sib2x15
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         9     EXT. WOODLAND - CLEARING - NIGHT                         9

               A fresh PORTAL has opened up, swirling and crackling with
               energy in the night, sparks spitting from it.

               This time, however, it's not alone - standing before the
               portal is a small crowd of PEOPLE, all shapes and sizes,
               staring intently into the vortex before them.

               They all slowly raise their hands - and start to CHANT,
               intoning a rhythmic set of words over and over, before we:

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT ONE
                                       ACT TWO

               FADE IN:

        10     EXT. MOUNTAIN TRAIL - NIGHT                             10

               The Jeep is parked up and the driver stays with it, as Chris
               and Sally lead the way with flashlights, hiking up the
               incline towards the thick woods up ahead.

               Twist and Danyael follow close behind, Twist already looking
               far from happy with the situation.

                                   TWIST
                         All I was saying was 'why can't we
                         take the Jeep all the way there?'

                                   SALLY
                         The trees get too thick past here.
                         There's no way we could get the
                         Jeep through this forest without
                         taking a big detour to the next
                         road, and your friend here's got me
                         kind of anxious to find out what's
                         going on!

               Sally catches up to Chris, glancing back at Twist.

                                   SALLY (cont'd)
                         Don't those two needs flashlights
                         too?

                                   CHRIS
                         They see well in the dark. Lots of
                         vitamins.

                                   SALLY
                         Oh...

               Chris notices her hesitant expression.

                                   CHRIS
                         Having second thoughts?

                                   SALLY
                         No, I... well, actually, I'm just
                         now finally starting to wonder what
                         the hell I'm doing hiking in the
                         woods with a bunch of people I just
                         met. I've seen too many bad horror
                         movies that started like this.

                                   CHRIS
                         If you want to go back to your
                         Jeep, you're welcome to-

                                   SALLY
                             (firm)
                         No. I want to know what's going on,
                         and something tells me staying with
                         you is the best way to do that.

               Chris manages a small smile.

                                   CHRIS
                         Alright, then.

               The team continue their hike, ending up on:

        11     EXT. HILLS - TRAIL - NEXT                               11

               Chris heads up a steep slope, flanked on either side by tall
               hillsides as the others try to keep up.

               Sally has fallen further back and is joined by Twist and
               Danyael, Sally looking enviously towards Chris.

                                   SALLY
                         Okay, I've lived round here my
                         whole life, and even I can't move
                         through the woods that fast. What's
                         his secret?

                                   TWIST
                         He's British.

                                   SALLY
                         Oh.
                             (beat)
                         Huh?

                                   DANYAEL
                         Don't bother asking her to explain
                         herself, you'll just end up more
                         confused.

                                   SALLY
                         Okay... so what do you two do,
                         anyway?

                                   TWIST
                         'Do'?

                                   SALLY
                         Well, I'm still trying to figure
                         out what kinds of free-lancers you
                         are, 'cause...
                             (looks them over)
                         ... you don't exactly dress how I'd
                         expect people who do a lot of this
                         sort of thing to.

                                   TWIST
                         No sense losing your sense of style
                         just because you have to get your
                         hands dirty.

                                   DANYAEL
                         We investigate weird stuff like
                         this all the time. You know,
                         helping people with problems,
                         clearing up messes, stuff like
                         that.

                                   SALLY
                         Oh, I get it. You're with the CIA,
                         aren't you?

               Twist and Danyael exchange a glance, before Chris calls out:

                                   CHRIS
                         Twist? Danyael? Come and take a
                         look at this.

               Sally follows as they reach Chris, who has stopped on the
               slope, shining his torch down on a set of tracks pressed into
               the muddy ground.

                                   TWIST
                         What'cha got?

                                   CHRIS
                         What sort of animal would make
                         tracks like those?

                                   SALLY
                             (studies them)
                         Nothing I can think of.

                                   CHRIS
                         Exactly.

               Chris looks up, shining his torch at the woods around them.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                         Ever since we got here, I've been
                         sensing something... off about this
                         whole area.

                                   SALLY
                         'Sensing'?

                                   DANYAEL
                             (quiet)
                         He thinks he's a Jedi.

