Storm of the Century (24 page)

140 INTERIOR: CORA, IN THE TOWN HALL BATHROOM.

Rubbing real cream into her cheeks--she’s making a night mask for herself--and humming “I’m a Little
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Teapot.” She seems really happy for the first time since being dragged to the town hall by her son and daughter-in-law. Reflected in the mirror is the ladies’ room, now empty.

All at once THE LIGHTS GO OUT as the gennie stutters again.

CORA (voice in the dark)

Oh, drat!

The lights come back on. CORA looks relieved and begins creaming her face again. All at once she stops. LINOGE’S cane leans against the tiled wall beneath the hand dryer. It wasn’t there before, but it is now, reflected in the mirror. There’s no blood on it. The silver head GLEAMS ENTICINGLY.

CORA looks at it, then turns and walks toward it.

141 INTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.

Like Dad’s!

142 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.

The men are clustered near MIKE’S desk. URSULA is seated; JOANNA stands beside her. None of those in the office notice MIKE and HATCH’S return. They are fascinated by LINOGE’S new dumb show.

What’s he doing?

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URSULA shakes her head. The men are equally puzzled.

143 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL LADIES’ ROOM, WITH CORA.

(picks up the cane)

Like Dad’s!

144 INTERIOR: RESUME CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.

MIKE and the others watch LINOGE. He ignores them, concentrating on his business with CORA. He grips two invisible objects, one in each hand, and turns them. He pushes something else down with his thumb, as you would a small plunger. Then he MIMES RUMMAGING IN SOMETHING and finding a small object, which he holds up gripped between the thumb and first two fingers of his left hand.

145 INTERIOR: RESUME TOWN HALL LADIES’ ROOM, WITH CORA.

She has laid “Dad’s cane” across two of the sinks and returned to the one where she was when she saw the cane. She grips a faucet handle in each hand and turns them, starting the water. She pushes the stopper down with her thumb and the basin begins to fill. While it does, she rummages in her overnight bag and finds a lipstick. She holds it up between the thumb and first two fingers of her left hand.

146 INTERIOR: RESUME CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.

LINOGE leans back against the wall behind the cot, with the air of a man who has accomplished some difficult and tiring task. He looks at the octet across the room and smiles at them a little.

Go on, Mike, go on--we’ll be fine. Give that little guy of yours a big old smackeroo for me. Tell him his pal from the market says hi.

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MIKE’S face knots. He’d like to smash LINOGE’S face.

How do you know so much? What the hell do you want?

LINOGE places his forearms on his knees and says nothing.

Hatch, why don’t a pair of you spend the time until I get back in here with him--the others can hang in the market. You can adjust the mirror out there so you can see in here.

You don’t want him to be able to get at all of us at the same time. Do you?

Well . . . it’s a plan.

He turns to the women before HATCH can reply.

Ladies? Let’s take a ride back to the town hall.

URSULA hands him a key on a key ring.

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This goes to Lucien Fournier’s snowmobile, out back. Thought you might need it. Mike?

MIKE hands the key to HATCH, then turns back to her.

Peter will be all right out there, won’t he?

Yes. And when this is over, we’ll see to him proper . . . the way we always do. Come on.

URSULA gets to her feet and zips up her coat.

147 INTERIOR: TOWN HALL AISLE--NIGHT.

JILL ROBICHAUX heads down the aisle in her robe, carrying her own overnight bag. Outside, the WIND HOWLS.

148 INTERIOR: THE LADIES’ ROOM, ANGLE ON THE DOOR--NIGHT.

It opens, and JILL comes in. For a moment her face remains calm, the face of a woman embarked on her regular getting-ready-for-bed ritual. Then it FILLS WITH HORROR. She drops her little bag and claps her hands to her mouth to stifle a scream. She stands where she is a moment longer, frozen by whatever it is she sees. Then she WHEELS AND RUNS.

149 INTERIOR: THE SLEEPING AREA OF THE TOWN HALL BASEMENT--NIGHT.

The lights have been turned low. In kid country, all of MOLLY’S day-care pupils are fast asleep; even the loathsome DON BEALS has given up. Probably half the beds meant for the adults are occupied,
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mostly by OLDER RESIDENTS.

