Storm of the Century (20 page)

As long as he didn’t disturb anyone . . .

Nah, they’re out like lights.

And that includes RALPHIE. MOLLY pulls the blanket up to his chin and kisses the corner of his mouth. SANDRA looks at this enviously.

I worry about Donnie sometimes. I love him, but I worry about him, too.

They go through stages, Sandy. Don may have his . . . his unlovely moments now, but in the end he’ll be fine.

She’s dubious, though, hoping what she says is true but not really believing it. Outside, the WIND

SCREAMS. The two women look up uneasily . . . and SANDRA gives in to a sudden urge to confide.

I’m leaving Robbie in the spring. I’m taking Donnie and going back to my folks’ on Deer Isle. I didn’t think I’d made up my mind for sure, but ... I guess I have.

MOLLY looks at her with a combination of sympathy and confusion. Doesn’t know how to respond.

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58 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL KITCHEN--NIGHT.

This is a pretty well equipped place--a lot of bean suppers and holiday meals have been prepared here. Now a number of WOMEN are bustling around, making ready for tomorrow’s storm center breakfast. One of them is MRS. KINGSBURY; another is JOANNA STANHOPE. JOANNA’S mother-in-law sits by the door like a queen, overseeing the proceedings. CAT WITHERS comes into the room, dressed for outdoors.

MRS. KINGSBURY

Going to help Billy?

CAT

Yes, ma’am.

MRS. KINGSBURY

See if there’s any oatmeal on the very back shelf. And tell Billy to remember the juice.

Oh, I imagine he don’t have any problem in the juice department. Does he?

CORA, who has no idea of what happened when LINOGE was brought through the store, and consequently has no idea of the trouble that’s now between CAT and BILLY, gives a nasty old woman’s chuckle. CAT is not amused. She crosses to the back door. Her face--what we can see of it between her pulled-up scarf and pulled-down hat--is careworn and unhappy. Yet she’s determined to talk to BILLY and to save the relationship if she can.

59 EXTERIOR: THE REAR OF THE TOWN HALL--NIGHT.

Here is a snow-covered, drifted-in walk leading to a small brick annex--the supply shed. The shed door is open, and the faint light of a Coleman lantern drifts out into the blowing snow, showing us a wide, flat track, which is already drifting over.

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THE CAMERA moves into this shed, and we see BILLY SOAMES, also bundled up, putting supplies onto the toboggan he has pulled out here. Mostly they’re the concentrates URSULA spoke of--pour water over the powder and then gag it down--but there are also cartons filled with packages of cereal, a basket of apples, and several bags of potatoes.

CAT (voice-over)

Billy?

He turns.

60 INTERIOR: THE SUPPLY SHED--NIGHT.

CAT is standing in the doorway. BILLY looks back at her. Their breath SMOKES in the uncertain light of the gas lantern. There is a vast gulf of distrust between them now.

CAT

Can I talk to you?

I guess. Why not?

CAT

Billy, I-

Is it true, what he said? Let’s talk about that. Did you go up Derry and have an abortion?

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She says nothing. It’s answer enough.

I guess that’s all the talk we need, isn’t it? I guess that says it all. §

He deliberately turns away from her and starts rummaging on the shelves again. CAT reacts to this with frustrated anger and enters the shed, stepping over the half-loaded toboggan to get to him.

CAT

Don’t you want to know why?

Not particularly. It was ours--at least I guess it was--and it’s dead. Guess that’s all I need to know.

CAT is angrier than ever. She’s forgetting she came out here to save the village, not destroy it. Given his attitude, that’s maybe not surprising.

CAT

You asked me one; I’ll ask you one. What about Jenna Freeman?

There’s a challenging tone in her voice. BILLY’S hands freeze on the cans he’s been sorting. These are cafeteria-sized cans of apple juice. Each label reads “McCALL’S BRAND” above a picture of a ripe apple. Below the apple are the words “GRADE A FANCY.” BILLY turns to CAT, chin pugnaciously forward.

Why do you ask, if you already know?

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CAT

Maybe to get that Little Minister look off your face. Yeah, I knew. The biggest tramp on the coast, and you chasing her like she was on fire and you wanted to put her out.

