up and goes to her. HAYDEN Come to bed. It's freezing! He closes the window and takes her in his arms. He holds her, then leaning, kisses her mouth. His eyes fly open and he jerks back from her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he gropes the wall for the light switch then flips it on and we see Ingena is covered in blood. HAYDEN (CONT'D) What's happened? Are you hurt? She looks bored, calmly licking her arm. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Where have you been? INGENA Cow house. HAYDEN What have you done? INGENA Very want eat. HAYDEN Oh, God! Stay here, Ingena. Stay here! He leaves the room in a hurry. EXT. BROOKS MANSION- NIGHT- HAYDEN'S CAR Wearing his pajama bottoms and a robe, Hayden is running from the house to his car. He gets in. INT. HAYDEN'S CAR-NIGHT He puts the car in reverse, backing, then stuffs it in gear and drives off. We see his face in the glow of the dashboard lights. EXT. SURROGACY CENTER- NIGHT Hayden stops the car and gets out.. not bothering to close the door behind him he runs up the hill to the building. The door is standing open. We see Hayden's reaction. He goes into the building. INT. SURROGACY CENTER-NIGHT It is a huge building with white floors and walls. On either side of the corridor are stalls, each with a single cow. A bright brass nameplate and a leucite clipboard holder are mounted on the wall next to each dutch door stall. On the gleaming white floor we see Ingena's footprints in blood. Hayden is following the bloody prints. The cattle in the stalls are nervous, agitated. We see a stall standing open, the prints clearly came from this one. Hayden's face shows his horror and grief as he examines the scene. He braces himself on the open door. HAYDEN Oh, God, no. We see the implied carcass of the cow on the floor and then we see the nameplate. It says " Bridget". CUT TO: EXT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE-DAY Janet's car is in the driveway. INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE- DAY We see Ellie drying her hands at the sink, looking out the window. She sees Janet sitting in her car in the driveway. EXT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE- DAY Ellie comes out on the porch and down the steps. Janet is sitting in her car with her head against the wheel crying. She looks up and sees Ellie. Ellie's concern is plain. Janet gets out of the car. JANET My baby- We see Ellie's face. She hugs Janet. ELLIE I'm so sorry. JANET I don't even know what happened to him! I need to know-- how it happened. ELLIE What did they say? JANET They just said sometimes things go wrong. ELLIE Billy can go up there and ask some questions. He'll get to the truth. We see Jill standing on the porch behind one of the posts, listening. She looks mortified and slips into the house, quietly closing the screen door behind her. JANET How can it hurt so much? I never even held him. She starts to sob and Ellie holds her. CUT TO: EXT. BACKYARD BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE.. DAY Jill runs out of the back door and down the steps to her bike. She picks it up off the ground and climbs on. She heads out of the yard and down a path into the woods and disappears. EXT. WOODS-- EVENING. We see Jill riding her bike down a winding trail with brush and trees on both sides. CUT TO: INT. HAYDEN'S STUDY- EVENING Hayden is in his study when Nila comes in with Jerome JEROME Turn on the television. They've found another body. Nila turns on the set. We see a reporter on the set. She is standing before the steps of the Cibolo County Courthouse. REPORTER At this time the Sheriff's department is not disclosing any details about the latest victim pending notification of relatives. Again, the discovery of yet another body in Cibolo county has been confirmed. Stay tuned to KXAM for updates on this developing story. The butler enters. BUTLER Mr. Brooks, there is a police officer here to see you, sir. HAYDEN Turn off that set. (BEAT)Show the man in. Nila turns off the television. Billy enters. Hayden gets up and goes around his desk, extending his hand to Billy who shakes it. BILLY Mr. Brooks. I'm Billy Francis. HAYDEN Yes, Officer. This is Dr. Jerome Ravel and my assistant Nila Blackwell. BILLY Tips his hat to her)Ma'am. (He shakes Jerome's hand) Doctor. HAYDEN What brings you out so far from town? BILLY I imagine y'all have heard on the news. We've had several fatal animal attacks over the last couple of days. The latest one was just found in the city park. NILA That's horrible. BILLY What I need to know is.. have y'all had any animals attacked or killed, or maybe just turned up missin'? HAYDEN Our animals are all confined and secured. They're too valuable to allow to roam free. BILLY What about the cow that died last night? JEROME Cow? HAYDEN We did find one of our surrogates dead. BILLY What killed her? HAYDEN Natural causes. Billy looks at Hayden's hand, the cigarette between his fingers is shaking. HAYDEN (CONT'D) You are welcome to have a look around if it will make you feel better, Officer. BILLY It's Billy. I'm just Billy. I'd appreciate it. Sometimes animals will go to other animals. I'd sure hate for y'all to lose any of your high dollar stock because I wasn't doin' my job. Hayden puts his cigarette out with a dozen sharp jabs to an ashtray. CUT TO: INT. BROOKS SURROGACY CENTER- EVENING Billy and Jerome are walking down a corridor. JEROME As you'll notice, each containment cells is inhabited by a single