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THE FANTASTIC SHRINKING GIRL by Richard Matheson Deserted rural neighborhood. It is raining evenly as the dark sedan wheels slowly around a corner and moves down a deserted street, its tires sounding crisply on the pavement. In the middle of the block it pulls over to a house and is braked. A house, lonely and still, with shades drawn. Louise Carey and her brother-in-law Charlie step out of the car. (TITLE appears: THE FANTASTIC SHRINKING GIRL) We are in the drape-drawn living room. Steady fall of rain outside. In flashes of lightning we see a sofa, the end table with its lamp and dust-filmed radio; the telephone. On the coffee table there lies a photo album and a folded newspaper. A shuttered doll house against the wall. Sound of a key in the lock, turning of the knob. Gust of wind. Louise, 5'4", and Charlie enter. Charlie sets down two large suitcases as Louise, carrying a small overnight case, walks to the wall switch and flicks it up and down a few times. No light. LOUISE: Will it take long to have the electricity turned on again? CHARLIE: (somberly) No. They'll--do it tomorrow. I'll phone them. (Charlie shuts door and stands there as Louise walks over to a closet.) LOUISE: We had candles in here... (she finds them and lights one, then goes over to the phone and listens a moment.) LOUISE: I supposed I should get the phone connected, too. (Louise looks down at dollhouse with pained eyes.) CHARLIE: (hesitates, then): Louise, you're making a mistake. (Louise picks up paper then abruptly drops it. Headline: SHRINKING MAN DEAD! Under it is a large photo of Scott Carey and the story.
(A bit later, in a bedroom) LOUISE (putting clothes in a bureau drawer): Is he? CHARLIE: Even if he isn't what difference does it make? You can't reach him, Louise. (Louise takes out framed photo of Scott and places it on bureau. Inscribed: To My Wonderful Wife--Scott. Louise keeps looking at the photo.) LOUISE: Maybe I can. CHARLIE: What? What do you mean? LOUISE (closing her eyes): I mean it's happening to me now. I'm getting smaller. CHARLIE (stricken; his voice barely audible): No...Are you sure? Shouldn't we go to the Medical Center and... LOUISE: It isn't necessarily, Charlie. I'm sure. Didn't I live with Scott all those months? Don't you think I know the signs? CHARLIE: Louise. You shouldn't have stayed with him. LOUISE: Do you think I'd have left him alone--while THAT was happening to him? (swallows dryly) Even if I'd known I was going to be infected, too, I'd have stayed with him. (Charlie stares at her, staggered by her plight) LOUISE: And now the same thing is going to happen to me. I'm going to get smaller and smaller--just like he did. Day after day, smaller and smaller, and nothing to stop it. Nothing. That's why I'm going to stay in our house. I want to be in the same place...just in case... CHARLIE: (dazedly) In case of what? LOUISE: In case he's still alive. -------------------- (Louise being measured with a tape measure) DR. SILVER: Five feet LOUISE: (draws in a tense breath). That's four inches in one week. It's going faster than it did with Scott. So much faster. DR. SILVER: (much disturbed) Mrs. Carey, you should have come to the Medical Center at the very first sign. LOUISE: (quietly) That would have been pointless, Dr. Silver. DR. SILVER: But you should have been injected immediately with the anti-toxin. LOUISE: WHY? It never helped my husband. DR. SILVER: Mrs. Carey, your husband was inoculated too late. We knew the anti-toxin might have a delayed effect. Unfortunately in his case, the delay was...fatal. LOUISE: Unfortunately, in his case, your efforts were useless. I don't care to--- DR. SILVER: Mrs. Carey, since your husband's unfortunate accident we've refind the anti-toxin to a fine point. Its potential is, at least, double what it was before. LOUISE: Which still adds up to nothing. (shakes her head) No, I'm sorry Dr. Silver, I don't want your anti-toxin. I don't want anything but to be left alone. DR. SILVER: From this...unbelievable attitude, Mrs. Carey, I can only suggest that...you're more in need of psychiatry than anything else. You actually sound as though you WANT to go through the same process as your late husband. (Louise goes to the open window and looks out.) LOUISE (quietly): Maybe I do. DR. SILVER (shocked): MRS. CAREY... LOUISE: Oh, I'm sorry...Very well. Inject me, then. It doesn't really matter. I know I must sound...strange to you. But...I just can't accept the idea that Scott is my--late husband. I just can't. I WON'T. Dr. Silver, I know he's alive somewhere, I just know it. --- MICROSCOPIC SHOT--GRAIN OF DIRT We move further and further into the microscopic world. Scott lies sleeping. We do not see where he is. He sleeps restlessly, murmuring to himself. Dressed in a bark-like loincloth. Suddenly he jolts upright to a sitting position. SCOTT: Louise! (He blinks, remembers. Abruptly he closes his eyes and grimaces.) SCOTT: (tensely to himself) It was so real. So REAL. I held her in my arms. Then she started to get bigger and I couldn't hold her and... (He stands and trudges over to something that looks like a tree and yet is too different to be a tree. Picking up something like a sharp stone, he scraches another mark on the tree-form which is covered with similar marks.) SCOTT: (tiredly) Two months...one week...seven days in the microscopic world. (Walks over to a rock, face down, which trickles water. He catches some in his palms, drinks, washing off his face. Walks past strange vegetation. We see the fantastic world in which he exists, a world of fascinating and nightmarish geometries. He picks a strange looking fruit and walks along a glade.) SCOTT: (muttering to himself) I suppose I might as well stay here as any place. Lots of water. I'll build a hut. Home sweet home-- a world within a world. (Drinks from a pool. Suddenly from the depths of the pool there is a flash of dark movement. Scott sees it at the last moment--he just avoids a giant eel-like creature which lunges through the surface and snaps great sabred teeth at him! His hand closes on a thick, branch-like growth which has fallen to the ground. He slides one end of the branch into the water. A rolling froth, a SNAP. Scott draws back from the branch--a buzz saw could not have sheared it off more cleanly. ---------------------------- (back in Carey house) Louise sits sewing. We see she is only three feet tall, like a child sitting on an adult-sized sofa. We see the entire outsized living room. A door opens and shuts; footsteps. Nurse Marlowe enters from the kitchen; in her arms the smiling nurse holds a cat. NURSE: Look what I found prowling around in the back yard. LOUISE: (revulsed; tensely): GET IT OUT OF HERE. NURSE: Honey, it'd be nice company for you. LOUISE: Get it out of here! PLEASE do as I tell you! NURSE: (mollifying) All right honey, all right. I'll take it away. Don't get upset. (She turns and exits. Louise sits there trembling, eyes closed.) --- Dr. Haley quietly closes door to Louise's bedroom and walks across living room. NURSE: Is she restless again? DR. HALEY: I'm afraid so. I'll probably have to give her another sedative. Anne, you should have REMEMBERED it was a cat that killed her husband. NURSE: I didn't know. I feel AWFUL about it. (shakes her head) She's so brave, Tom. Did you know she didn't even want anyone to stay here with her? DR. HALEY (sitting beside her): I know. Dr. Silver told me. Sometimes I wish we hadn't gotten that Rockefeller grant to stay here and observe her. NURSE: (sighs) The poor thing. I wonder what terrible things she's dreaming. (Shot of Louise. Flashbacks from INCREDIBLE SHIRNKING MAN reprise the story of Scott's affliction up to the point where Louise finds the dollhouse wrecked. At the end of the