It wasn’t like that.

CAT

Then what was it like? Tell me.

No answer from BILLY. He’s got his back to the shelves now; he’s facing her, but he won’t meet her eyes.

CAT

I don’t understand it--I never told you no. Never once did I tell you no. And still . . . Billy, how many times a day do you itch?

What has that got to do with our baby? The one I had to hear about from a stranger, and in front of half the town?

CAT

I knew who you were running with, don’t you get that? How was I supposed to trust you to do the right thing? How was I supposed to trust you at all?

BILLY doesn’t reply. His jaw is set. If there is truth in what she’s saying, he’s not seeing it. Won’t see it, likely.

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CAT

Do you know what it’s like to find out you’re pregnant one week, and that your boyfriend is spending his afternoons with the town pump the next?

She’s now right in his face, shouting up at him.

(shouting back)

That baby was half mine! You went up to Deny and murdered it, and it was half mine!

CAT

(jeering)

Yeah, sure. Now that it’s gone, it’s half yours.

61 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE, FEATURING LINOGE--NIGHT.

The five men--MIKE, HATCH, KIRK, JACK, and ROBBIE--are gathered around the desk, while MIKE tries to reach the Machias state police on the radio. HATCH is watching MIKE, but the rest can’t keep their eyes off LINOGE.

Suddenly the prisoner sits up, his eyes widening. JACK elbows MIKE to get his attention. MIKE turns to look. As he does, LINOGE extends one hand with the forefinger pointed down. He revolves it once in the air.

62 INTERIOR: SUPPLY SHED, WITH CAT AND BILLY--NIGHT.

BILLY turns back to the shelf, so his back is to her. This move exactly mimes the turning gesture LINOGE made with his finger.

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What’s that supposed to mean?

CAT

That I’m not stupid. If I’d come to you when you were still chasing after Jenna, I know what you would have thought--“Little bitch got herself pregnant just to make sure I wouldn’t get away.”

You did a whole lot of my thinking for me, didn’t you?

CAT

You ought to thank me! You sure haven’t been doing much for yourself!

And what about the baby? The one you murdered? How much thinking did you do about the baby?

(no reply from CAT)

Get out of here. I can’t stand listening to you.

CAT

Dear God. You’re unfaithful, and that’s bad, but you’re a coward, and that’s worse--too chicken to own up to the part of this that belongs to you. I thought maybe I could save us, but there’s nothing to save. You’re only a stupid kid, after all.

She turns to go. BILLY’S face cramps with rage. He stands facing the shelves, and now he sees:

63 INTERIOR: THE CANS OF JUICE, FROM BILLY’S POINT OF VIEW.
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“McCALL’S BRAND” at the top has been replaced by “McCANE’S BRAND.” The ripe apple on the labels has been replaced by a black cane with a silver wolfs head. And instead of “GRADE A FANCY,”

each can reads “GRADE A BITCHY.”

64 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE, FEATURES LINOGE. LINOGE puts out his hand and MIMES GRIPPING AN OBJECT.

What’s he doing?

MIKE shakes his head. He doesn’t know.

65 INTERIOR: THE STORAGE SHED, WITH BILLY AND CAT.

He takes one of the cans off the shelf, gripping it like a club as CAT, headed for the door, steps over the half-loaded toboggan behind him.

66 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE, FEATURES LINOGE.

What’s up, sir? Mind telling me?

LINOGE takes no notice. He’s totally absorbed. He makes the twirling gesture with his forefinger again, then scissors his fingers in the air to mime WALKING.

67 INTERIOR: THE SHED, WITH BILLY AND CAT.

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She’s at the door, back to him, when BILLY turns with the big can of apple juice. He steps toward her-68 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.

MIKE walks toward the cell as LINOGE gets to his feet and raises his arm above his head. His hand is cupped, as if holding an object that only he can see.

69 INTERIOR: THE SHED, WITH BILLY AND CAT.

As CAT steps out into the storm, BILLY raises the can over his head.

