The Urban Creepers

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The Urban Creepers Page 8

by Dreama Elmore


  to fight, my love.

  CHARLIE’s GHOST disappears. JILLIAN closes her eyes, hears

  DAN’s scream. She grabs hold of LADDER, looks up.

  JILLIAN

  (whispers)

  Good luck, Eddie.

  JILLIAN dashes off after MIKE, disappears into connecting

  lateral pipeline.

  EDDIE hears angry WHISPERS, ceases ascent.

  EDDIE

  Jillian? Where are you?

  EDDIE shines flashlight into water. Ghastly SPIRITS erupt.

  EDDIE

  (panics)

  Holy shit.

  EDDIE rams head against metal edge surrounding base of

  manhole, drops flashlight. SPIRITS swarm.

  EDDIE

  Get away. Get away.

  JACK appears at base of LADDER, climbs quickly. He entwines

  arm with missing hand through rungs, grabs EDDIE’s foot.

  EDDIE

  Please.

  EDDIE screams and kicks but he is too weak to inflict

  damage. He glimpses skin peel away from hands, arms. He

  lets go of top ledge in terror. JACK jerks him off LADDER.

  88

  He tumbles into water, strikes head on submerged brick, and

  dies. Body floats into connecting lateral pipeline, into

  darkness.

  INT. LOS ANGELES - STORM SEWER – 2.1 MILES IN – NIGHT

  Six-feet in diameter, partial new concrete over crumbling

  brick, increased ground slope, swift-moving, waist-deep

  water.

  DAN stabs aggressively with SWITCHBLADE at drove of RATS

  swimming toward him. His eyes wild with fear, jaw clenched.

  RAT climbs on arm; he drives SWITCHBLADE into it.

  MIKE approaches; sees DAN stabbing at the rats. Blood

  gushes from his skin

  MIKE

  (exasperated)

  Dan, stop it.

  DAN

  Stay back. These fucking rats are

  vicious.

  MIKE

  They’re not real.

  DAN

  Are you blind? They’re everywhere.

  DAN plunges SWITCHBLADE into the water as RAT nears, jams

  it into his thigh. He howls in pain. RATS disappear.

  DAN

  Where did they go?

  MIKE inches closer. His flashlight illuminates, glimpses

  movement above him. Ghastly SPIRITS descend, SWARM DAN.

  MIKE stumbles back, falls into water. He resurfaces.

  89

  MIKE

  This is such bullshit.

  DAN snaps eyes shut, places hands over his ears.

  DAN

  Get away from me!

  SPIRITS

  You left them. You left them to

  die. Only one’s left.

  DAN

  (scared)

  Shut up.

  One SPIRIT turns, sneers. MIKE takes another step forward.

  MIKE

  Leave him alone.

  Mike feels something CLAMP onto leg, shines flashlight into

  water, and sees GHOSTLY HANDS on ankles. He reaches out.

  MIKE

  God, help me.

  INT. LOS ANGELES – STORM SEWER – 2.1 MILE IN – NIGHT

  Five-feet in diameter, partial new concrete over crumbling

  brick, increased ground slope, swift-moving, chest-deep

  water.

  JILLIAN hunches shoulders, shines penlight. She struggles

  to maintain balance. WHISPERS abound.

  MIKE (O.S.)

  Jillian! Help me!

  JILLIAN pauses, listens.

  MIKE (O.S.)

  Jillian!

  90

  JILLIAN rips out KNIFE from pocket, pushes on, and sees

  tunnel widen in front of her.

  INT. LOS ANGELES - STORM SEWER – 2.1 MILES IN - NIGHT

  Six-feet in diameter, partial new concrete over crumbling

  brick, increased ground slope, swift-moving and waist-deep

  water.

  SPIRITS surround DAN, chant continuously. MIKE struggles to

  keep head above water. GHOSTLY HANDS latch onto his waist.

  SPIRITS

  Your friends know the truth about

  Charlie. They laugh at you, Dan.

  They laugh behind your back.

  DAN

  Is that true?

  MIKE

  I don’t even know what they’re

  talking about.

  DAN

  Do you blame me for Charlie’s

  death?

  MIKE

  Don’t be ridiculous.

  DAN raises SWITCHBLADE to his throat.

  MIKE

  Put down the knife, Dan.

  91

  DAN

  I was supposed to go on that trip,

  but I didn’t because I was in love

  with Jillian. I couldn’t stand the

  thought of being there when

  Charlie gave her that ring. But

  had I been there, things would

  have ended differently.

  MIKE

  You don’t know that.

  DAN

  Yeah, I do. I knew the anchor for

  the ropes was faulty because it

  slipped while I was practicing

  with it one day. I was so

  entrenched in my feelings for

  Jillian that I forgot to warn them

  before they left. I’m the one

  responsible for killing my own

  brother and the others.