MOLLY ANDERSON holds aside one of the makeshift draw curtains (perhaps they’re only blankets hung up on clotheslines for this occasion) so that ANDY ROBICHAUX can step through. ANDY has got CAT in his arms. He carries her toward one of the cots. Following ANDY comes MOLLY and MRS. KINGSBURY.

When they reach a cot fairly deep in the room and away from most of the other sleepers, MOLLY strips back the blanket and top sheet. ANDY puts CAT down, and MOLLY pulls the bedclothes back up over her. They SPEAK LOW, so as not to disturb the other sleepers.

Whoo! She’s really out!

MOLLY gives MRS. KINGSBURY a questioning look.

MRS. KINGSBURY

They’re very light sleeping pills . . . any lighter, Doc Grissom said, and I could buy them right over the counter. I think it’s just shock. Whatever she’s done, or whatever’s been done to her, she’s away from it now. That’s probably best.

MRS. KINGSBURY bends, and, perhaps surprising herself, puts a kiss on the sleeping girl’s cheek.

MRS. KINGSBURY

Sleep well, dear.

Do you think someone ought to sit with her? Like a guard?

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MOLLY and MRS. KINGSBURY exchange a bewildered glance that sums up just how out of control this has become. Put a guard on inoffensive little CAT WITHERS? It’s nuts.

She doesn’t need guarding, Andy.

But-

Come on.

She turns to go. MRS. KINGSBURY follows. ANDY lingers by the cot for a moment, not so sure. Then he follows.

150 INTERIOR: THE BASEMENT “LIVING ROOM” AREA OF THE TOWN HALL.

MOLLY, ANDY, and MRS. KINGSBURY come out through the draw curtains. To their left, forty or fifty people, many now in their pj’s or nightgowns, are watching the fuzzy TV. To their right are the stairs. Coming down them are SANDRA BEALS, MELINDA HATCHER, and JILL ROBICHAUX. SANDRA is terrified; MELINDA is frightened and grim; JILL is on the verge of hysterics but holding it in ... at least until she sees her husband. She throws herself into his arms, CRYING.

Jill? Honey? What’s wrong?

A few of the TV watchers look around to see what’s up. MOLLY looks at MELINDA’S pale face and knows something else has gone wrong . . . but this is no time to stir up the others, who are finally settling down for the night.

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Come on. Upstairs. Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it there.

They go up, ANDY with his arm around his wife’s waist.

151 EXTERIOR: THE INTERSECTION OF MAIN AND ATLANTIC--NIGHT.

The Island Services vehicle comes along, trudging through the snow. It’s making progress, but it’s also crashing through drifts that are nearly hood high. It won’t be making many more trips through this blizzard.

152 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH MIKE, URSULA, JOANNA.

I’m so scared.

So am I.

153 INTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE TOWN HALL LADIES’ ROOM.

Standing back from the door, arms around each other, are ANDY and JILL ROBICHAUX. Closest to the bathroom are MELINDA HATCHER and MOLLY. SANDRA BEALS stands between the two pairs.

I’m sorry ... I can’t. I can’t take any more.

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She brushes past JILL and ANDY and hurries back down the aisle.

154 INTERIOR: THE TOWN OFFICE--NIGHT.

SANDRA, weeping now, hurries into this area, meaning to go downstairs. Before she can, the front doors open and MIKE comes in, covered with snow and stamping more snow off his boots. He is followed by URSULA and JOANNA. SANDRA stops and gives the new arrivals a wild, startled glance.

Sandra, what is it? What’s wrong?

155 INTERIOR: THE LADIES’ ROOM, ANGLE ON THE DOOR.

It opens slowly . . . reluctantly. MOLLY and MELINDA come in together, huddled shoulder to shoulder for comfort. Behind them, we see ANDY and JILL ROBICHAUX. MOLLY and MELINDA look, faces filling with horror and wonder.

Oh, my dear God.