                                   CHRIS
                         We should split up. We need to
                         cover more ground to get to the
                         bottom of this, before-

               A screeching HOWL rips through the trees around them, and the
               team spring to alertness.

                                   TWIST
                         Before that happens?

                                   CHRIS
                         That's what I was aiming for...

               Chris draws his katana, not noticing Sally's eyes bulge at
               the sight of the sword.

                                   SALLY
                             (scared)
                         Uh... okay, maybe I'll just go back
                         to the Jeep now and leave you guys
                         to-

               Something DROPS down and lands before her!

                                   SALLY (cont'd)
                         Aah!

               She stumbles backwards and lands on her ass - and sees the
               MONSTER before her at last! It's on all fours with a thin,
               wolf-like body and dark, smooth skin.

               The creature SNAPS its jaws towards Sally, but Twist charges
               into frame and SMASHES her baseball bat across its jaw.

               Twist pulls Sally to her feet as the stunned creature rolls
               back down the hillside, and several more creatures drop down
               from the hills overhead to surround the team.

                                   CHRIS
                         Stay back to back! Don't let them
                         drag you out into the open!

                                   DANYAEL
                         What are they?

               Chris stares at one of the fiends as they encircle the group,
               gripping his katana tightly.

                                   CHRIS
                         Another part of the puzzle. Watch
                         out, in case they-

               Two of the creatures LEAP to the attack, but Chris' sword
               SLICES through the air at dizzying speed, neatly cutting both
               creatures in two.

               Twist and Danyael are also in action, kicking and hitting
               anything that gets too close, keeping Sally safe behind them.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Alright, I've got a new plan.

                                   TWIST
                         I'm all ears!

                                   DANYAEL
                         We run.

                                   TWIST
                         We what?

                                   DANYAEL
                         You got a better idea?

               Twist glances at him, then marches boldly forward, heading
               straight for the nearest wolf-creature.

                                   CHRIS
                         Twist? What are you doing? Get back
                         here!

                                   TWIST
                         Here, boy...

               She tenses up as the first wolf bounds towards he,r her
               fingers tightening around her bat.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                             (narrows eyes)
                         Fetch.

               It leaps towards her - but with a mighty POW she knocks it
               straight out of the sky.

               Two more creatures charge at her, one from each side, but
               Twist quickly snatches one out of the air and swings it into
               the second, dropping both to floor - and STAMPING on their
               necks with a loud CRUNCH.

               She stares down the final monster as it GROWLS at her, and
               she pats her bat into her palm with a grin.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         You really want to do what you're
                         thinking about doing?

               The creature starts to pad slowly backwards - then, with a
               final BARK of anger, it turns tails and runs.

               Twist turns to the others with a victorious grin, but that
               soon drops as Chris charges angrily towards her.

                                   CHRIS
                         What the bloody hell was that?

                                   TWIST
                         That was me killing the monsters.
                         Did I miss a memo? That's still
                         what we do, right?

                                   CHRIS
                         You could've been killed!

                                   TWIST
                         I know what I'm doing.

                                   CHRIS
                             (stern)
                         No. You don't.

               Chris stares her down, and Twist is obviously taken aback by
               his statement.

                                   TWIST
                         Hey, just because I-

                                   CHRIS
                         I understand you've been through a
                         lot, Twist, and you obviously still
                         feel some need to prove yourself to
                         me again, but charging blindly into
                         one-sided fights isn't going to
                         impress anyone.

                                   TWIST
                             (angry)
                         I'm not looking to 'impress'
                         anyone, you helmet! I'm doing what
                         I'm supposed to do!

                                   CHRIS
                         And when did punching above your
                         weight become something you were
                         'supposed' to do?

                                   TWIST
                             (scoffs)
                         I could handle those things.

                                   CHRIS
                         That's not the point and you know
                         it.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Guys!

               He steps between them, trying to cut through the thick, tense
               atmosphere.

                                   DANYAEL (cont'd)
                         Can we argue about this later?
                             (to Chris)
                         What were those things?

               Chris and Twist continue to glare at each other for a beat,
               before Chris takes a breath and continues.

                                   CHRIS
                         They were kyoten. Magically-mutated
                         descendants of mountain wolves.