dream she sees the cat coming toward her. It gets larger and larger, coming straight at the camera, teeth bared. With a scream Louise lurches to a sitting position on the bed, blotting out the dream. Footsteps sound, sound of door being opened, and a shadow cast by Dr. Haley and the Nurse fall over her. LOUISE: (insistent) He's alive. I KNOW he's alive. Page 1 to Page 10 Ext--Microscopic World. We see Scott building a hut. He tosses a fruit-like object into the water. While the great eel decimates it frenziedly, Scott quickly fills a gourd with water. He hears an odd sound, a wave-like breathing Later, night: Scott hears the breathing-like sound again. Scott gets up and starts to run away from it. The noise soon gets to be deafening and a hideous shadow falls across Scott. SCOTT: (horrified) No, no... He flees past the camera and goes out of scene. There is a crackling noise. The hut is crushed. Off screen we hear the pursuit of the monster. Scott keeps running, running. dissolve to: Louise in the foreground, back of her head to the camera. She's at a window. Outside we see Dr. Haley pushing the nurse on a swing. They are both in bathing suits and laughing happily. We cannot hear them because of the music. Dr. Haley kisses her. As they embrace, Louise turns abruptly into camera, her face grim. Laboriously, Louise climbs down from the sofa and lowers herself to the floor. She is still 3 feet tall. Louise goes to the cellar door and opens it. NURSE: Where are you going, Louise? LOUISE, looking up: Down in the cellar. NURSE: Darling, you-- LOUISE (interrupting): Don't call me darling! I'm not a little girl. NURSE (amused): Aren't you? Louise reacts. NURSE: I'm sorry. That was cruel. Now, why are you going back down there again? LOUISE: You KNOW why. NURSE: Louise, you searched the house a hundred times and found nothing. He can't be found down THERE. You've never found a single sign of him there. He's gone, Louise. The sooner you-- LOUISE: He's not! I WILL find something, I will! I was too big before but the smaller I get, the more chance there is I'll be ABLE to find something. NURSE: Oh, there's no use of arguing with you. Go ahead. Look. But I can't continue to let you go down there much more, Louise. It's too dangerous. (Louise starts down the giant steps, sitting on each one and lowering herself to the one below.) She stands at foot of steps looking around. LOUISE'S VOICE: There has to be something. SOMETHING. (Shot of string hanging down wall. She touches it. LOUISE'S VOICE: Could he have climbed this? We see moldy old piece of sponge cake on top of the half-wall. LOUISE'S VOICE: That cake--I left it there myself. So long ago. Louise climbs on a wooden crate to try and get higher. She comes up close to the cake and looks at it. LOUISE: Those little pieces torn out of it. Could HE have done that? Her hand touches and old spider web attached to the cake and, gasping, jerks her hand back in revulsion, knocking the cake off the wall. She looks around, searching for the spider; then, seeing nothing, she starts to climb onto the top of the wall. She crawls around on the sand (climbs over the wall) LOUISE: Maybe there is something else. There HAS to be. Insert: dead spider. It lies on the sand, its black body filmed with dust. LOUISE: I never saw that before. I never-- She reaches down and picks up something, looks at it. Shot of pin in between Louise's fingers. It is caked with blood. She stares at the pin, almost dazedly. LOUISE (hardly able to believe her eyes): The cat didn't kill him. It DIDN'T. He was HERE. He used this pin. Her face recoils in horror. Camera moves down to still body of the spider. LOUISE:...to fight THIS. (Flashback to Incredible Shrinking Man, showing Scott killing the spider with the straight pin.) EXT Microscopic world. Scott awakes from a nightmare and sits straight up. SCOTT: Will I ever forget it?
Dissolve to: 4 inches tall, she is checking a cache of bread and water she has put there--three slices of bread wrapped in wax paper, and a thimble full of water. Off screen, a loud thumping sound. Louise throws a panicked glance in that direction, then quickly pushes the package of bread and water behind a paint can. She starts to run across the sand. Suddenly a great shadow rushes down on her and Louise whirls, throwing an arm up as if to ward off an impending blow. LOUISE (screaming): No! Nurse Marlowe comes up the stairway angrily, holding out something in her right hand. Something which MOVES. NURSE: (shaking her hand) Now STOP it! Nurse goes into living room. Dr. Haley is sitting, reading a paper. DR HALEY: She was down there, eh? NURSE (aggravated) She just won't stay out of that cellar. Going over to the dollhouse, Nurse Marlowe stoops and puts her right hand through the doorway. Interior--Dollhouse--Louise Giant hand releases her inside the dim room, then draws back. Louise rushes after it but before she can reach the door, it is slammed and, outside, we hear the sound of it being bolted. Louise throws herself up against it. LOUISE: Let me out! Let me out! She rushes to a window and tries to force out the shutters but they are too securely fastened. With a sob, she rushes up to a giant microphone and, with great effort, manages to throw a switch on a control board. Louise's voice suddenly blares from a speaker. LOUISE'S VOICE: LET ME OUT! NURSE (adamantly): No. You're not going down in that cellar. There are too many dangerous things out there for you. LOUISE'S VOICE: But that's where Scott was! I've got to be there! I've got to be! (Looming form of Nurse Marlowe over the doll house) NURSE: I've told you a thousand times, Louise. Even if he IS still alive, he's still shrinking. You'd NEVER find him. LOUISE'S VOICE (desparately): I will, I WILL! Just let me out! Dollhouse shudders with Nurse's receding footsteps. LOUISE: Don't go! Please! Let me out! (she sobs) Let me out! (She leans up against the microphone tiredly, crying in frustration, in despair.) Dr. Haley puts down a medical book he is reading and stretches. He looks toward the nurse. DR HALEY: You really think she's--losing her mind? NURSE: Would it be surprising under the circumstances? DR. HALEY (grimly): No, it wouldn't. NURSE: I'm afraid we'll--just have to keep her locked up in the dollhouse from now on. (Camera moves down to dollhouse. We see the shutters are secured with small nails. Creaking sound of wood being forced. One of the shutters opens and a small hand appears. Louise peers out cautiously. She lowers herself to the floor of the normal-sized living room and looks around--sees the vast Nurse and Doctor sitting on chairs. Nurse's huge legs and shoes in the foreground; Louise peering out from behind the corner of the dollhouse in background. Louise looks toward giant chair leg--braces herself to run. DR HALEY'S VOICE: Are we eating soon? Louise jerks back frightedly. NURSE: Just let me finish this row. DR. HALEY: All right. After a secondary pause, Louise suddenly darts away from the dollhouse, heading for the chair. She hides behind chair leg's thickness, panting. Backs over to cellar door. It is opened just a crack. DR HALEY'S VOICE: Will you put down that blasted knitting? I'm hungry. Louise starts violently at the sound of his voice. NURSE'S VOICE: In a second. Louise reaches the door now and starts squeezing her body through the narrow opening. NURSE'S VOICE: Did I shut the cellar door before? Louise freezes. DR HALEY'S VOICE: How should I know? NURSE'S VOICE: I'd better check it. THEN I'll make you some supper. DR HALEY'S VOICE: About time. Thumping of nurse's footsteps gets louder. Louise struggles to make it through. NURSE'S VOICE: No, it isn't shut. (Movement of door throws her off balance and she goes flailing toward the edge of the landing, face filled with horror.) LOUISE: No!