bovine surrogate. BILLY This is Texas, we call 'em cows. JEROME (twinkles) We prefer..'surrogates'. (BEAT) At term each infant is delivered by caesarean section. BILLY Why don't they just... JEROME (nods)Fewer variables. BILLY Can I take a look at the stall where the cow died? JEROME That's fine. They continue down the corridor BILLY I just flat don't get why anybody would want to grow their kid in the belly of a cow. JEROME You'd understand it better if you were a woman. Safety, aversion to pain or discomfort. Vanity. There are legal benefits as well. BILLY How's that? JEROME OUR surrogates seldom come back to sue for custody after carrying a child to term. Jerome stops by Bridget's stall. He opens the dutch doors and Billy goes in to look around. Everything is clean. BILLY What did y'all do with the carcass? JEROME We disposed of it. We don't keep things around-- disease, you understand. BILLY I'm a little surprised that you didn't post it. JEROME We ran some tests, but the results won't be back for some time. If you like we could send you a copy of the findings when they come in. BILLY I'd appreciate that. CUT TO: EXT. SURROGACY CENTER-EVENING. Billy and Jerome are out of the building, Jerome is locking up. JEROME If we can be of anymore service to you,Billy, just let us know. We are certainly happy to cooperate with the law. BILLY That's always good to hear. Billy glances just past Jerome as he shakes his hand and sees claw marks on a tree just outside the center. BILLY (CONT'D) San Antone! JEROME Beg your pardon? BILLY That tree. Billy glances just past Jerome and we see claw marks on a nearby tree. BILLY (CONT'D) Look at that. JEROME What is it? BILLY Looks like something's been usin' it for a scratching post. Billy goes to the tree. It has the exact pattern of claw marks as the ones he's found at other locations. JEROME Nila has a pet mountain lion. She walks him on a leash. I'm afraid she indulges him. Many of the trees here have his marks. BILLY Must be a big son of a bitch. JEROME Enormous. BILLY Could I see it? JEROME Certainly. CUT TO: INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE- EVENING Ellie is setting the table. Bo and Sam are helping. ELLIE Sam go call your sister. She's been asleep all day. If Daddy comes home and finds her still in bed... Billy comes in and hangs his hat on the deer horns by the door. He puts his gun up in the transom window. BILLY Who's still in bed? We see Ellie wince, busted. Sam comes back into the room. SAM Jill's gone. ELLIE Did you check the bathroom? SAM She's not here. We see Billy's face he is worried. CUT TO: INT. BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT Nila and Hayden come in. HAYDEN I can't believe no one noticed. NILA When she goes in your room we don't monitor her. We had no way of knowing that she was gone again. HAYDEN Get a flashlight. NILA What are you going to do? HAYDEN I'm going after her. CUT TO: EXT. BROOKS MANSION GROUNDS-NIGHT Hayden is shining his flashlight, walking down the trail. The night is freezing. HAYDEN Ingena! Ingena! The beam from his flashlight falls on a patch of blood in the trail. We see Hayden's face. He begins to run down the trail, until he finds a crumpled figure curled up, lying on the ground in a pool of blood. As he turns her over we see his face. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Oh, God! Ingena! She is in the throws of labor and has lost a great deal of blood. He picks her up and quickly carries her back down the trail. He walks past a bicycle nearly hidden by the low slung branches of a tree. Beneath the branches we see Jill Francis' red tennis shoes. Hayden does not see them. We see a flashlight beam coming toward Hayden as he runs in its direction. JEROME Hayden! HAYDEN She's giving birth. JEROME Hurry let's get her to the center. Jerome runs with Hayden toward the car. CUT TO: EXT. BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT Billy standing outside the door. He is knocking. The Butler answers. BILLY I'm looking for my daughter. BUTLER I'm sorry, sir. I haven't seen her. BILLY Get Nick. BUTLER He is asleep, sir. BILLY Well, get him up, Goddamit! CUT TO: INT. BROOKS CENTER BIRTHING ROOM-NIGHT Hayden and Jerome are in the delivery room. Ingena is final stage of labor, struggling to give birth. Hayden is holding her hand. JEROME That's it, push! Ingena shrieks like an animal as she pushes. HAYDEN You doing fine. That's it. She turns her head and looks at Hayden and he smiles. She jerks his hand to her mouth and bites it, removing the skin from the back of his hand. She chomps it twice then tosses it to the back of her throat. With a jerky movement she swallows it. Hayden stumbles backward, holding his hand to his chest. He is bleeding again. JEROME Jesus! Hayden, what happened? Hayden is sheet white. HAYDEN Don't worry about me. JEROME You're not going to bleed to death before I can get this baby delivered are you? HAYDEN No. JEROME It won't be long.. there! There! See him? Can you see the head? Hayden is smiling.. looking and holding his hand tightly. JEROME (CONT'D) Perfect! Hello, baby Brooks. He holds the baby up for the father to see. JEROME (CONT'D) Your SON! HAYDEN Chalmer. Chalmer Burton Brooks. JEROME Not Jerome? HAYDEN Chalmer means King of the household. JEROME That should fit..if he's anything like his mother. Hayden seems to have forgotten his injury, focused only on his child. Jerome is smiling holding the child up when Ingena lunges