Die Hand Die Verletzt

SCENE 1
PARENT TEACHER COMMITTEE
MILFORD HAVEN, NH

INTERIOR, NIGHT. CONFERENCE ROOM, CROWLEY HIGH SCHOOL

(close-up of PTC room wall)

AUSBURY: All in favour?

DEBORAH: Aye.

CALCAGNI: Aye.

AUSBURY: All right.

AUSBURY: Starting Monday, the track around the athletic field will be closed to joggers at 8:30 pm instead of ten.
(He looks up as if at other people, we hear murmurs of assent)
Any other items before we call it a night?

CALCAGNI: Yeah, um, I got wind that for the spring drama productions, Howard Roberts intends to put on Jesus Christ Superstar (Wry amusement).

AUSBURY: You know how he is... Howard's just trying to do things the kids like.

CALCAGNI: My point exactly.

DEBORAH: Um... I don't think that play is appropriate for this high school.

VITARIS: If he wants to be young, I have no problems with "Grease", or "Annie", or...

CALCAGNI: Doesn't "Grease" have the "F" word?

AUSBURY: Look, I'll talk to Howard. OK, let's adjourn till next week. Deborah, why don't you lead us in a prayer?

[He produces a red candle and sets it on the desk as he and Vitaris speak]

VITARIS: Jim -- the game is on.

CALCAGNI: It'll only take a minute. (SIGHS) We've been... letting it slip.

[Ausbury strikes a match to light the candle. We hear faint thunder in the background]

AUSBURY: Paul, why don't you get the door.

Vitaris gets up, camera tracks him to the door then is "shut out" by him. Faint light is visible around door edges.

ALL: In the name of the Lords of Darkness, rulers of the Earth, kings of the Underworld, I command the forces of darkness to bestow their infernal power upon me.

DEBORAH: Sein ist die Hand die verletzt

OTHERS: Sein ist die Hand die verletzt.

CAPTION: HIS IS THE HAND THAT WOUNDS!

DEBORAH: Sein ist der Ort genannt Hölle. (OR: Hoelle)

OTHERS: Sein ist der Ort genannt Hölle. (OR: Hoelle)

CAPTION: HIS IS THE PLACE CALLED HELL.

DEBORAH: May the black powers of our forefathers make us strong.

ALL: Hail. Hail the Lords of Darkness.

SCENE 2
MILFORD HAVEN, NH
EXTERIOR. NIGHT. WOODS

It is raining heavily. We see four kids walking through the woods, two boys followed by two girls. They are backlit by very strong moonlight coming through the trees. The boys (Jerry Stevens and Dave Duran) are pretty standard grunge types, the girls (Kate and Andrea) standard "nice girl" looks. The girls carry umbrellas. Jerry Stevens is carrying a bulky package in a brown paper bag. During the following exchange they walk up to and past camera.

KATE: How much further?

The boys answer simultaneously

JERRY: Up there a ways.

DAVE: Not far.

JERRY: I heard the altar is a hollowed stump, just up here. OK. When they get free, you get Kate, I take Andrea. (Grinning) Those mittens are giving me keerage (????) This is it.

DAVE: OK. I need a personal object from everyone. All right. (They gather round the stump, the girls still hanging on to their umbrellas. Dave produces a black candle from his pocket, stands it up on the stump and lights it)

Now Andrea, you gotta stand over here and face Jerry ... Like this.... (She looks uncertain) Closer.

ANDREA: Why like this?

DAVE: Well that's so... er... so we're calling the spirits up of every direction. OK now Kate, you gotta stand here and face me.

KATE: Do you really think someone used this place for black magic? Or is it just a rumour?

JERRY: (IMPATIENTLY) C'mon Dave!

DAVE: (TO JERRY) Sshh! (He takes a piece of paper, obviously a page torn from a book, from his pocket, and turns to Kate. He begins to read from it, looking in turn at the others. He's really trying to come across as serious about it) In the name of the Lords of Darkness, rulers of the Earth, kings of the Underworld, rise, rise to this place. Ah... Azazal. (Sound like sigh is heard as the candle is blown out. Dave and Andrea look at it, Dave isn't bothered) Know ye all who dwell in the light of professed righteousness that the others who know the keys and the angels have opened the gate.

A sound like groaning voices fills the air; Dave is startled, Kate looks scared. Andrea is scared -- she jumps to hug jerry for protection. Jerry simply grins. Kate and Dave are very uneasy, looking around. Andrea looks down and screams, again and again. Andrea's POV: many rats running around her feet. The others are obviously scared now. Still screaming, andrea runs off into the forest.

JERRY: Forget this! (Runs after Andrea, shouting) Andrea!

Kate is turning to follow them. Dave throws something at the rats which bursts into flame as it hits the ground. He turns and they run after the others.

We see Andrea, sobbing, upset, running, frantically reciting a prayer of some sort. She is practically hysterical.

ANDREA: ....believe in Jesus Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our deaths...

JERRY: Andrea! Wait!

He has almost caught her up when a line of flame appears suddenly on the ground. He stumbles and falls to his knees in front of it, blinded by the light. He gets to his feet, shielding his face. A groan-like, animalistic sound is heard. He turns and a thin, bony, cadaverous hand seizes his throat and lifts him up... Up... He is choking.

SCENE 3
NEXT DAY
SAME SPOT
8:55 A.M.

It is still raining. A gloved hand drops a white tarp to reveal Agent Scully, crouching under an umbrella. She has obviously been looking under the tarp and wears a look of faint disgust.

OAKES: A hunter found him early this morning.

SCULLY: Couldn't have been dead for more than 12 hours.

She straightens up. During the following we see that she and Mulder are standing over what is obviously a body under the tarp. Sheriff John Oakes is standing on the other side of the body, while uniformed police are searching the area in the background. Everyone carries umbrellas. Throughout the discussion Oakes, a worried-looking man in around his early forties, has an air of "I know this sounds crazy but" about him -- he is well shook up, nervous, but serious in his suggestions.

OAKES: They say this arena's used for witches' ceremonies.

MULDER: "They"?

OAKES: Well.. everybody... everybody who lives around here knows about the things that go on in this town. They say there are people who control things.

SCULLY: (polite disbelief) Any evidence to substantiate those rumours, Sheriff Oakes?

OAKES: Well, Agent Scully... look at the body... the eyes and heart have been cut out.

Mulder looks on bleakly

SCULLY: Many homicides include victim desecration.

OAKES: I know he and his friends listened to devil music!

MULDER: "The Night Chicago Died"? (He walks away)

OAKES: (Turning to follow Mulder as he moves away) You know what I mean. Heavy Metal bands that influence kids...

Oakes moves to join Mulder, who is walking up to the stump, Scully following.

MULDER: Was Jerry Stevens or his friends ever witnessed participating in witchcraft?

OAKES: No.

SCULLY: More rumours.

OAKES: (Pointing) This stump here is supposed to be the ceremonial altar. What do you think?

Mulder moves closer to look at it

MULDER: I think with a few turquoise chips, a picture of John Wayne and three cans of shellac it'd make a pretty nice coffee table.

OAKES: Well you see all that wax? Someone's been lighting candles in there.

Under the above, Scully has been examining the bag of bottles Jerry had been carrying. She straig