She topples into space. Her figure hurtles past the camera. We hear a
thud as it lands. Louise's body (unconcious) lies on the soft
dirt on top of the concrete shelf which leads to the top of
the half-wall. Suddenly a loud thumping is heard. Louise starts sharply and her left foot slips on the edge! Clinging to the edge of the shelf, legs dangling in space. She looks frantically toward the steps. DR HALEY'S VOICE: How could she be down here? The door was closed. NURSE'S VOICE: She's got to be here somewhere. Louise struggles to regain the shelf. DR HALEY'S VOICE: I don't see her. NURSE'S VOICE(angry): If she WERE here, she'd be HIDING! She doesn't want us to find her, you know that. Look behind things. Oh, dear God, what will Dr. Silver say when he finds out? DR HALEY'S VOICE: Take it easy, Anne. She might be around the steps somewhere. Louise looks panic-stricken. With a last surge of strength she clambers onto the shelf, and, rising, looks for a hiding place. We see Dr. Haley's hand as it searches along the shelf. It stops at a crack in the wall and probes in the crack. Louise just manages not being crushed by the huge finger by pressing back against the cement surface. After a moment it is withdrawn and Louise exhales raggedly and closes her eyes. DR HALEY'S VOICE: I don't think she's down here, Anne. Louise breaks into a run just before she reaches the food cache. She uncovers the thimble-ful of water and drinks thirstily, then tears open the bread-wrapping and eats. LOUISE'S VOICE: Here in this cellar prison I'll wait...until the end. Or the beginning of a new existence. (Camera holds on the meshed grating which opens on the yard.) Dissolve to: Grating, morning. It is a bright sunny day. Off screen we hear crunching footsteps on the dirt. Louise come into scene, clad in a torn scrap of cloth. SHE IS ONE INCH TALL. We see her looking out. LOUISE: Did Scott go out there? He might have. If he did, and I stay in here, I may never find him. Shot of a crow dropping out of the sky; lands and starts toward the grating. Louise turns; suddenly a huge dark beak darts in between the grating mesh and clamps on her! Louise turns around, screaming. We see Louise squirming in the crow's mouth. Suddenly a cat appears, the cat that Nurse Marlowe had brought in. It charges at the camera, teeth bared. Louise struggles in the beak as the cat charges. As the cat nears the crow, it drops what is in its beak and flaps up into the air. A huge shadow falls upon Louise--the cat blots out all light and a massive paw comes within inches of her. Then, abruptly, it is gone. Crow sits on a branch cawing at the cat below. After a moment the cat turns away. Louise is on ground, hearing cat's growling. She looks around suddenly for a hiding place. She slips under a rock as the cat gets closer. The cat crouches, trying to see in, snarling angrily. Louise slumps down in the semi-darkness. LOUISE: (weakly) Scott. Oh, Scott...
Dissolve to: SCOTT (to himself): Another bright sunny morning in the bright sunny microscopic world. A fine place to settle down and raise a family. Except there's nobody here. Naturally, this would be the place where I'd stop shrinking amd stay the same. Naturally. Suddenly Scott stops. He sees a figure in the distance--a human. The tiny figure disappears over the top of the ridge. SCOTT: WAIT!
(shot: "meadow") SCOTT: No. No.. There is no sign of the moving figure. Close up of Scott's face. He looks almost sick. He jerks his head around with a gasp as, off screen, we hear a distant and terrified scream. Shot of Louise--screaming, she runs toward the sceen and runs out of scene. Behind her we hear the unmistakable sounds of the invisible monster, the hissing, breathing sound. Gets louder. Louise looks for an escape route. Seeing none, she backs up toward the rock face until she is pressed against it, staring off screen with terrified eyes. LOUISE: No. No... Sound of stalking monster gets louder. She covers her eyes and waits for the end. The monster's shadow covers her. Suddenly, hands reach down and grab her. Gasping, she is hauled up, camera moving with her. It's Scott pulling her up the ledge. LOUISE: (overjoyed despite everything) Scott! SCOTT: (restraining himself) Quickly.. he half drags, half carries her into the cave. He pushes the boulder into the opening and embraces her. They are re-united. dissolve to: Cave, ext shot day Boulder rolled aside. Scott emerges slowly, cautiously, and peers around. Satisfied, he returns to interior of cave. SCOTT: It's gone. Louise comes out and stands beside him on the ledge. She is almost as tall as he is. She looks around. LOUISE: So this is your world.. SCOTT: Our world. (smiles) Come, I'll show it to you. They walk through the microscopic jungle, hand in hand. LOUISE: I knew you were alive. I KNEW it. But when that--horrible bird carried me outside I thought I'd never find you. SCOTT: If you'd stayed in the cellar you never WOULD have found me. That crow did us a favor. (smiles wryly) Although I doubt that's what was in its mind. LOUISE: (shuddering) Don't remind me. (Brightening) When did you stop--getting smaller? SCOTT: Right after I reached this place. My theory is that the anti- toxin finally took effect. (he smiles without amusement) Chalk one up for the medical profession. LOUISE: Scott, we're together. SCOTT: (smiling for her sake) Yes, we're together. Dissolve to: Cave, night. They have a fire going. LOUISE: Scott, isn't it enough that we have each other again? SCOTT: (sighs) No. It isn't, Louise. By myself I could--face all this. But with you here, I WANT to hope again. And I can't. The hopelessness of everything is so terribly apparent now. The isolation, that---MONSTROSITY that stalks me; that will stalk YOU now. LOUISE: Couldn't we...go somewhere else? At least we could get away from that thing. SCOTT: No, I've looked everywhere. That pool is the only constant supply of water I've found anywhere. (Looks offscreen.) Besides... it would follow us. LOUISE: (wryly, trying to cheer him up) Maybe Dr. Silver will rescue us. Maybe we're sitting on a slide in his microscope right now and the good doctor is peering down at us. (mimicking Dr Silver) Hmmm. We'll have to inject them again. Now where can we find a hypodermic needle small enough? SCOTT (laughing): Idiot. LOUISE (clinging to him) That's better. (Pause) We're together. That's all that matters, Scott. I've waited so long for this moment, darling. I don't care WHERE we are or WHAT we have to face. If we can face it together, that's enough for me. They kiss as we dissolve to: ext cave, early morning. Thin mist. Louise lies sleeping on floor of cave.