forward. Hayden barely manages to restrain her. She is snapping and snarling. She scrambles to grab the umbilical cord and tries to bite at it with her teeth. HAYDEN No- darling. Let the doctor do it! She keeps chewing. Jerome wraps the baby in a blanket loosely-- then moves to hand him to Hayden. Ingena snarls and snaps grabbing the infant from the doctor. We see the blanket falls to the blood splattered floor. Ingena proceeds to lick the vernix off the baby's skin. Jerome offers her a wet washcloth. JEROME Ingena-- darling, use this. Ingena gives him a look of contempt then throws the cloth on the floor and does as her instinct dictates. JEROME (CONT'D) I need to see him for just a moment to make certain he's all right. Ingena's lips draw back from her teeth and she growls a low warning. HAYDEN He only wants to make certain that the child is healthy, love. She is looking at the good doctor's jugular. Her pupils are like fine pencil lines. Hayden looks at Jerome apologetically. JEROME It's all right. I can do it later. Here, let me see your hand. He takes Hayden's hand and shakes his head. JEROME (CONT'D) I thought it was going to need sutures-- again.(Under his breath) Hell this time it's going to take a graft. Jerome takes Hayden to the side and cleans the wound. Hayden winces. JEROME (CONT'D) Well it worked. HAYDEN Yes it's a first. My son has a spot in history. JEROME I meant your idea of preserving her maternal instincts. Her protectiveness of the child is extreme. HAYDEN It'll tone down. A cold chill pulls its way up Jerome's spine. He quickly dresses the wound with ointment and gauze. CUT TO: EXT. BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT Nick comes to the door dressed in pajama bottoms, a white T shirt and unlaced "Docs". BILLY I'm lookin' for Jill. Nick rubs his eyes. NICK I haven't seen her since you picked her up last night. BILLY She's gone. NICK I'm coming with you. BILLY Get a coat. EXT. BROOKS MANSION- LAWNS Billy and Nick are walking down the slope of the grounds toward the woods. The wind is blowing hard. We can see their breath. NICK Sometimes she cuts through the woods on her bike. The trail is over here. Billy cuts his eye at the boy then joins him. Billy is searching with his flashlight. They are looking on opposite sides of the trail. NICK (CONT'D) Oh God! BILLY What is it? Nick is standing with his flashlight aimed down at the blood pool in the snow where Ingena was. BILLY Tracks- there are tracks here.(he calls out) Jill! Jill! He is walking along the trail the way that Hayden had gone when Nick spots her red shoes. NICK Jill? Jill? I Found her! Over here! Billy comes running. We see Jill's feet. Billy drops down on his knees, moving the branches off her. Nick is helping. BILLY Hang on, Jill. Just hang on! We see her face. The pallor of death, her lips blue her eyes staring, open, dead. Billy gathers her to himself. She is obviously long dead. CUT TO: INT. BILLY FRANCIS HOUSE- EVENING. Billy comes in. Ellie is on the couch. She gets up when the door opens. ELLIE Where's Jill? BILLY There was nothin' I could do. I was too late-- I found her too late! She looks into her husband's face, her hand over her mouth as she shakes her head. He puts his arms around her and she pulls away, running down the hall to Jill's room. INT. JILL'S ROOM-NIGHT Ellie is sobbing. looking at pictures on the walls of Jill in her cheerleader outfit.. Jill in her Brownie uniform... with her 4-H meat goat and a picture of Jill with her brothers and Becky. Ellie goes to Jill's bed and pulls her pillow into her arms. She sits down on the bed and buries her face in it then begins to cry. Billy sits down next to her and puts his hand on her back. INT. HAYDEN BROOKS' MANSION-STUDY- DAY Hayden is looking through coats hanging on a rack. Nila is paying bills at the desk. HAYDEN Have you seen my overcoat? I know I put it on the rack. Now it's gone. NILA Look in your bedroom closet. Sometimes things show up there. HAYDEN Are you going with us to the funeral home? NILA I thought I would-- for Nick. CUT TO: INT. HAYDEN'S WALK- IN CLOSET-- DAY Hayden is rifling through the suits and shirts hanging there. He finds the overcoat and takes it off the hanger. The tie that is with it falls to the floor. He bends over and reaches back under the clothes to retrieve it and we see.. A small pale foot, poking out from the bottom of the closet. Hayden gasps. He shoves the clothes back and there in the floor is Valerie Beck. She is pale, her eyes closed. Hayden trembles and reaching-- touches her arm. She jumps! He jumps then falls backward. She opens her eyes, immediately terrified. VALERIE Mommy! Mommeeee! Hayden reaches and picks her up. HAYDEN Shhhh- it's okay. Don't cry. I'll take you to your Mommy. Don't cry. VALERIE I want my mommy! HAYDEN Sure you do-honey and I'm going to take you right to her. As he comes out of the closet Ingena is there. INGENA Mine. HAYDEN No, dear. INGENA Give. HAYDEN No Ingena. She swipes and he steps back, she barely misses the child's cheek with her claws. From across the room baby Chalmer whimpers-- or more accurately mews. Ingena flies to him and gathers him into her arms. She puts him to her breast. Hayden pauses, watching them. He is looking at his wife nursing his baby. He leaves the room. EXT. HALLWAY-DAY: Hayden almost runs into Nila. NILA Oh my God! HAYDEN She was in my closet. VALERIE I want my Mommy. NILA What are you going to do, Hayden? HAYDEN I don't know. NILA But- HAYDEN