  MIKE THRASHES, breaks a leg free from GHOSTLY HANDS.

  MIKE

  No, you’re not. Shit happens and

  there’s nothing anyone can do

  about it.

  SPIRITS

  He’s lying. He’s lying. He wants

  you dead. How could he not? You

  almost killed Jillian.

  MIKE

  Don’t listen to them.

  SPIRITS

  You left them alone and Debra

  died. She was crushed like a soda

  can. It’s your fault.

  DAN

  Is that true? Debra’s dead?

  92

  MIKE

  I don’t know.

  SPIRITS

  Jillian warned you it wasn’t safe,

  but you didn’t listen. You wanted

  her all to yourself. You coveted

  your brother’s girlfriend and if

  you couldn’t have her, no one else

  could either.

  DAN

  That’s not true. I loved my

  brother very much. That’s why I

  didn’t get in the way of him and

  Jillian. I loved them both.

  SPIRITS

  She’s dead, too. She’s dead, too.

  You killed her.

  MIKE panics, whirls around, and breaks other leg free.

  MIKE

  (cries)

  Who’s dead?

  SPIRITS

  Jillian. Jillian. Jillian.

  MIKE

  No! You’re lying.

  SPIRITS

  She slipped on the ladder and fell

  to her death. Now, she and Charlie

  are both mangled corpses because

  of Dan. It’s all Dan’s fault.

  DAN’s eyes mist over.

  DAN

  I’m sorry, Mike. I never meant for

  any of this to happen.

  MIKE trudges toward DAN. SPIRTIS swirl around, latch onto

  his limbs. MIKE battles harder, forces each step.

  93

  MIKE

  Don’t do this. I know she’s alive.

  DAN

  If she is, tell her I’m sorry. If

  she’s not, I’ll tell her myself.

  DAN PRESSES blade against throat, opens small wound.

 
; JILLIAN explodes from connecting lateral pipeline, rushes

  forward.

  JILLIAN

  Don’t you dare do something stupid

  or I’ll really be mad at you.

  DAN drops SWITCHBLADE down to his side, face reflects deep

  relief. MIKE grabs JILLIAN.

  MIKE

  Oh, thank god, you’re alive.

  JILLIAN

  Why wouldn’t I be?

  MIKE

  It doesn’t matter now. We need to

  get out of here.

  DAN trembles, watches SPIRITS.

  JILLIAN looks at DAN, follows his gaze. She sees SPIRITS;

  they descend, churn around her and MIKE.

  MIKE pulls JILLIAN closer, suddenly sees Iraqi TERRORISTS

  sneaking toward them. Gunfire erupts, phantom bullets ZIP

  past them. TERRORISTS get closer to JILLIAN.

  MIKE

  Don’t hurt her, you bastards.

  MIKE swings at TERRORISTS, they vanish and rematerialize.

  More TERRORISTS appear, raise large serrated knives, and

  move in closer. MIKE takes another swing. TERRORISTS

  disappear, leaves JILLAIN in immediate strike zone. MIKE’s

  punch slams into her jaw, her face shatters.

  94

  MIKE

  No.

  JILLIAN sinks beneath the water, re-surfaces, and puts

  immediate distance between her and MIKE. Blood trickles

  down her chin. MIKE reaches for her.

  MIKE

  Oh my god, I’m so sorry.

  JILLIAN wades toward connecting lateral pipeline.

  JILLIAN

  I’ll be fine. They’re using mind

  games to manipulate us.

  MIKE stares at his hands.

  MIKE

  But I saw your face shatter.

  JILLIAN

  Trust me, its still there.

  SPIRITS

  He thinks you’re nuts. He thinks

  you’re nuts. He’s going to send

  you to a shrink. Ask him. Ask him.

  JILLIAN stares into MIKE’s eyes.

  JILLIAN

  We have to get out of here now.

  They’re using our weaknesses

  against us. It’s how they

  controlled people when they were

  living.

  SPIRITS

  He knows the truth about Charlie’s

  death. He knows the truth about

  Charlie’s death. It was Dan’s

  fault. Ask him. Ask him. He kept

  it from you.

  95

  JILLIAN

  (hesitates)

  What are they ranting about? What

  truth?

  MIKE

  Well, Dan knew - - -

  DAN squares his shoulders.

  DAN

  I’ve got this.

  MIKE drops his gaze, falls silent.

  DAN

  I knew the anchor for your

  spelunking gear needed to be

  replaced, but forgot to mention it

  before you and Charlie left for

  Costa Rica.

  JILLIAN takes a step back, presses one hand against chest.

  JILLIAN

  (chokes up)

  Don’t say that.

  SPIRITS

  Dan loved you. Dan loved you.

  Didn’t want Charlie to have you.