SCOTT: Louise. LOUISE... SCOTT: (tightly) Get up. LOUISE (frightenedly): What is it? SCOTT: GET UP. She stands up...Scott is now noticeably taller than she. LOUISE (unbelieving): No.... SCOTT: Yes, I'm GROWING now. GROWING. Dissolve to later on, S & L walking: LOUISE (as they walk): Scott, how do you know I won't start to grow again? SCOTT: You HAVEN'T. And I don't know how much longer we'll be together. I can't leave you alone with that...that thing. LOUISE: Just wait a while. A little while. Dr. Silver said that the anti-toxin he injected me with was more powerful. Maybe I won't have to be here as long as you were for the growth process to begin again. Scott straightens up. Louise looks at him frightenedly. LOUISE: Please, darling. PLEASE. SCOTT: It has to be done, Louise. I won't leave you alone with it. He looks down pile of boulders thoughtfully. Dissolve to: same boulder, later. We see a thick branch-like length stuck under them. It moves and the boulders stir. Scott presses down on this improvised lever. He lets go and steps back. SCOTT: Try it. Worriedly, Louise steps up to the lever and takes hold of it. SCOTT: Don't press too hard. Louise steps up to the lever and the boulders stir again. SCOTT: All right. You understand then. The moment I've gone under the waterfall and run off that ledge down there, you dislodge these boulders and... LOUISE: (overlapping) Scott... SCOTT: (obdurate) Louise, there's no other way. There's no danger. I won't come into contact with it. (smiles) A fellow can run pretty fast with something like that chasing him. (beat) All right? Louise hesitates a moment, then nods grimly as we... dissolve to: Scott moves cautiously through the microscopic jungle. Looks in all directions, listens. Louise looks out over the glade. Scott moves deeper into the menacing jungle. We hear the hissing approach of the monster. It gets louder as Scott disappears from our sight. Abruptly the dark hulk of the monster blots out the screen. Shot of Scott stopping, listening. A look of horror on his face. he whirls to face the camera. Scott stares terror-stricken at the monster's rocking body. It comes closer and closer to him. He seems rooted to the spot. Hissing gets louder. Scptt whirls and plunges into the underbrush. (next shot) he runs past camera and passes out of scene. Camera follows Scott as he runs. He keeps looking back across his shoulder. A pincer of the monster pushes into the scene. Scott falls heavily from the underbrush into the slime. He struggles to free himself from the dark, glutinous ooze. We hear sound of pursuing monster. Finally he manages to drag himself out of the slime and, standing, he rushes out of scene. Loud crashing in the brush. Scott comes into glade. SCOTT: Lou! Get ready! Startled, she hurries to the lever and grabs it, waiting. Scott runs toward camera; he trips and falls. He pushes up, falls again, gasping at the pain of putting the weight on his sprained right ankle. He twists around and stares off screen. Shot of monster. Trees buckle, wind like breath scours across the ground! Louise cries out. LOUISE: SCOTT! Scott struggles to his feet, runs, limping. Scott hurries up the steep ascent to the ledge. All we hear now is the crashing of the waterfall. Scott stops and looks back. Monster gets larger and larger, following Scott. Louise tests the lever and the boulders stir. Scott looks down in horror. We see the ledge cracking between his feet. Scott lunges toward the other side of the ledge. Too late! Under the weight of the monster, the entire ledge gives way and Scott drops suddenly out of scene. Scott's cry disappears. We hear the splash as the monster hits the pool. LOUISE (horrified): Scott! Scott is in the pool of water with the monster; a tentacle-like pincer clamps over him and drags him under! he keeps struggling. Suddenly he looks offscreen. The EEL comes straight at the screen, its saber-toothed mouth yawning terribly! Scott cartwheels under the water. Just when it seems like he can't hold his breath under water any longer, he is released. Scott starts swimming feebly toward shore. A titanic battle rages (between the eel and the "monster") and we see what looks like blood in the water. Louise helps the bleeding Scott to shore. He collapses, then smiles weakly at her. dissolve to: int. cave, day Bandaged crudely with vine-like bindings, Scott lies asleep. His eyes open and he stares off screen. A hand reaches into the scene and caresses his cheek. LOUISE: Are you all right, darling? Scott takes hold of the hand and smiles. SCOTT: I'm fine. I've been thinking. I can't leave you here at all. I'm going to take you with me. Back to our house. BACK TO OUR OWN WORLD.
dissolve to: Louise walks down a hill. SCOTT'S VOICE: Do you think we're going in the right direction? LOUISE: I don't know. Scott is almost twice her height. He looks down at her. SCOTT: We have to--COME OUT as close to the house as possible. LOUISE: I know. I'm almost positive this is the place where I found myself in the morning after the crow carried me outside. (Scott sitting on the ground. Lousie standing before him. Their heads are at the same level now.) LOUISE: And now? SCOTT: (grimly) Now we wait.
dissolve to Louise turns uncomfortably on the ground, restless in her sleep. We hear a ripping sound. Louise wakes up sharply and looks down at herself. The material covering her side has ripped open. LOUISE: (exultant) I'M GROWING. Scott, I'm growing again! fade out
We see front of the deserted house. Focus in on grass and flowers.
Scott and Louise walking among tree-like blades of grass and flower
stems. LOUISE: Are you sure we're going in the right direction? SCOTT: I'm almost positive. I'll check again though.