               Chris starts to walk back up the trail - nobody has even
               looked at the shocked Sally since the creatures attacked.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                         They're also a long way from their
                         indigenous habitat.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Which means what?

                                   CHRIS
                         One of two things. Either someone
                         brought them here specially, or
                         they were drawn here by some other
                         force, and my bet is the magical
                         essence in the DNA drew them to
                         whatever's in those woods like a
                         moth to a neon-

                                   SALLY
                             (yells)
                         What the hell just happened?!?

               She shakes with a mixture of fear and frustration, and Twist
               steps up to her and places a hand on her shoulder.

                                   TWIST
                         I'll explain everything on the way.

               The trio continue up the trail, and as Sally takes a moment
               to try and process what she just saw, we cut to:

        12     EXT. HILLS - FOREST - NEXT                              12

               Weaving through a dense patch of trees now, the group can
               hear the distant sounds of chanting voices filtering through
               to them, carried on the wind that rustles the tops of the
               tall trees.

                                   SALLY
                         Can you all hear that?

                                   DANYAEL
                         Sounds like voices... what are they
                         saying?

                                   CHRIS
                         They're chanting.

                                   TWIST
                             (to Sally)
                         Which is never good.

                                   SALLY
                         Chanting? Oh, I suppose now there's
                         gonna be some kind of coven of
                         devil worshippers out there, right?
                         And more of those things that
                         attacked us?

                                   CHRIS
                         Hopefully neither, but something
                         tells me we are about to run into a
                         little trouble.

               He points - the purple HAZE of light is starting to shine
               again through the trees.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                         We need to get to higher ground.
                         Observe what's going on without
                         being seen.

                                   SALLY
                         I, uh, think there's a path over
                         this way.

                                   CHRIS
                         Lead on.

                                   SALLY
                         Answer me something first.

                                   CHRIS
                             (beat)
                         All right.

                                   SALLY
                         Is anybody going to tell me what's
                         going on out here?

               The team swap glances.

                                   CHRIS
                         Later. I promise.

               He motions for Sally to lead the way, and with a HUFF she
               starts on her way, and we find ourselves on:

        13     EXT. HILLS - SLOPE - NEXT                               13

               The team creep slowly to the edge of a small crest
               overlooking a clearing down below - and sure enough, they see
               the portal and the crowd of chanting people before it.

                                   SALLY
                         What in the...

                                   TWIST
                         See? Chanting. Bad.

                                   DANYAEL
                         What are they all doing here?

                                   CHRIS
                         They're either the ones keeping
                         that thing open, or they're waiting
                         for whatever's coming through it.

                                   TWIST
                         So we need to go and break up the
                         party.

                                   CHRIS
                         We certainly do.

               He steps back, and the team form a circle.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                         Miss Swift, it'll be best if you
                         stay up here with me.

                                   SALLY
                         Not arguing.

                                   CHRIS
                         Twist, Danyael, I want you two to
                         get down there and mingle.

                                   TWIST
                         'Mingle'? What is this, a frat
                         party?

                                   DANYAEL
                         You mean mix with the crowd and
                         find out what's going on, right?

                                   CHRIS
                         Exactly. You're two vampires, so
                         you'd arouse less suspicion than
                         two regular humans showing up.
                         While you're doing that, I'll be-

                                   SALLY
                             (interrupts)
                         Wait a second - vampires?!?

               Twist SIGHS, laying an arm round Sally's shoulder.

                                   TWIST
                         We all are, but we're good
                         vampires, and you know this because
                         we haven't killed you. That make
                         sense?

               Sally doesn't look convinced as Chris motions for Twist and
               Danyael to head down into the clearing.

                                   CHRIS
                         Join in with the chanting if you
                         have to, just find out everything
                         you can.

                                   TWIST
                         Roger roger.

                                   DANYAEL
                             (to Chris)
                         What are you going to do?

                                   CHRIS
                         Cook up a spell to seal that thing
                         before anything drags itself into
                         our world.

               Twist and Danyael head back down the slope, and Chris shrugs
               off his bag and opens it, starting to lay out a series of
               spell components on the ground. Sally picks up one jar and
               examines it.

                                   SALLY
                         So...

               Chris takes the jar back and puts it with the others.