Get out of my way. Hayden walks out of the house with Valerie. CUT TO: EXT. BECK HOUSE-DAY Hayden drives up. He gets out of his car and carries Valerie to the door. He knocks. Gary Beck answers the door. He sees his daughter. GARY Valerie! Oh sweet Lord! Look at you! Valerie puts out her arms to her father who takes her. GARY (CONT'D) Jenny? Jenny! Get up! Get up! It's Valerie! It's our baby! Jenny comes to the door and sees her baby. Valerie holds out her hands to her mother and starts to cry. Jenny takes the child in her arms, tears streaming as she kisses her face. She looks at Hayden.. JENNY Thank you! Oh-- God, thank you! OFF HAYDEN'S FACE. CUT TO: INT. FUNERAL HOME- DAY We see Jill lying in her casket. She is wearing her cheerleader uniform. There is a picture of her on an easel beside the box. In the picture she is also wearing her Cibolo High Cheerleader Uniform. Vickie and Alley come into the flower filled viewing room. VICKIE How lifelike. ALLEY I think she looks peaceful. VICKIE Her legs didn't look any slimmer in that box than they do in that picture. That's why they closed the bottom half. ALLEY You shouldn't say things like that about the dead. VICKIE Why? What's she going to do jump out and scare the HELL outa me? ALLEY I'd just be careful. VICKIE I wasn't afraid of that mouse when it was alive. Why should I be afraid of it now that it's dead as a post? They turn around and there stands Billy. BILLY What did you say, Vickie? VICKIE I was just saying that most deceased individuals look white as ghosts... but Jill looks just like an angel. BILLY Thank you. Hayden, Nila, Jerome and Nick come in. Vickie smiles at Nick. Nick gives her a 'go to hell and rot' look. Hayden goes to Billy and shakes his hand. HAYDEN I am so sorry for your loss. She was a lovely girl. A lovely girl. JEROME This is just such a tragedy. NILA A terrible thing. Nick has gone to the casket. He is looking down at Jill. We can see that he is struggling not to cry. He pulls his class ring off and slips it under her clasped hands. When he turns around he sees Billy watching him. Nick can't speak. In a moment he begins to shake. He ducks his head and heads for the door. HAYDEN We wanted to come pay our respects. BILLY Thank you. NILA Billy- please accept our condolences. We are all so sorry. BILLY Thank you ma'am. Everyone files out silently, leaving Billy alone. He goes to the casket and smooths his daughter's hair. Leaning, he kisses her forehead. He is looking down at Jill when he draws a deep, shuddering breath. He is really fighting to retain his composure. Janet comes in and goes to him. She puts her hand on his back. Hayden turns to his sister and she embraces him. JANET You doin' okay? BILLY (Whispers) Yeah. JANET How's Ellie holding up? BILLY Curled up in the bed like she's been since I told her about-- about it. JANET What about the funeral? BILLY She's not coming. (BEAT) I'm not so sure I can handle it either. JANET Billy don't fight it. We're designed to cry when we hurt. He shakes his head. BILLY If I start I might not ever stop. Again Janet hugs him. BILLY (CONT'D) I'm going to find whatever did this to my girl. I'm going to find it and I'm gonna kill it. CUT TO: INT. BROOKS STUDY-- EVENING Nila, Hayden and Jerome come in from the funeral. JEROME I'm going to have a drink. Nila? NILA Yes. HAYDEN Where's Nick? NILA I think he went to his room. JEROME Poor kid. HAYDEN (to the butler)Where is Mrs. Brooks? BUTLER In your room sir. HAYDEN I'm wrung out. The butler hands Hayden a drink. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Thank you. He tosses his drink back and sets the empty glass on the desk before heading for the door. JEROME Good night, Hayden. NILA If you need anything let us know. We watch as he leaves the room. INT. BROOKS MANSION HALLWAY- EVENING We follow Hayden down the hall. He goes into his room pulling his loose tie off. INT. HAYDEN BROOKS BEDROOM-EVENING Hayden comes in and drapes his tie over the back of a chair. HAYDEN How is Ingena? Ingena is sitting in her favorite spot in the window seat, licking the back of her arm. He slips off his jacket and hangs it up in the closet. He is unbuttoning his shirt. He looks over at his wife. She looks bored, still licking her arms and hands. HAYDEN (CONT'D) The funeral was heartbreaking. I can't even imagine what it must be like to bury a child. He glances over at the cradle by be bed on the far side of the room. He pulls his shirt off and goes to Ingena, pulling her to her feet. He takes her in his arms and holds her. Then he kisses her deeply on the mouth. We see his eyes open wide-- panic. He pushes her back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. HAYDEN (CONT'D) What have you been eating? What have you killed? I taste its blood on your mouth! She shruggs and slips back to her spot on the window seat. She is licking her hands again. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Answer me, Goddamit! What have you killed? She looks down at the floor behind him. He turns and sees it. In the corner of the room lies the truncated body of his baby. The white fuzzy hair encrusted with blood, his eyes open, staring, golden. DEAD. Hayden cries out, lunging for the child then gathering him into his arms. HAYDEN (CONT'D) No-- oh,Jesus! No! Chalmer is clipped off, chewed off, just below the ribs. Hayden holds his son up at arms length, his gaze fixed on the space below the ragged flesh. Reaching he grabs the soft blue blanket off the floor and wraps it around the baby's shoulders to cover the ragged portion. He holds his dead son staring down at the still, small face. We wipes his mouth again with the back of his hand. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Why ? He cradles his dead infant in his arms. HAYDEN (CONT'D) What sort of monster kills her own child? Ingena still grooming herself. Hayden cries out so loudly that the others come running. The door opens and Nila bursts in with Jerome. They see the remains of the baby in Hayden's arms and Jerome goes to him. JEROME Give him to me, Hayden. Maybe it's not too late! HAYDEN You can't help him. He opens the blanket and Jerome sees the extent of the baby's injuries. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Look what she's done. Look what she's done to our baby. Nila kneels down beside him and tries to console him. Nick comes into the room. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Go to your room, Nicholas. Now! Nick looks like he's been kicked but does as he is told. Ingena follows him out of the room. Hayden is still weeping, looking at his child. We hear the refrigerator door open. In a moment we can hear the sound of pouring milk then her lapping. INT. BROOKS MANSION KITCHEN-NIGHT Ingena is lapping milk from a saucer on the counter. CUT TO: EXT. BROOKS HOUSE Hayden and Jerome are standing side by side outside. JEROME It's my fault. HAYDEN Ingena was my idea. JEROME The baby was blind, Hayden. He had no pupils. I don't know how-- a slip, an oversight. I Screwed up. (BEAT) When Chalmer's eyes began to open and she saw that he was flawed... HAYDEN Natural selection. JEROME A natural reaction... for a creature like Ingena. Jerome drinks his scotch in gulps. HAYDEN We could remove her teeth and claws. JEROME She would hate us for it. HAYDEN I can't just have you put her to sleep like some unmanageable dog. JEROME It would be better for everyone. HAYDEN I can't-- I can't be any part of harming her. OFF JEROME'S FACE CUT TO: EXT. GRAVEYARD-EVENING A small cadre of mourners are at the meadow grave. Nick and Nila are seated on one side of Hayden, on the other sits Ingena, with Jerome on the other side of her. They watch as the miniature casket is lowered into the ground. PASTOR And so we lay to rest the physical portion of that which was Chalmer Burton Brooks. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust... Hayden's composure begins to crumble as the casket disappears. A choked sob escapes him and he turns to his wife. Her whiskers are twitching her attention is fixed on... A fat robin on a low branch just opposite her across the open grave. Hayden bites his lip shaking his head and looks at Jerome with imploring eyes. Suddenly Ingena leaps across the grave, swiping the bird off the branch in one fluid motion. The minister stops- mid-sentence, watching with astonishment and horror as the Mother of the deceased stuffs the chubby bird into her mouth. With both hands working fiercely she manages to get the entire creature (with the exception of one skinny foot) into her mouth. Then, with the long curving nail of her left index finger she shoves the remaining foot in. With an expression of extreme effort she swallows the morsel. Ingena smiles apologetically at the minister, straightens her black dress, steps across the grave and takes her seat, her hands clasped neatly in her lap. She looks at the minister. PASTOR (CONT'D) May th-the Lord bless you and keep you. May th-the Lord make his face to sh- shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (BEAT) Amen. He closes his Bible. Relieved to be through with the service. OFF HAYDEN'S FACE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BROOKS HOUSE-NIGHT. Hayden and Jerome are outside drinking and smoking cigarettes. In the distance we see a long patrol car driving up the road toward them. We see Jerome and Hayden's faces. JEROME I knew this was coming. HAYDEN I suppose I did too. JEROME I'm going to need another drink. HAYDEN Give me your glass. Hayden goes into the house. Billy gets out of his car and heads toward Jerome. JEROME Good evening, Billy BILLY Doctor. BILLY (CONT'D) Where's Mr. Brooks? HAYDEN I'm here.(coming out of the house hands a glass to Jerome). Would you like a drink? BILLY I'm real sorry about your baby Mr. Brooks. (BEAT) I'm sorry about Mattie Peffer's boy-- and I am sorry about my girl. HAYDEN I am too. BILLY I don't know for sure what's goin' on here-- but you help me and it'll be easier on all of us.(BEAT) You fight me and you're gonna wish that you're the one that's buried in that graveyard, not my Jill-- and not them other babies. HAYDEN I'll never get over what happened to your daughter and the others. Not ever. Ingena is my wife-- BILLY Is that what's behind all of this? HAYDEN I don't know. Really. She took the Beck's child- but she didn't harm her. BILLY Where is Ingena now? HAYDEN I'll go in and get her. Hayden goes into the house. Jerome and Billy watch him go. JEROME He isn't a bad man, Billy. BILLY That's why I came here first. He took that baby back to her folks. Hayden comes out of the house. HAYDEN She's gone. JEROME God damn it! BILLY Where? HAYDEN I'm not sure- but I'll help you look for her.. CUT TO: EXT. RIVER/WOODS SCENE-NIGHT Kids from the previous party scene are there. They have a fire burning and they are drinking beer. There are woods to the south of them, tailgates are down and KNEL is playing country music on a truck stereo. VICKIE It