Scott climbs a flower stem using the spine-like hairs for footholds. SCOTT: We're heading the right way. LOUISE: Good. (beat) Are you sure the cellar would be the safest place to stay? SCOTT: We have to have that bread and water you left there. LOUISE: I know but what about the insects? What is there's another spider? SCOTT: We have to take that chance, Lou. Besides, there are-- (Loud cracking noise. They jump behind flower stem.) In the background like some primordial beast a huge beetle lumbers across the screen. At last it it out of scene. SCOTT: (wryly) As I was about to say, there are insects out here, too. More than inside--and they look even bigger. LOUISE: Will there ever be an end to all this? SCOTT: (comforting her) Of course there will, darling. (grins) Some day that thing that just went by will be smaller to us than our smallest fingernail. (kisses her cheek) Cheer up. It's just a matter of time. LOUISE: (brightening) Let's get to the cellar. I'm hungry. SCOTT: Right. Brief series of scenes showing their progress through the vast yard and the huge, frightening insects they barely manage to avoid. Dissover to :Night. They sit in the moonlight, eating. They have a leaf drawn around themselves for warmth. LOUISE: These seeds aren't too bad. SCOTT: They're pretty good--for seeds. Well, here we are Mrs. Carey, sitting under a flower, eating seeds, a leaf for a blanket. Who would have ever believed it? LOUISE: Me. After what we've been through I'd believe anything. SCOTT: (smiles) Are you warm enough? LOUISE: Mm hmm. SCOTT: I'd try to start a fire but I'm afraid it would attract bugs. (grunts in wry amusement) I think I've seen enough monstrosities for awhile. LOUISE: (bemused) Once those creatures were only insects to us. Now they're massive horrors that could devour us. Strange how the same things in life can seem so different depending on how you look at them. dissolve to: early morning, overcast sky. Rumble of thunder S & L lie asleep under the leaf. A tiny drop of water falls on Scott's forehead. He brushes at it. A drop falls on Louise's cheek, another on her nose. It's raining on them. Their eyes open almost simultaneously and they sit up, brushing the water from around their eyes. SCOTT: Let's go to the house! LOUISE:Which way? They push to their feet. Scott points at the ground. Stick on ground--it points off screen. SCOTT: I put it there last night! Come on! They start through forest of glass blades, rain falling on them, getting heavier. Their toga-like outfits cling to them. The falling rain brings up gouts of mud that splatter across them. Louise is almost knocked down by one but Scott embraces her. Their legs start to sink in the mud. Suddenly a rushing wave of water heads toward them and engulfs them--they are split apart! SCOTT: Lou! He swims after her. Ahead of him we see Louise flailing in the wild torrent. Louise is dragged by the torrent barely able to keep her head above water. Scott swims after her, driven by the raging flood. We see a sudden drop in the water as the water runs down into a deep gully. Louise struggles to regain her footing. Suddenly she's swept against a small island of dirt and clings to it desparately. Water swirls around her, tearing at her. Island begins to crumble beneath her. LOUISE: Scott! SCOTT: Hang on! LOUISE: I can't! It's breaking under me! Scott sees something off screen (o.s.) and lunges for it. LOUISE (anguished): Scott! We see the end of a blade of grass moving toward Louise. It is being held by Scott. SCOTT: Can you reach it? LOUISE: No! SCOTT: Jump for it, then! LOUISE: I can't! SCOTT: It's your only chance! Jump! JUMP! She braces herself; jumps. She almost misses the grass blade then manages to take hold of it. Scott tows Louise to safety on shore, then embraces her. LOUISE: (shivering) Oh Scott, Scott... SCOTT: It's all right, baby. All right. Are you all right? Louise nods. SCOTT: Strong enough to go on? LOUISE: I, I guess. SCOTT: We have to get off the ground before it's completely flooded. Maybe we can get up there. S & L see a flower and start climbing up. When they reach the top Scott climbs up into the blossom. He pulls Louise up. LOUISE: It's so cold! SCOTT: (worriedly) I know. (A moment later Scott and Louise cling to each other in the flower bowl. Water swirls around their waists.) LOUISE: What are we going to do? It's over our heads already. SCOTT: I don't know. We can't go down on the ground, though. Suddenly the flower moves sideways. LOUISE: What's happening? SCOTT: The weight of the water must be forcing it over! They are thrown off balance and drift quickly to the side of the blossoms. Some of the water spills over the edge, to which they cling desparately. They look down, frightened. Far below we see the ground which is covered by torrents of water. The blossom tilts up as it is caught by a burst of wind. Scott and Louise disappear from view as it tilts up! Finally the flower holds relatively steady and S & L tread water, looking at each other frightenedly. SCOTT: Are you all right? LOUISE: Yes, are you? SCOTT: I'm all right. (He gasps in air.) I'll have to let the water out somehow or it'll tip the flower over and throw us out. Or worse--drown us. Louise stares at him. SCOTT: Can you stay up by yourself? LOUISE: What are you going to do? SCOTT: Go under and see if I can-- LOUISE: (interrupting) No! SCOTT: Lou, I have to! It's our only chance! She stares at him. SCOTT: Just hang on. I'll only be a second. Can you hang on. LOUISE: All right. SCOTT: Good. I'll be right back. LOUISE: Be careful! He nods, then he ducks under. Swims underwater. He tries to tear away part of the blossom but he cannot. Lungs bursting, he swims upward. Breaks through the surface and gasps at air. LOUISE: No? SCOTT: (shaking his head) It's hard. LOUISE: Let me try. SCOTT: No. I'm all right. He goes under again. We see the water-treading legs of Louise as Scott swims down again. At the bottom he catches hold of a petal edge and starts kicking at the bottom of the flower. At last his foot breaks through. He tries to swim back but his foot is caught in the hole. His breath is almost gone. He struggles violently to free himself. Louise ducks under, then swims to Scott and tries to free his foot. She cannot at first. Then finally when it seems as if they will both drown, she dislodges his foot and they both swim up. They tread water, gasping, as the surface lowers. They are drenched and cold but safe from drowning. dissolve to: morning. We see a clear, almost bright sky. Flowers and grass. A small ragged hole in the bottom of a