156 INTERIOR: THE WASHBASINS, FROM MOLLY AND MELINDA’S POINT OF VIEW.

Kneeling in front of one of them is CORA STANHOPE. The basin is full of water, and CORA’S white hair floats on its surface. She has drowned herself in the basin. Written above it in lipstick, on the line of mirrors, is the same old song: “GIVE ME WHAT I WANT AND I’LL GO AWAY.” Flanking it at either end, CORA has drawn BLOODY LIPSTICK CANES. Of the real cane, the one with the wolf’s head, there is no sign.

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FADE TO BLACK. THIS ENDS ACT 4.

Act 5

157 EXTERIOR: THE LIGHTHOUSE--NIGHT.

Waves still crash against the headland rocks hard enough to splatter the lighthouse with foam, but the tide is on the ebb, now, and things are better than they were. Temporarily only, however, because:

158 INTERIOR: LIGHTHOUSE CONTROL ROOM--NIGHT.

The lights still BLINK and FLASH, but some of them are now BEADED WITH ICE from the spray, and little drifts of snow are piling up in the corners of the room. The WIND WHISTLES, and the anemometer is still topping sixty MPH.

SOUND: A HIGH-PITCHED COMPUTER BEEP. THE CAMERA MOVES IN on a computer screen that has gone RED. White letters appear on the screen: “NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

STORM SURGE WARNING FOR ALL OUTER ISLANDS, INCLUDING CRANBERRY, JERROD BLUFF, KANKAMONGUS, BIG TALL, AND LITTLE TALL. HIGH TIDE AT 7:09 AM. MAY PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING AND LOWLAND DAMAGE. OUTER ISLAND

GROUND.”

As if to punctuate this, an especially powerful wave SPLASHES IN through the broken windows and splatters this computer screen with foam.

159 INTERIOR: LOWER ATLANTIC STREET--NIGHT.

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Godsoe Fish & Lobster is totally gone, except for the ragged stump of the building. So is the town dock. The waves slap the rocks where the dock was. Splintered pieces of lobster traps float back and forth . . . and a single waterlogged bale of pot BOBS AND SURGES.

160 INTERIOR: THE TOWN OFFICE--NIGHT.

URSULA is comforting SANDRA. MIKE is heading for the meeting hall section of the building, when JOANNA steams past him. He grabs her arm.

Slow down, Mrs. Stanhope--easy does it.

The door between the meeting hall and the office area opens. MOLLY and MELINDA HATCHER

come through. MOLLY’S distress turns to gladness when she sees MIKE, and she almost hurls herself into his arms. He hugs her hard. JOANNA, meanwhile, doesn’t give a shit about “easy does it.” She dodges past MELINDA and heads down the aisle that leads to the toilets. URSULA and SANDRA walk to where MIKE and MOLLY are drawing apart a little.

161 INTERIOR: TOWN MEETING HALL--NIGHT.

ANDY and JILL are sitting on a bench about halfway down. ANDY has got an arm around his wife, offering what comfort he can, when JOANNA hurries past toward the ladies’ room.

Joanna, I wouldn’t-She pays no attention, simply hurries on down the aisle.

162 INTERIOR: LADIES’ ROOM, FEATURES THE DOOR.

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It opens. JOANNA stands there, eyes widening, mouth dropping open. After a moment, MIKE joins her. He takes one look and then moves her away. As the bathroom door starts to close on its pneumatic hinge:

Moll. Help me.

163 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL.

MIKE gently passes the stunned JOANNA to his wife, who walks her up the aisle as far as ANDY and JILL There JOANNA stumbles and utters a little CRY OF BEWILDERMENT AND GRIEF.

Let me.

JILL sits her down and puts an arm around her. JOANNA begins to WEEP.

MOLLY starts back toward the ladies’ room. MIKE comes out, his arms wet almost to the elbows. MOLLY looks at him questioningly. MIKE shakes his head and puts his arm around her shoulders. As he leads her past the trio on the bench:

Andy? Can I borrow you a minute?

ANDY looks questioningly at JILL, who nods. She’s busy comforting JOANNA.

164 INTERIOR: RESUME TOWN OFFICE AREA.

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MIKE, MOLLY, and ANDY come in. URSULA and SANDRA stand nearby, looking the expected question at MIKE.

She’s dead, all right. Sandra, can you get me a couple of blankets to wrap her in?

(making a big effort)