came out of the woods with Jill Francis' hand in it's mouth. And it dug a hole like a dog buryin' a bone. MIKE That's a bullshit story, Vickie. I went to the funeral, Jill had both her hands. VICKIE It was plastic. The hand you saw was artificial. Anyway the THING the KID eating TIGER monster is still roaming these very hills lookin' for more kids to tear to shreds and bury in her yard. ALLEY Stop tryin' to scare me. VICKIE Shut up you big tit. I'm just tellin' it like it is. DUSTIN Vickie need another beer? VICKIE First I gotta pee. ALLEY You gotta pee? Where? VICKIE In the woods-Einstein. Do you see a pot around here? ALLEY Do you want me to go with you? VICKIE What are you some kinda lesbo? ALLEY I'm not a lesmo I just thought-- VICKIE Well quit thinkin' it always gets you into trouble. DUSTIN Do you want me to go with you? VICKIE You just want to look at my ass. DUSTIN (grins and holds up his hand like he's taking an oath) Guilty! VICKIE No thanks perve. Not that I blame you-- if I were a guy I'd want to look at my ass too- HA! (she heads off toward the woods)Don't touch my beer. She disappears into the woods. ALLEY I don't know why she has to be so mean. BOBBY Because she's a bitch. DUSTIN A queen bitch. STORMY You couldn't pay me to pee in those woods. If I gotta go, I'm just gonna slip behind one of those pickups and go in the river rocks. ALLEY Me too. BOBBY Vickie isn't afraid because anything she runs into will be more afraid of her than she is of it. STORMY She's right though. What ever it is that killed Jill and that little kid is still out there. CUT TO: EXT. RIVER WOODED HILLSIDE..NIGHT We see Ingena on a bluff. EXT. RIVER-ROAD-NIGHT We see an SUV pull up. Nila gets out. She goes to the back of the vehicle and opens the hatch. EXT. RIVER-CAMPFIRE-NIGHT BOBBY If that thing came out of the woods right now, I'd just pull my pocket knife out and whish- stick it right in the jugyooler. DUSTIN Yeah, whatever. If that thing came out of the woods right now you'd be runnin' to your truck packin' a full diaper. (imitates Bobby running like he has messed his pants) Oh shit- Oh shit- Oh shit! Everyone laughs. EXT. WOODS TRAIL ON THE RIVER- NIGHT. Vickie is finishing. She stands to zip her britches and hears a low growl just behind her . We see her face frozen in fear. EXT. CAMPFIRE- NIGHT We see the kids all drinking beer around the campfire,singing along with Robert Earl Keen's "Corpus Christi Bay" when we hear Vickie's bloodcurdling scream. The kids all jump to their feet. STORMY (yells) Vickie! That's not funny! ALLEY Come on Vickie- come on out- stop trying to scare us! Please? A shiny new black pickup pulls up and Nick gets out. He has a six pack under his arm. ALLEY (CONT'D) Nick! Nick! Help! Vickie went off to pee in the woods! STORMY (looks at Alley)That sounded stupid. BOBBY We heard her scream. STORMY We can't get her to come out of the woods. NICK It's a joke. I'll get her. Nick goes into the woods. EXT. WOODS TRAIL ON THE RIVER- NIGHT. Nick is following the trail, we see him making his way through the brush where Vickie has gone. He finds her bleeding, her face slashed by three claw marks, she is unconscious. Nick hears the brush rustle and looks up startled. EXT. MAIN RIVER ROAD- NIGHT We see the cop car pull up on the road. Billy gets out with Jerome and Hayden. They go to the kids at the fire. STORMY Mr. Francis! Vickie went into the woods, when she started screaming Nick went to see about her. We hear Nick scream. Everyone reacts. Hayden runs up the trail into the woods. EXT. RIVER TRAIL-NIGHT-ROAD-NIGHT Hayden is coming up the trail. HAYDEN Nick! Nicholas! He comes through the brush and finds Nick lying beside Vickie. Hayden goes to his son. Billy and Jerome come through the brush to find Hayden holding Nick. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Oh God-we're too late. BILLY (on his hand held radio) Unit five- Cibolo S.O. CLARA Go ahead five. BILLY Roll EMS- two patients, We're gonna be on the James River road, just south of the river. CLARA Ten four, unit five. BILLY I'll go meet the ambulance and bring 'em up. Billy disappears into the brush. Jerome drops down beside Nick.. JEROME He's breathing okay, but we need to staunch this blood. Hayden skins out of his shirt and hands it to Jerome who puts it against the wound just under Nick's jaw. JEROME (CONT'D) It had to be Ingena. We hear the scream of a panther..followed by Nila's scream shot rings out. BILLY Doctor! Over here! JEROME Hold this right here, Hayden. BILLY Doctor! Jerome goes to him and finds Nila lying on the trail, beside her a dead mountain lion. Jerome sinks down at her side. JEROME What happened? BILLY I heard her scream and I shot the cat. When I turned around there she lay. JEROME Nila? Nila? BILLY Hang on doc. The ambulance is on its way. Jerome is rubbing a knuckle on her sternum. JEROME Nila?(BEAT) Nila! (BEAT) Where's the fucking ambulance? EXT. CAMPFIRE ON THE RIVER-NIGHT The kids at the fire are scared, they're all talking about what's going on ... the ambulance arrives....Billy directs them to get in their vehicles and go home. EXT. WOODS TRAIL-NIGHT-ROAD-NIGHT Hayden is holding Nick shouting for the ambulance crew to hurry. 3 paramedics get to the scene and go to work on Nick and Vickie. EXT. WOODS/TRAIL- NIGHT Nila opens her eyes. She's on her back and Jerome is holding her hand, and smoothing her hair back from her brow. She looks up into his worried face. JEROME Am I glad to see you, baby. NILA What happened? JEROME You gave me the scare of my life. You tell me what happened. NILA I can't remember anything.. but being in my car.