Cemetery Scene for Web
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.

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               EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT

               Sophie falls into an old cemetery and skids up to a
               headstone. 

                                   SOPHIE
                         Oh nuts!

               She scrambles away from the headstone and off the grave. The
               old black SEXTON digs nearby in a grave. It is the last of
               three.

                                   SEXTON
                         I thought you might be by here
                         sometime. Mind the flowers, please.

               Sophie looks down and sees she's crushing flowers on a grave.
               She hops off them.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Oh sorry!

                                   SEXTON
                         Not a problem. Just gotta watch it.

               She walks over to where the sexton digs. 

                                   SEXTON (CONT'D)
                         Don't mind if I don't shake. I got
                         work to do.

                                   SOPHIE
                         What are you doing?

                                   SEXTON
                         Girl, what does it LOOK like I am
                         doing?

                                   SOPHIE
                         I mean why are you doing it at
                         night?

                                   SEXTON
                         More respectful. For the ones here
                         and the ones not here.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Ummm. . .am I "here" or "not here"?

               The sexton keeps digging.

                                   SEXTON
                         "Not here."

                                   SOPHIE
                         Good. It's creepy here.

               She sits with him in silence while he digs.

                                   SOPHIE (CONT'D)
                         I'm glad you're here though.

                                   SEXTON
                         I'm "not here."

               She giggles.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Right. I'm glad you're "not here"
                         then.

                                   SEXTON
                         Welcome.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Aren't you afraid?

                                   SEXTON
                         Of what?

               Sophie considers it for a moment and looks around.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Of them.

                                   SEXTON
                         Why would I be afraid of them?

                                   SOPHIE
                         They are dead and all icky.

                                   SEXTON
                         Icky huh?

                                   SOPHIE
                         You know. Decay and stuff.

                                   SEXTON
                         Yeah I know "decay and stuff."

               He stops digging and climbs out of the hole.  He sits on the
               edge of it and opens a sandwich from his nearby lunch pail.

                                   SEXTON (CONT'D)
                         Lemme tell ya something. And you
                         listen good, you hear?

                                   SOPHIE
                         Yessir.

                                   SEXTON
                         I loves them. Each and every one.

               Sophie wrinkles up her face in disgust.

                                   SEXTON (CONT'D)
                         Oh now, don't you go giving me the
                         hairy eyeball. I'm telling ya the
                         truth.

               Sophie starts to protest. The sexton stills her.

                                   SEXTON (CONT'D)
                         I loves them, and I gives them
                         respect--maybe even more than they
                         deserved in life.

                                   SOPHIE
                         But why? They're dead.

                                   SEXTON
                         Child--the measure of a civilized
                         man is how he treats a carcass. Do
                         you know what I'm sayin'?

                                   SOPHIE
                         No sir.

                                   SEXTON
                         Well, I didn't think so. No matter.

               They sit in silence.

                                   SEXTON (CONT'D)
                         Do something for me wouldja?

                                   SOPHIE
                         I-I-I guess so.

                                   SEXTON
                         See that angel stone a ways out
                         there? The cryin' one?

               She looks across the cemetery into the gloom.

                                   SOPHIE
                         That one WAY over there?

                                   SEXTON
                         Yessm.

                                   SOPHIE
                         What about it?

                                   SEXTON
                         I want you to walk over there to
                         her and say "hello."

                                   SOPHIE
                         ALL the way over THERE?

                                   SEXTON
                         Yessm.

               Sophie's panic rises.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Why?

                                   SEXTON
                         I told ya. To say "hello."

               Sophie gets up and brushes herself off.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Way over there?

                                   SEXTON
                         Yessm. I'll be right here.

               Sophie takes a few steps and looks back. The sexton motions
               her onward. 

               She walks by the graves whistling.

                                   SEXTON (CONT'D)
                         No whistling! You disturb people!

                                   SOPHIE
                         Sorry!

               She reaches the ANGEL of Grief monument. Sophie stands and
               looks at her.

                                   SOPHIE (CONT'D)
                             (under her breath)
                         Nuts!

                                   ANGEL
                         Such language.

               Sophie jumps as the Angel raises her head.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Sorry ma'am. Ummm. . .the sexton
                         sent me here to you.

                                   ANGEL
                         Did he now?

                                   SOPHIE
                         Yes ma'am.

                                   ANGEL
                         Give me your hand.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Ma'am?

                                   ANGEL
                         Are you deaf? Put your hand in my
                         hand.

               Sophie reaches out and holds the statue's extended hand. 

                                   ANGEL (CONT'D)
                         Cold isn't it?

                                   SOPHIE
                         Yes ma'am.

                                   ANGEL
                         Lifeless?

                                   SOPHIE
                         Yes ma'am.

                                   ANGEL
                         And yet, I speak to you. How is
                         that?

                                   SOPHIE
                         I don't know.

                                   ANGEL
                         Dead people speak to you all the
                         time though don't they?

                                   SOPHIE
                         I'm not sure what you mean.

                                   ANGEL
                         Sure you do.

                                   SOPHIE
                         I--

                                   ANGEL
                         How long has Dad been dead?

                                   SOPHIE
                         I think fifteen years.

                                   ANGEL
                         And everyday you relive his pain.

                                   SOPHIE
                         His?

                                   ANGEL
                         Yes. It wasn't yours until he gave
                         it to you.

                                   SOPHIE
                         No ma'am.

                                   ANGEL
                         So why do you keep it?

                                   SOPHIE
                         Where would I put it?

                                   ANGEL
                         Why do you think you're here?

                                   SOPHIE
                         The sexton--

                                   ANGEL
                         All that pain is just as cold and
                         lifeless as everyone here. May it
                         rest in peace.

               The angel bows her head back on the monument and stills.
               Sophie squeezes her hand, but it is just stone.

               She backs away from the statue, and trips on a head stone. A
               skeletal hand juts up out of the dirt and grabs her wrist. 

               She wrenches her hand away and runs across the cemetery.

               She can't see the sexton anywhere, and she panics. Skeletons
               and corpses thrust out of the graves and reach for her as she
               runs by. 

               She is lost.

               One corpse clutches her, and she screams and wrestles away
               from it. 

               She turns to run, but the sexton catches her.

                                   SEXTON
                         Whoa there girl! What's wrong?

               Sophie stops screaming and looks around. She is back across
               the cemetery where she started. 

                                   SOPHIE
                         But they were trying to get me!

                                   SEXTON
                         Who were?

                                   SOPHIE
                         The "heres."

                                   SEXTON
                         Child, they's all asleep. Dead and
                         buried.

                                   SOPHIE
                         But--

                                   SEXTON
                         Sometimes things in our heads are
                         worse than what's before our eyes,
                         don't ya think?

                                   SOPHIE
                             (at a whisper)
                         Yessir.

               They stand in the silence for a moment. 

                                   SEXTON
                         Yessm. I loves 'em all.
                             (A beat)
                         Well, I best get you to where
                         you're going so I can finish up
                         here.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Oh but there is a very bad man
                         after me! And he will be here any
                         minute to get you!

               The sexton chuckles. They walk towards the mausoleum at the
               top of the hill.

                                   SEXTON
                         Child, he ain't coming here.

                                   SOPHIE
                         Yes he will! He's gotten all my
                         friends! And he'll--

                                   SEXTON
                         No he won't. I promise.

                                   SOPHIE
                         How do you know?

               He looks back at the graves.

                                   SEXTON
                         I know too much about him. You take
                         care now, ya hear?

               Sophie steps through the veil at the entrance of the
               mausoleum.
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.