Scarecrow Indie horror film screenplay

Scarecrow

By

Matthew Rankcom

Treestump Films 2012 [email protected]

EXT. FARMHOUSE- NIGHT- 1994

The farmer trudges through the soil, a watering can in hishand swinging backwards and forwards. Muddy water sloshesover the sides. Something moves behind him- a door creaking?He looks behind but nothing seems to have moved. He carrieson walking down the small driveway to his plants. Anothersound like glass being dropped. He turns around fully.

FARMERHello?

No answer. He shrugs and turns round to continue walking. Apiercing scream mixed with a low menacing laugh rips throughthe air. The farmer drops the watering can and water gushesout into the soil.

FARMERWhos that? Hello?!

The menacing laugh returns so quietly that it could bemistaken for a gust of wind.

FARMERIm not playing. Come on who thebloody hell are you?

The laughter stops. The farmer grunts and begins mutteringabout "bloody kids". He bends over to pick the watering canback up. An unseen force knocks him to the floor. His facehits the mud. He groans and pulls himself back up.

FARMERFor f-

Something has moved. Like a shadow ducking behind a wall.

FARMERCome on now youve had your fun!

He looks around for the culprit. In the distance stands ascarecrow in a field. Its head is swaying side to side.Eerily, an arm of the scarecrow moves in a gust of wind asthough its waving. The farmer peers into the distance butis soon distracted by something moving in the stables. Hisanger resurfaces.

FARMERGet the bloody hell off my Farm.For Christs sake!

A chuckle.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 2.

FARMERThats it!

He storms into the house and emerges with a shotgun.

FARMERGet out of there then!

Scuffles.

FARMERAye, not so brave now are you?

He walks forward confidently. He pushes the barn door open.

FARMERCome on, where are ya?

Something moves in the corner and he turns and fires.Something behind him. He reels round and stares. In thecorner of the room is a figure with their head down. Thefarmer raises his gun and points it. The figure moves itshead and the farmer shoots. He walks over to where the bodyshould be but nothing is there. He peers around the area,bewildered. Slowly, he steps backwards. All of a suddensomething grabs him from behind and he is thrown across theroom. The shotgun is thrown from his hand. He falls to thefloor with a crunch. The figure from the corner looms overhim, the moonlight from outside silhouetting it. We canvaguely make out a twisted smile made from a tear in a pieceof fabric. The figure appears to have a sack over its head.The farmer goes to crawl along the floor. His arm stretchesout to pull himself along and an axe slams down onto it.Screaming, the farmer rolls to the side whilst leaving hisarm behind. Blood spews out over the floor. He gets to hisfeet using his spare arm to hold him up and staggersforward. He turns round to look at the room, leaning againstthe wall of the barn. The scarecrow has vanished. He makes abreak for the door. Stepping over his dismembered arm, hereaches the door and pulls it open. He stumbles out into themoonlight and begins towards his house. The scarecrow thatwas in the field has vanished. He turns and sees it right infront of him. With one swing the axe slices his head cleanoff. He falls to the floor, first onto his knees and thenforward. Blood runs down the driveway. A wide shot revealsthat the scarecrow has vanished.

3.

EXT. FIELD- MORNING

Two young girls are playing in the field. One has a kite andthe other is chasing her around. They come to a scarecrowand stop dead in their tracks. The first one screams. Wesee, from their POV, the farmers body complete with his headand arm sewed back on. He is placed on a pole like ascarecrow with blood trickling out of his eyes. Cut toblack.

TITLE SEQUENCE

INT. ESTATE AGENTS- DAY

CU of a woman in her mid 20s with brunette hair scrapedback into a tight ponytail.

ESTATE AGENTIm sorry but I really dont thinktheres anything available withinyour price range for the sort ofthing you want.

Cut to a wider shot. Sarah, a 17 year old girl is slouchedin her chair next to her mother, Caroline. Caroline is inher 30s and looks slightly old for her age. Neither lookhappy.

CAROLINEThere must be something.

ESTATE AGENTIm afraid not. Not for the kind ofhouse youve asked for.

SARAHMum shes said theres nothing.Lets go.

CAROLINENo! I dont believe that there areno houses at all within our pricerange.

ESTATE AGENTI can look at a wider range ofhouses if that helps?

CAROLINEYes, please. Thatd be great.

With a few brief clicks, the estate agent frowns.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 4.

ESTATE AGENTWe have a one bedroomed flat inHope Estate?

CAROLINEYoure joking! We cant live there,the whole place must be crawlingwith rats and drug addicts.

SARAHMum, theres nothing!

CAROLINELeave it. (to estate agent) Well?

The estate agent regretfully shakes her head, an apologeticsmile on her face. Carolines hopeful face fades to sheerdisappointment.

CAROLINERight. Thank you for your time.Sarah?

Caroline calmly picks up her bag and leaves. Sarah sighs andfollows after her. The estate agent picks up the ringingphone and answers.

EXT. HIGH STREET- DAY

Caroline walks at a fast pace down the street, clearly upsetat the recent conversation. Sarah jogs to keep up.

CAROLINEThe cheek of her! To suggest welive in bloody Hope Estate, whatare we- convicts?!

SARAHMum if its all we can afford then-

CAROLINENo. I will not have my daughterliving in a heroin infested swampof prostitution just because herbloody Dad has a new plasticgirlfriend.

SARAHMum. Itll be fine.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 5.

CAROLINENo it wont. We have to be out ofour place in three weeks and wedont have anywhere to move into.What are we going to do?

SARAHWell find a way.

CAROLINEYoud better start praying becauseat this rate our new home will be acardboard box.