(BEAT) I had my cat with me. Where's my cat? JEROME Billy shot him. Be still, dear. You could be seriously injured. How many fingers am I holding up? NILA Three. JEROME Did you think you could blame everything on your pet..to keep Ingena's tail out of the wringer? NILA It seemed like a good plan at the time. JEROME It sucked, sweet heart. The medics show up. One kneels down beside Nila. EMT You ready to take a little ambulance ride? NILA No- no I'm fine-- just a little embarrassed. I- geeze-- my head hurts. JEROME Let's see.(he parts her hair with his thumbs and whistles)Looks like a turkey egg. It's cut too. You must have run in to a tree. NILA I don't know. JEROME Load her on the stretcher. NILA No really, I'm fine- it's just a lump. JEROME You were unconscious, doll. You're going in for a skull series. Jerome pulls the covers up to her chin and leaning kisses her forehead. Jill looks up at him. The ambulance crew carries her down the hill. Jerome walking along beside the stretcher holding her hand. Jerome is watching them load her in the back of the ambulance. JEROME (CONT'D) I'll be down to the hospital to check on you in a little while. He smiles and waves as the ambulance drives away. We see Nila in the back-- looking out the windows at Jerome. A tear slips down her cheek. EXT-HOSPITAL-- NIGHT INT. HOSPITAL- NICK'S ROOM- NIGHT Nick is sleeping in the hospital bed. He has an IV drip running. Hayden comes in quietly and puts his hand on Nick's forehead. He's very pale. Nick opens his eyes. NICK Hey. HAYDEN Shhh- the doctors say you're going to be fine. You've lost some blood, that's why you feel weak.(BEAT) I need to know something, Nicholas-- just shake your head or nod so I'll know the answer.(BEAT) Did Ingena do this to you? CUT TO: EXT. HAYDEN'S CAR-NIGHT- The car heads down the road. INT. HAYDEN'S CAR- NIGHT. Hayden is driving. The radio is on-- a news broadcast. REPORTER This is the second known victim in Cibolo County. Over the last several days there have been numerous animal attacks. The authorities believe it is some type of large cat,possibly a mountain lion--- Hayden reaches forward and turns the radio off. EXT. HAYDEN'S CAR-NIGHT We see Hayden's car rounding a bend in the road. INT. HAYDEN'S CAR-NIGHT We see Hayden's face, as he sees... EXT. BROOKS MANSION- NIGHT The house is in flames in the distance. EXT. BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT Jerome is standing outside the Brooks mansion watching the fire. Hayden pulls up and climbs out of his car, running to him. HAYDEN Where is Ingena? JEROME (without looking away from the house) In there. Where she belongs. HAYDEN Couldn't you just use a gun? Did you have to burn down my fucking house? Hayden runs toward the burning house then goes in. INT. BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT The house is being consumed by the fire. The drapes are in flames, the heat intense. He spots Ingena lying on the floor on the far side near french doors. He goes to her. HAYDEN Ingena! Jerome runs in through the front door. JEROME Leave her! Jerome goes to Hayden and grabs him by the arm. Ingena is limp on the floor. JEROME (CONT'D) Leave her! HAYDEN I can't! Ingena opens her eyes. She attacks-- latching down on Jerome's forearm. She won't release him. She, worries his arm, shaking her head like a shark with a roast. Billy comes in draws down on Ingena. Hayden slaps the gun in Billy's hand and it discharges into the wall. Ingena still has Jerome by the arm. HAYDEN (CONT'D) Ingena! She ignores him. Nila runs into the house. BILLY Lady get your ass outa here! She crosses the room like a wind and shoves Ingena. NILA Let him go! Let him go- you fucking freak! She grabs Ingena by the hair and yanks her-- hard. Ingena opens her mouth, releasing Jerome. Jerome is looking at his mangled Rolex, his arm is not as bad as it would have been without it. Ingena turns to Nila and smiles a wicked smile. Suddenly, Nila looks afraid. Ingena opens her jaws exposing her teeth and snaps at Nila's face. Billy catches Ingena by the scruff of the neck and hauls her backward, she barely misses Nila's face. Nila struggles to help Jerome to his feet. Ingena twists out of Billy's grasp and whirls on him. Billy steps forward drops his left hand down by his jeans pocket then comes up with it, hitting her squarely between the eyes with his fist. Ingena falls like a raggedy cat on the floor. Part of the ceiling collapses across the room. Nila is still trying to get Jerome up. NILA (CONT'D) Hayden help me! Hayden and Billy go to help Nila with Jerome. They get him up and Hayden goes back to get Ingena. He gathers her up, trying to get her on her feet and out of the house. Billy and Nila help Jerome toward the door. HAYDEN Ingena! Ingena shakes her head a couple of times. She leaps to her feet snapping and snarling and charges for Billy. Hayden catches her by the arm. Nila and Billy are dragging Jerome to the door. BILLY Hayden! Bring her! We'll sort it later! Billy and Nila still helping Jerome- look back just before they go out the door. Hayden has Ingena by the wrist, as she bites and snaps the air in Billy's direction- jerking against Hayden's hold like a mad dog on the end of a chain. The french doors are behind them reflecting the blaze as the house goes up around them. The ceiling is burning and