  DAN’s face reflects deep pain, regret.

  DAN

  I’m so sorry. I’d trade places

  with Charlie if I could in an

  instant. I never wanted any of

  this to happen.

  JILLIAN swallows hard, clears throat, and removes PHOTO

  from coveralls. She looks at it, smiles, and tucks it away.

  96

  JILLIAN

  I know, Dan. We’ve been friends a

  long time.

  (to MIKE)

  How long have you known?

  SPIRITS

  He’s known all along. He’s known

  all along. Kill him. Kill him.

  MIKE

  Dan told me everything a few

  seconds ago. You have to believe

  me, not them. Please don’t believe

  them.

  JILLIAN drops KNIFE back into pocket, crosses arms. Her

  eyes suddenly soften, winks.

  JILLIAN

  I don’t. I was warned about their

  theatrics.

  MIKE

  Charlie?

  JILLIAN

  Yes.

  MIKE

  Let’s get out of here.

  JILLIAN

  Absolutely.

  JILLIAN sloshes toward connecting lateral pipeline. MIKE

  follows in wake. SPIRITS soar, whisper angrily. DAN doesn’t

  move, stares longingly after JILLIAN.

  JILLIAN stops, looks back at DAN.

  JILLIAN

  Are you coming?

  JILLIAN hears FLICK, eyes grow wide. FLAME appears SUDDENLY

  behind her, goes out.

  97

  DAN

  (shouts)

  Look out.

  JACK emerges from darkness, puts RAZOR BLADE to JILLIAN’s

  throat. DAN and MIKE rush forward.

  JACK

  Stay back.

  MIKE raises hands in surrender.

  MIKE

  Take it easy.

  JACK smiles wickedly, sweeps RAZOR BLADE beside JILLIAN’s

  body.

  JACK

  So boys, where do you want me to

  cut her first?

  JACK motions toward JILLIAN’s thigh.

  JACK

  How about here?

  MIKE and DAN watch helplessly. JACK slices into JILLIAN’s

  thigh. She screams in agony, falls into water. JACK wraps

  arm around her neck, yanks her back up.

  DAN

  Leave her alone or I swear to God

  you’ll be sorry.

  JACK

  You’re pathetic.

  JACK drives RAZOR BLADE into the front of JILLIAN’s chest,

  rips it out. She CRIES out, sinks beneath water.

  JILLIAN sees darkness, then senses a GLOW. She opens eyes.

  CHARLIE’s GHOST hovers beside her, touches her face, and

  vanishes. JILLIAN removes BOOK from coveralls directly

  beneath where JACK stabbed her. She releases it. BOOK sinks

  to the bottom. She removes KNIFE from pocket, swims beneath

  surface.

  98

  JACK swings wildly with razor blade, slices MIKE across the

  chest. MIKE staggers back, blood trickles. DAN rushes in,

  tackles JACK. They struggle violently. JACK breaks free,

  plunges razor blade into DAN’s stomach, eviscerates him.

  Dan dies, body floats.

  MIKE starts forward; GHOSTLY HANDS grab onto his legs. JACK

  charges, raises razor blade.

  JILLIAN ERUPTS from water behind JACK, drives KNIFE through

  his throat. JACK drops razor blade, turns, and collapses.

  JILLIAN

  Like I said asshole, I’m not dying

  today.

  JILLIAN shoves JACK’s body aside, rushes over to MIKE.

  JILLIAN

  Hang on.

  JILLIAN removes rappelling gloves and MIKE applies pressure

  over chest wound, tears up.

  MIKE

  They said you were dead.

  JILLIAN glances up at SPIRITS.

  JILLIAN

  Not yet and I’d like to keep it

  that way for a very long time.

  Let’s get out of here.

  JILLIAN looks over at DAN, eyes well up. She wades over,

  kisses him on the forehead, and flips him over.

  MIKE

  What are you doing?

  JILLIA
N removes CROWBAR from DAN’s backpack, looks up.

  JILLIAN

  What type of pipes are those?

  99

  MIKE

  Natural gas, why?

  JILLIAN

  It’s time to bury these fuckers so

  no one else suffers the same fate.

  MIKE feels GHOSTLY HANDS seize his legs again.

  MIKE

  (panics)

  Oh shit, they have me again.

  JILLIAN moves next to MIKE, stomps feet on top of GHOSTLY

  HANDS. Her boots pass right through HANDS, lands on MIKE’s

  feet. She hands him CROWBAR.

  JILLIAN

  They’re manipulating your mind to

  believe that they are stronger

  than they really are. Don’t let

  them.

  MIKE nods, takes CROWBAR, and takes a step.

  MIKE

  Holy shit. You’re right.

  SPIRITS’ anger escalates; pursue MIKE and JILLIAN through

 

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