                                   SALLY (cont'd)
                         Uh... do you... people... do this
                         sort of thing a lot?

                                   CHRIS
                         More and more, it seems.

                                   SALLY
                         And that big electrical thing down
                         there, that's a-

                                   CHRIS
                         A portal. A gateway to another
                         world.
                         And most likely somewhere we really
                         don't want a portal opening into.

                                   SALLY
                         Huh. But you can, you know... close
                         it, can't you?

                                   CHRIS
                         I imagine we'll find out.

               Chris concentrates on putting his spell together as a nervous
               Sally looks on, and we cut to:

        14     EXT. HILLS - CLEARING - NEXT                            14

               Twist and Danyael pace carefully up to the back of the crowd
               of chanting people - which has grown considerably since we
               last saw it. New people are drifting towards it all the time.

               A middle-aged MAN turns to them both with a severe glare as
               they step closer - the vampires' clothes make them stand out.

                                   MAN
                         What are you two-

               Twist smiles - showing off her FANGS.

                                   MAN (cont'd)
                         Oh.

                                   TWIST
                         Sorry we're late. 
                             (nudges Danyael)
                         He isn't built for outdoor travel.

                                   MAN
                         Just get in position. The Dark One
                         will be arriving soon.

                                   TWIST
                         Wouldn't want to miss that!

               They try to blend into the crowd, picking up enough of the
               words of the chant to stop people staring at them. Danyael
               isn't having much look until Twist nudges him again, getting
               him to recite the correct words.

                                   DANYAEL
                             (whispers)
                         'The Dark One'?

                                   TWIST
                             (whispers)
                         Maybe it's a Black Sabbath secret
                         reunion gig?
                             (off his look)
                         Or not...

                                   DANYAEL
                         I don't like this, Twist. This was
                         a bad idea.

                                   TWIST
                         Yes, but it wasn't our bad idea, so
                         we can escape any blame later.

                                   DANYAEL
                         I just think we ought to-

               He stops as there is a deep RUMBLING sound, and the chanting
               grows in intensity to keep up with the noise.

               Alarmed, Twist and Danyael look on as the ground all around
               the portal starts to GLOW a deep red, and then suddenly burst
               into FLAMES!

               The chanting is at fever pitch as the flaming ground starts
               to shake, and with a series of CRASHES, chunks of STONE start
               to push their way to the surface.

               What appears to be the foundations of some large building are
               literally rising out of the ground, with the portal as its
               centrepiece.

               As the flames burn more brightly, illuminating the newly
               excavated structure, Danyael grabs Twist's arm.

                                   DANYAEL (cont'd)
                         Alright, that's it. We're leaving
                         and going back to-

               He's cut off by a loud HOWL from within the portal. The
               chanting crowd CHEER and start to APPLAUD.

               A dark SHAPE again appears inside the portal, but this time
               the vortex of swirling energy seems to stretch and distort -
               something is coming through!

                                   TWIST
                         There's no language on the planet
                         where this is a good thing...

               First, a colossal CLAW tears through the energy and into our
               world, then a second - and finally, with a deep, guttural
               ROAR that echoes round the hills, a gigantic, hideous
               CREATURE barges its way through...

               Twist and Danyael gape at the horrifying, demonic monster as
               it BELLOWS into the night sky, and we:

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT TWO
                                      ACT THREE

               FADE IN:

        15     EXT. HILLS - CLEARING - NIGHT                           15

               The chanting crowd fall to their knees in rapture as the
               house-sized monster finally drags its entire body out through
               the portal.

               Twist pulls the dumbstruck Danyael down before they're
               spotted, but the two vampires look back up at the creature
               towering over them.

               Looking like a a giant, twisted scorpion, the monster's front
               half stands upright, with a fang-filled mouth stretching down
               almost half of its front and two large, clawed arms snapping
               at the air. A barbed tail rises up from its rear, swinging
               agitatedly from side to side.

                                   MAN
                         Hail the skorpione!

                                   CROWD
                         Hail! Hail! Hail!

               The SKORPIONE tilts its head back and HOWLS defiantly, and
               Twist and Danyael take advantage of the melee around them as
               the enraptured crowd swoon in worship of the beast, quietly
               slipping away into the shadows.