crumbling. BILLY (CONT'D) Come on! Hayden looks toward Billy. Jerome is struggling now trying to go back for Jerome -- Billy and Nila hold onto him. Ingena turns on Hayden roaring in his face, shoving him backward... he stumbles, losing his hold on her. She swats with her left then right, missing his face by a hair's breadth. She leaps into him, knocking him to the ground,landing on top of him. JEROME Hayden! Hayden looks back at Jerome, and Ingena catches him by the throat with her jaws. The ceiling is now falling in sheets of flame. EXT.BROOKS MANSION-NIGHT Jerome struggles against Nila and Billy but they manage to pull him outside. The fire truck has arrived and the firemen are getting their equipment and coming toward the house. Billy and Nila hold onto Jerome still struggling to go back for his friend. JEROME I can't let him burn! There is an explosion in the house. The windows all blow out and black smoke comes rolling out of the open spaces. Flames are shooting from the roof which crumbles and caves in. JEROME (CONT'D) Oh God! Billy turns him loose and takes a few steps toward the house but the heat is too intense. BILLY (to the firemen) There are two more! FIREMAN I can't send anybody in there. Jerome's expression says it all. Watching the house burn he puts his arms around Nila. Tears run down his face. Billy is standing in front of the house. Nila, Jerome and Billy watch the fire. We watch them for a moment, watching the flames then upward with the smoke. We watch the smoke drift up and up and up growing thinner and thinner until we see the clouds drifting over the moon in the sky, over the Texas hills. The clouds drift apart and the moon is brightly shining. SIXTEEN YEARS LATER EXT. CAMP OUT SPOT AT THE RIVER We look down on a campfire. Next to it are four boys around the age of 12, JAKE FRANCIS, BART TABOR, HAYDEN RAVEL and TUCKER. Jake is telling a story. JAKE Ingena's body was never found an' neither was Hayden Brooks. (BEAT) Some people say she's out here still.. just waitin' for some kid to have to go into the woods to take a piss. We see Bart chugging down a Dr. Pepper. JAKE (CONT'D) You like them Dr. Peppers, Bart? The others laugh. BART (Belches) Shut up! JAKE My brother told me only pussies drink Dr. Pepper. BART Well RC tastes like shit. HAYDEN RAVEL There's nothing wrong with Pepsi. JAKE Besides the fact that it supports gun control. BART What? HAYDEN You're so full of shit. Who told you that? JAKE My daddy. We ain't allowed to drink Pepsi... HAYDEN Are not allowed. We hear a sound like the squall of a panther and the kids all scream. DISSOLVE TO: NEXT MORNING-- We see the kids all leaned up against each other sleeping by a fire that has died out. The sun begins to rise. The parents are pulling up to pick up their kids. Jake picks up his bedroll and carries it to the Sheriff's pickup. The door opens and his father (Billy) takes it from him and pitches it in the back.. BILLY Y'all have fun? JAKE Yes sir. An old beat up clunker drives up. Out of it piles a fat woman with cellulite. She's wearing too tight polyester pants and sports a dangling cigarette from her lip. VICKIE Bart, get your ass in gear! This sun ain't helpin my hangover. Bart is picking up his bedroll while Hayden gets his things together. BART She's not always like this. HAYDEN RAVEL Yeah, I guess she has to sleep sometimes. Vickie turns to the side and we see the three distinctive claw marks on her cheek. She sits back down as her son climbs in with his gear. A nice sedan pulls up and an older Alley gets out, she goes to get her boy. ALLEY Tucker, are you ready to go? (she sees Vickie) Hello Vickie. I haven't seen you in forever. VICKIE That's because I don't hang with white trash, Alley. Vickie slams her door barrelling off in a cloud of dust. ALLEY Hayden, honey, do you need a ride home? HAYDEN No ma'am- thanks, my Dad is coming to get me. ALLEY Okay-if you're sure. He smiles and nods. Alley and Tucker get in and drive off. Everyone is gone now--- except Hayden Ravel who is sitting by the river alone. He picks up a rock and throws it into the water. We hear a noise and rocks come sliding down the bluffs to fall in the river across from him. Hearing a sound, he shades his eyes and looks up at the bluffs. He looks frightened. CUT TO: EXT. PAVED ROAD TO RIVER TURNOFF-MORNING Vickie pulls up to a stop sign and we see a sleek black SUV turn the direction from which Vickie just came. Vickie flips her cigarette out the window at the other vehicle before driving off. EXT. RIVER- MORNING The black SUV stops and the front doors open. Jerome gets out on one side and Nila on the other. JEROME Hayden! NILA Oh my God-Jerome! Where is he? JEROME Hayden! It's okay, darling- don't get upset. NILA (Panic stricken now) Hayden! Oh my God-- HAYDEN! Hayden comes out of the woods. HAYDEN I had to go, Mom. Nila goes to their son and gives him a hug while Jerome picks up his gear and tosses it in the back. Nila and Hayden Ravel climb into the vehicle and close their doors. Jerome looks up at the bluffs for a moment, shading his eyes with his forearm. The sun glints off his Rolex. He gets into the SUV and closes the door. We watch them pull away and drive off in a boiling cloud of Texas dust. The camera pulls back and back and back to a vantage point from on top of the bluffs. From above we see the bluffs--- and on those bluffs sunning herself on the rocks in the morning rays is Ingena, looking down and watching as the car drives away... THE END