flower blossom. Louise is asleep there. She awakes, looks o.s. Scott is eating a piece of petal. He holds out some, smiling. SCOTT: Breakfast? He sits beside her and they eat. SCOTT: The ground is flooded. We'll need a boat to reach the house. LOUISE: A boat? Where are we going to find a boat? SCOTT: (smiles) We're sitting in it right now. We see the flower bowl. Louise has to hang on from sliding down its sides. SCOTT'S VOICE: Hang on now! It's breaking! Hang on! The blossom starts to fall. We see the blossom flutter and settle down on the flooded ground. Scott looks up from having covered the hole he made with a crumpled-up piece of petal. SCOTT: So. He stands beside Louise in the rocking blossom boat. SCOTT: Now... They look over the edge of the blossom. A stick floats by and Scott bends over to pick it up. SCOTT: Perfect. (beat) Where to, milady? LOUISE: (falling in with his cheerfulness) Do we have a choice? SCOTT: Why of course. We can go to the house or we can starve to death. LOUISE: That's a fine choice. (Beat) The house sounds nicer. SCOTT: The house it is! Series of quickly-paced scenes showing their sometimes pleasant, sometimes perilous voyage to the house. We see the flower boat pulling up to the grating at the side of the house. Scott holds on to the grating while Louise climbs through. Then he follows her. They watch the boat float away. SCOTT: Farewell to the S.S. Flower. He and Louise smile at each other, then turn and look into the cellar. SCOTT: Well here we are again. LOUISE: (taking his hand) Here we are. SCOTT'S VOICE: All the memories this place has. LOUISE'S VOICE: For both of us. SCOTT: We'd better get to that bread and water. They walk across the half wall, hand in hand. SCOTT: You remember where you put it? LOUISE: Yes. We're going in the right direction. I remember now, It's just above that rise. SCOTT: Let's run. I'm hungry. They run to the top of the rise where they stop and look o.s., their expressions dazed. Thimble lies on its side, all the water drained from it. There are only a few crumbs beside it. LOUISE: I don't understand. I left the bread right here and the thimble half-filled with water; standing up...covered. SCOTT: Maybe something took the bread away and knocked the thimble over. LOUISE: WHAT? SCOTT: I don't know, Lou. He picks up a few crumbs and cleans them off. He hands her one. SCOTT: These aren't going to last us very long. There will be plenty of rain water to drink but we'll have to find more food than this. LOUISE: (worriedly) Yes. SCOTT: Hey, what about that cake? LOUISE: That's right! (she frowns as she remembers) No. I knocked it off the wall one day when I was searching down here. Later on I took it upstairs and threw it into the garbage. SCOTT: (deflated) Oh. (brightens) Well don't worry about it. We'll find the bread. Louise nods. shot to: night. They lie sleeping on the dirt, moonlight illuminating the cellar. o.s. we hear as crunching sound as if from someone or someTHING is walking on the dirt. Scott's eyes open. He listens carefully to the approaching sound. Then the sound stops. LOUISE'S VOICE: (whispering) Scott! SCOTT: (turning his head toward her) Yes? LOUISE: Did you hear it? SCOTT: Yes. LOUISE: WHAT was it? SCOTT: I don't know. Sound starts again. Louise looks around fearfully. Sound comes closer. LOUISE: (whispering) Where is it? SCOTT: Shhh! They sit wordlessly. Sound comes closer. They hear something like a labored sniffing. It fades. Then the crunching sound also fades. They both relax visibly. Louise looks at Scott. LOUISE (smiling wanly): Here we go again. SCOTT: It might not be anything. LOUISE: You don't believe that. SCOTT: (swallows) I guess I don't. He lies back. SCOTT: We'd better get some rest. (Beat) We may need it. Louise lies beside him. LOUISE: Rest, he says. SCOTT: (after a pause) Maybe I was wrong, Lou. Maybe the cellar isn't such a good place after all for us to be. Especially since apparently there's no bread left. I guess we better go outside again in the morning. (beat) Does that make you feel better? LOUISE: It certainly does. I keep thinking about the spider. SCOTT: Don't think of it. We'll be out of here in the morning. Go to sleep now. LOUISE: All right. (kisses him) Good night, darling.
SCOTT: Good night, baby. (She cuddles up against him.) SCOTT: (stares down at tracks): What in the name of...? LOUISE: I don't know--and let's not stay to find out! SCOTT: (wryly) Agreed They walk quickly toward the grating. They try to climb through but are unable to. SCOTT: (hollowly) I forgot. We were growing all night! LOUISE: (weakly) Oh, Scott... They look at each other, frightenedly. They appear at the edge of the wall and look down. SCOTT: That bread isn't up here. We'll have to climb down and hope it's down THERE somewhere. (hopefully) Maybe it fell. LOUISE: Scott, it couldn't have fallen. It wasn't anywhere near the edge. SCOTT: (grimly) I know. LOUISE: Those--tracks? SCOTT: Yes. Well, let's not-- LOUISE: (looking up, overlapping) Scott couldn't we try to get upstairs? SCOTT: I never could when I was here before. We're not big enough, Lou. We'll have to wait. (puts arm around her) Don't worry. Come on. Let's climb down and see if we can find that bread. LOUISE: All right. (beat) How? (smiling, Scott points off screen. Shot of twine. One end dangles down. SCOTT: There, that should do it. That's good. LOUISE: Don't we have to tie the string to anything? SCOTT: I didn't before. The ball is so heavy itself--and we're so light. He lets himself down over the edge and jerks down with all his weight. SCOTT: See? He climbs back up onto the wall. SCOTT: You go first and I'll hold the string steady. LOUISE: All right. Louise climbs over the edge and lets herself down slowly, holding on to the string with all of her strength. Scott braces the other end. We see giant paint cans on top as Louise climbs down onto the giant crate. LOUISE: All right! SCOTT: Here I come. He half slides, half climbs down the string to join her. SCOTT: There we are. They sit down to rest. SCOTT: Do you remember THIS spot. (grins wryly) One of the many where I almost lost my life. LOUISE: What happened honey? SCOTT: I'd managed to climb up from the floor but I had to get over that gap. LOUISE: But how could you? You couldn't have jumped it. SCOTT: Well, there was a paintstick there at that time, and... (flashback to paintstick scene in ISM) dissolve back to them SCOTT: It was pretty close. LOUISE: (shudders) The things you've been through. SCOTT: (pats her hand) You've had your moments, too. (he stands; stretches) Well, shall we? LOUISE: Uh-huh. Quickly paced shots show their descent down the string. SCOTT: We made it. Louise nods, too breathless to speak. They walk away from the half wall. LOUISE: Scott, what will we do if the bread ISN'T down here? SCOTT: Let's not worry about that until we're sure it's gone. LOUISE: Well..shouldn't we have some kind of weapon in case... SCOTT: That's what we're going after now. We see the giant spools of thread, huge pin cushion, and two old-fashioned wooden matches. LOUISE: Did I ever really use these things to SEW with? SCOTT: And you'll use them again. (draws out a straight pin) Our weapon. LOUISE: This is where you got the pin you killed that spider with. SCOTT: That's right. Come on. Let's find that bread now. LOUISE: What about those matches? SCOTT: We might need them later for something but not now. LOUISE: All right. Let's go then. They move cautiously across the floor, searching for the bread. LOUISE: I can't see it. SCOTT: We'll find it. Scott and Louise come up to the steps and look up at them. SCOTT: (recalling) The first time I was trapped in the cellar I stood right here and shouted your name over and over. LOUISE: I thought the cat had killed you. SCOTT: Well, it's over now. (looks around) We'll soon be-- (he stops abruptly) LOUISE: What is it? SCOTT: (excitedly) Come on! He grabs her hand and they run toward the distant water heater. They run under the heater...they stop and look offscreen with immense satisfaction. SCOTT: THERE. Shot of slice of bread. Somewhat chewed up but still almost intact. dissolve to: They stand by the bread, eating. LOUISE: Oh, this is good. SCOTT: (eating) Mmm-hmm. LOUISE: (swallowing quickly) Don't you think we better get out of here though? SCOTT: Yes. I'll cut off a hunk and we'll take it over there. We see a matchbox. SCOTT: That used to be my home. It'll be OUR home now. The camera acts as the unseen menace we heard before. It moves toward the two figures under the water heater and we hear a faint clicking as of claws on the cement. We see Louise stiffening. Sound stops. She slowly turns to face the camera, as if afraid to do so. She recoils with a horrified scream! In the background wee see a great furry body of a giant rat, observing them with coal-black eyes. SCOTT: (tensely) Lou. Don't move fast. Edge away. Keep moving toward the matchbox but slowly. Slowly. Take my hand. They edge away; the rat continues to watch. SCOTT: Don't move fast. Slowly, slowly. Camera shoots over the head of the rat with S & L in background. SCOTT: Now! They whirl and race toward the matchbox. Rat lurches forward, its huge black body blotting out the screen. Rat charges after them, closing the gap rapidly. S & L fling themselves into the box. A moment later the box is flung over on its side! Crying out, they stagger off balance and land heavily. Box steadies and a giant rat leg reaches into the box, claws scratching at the wood. Scott jabs at it with his pin and is jerked back. Suddenly the box shakes, knocking S & L over again. Rat has the matchbox in its teeth and is shaking it violently. They are knocked unconscious by it. After a moment the rat flees. We hear its receding claws on the cement floor. dissolve to: night Scott appears in matchbox opening and looks around. He looks up toward the window. It's leaking under the bottom of the window and running down the wall in a thin, crooked line. Scott drinks the water from this stream and dips a small cloth in the water. Louise lies still on the matchbox floor. Scott enters and kneels beside her. He props her head and washes off her face with a wet rag. SCOTT: Are you all right? LOUISE: (grimacing) Nothing broken--I think. He helps her to her feet and they cling together weakly. LOUISE: How awful. SCOTT: Come outside. The air is better. LOUISE: Are you sure it's gone? SCOTT: It's gone--for now. They exit from the box and lean against its outside wall. LOUISE: What do we do now? SCOTT: Well, here's our problem. We've GOT to have that bread to survive but the RAT carried the bread underneath the heater. LOUISE: (firm) You're not going after it. SCOTT: Lou, we'll starve without it. LOUISE: But-- SCOTT: (getting an idea) Wait a second. LOUISE: What? SCOTT: THOSE MATCHES.
dissolve to SCOTT: You think you can carry it? LOUISE: I think so. You think it can work? SCOTT: It HAS to work. Ready? (picks up match) LOUISE: Ready. They pick up the matches and start off. Matches are twice as long as they are. They walk across floor. SCOTT: You know what to do now. LOUISE: Yes. SCOTT: Good. We can barely see the rat at the edge of the heater, then see it more clearly. We see the glitter of its dark eyes as it looks up. SCOTT: (stopping) Wait. LOUISE: What is it? SCOTT: Listen. (Scratching sound of rat approaching) LOUISE: (looks around) Where IS it? SCOTT: Close. Get ready. Rat crawls toward camera, nose twitching, teeth slightly bared. SCOTT: Remember now. I'll light the-- LOUISE: (breaks in, as she hears something) Scott! Rat rushes at the camera almost filling the screen. Scott hurriedly rakes the match across the floor and it flares into light. Louise recoils, gasping. Rat stops suddenly at flare of light. Scott advances toward the rat, holding match; it turns and flees! LOUISE: (jubilant) It worked! SCOTT: Let's go get that bread. They walk toward the bread. SCOTT (urgently): Put down your match and take as much bread as you can. I'll-- They are interrupted by loud squeal of the rat. LOUISE: Look out! Rat gets closer; Scott walks into scene backing the rat away with the extended, burning match. SCOTT: Hurry! Get that bread into the matchbox! Breaking off as much as she can carry, she casts one quick glance over her shoulder then runs out of scene. Match is getting less and less bright; Scott looks at it worriedly. SCOTT: Hurry up--this match is about to-- Match goes out. Scott stands frozen a moment, then lunges toward the other match. The entire screen is blackened by the darting body of the rat. Suddenly we hear Scott cry out in pain. SCOTT: (anguished) Louise! LOUISE: (starting forward) No... She races to the heater, reaches the match and picks it up quickly. She strikes it and, after her eyes focus from the initial flaring blaze, she looks around. She gasps. Scott lands heavily on the floor, bleeding from a badly mauled shoulder. One of the rat's huge claws clamps down on his chest. Claw pins him to the floor. Louise hustles in and scares rat away with the lighted match. LOUISE: Scott! Can you walk? SCOTT: (struggling to his feet) We'd--better--get (he cannot finish) LOUISE: (horrified) You're bleeding!