        16     EXT. HILLS - SLOPE - NEXT                               16

               Chris and Sally are staring at the monstrous skorpione -
               Sally looks scared out of her wits, but Chris' face is a mask
               of quiet determination.

               They whip round as they hear someone coming, and Chris draws
               his katana - but relaxes when Twist and Danyael emerge from
               the treeline.

                                   TWIST
                             (urgently)
                         Can you see it? Can you see it?

                                   CHRIS
                         I'm afraid so.

               They all gather at the edge of the crest to look down at the
               creature below.

                                   SALLY
                         What is it?

                                   DANYAEL
                         I heard some guy call it a
                         'skorpione.'

                                   TWIST
                             (thinks)
                         Why does that sound familiar?

                                   CHRIS
                         Because we very nearly ran into one
                         of these things before, remember?

                                   TWIST
                         I seem to recall you not letting me
                         keep a perfectly good severed claw
                         from one of them, yes.

                                   SALLY
                         Wait... you mean there are more of
                         those things?

                                   DANYAEL
                         Knowing our luck, lots more.

                                   TWIST
                         How do we stop it?

                                   CHRIS
                         I don't know yet.

                                   TWIST
                         Figure something out!

                                   CHRIS
                         I can't just snap my fingers and
                         get a solution to bring down
                         something like that!

                                   TWIST
                         Chris, look at that thing! We need
                         an answer now, before it...

               She trails off, staring in horror down into the clearing. The
               others follow her gaze - and see the skorpione lumbering
               towards the lights of Fraserdale a the foot of the hills.

                                   SALLY
                         Oh, my God...

                                   DANYAEL
                         Okay, big scorpion monster plus
                         town full of civilians equals bad,
                         right?

               Chris doesn't answer - he turns and races back down the
               slope, and the others are quick to follow:

        17     EXT. MOUNTAIN TRAIL - NEXT                              17

               The monster's trail is easy to follow - it's barging a house
               shaped path through the thick woodland.

               The group return to where they left the Jeep - but as they
               pass a row of trees torn from the ground, they also find that
               the Jeep hasn't escaped the skorpione's rampage.

               Both the Jeep and its driver are flattened beneath fallen
               trees, smoke pouring from its ruined engine.

               Chris doesn't stop running, but a horrified Sally goes to the
               dead driver, hands over her mouth. Danyael runs back into
               frame and grabs her, dragging her away.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Worry about him later! Come on!

               Sally can't tear her eyes away from the fallen driver as we
               cut to:

        18     EXT. FRASERDALE - SUBURB - NEXT                         18

               The trail leads out onto a road at the edge of a small
               housing estate, and the team race down the street, following
               the path of trampled cars and crushed buildings.

               They turn a corner and are greeted with a terrible sight -
               the skorpione has flattened several houses and left a number
               of people scattered across the street, dead or dying.

               Sally runs up to the nearest one, a bloodied WOMAN, as the
               approaching wail of ambulance sirens can be heard.

                                   SALLY
                         Don't worry, we're going to get you
                         some help!

                                   WOMAN
                             (coughs; weakly)
                         The... children...

                                   SALLY
                         What?

                                   WOMAN
                         It took... it took them...

                                   SALLY
                         Took them where?

               The woman groans, then with a last SHUDDER her head lolls to
               the side. She's gone.

               A tearful Sally gets unsteadily back to her feet as Chris and
               the others survey the mayhem around them.

                                   TWIST
                         We have to help these people!

                                   SALLY
                         She said it took some kids... oh,
                         God, what if it's going to-

                                   CHRIS
                         We have to find it and stop it.

                                   TWIST
                         Yeah, still waiting on a 'how' for
                         that great plan!

                                   CHRIS
                         Twist, we can't save these people!

               He looks over as a line of ambulances tear into the street,
               skidding to a halt at various disaster areas.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                         We're the only ones here who stand
                         a chance at killing that creature.

               Twist looks helplessly back to the wrecked houses - she knows
               he's right. Chris looks around, his eyes falling on a rugged
               looking 4x4 truck that luckily escaped the carnage.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                         Come on.

               He heads for the truck, and as the distraught Sally stays
               with her shattered town, we cut to:
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.