70 INTERIOR: THE CELL, WITH LINOGE.

He raises his other hand, now MIMING A TWO-HANDED GRIP.

71 EXTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE SUPPLY SHED, WITH CAT--NIGHT.

She stands just outside the door on the rapidly disappearing toboggan track. She wipes the tears from her cheeks with her gloved palms, then readjusts her scarf.

It gives BILLY plenty of time. He appears behind her in the doorway with the can raised over his head in both hands, his face twisted into a hateful grimace.

72 INTERIOR: THE CELL, WITH LINOGE.

MIKE stands outside the bars, looking at his prisoner with perplexity and fear. The other men huddle behind him. LINOGE ignores them all and BRINGS HIS HANDS DOWN.
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73 EXTERIOR: THE SUPPLY SHED, WITH BILLY AND CAT.

BILLY almost does it. We see the heavy can of apple juice actually start an arc of descent that would mime the one described by LINOGE’S hands, and then it stops. The expression of BLIND RAGE on BILLY’S face breaks up into one of bewilderment and horror--my God, he’s almost caved her skull in!

*

CAT neither knows nor intuits any of this. She begins trudging back toward the town hall with her head lowered and the ends of her scarf blowing in the gale.

74 INTERIOR: THE CELL, WITH LINOGE.

He’s still bent over, his linked hands swinging by his knees, the picture of a man who has just delivered a hard blow with a heavy object. But he knows he’s failed. His face is BEADED WITH SWEAT, and his eyes are hot with fury.

She’s right. You are a coward.

What in the hell are you-

(roaring)

Shut up!

On the table, one of the Coleman gas lamps BLOWS APART, glass spraying. The men by the desk CRINGE.

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LINOGE wheels around, looking wild and distracted--more like a tiger in a cage than ever--and then throws himself facedown on the cot, with his arms wrapped around his head. He’s MUTTERING. MIKE leans as close as the cell bars will allow, listening.

The back step . . . the back step ... by the back step . . .

75 EXTERIOR: THE BACK STEPS OF THE TOWN HALL--NIGHT.

We’re looking through the snow-filled panes into the kitchen, where CORA still sits, observing the bustle of JOANNA and MRS. KINGS-BURY. They have now been joined by CARLA ST. PIERRE

and ROBERTA COIGN--these two are loading the dishwasher. It all looks cozy and pleasant, especially given the HOWLING WIND and DRIVING SNOW just outside.

THE CAMERA PANS DOWN. Beside the snow-covered stoop is a milk storage box. And leaning against the milk box, buried to half its length in a snowdrift, is LINOGE’S CANE. The wolf’s head glares.

CAT’S GLOVED HAND comes down and touches the silver head. One finger runs over the wolfs snarling muzzle.

76 EXTERIOR: CAT, CLOSE-UP--NIGHT.

Wide-eyed. Fascinated.

77 INTERIOR: THE CELL, WITH LINOGE--NIGHT.

Still facedown on his bunk, arms wrapped around his head, MUTTERING RAPIDLY. CHANTING. MIKE doesn’t know what’s going on, but he knows it’s bad news.
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Stop it, Linoge!

LINOGE pays no attention. If anything, the RAPID MUMBLE of his words SPEEDS UP.

78 EXTERIOR: THE BACK STOOP OF THE TOWN HALL--NIGHT.

CAT is gone, but we can see her tracks--where she turned around and headed back to the supply shed again.

The cane is gone, too. Blowing snow is rapidly softening the edges of the hole where its barrel was shoved into the snowbank.

79 INTERIOR: THE SUPPLY SHED, FEATURING BILLY--NIGHT.

He’s squatting to one side of the toboggan, which is now completely loaded. He spreads a piece of tarp over the goods, then begins to secure this with a couple of pieces of elasticized cord.

We can’t see the doorway from this angle, but we see the SHADOW SHAPE that falls over him . . . and we also see the SHADOW OF THE CANE when it extends itself from the human shape and begins to rise. The movement attracts BILLY’S eye, as well. He shifts position . . . looks up ...

80 INTERIOR: CAT WITHERS, FROM BILLY’S POINT OF VIEW--NIGHT.