SCOTT: Come on! LOUISE: Please, darling. Please! Get up. The rat's head appears and she jabs out with the match. The head retreats but we can hear the sound of the rat following as Scott and Louise keep moving toward the matchbox. Scott ends up crawling. We see Scott crawling into scene and into the matchbox. After a moment Louise appears and with all her remaining strength heaves the match offscreen. We hear the loud infuriated squeak of the rat. Then Louise lunges into the matchbox. LOUISE: Scott, are you--? He is silent. LOUISE: Scott? He does not answer. She leans over and puts her head on his chest. He's still breathing. She tears strips from her brief outfit. As the rat prowls outside, she starts to bandage Scott's wounds. dissolve to: interior matchbox--morning Scott lies shivering, his face beaded with sweat. LOUISE's Voice: (trying to be calm) Honey, try to eat some bread. Camera draws back. We see they are both a bit larger, about 2" tall. LOUISE: Honey, please, try to eat. You're COLD... (Louise rubs his arm) LOUISE: I have to get something to cover you with. We see Louise running up to a crack in a box. She jumps up but cannot reach it. She turns and looks back worriedly. We see the tiny matchbox in the distance; far beyond, the water heater and the wall. Louise uses the pin to help her climb up the side of the box to reach the crack; she jabs it into the wall. She climbs onto the pin. Abruptly, she leaps! She catches on to the edge of the crack with both hands. One of them slips! She wavers in the air, held only by one hand. It is a long drop to the floor. Slowly she pulls herself up and into the crack. She lowers herself, hangs a moment, then drops out of scene. She lands lightly on the cork, the same one Scott used to help get out of the box in the I.S.M. She turns and looks around. She looks over the rags, looking for one that will provide the most warmth. At last she finds the right one. As she holds one around herself, she sees something off screen. She kneels. She takes hold of the end of a knitting needle. She starts pulling at it until she gets it free. She tosses the needle out of the crack. We hear the rat's approach (clicking sound). Sound stops. She tenses herself; turns, backs up a little, and looks toward the crack. Suddenly the rat lookis into the boox. Louise cannot hold back that scream. The rat lunges against the box and knocks her over. Rat jumps at the sides, trying to get in, its claws raking down the sides as it slips. Louise lies back, petrified, listening to the frenzied scratching of the rat's claws and its loud squeaking. later Heavy silence in the cellar. After a few moments, Louise appears in the crack and looks around. She sees nothing and starts to climb out. She hurries across the floor as quickly as she can, carrying the rag and straight pin and dragging the long knitting needle behind her. She hurries toward the matchbox. Louise comes in (matchbox) with the pin and rag. She tucks the rag around his shivering body. LOUISE: How are you darling? SCOTT: (voice dry) Not so good. (beat) How long have we been here? LOUISE: In the matchbox? SCOTT: Yes. LOUISE: Just since last night. SCOTT: That's all? Are you sure? Louise stares at him. He is acting feverish. SCOTT: You better keep a record. LOUISE: Record? SCOTT: Makes scratches on the wall. So we know how long we've been here. It's been more than a day. LOUISE: No it hasn't, darling, I-- He begins to writhe painfully under the rag and groan. LOUISE: (frightened) Scott... SCOTT: (teeth gritted) I said keep a record! Crusoe did. Don't you understand English? Biting her lip, Louise stands and moves to the wall. She picks up the pin and makes a scratch. dissolve to: We see it is the third day by the mark on the wall. We hear Scott groaning, offscreen. Louise is patting a piece of rag at the dew of sweat across his face. SCOTT: (feverishly) I'm getting smaller. SMALLER. Don't leave me Lou. Don't leave me! LOUISE: (trying to hold steady) I'm here, darling. He opens his eyes and stares at her. Abruply a rather terrifying chuckle fills his throat. SCOTT: (amusedly) Some--idiot doctor told me I was shrinking. Shrinking, Lou! Shrinking! Can you imagine that. What a fool. (groans) Oh, I feel awful. Call up Marty and tell him I won't be in to work today. Will you do that? LOUISE: (tightly) All right. Go to--sleep, darling. Louise reaches off screen to get a piece of bread. Just a few crumbs left. dissolve to interior matchbox; we can see by scratches 2 more days have passed. We see the last scrap of bread. We see Scott--weak and pale, but in his right mind. SCOTT (feebly): You--sure you ate? LOUISE: Yes. There's plenty of bread outside. I got another piece. SCOTT: You shouldn't have gone back to the water heater. What if--? LOUISE: (pressing a finger to his lips to quiet him) The rat wasn't there. Now eat. You need the strength. She rises. SCOTT: Where are you going? LOUISE: Just--outside. SCOTT: Don't go away. LOUISE: I won't. Louise watches him a moment; Scott closes his eyes, and then she leaves. She rubs her stomach hungrily. We see that there is no piece of bread outside. Louise has lied to allay Scott's fears. LOUISE: (to herself) He's got to have food... she looks offscreen Shot of water heater. Louise picks up knitting needle and starts to rub the point of it against the cement. dissolve to we see the point is very sharp now. She tests the point of her "lance"; then, taking a deep breath, starts off toward the water heater. Louise moves cautiously . Suddenly a loud noise, coming from near the heater. Camera points up and we see the rat crouching on the half wall, looking down. In matchbox, Scott stirs restlessless, then opens his eyes and looks around. SCOTT: Lou? (beat) Lou? Scott gets up; then, alarm crosses his face. He exits. SCOTT: Lou? He comes out into the cellar and looks around. Terrible realization: SCOTT: There's no bread out here. He looks off screen frightenedly. We see Louise breaking off a large chunk of bread (near the water heater). Suddenly she freezes. We hear clicking of the rat's claws on the cement. Louise looks over her shoulder. We see the rat advancing toward the camera, eyes glittering. Louise drops the bread, snatches up her knitting needle, and runs. The rat pursues. She runs as fast as she can. Rat charges at the camera. Louise trips and falls heavily on the cement. She twists around and, as well as she can, braces the knitting needle and jumps back. She's knocked off balance by the rat and falls over. She gets up as quickly as she can and pushes the needle out, bracing herself for the rat's next charge. Rat lunges toward Louise. She jabs at it with the needle. Suddenly the needle is almost pulled from her hands. The rat has the end of the needle in between its teeth and is tugging at it. Abruptly it pulls the needle loose. Defenseless, terrified, she backs away. LOUISE: (barely able to speak) No. No... Scott runs toward the camera carrying the straight pin. He stops, looks offscreen in horror; raises the pin like a spear and throws it. Giant rat in foreground; Louise backs away, hands raised in mortal fright. Suddenly the pin flies into the rat's side! Rat screeches and jerks back out of scene. We see the pin sticking in its side. It bits furiously at it, twisting around, almost beserk. The pin falls loose. Scott runs INTO scene and picks up the knitting needle. Rat sees him; charges. Scott throws up the point of the lance-like knitting needle. He keeps jabbing at the wounded rat as it lunges. Scott is weakening. One of the rat's claws lashes into the scene and rakes across his shoulder. Scott gasps; staggers; then catches himself and grits his teeth, fights on. Scott and the rat struggle in a fantastic duel--giant rodent vs. miniature man! Now abruptly, Louise rushes into the scene. SCOTT: Get away, Louise! She runs up beside the rat's giant side and picks up the bloody pin. Holding it like a spear, she lunges at the rat. She jabs the pin into the rat. Ducks suddenly, barely missing being lashed by its giant tail. She keeps jabbing at the rat's giant furry body. Rat suddenly leaps at Scott. The rat impales itself on the knitting needle! We see the needle come through its dark back. Weight of the falling rat knocks Scott to the floor violently. Rat dies. Scott lies there, apparently unconscious. There is a great silence. Then, groaning, Scott struggles up to his feet. He staggers around the vast bulk of the dead rat until he comes to where Louise is slumped down, bleeding, exhausted. He kneels beside her and them embrace with whatever strength they have left. dissolve to: interior of house; door at head of cellar steps. The door is pushed open slightly and Scott and Louise, 4 inches tall, come into the hallway. They walk a few paces then stop. pan shot, living room. Camera shooting from the floor. Moves slowly around the familiar room, still big and oversize but not as much as before. Scott and Louise walk into scene. SCOTT: We're home, Lou. LOUISE: (quietly) Yes, darling. We're home. They walk hand in hand toward the dollhouse which will be their temporary home on their return to normality. THE END |