Sarah rolls her eyes. By this point the pair have reachedthe car park. They both get in and fasten their seat belts.

CAROLINEWhen we get in can you have a lookonline for somewhere? Anything aslong as its not Hope Estate.

Sarah doesnt acknowledge her mother.

INT. HOUSE- DAY

Sarah is lounging on the sofa, her laptop perched on herknee. Caroline enters the room with two cups of tea. Sheplaces one at Sarahs feet and sits down next to her.

CAROLINEAny luck?

SARAHHmm? No, not so far. I cant seemto find anything better.

CAROLINEThere has to be something. Wereoffering a lot of money here!

SARAHOoh look at that one!

Caroline leans over to look at the screen, wide eyed andexcited. Her excitement soon drops.

CAROLINEYeah, nice if we were Simon Cowell!Keep looking... What about that?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 6.

SARAHA farmhouse?

CAROLINEYeah, why not?

SARAHI dont know... its a FARM house?

CAROLINEDont be so pessimistic, itsgorgeous. And we can afford it!

SARAHI guess.

CAROLINEWhens the next available viewing?

SARAHI dont know. Ring them.

EXT. FARMHOUSE- DAY

We see the farmhouse from the opening scene looking exactlythe same as it did then. A "FOR SALE" sign is stuck in thegrass next to the building. A car pulls up and out climbSarah and Caroline. Caroline looks up at the building, asmile on her face.

INT. FARMHOUSE- DAY

An estate agent leads Caroline and Sarah through the house.He is a middle aged balding man who seems to have eaten afew too many sausage rolls. The furniture is covered withwhite sheets and dust has settled on any of the surfacesleft bare. Sarah looks around the room, taking in hersurroundings. We flash to an image of the house at night, afigure standing in the corner. Immediately we return todaytime. Sarah looks away and follows her mother.

ESTATE AGENTJust through there is-

A phone rings.

ESTATE AGENTIm very sorry. Im going to haveto answer that. Feel free to have alook around.

He leaves. Caroline turns to Sarah.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 7.

CAROLINEIts perfect, dont you think?

SARAHIts nice.

CAROLINENice?! Sarah this is gorgeous.

SARAHI suppose. I dont know, it justseems...

CAROLINESeems what?

SARAHDoesnt matter. Go for it?

CAROLINEYeah?

She squeals with excitement and runs upstairs.

CAROLINELook Sarah the rooms are huge!

Sarah ignores her mother and looks around warily. She looksout the window and we see a scarecrow in the field outside.Sarah peers at the scarecrow for a while. She leaves andwalks upstairs where Caroline is stood in one of thebedrooms looking out at the view.

CAROLINEOh just look at the view! Isnt itgorgeous?

SARAH(half smiling)

Its lovely.

CAROLINEI cant believe this could be ourhome!

SARAHMe either, its not exactly hopeestate.

Caroline turns and looks at her daughter lovingly beforedrawing her to her in a long hug.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 8.

CAROLINEI love you, you know.

SARAHI know.

CAROLINENow then, lets get ourselves thishouse!

Caroline almost runs downstairs. Sarah follows a little lessenthusiastically. Downstairs, the estate agent is justhanging up his phone and stepping back through the frontdoor.

CAROLINEWell take it!

The estate agent looks stunned. He recovers from his shockand his face melts into a greasy, chocolate coated smile.

ESTATE AGENTExcellent. If you just follow me wecan discuss the necessary things.

He leads them through to the kitchen.

INT. HOUSE- NIGHT

Sarah is snuggled on the sofa watching television. Carolineenters the room with two glasses of champagne and a box ofchocolates. She is giggling with happiness.

CAROLINEGuess who I just got off the phonewith?

SARAHWe got it?

In answer to this, Caroline screams giddily. She sitsherself down on the sofa and hands Sarah a glass.

CAROLINEHeres to our new home.

SARAHTo us.

They clink glasses and take a sip. Sarah pulls a disgustedface.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 9.

SARAHMum what the hell is this? Itsawful.

CAROLINEWe used up all the money on the newhouse, it was the cheapest thing Icould find!

Sarah smiles and digs in to the box of chocolates.

INT. HOUSE- MORNING

Sarah trundles down the stairs with a large cardboard box inher hands and adds it to the already huge pile. Removal mencarry boxes out at a steady pace. Caroline enters thehallway through the living room.

CAROLINEYou okay?

Sarah smiles and nods. She walks through to the kitchen andpours herself a glass of water. She drinks the whole thingin one go and places it down on the counter. She looksaround the room sadly. Sarah inhales deeply and leaves.

EXT. HOUSE- MORNING

The last few boxes are packed into the van and the door isshut. Caroline leaves the house, locking the door on herway. Her and Sarah stand back and take a look at their oldhome. Just as Caroline looks like she might cry, she speaks.

CAROLINERight, lets be off. Got lots ofunpacking to do.

The removal men hop into their van. Caroline and Sarah getinto their car. Both leave.

MONTAGE

The removal van leads, followed by Claudias car. They drivealong the motorway.

The farmhouses furniture is covered with dust sheets. Windblows in through the open windows.

The car turns a corner and continues driving.

A figure moves in the corner of the room.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 10.

The car zooms along a main road.

The figure turns slowly.

The car turns onto a country lane.

The figure begins moving towards the camera.

The car drives along a narrow path.

INT. FARMHOUSE- DAY

The figure is closer. Flickers closer. The scarecrows facemoves eerily up to the lens. An echoed and distant screamsounds. The front door opens and the removal men enter,carrying boxes with them. No scarecrow to be seen. The menkeep going back out to the car and bringing in more boxes.Caroline and Sarah enter with bags in hand. They place themdown on the floor and Caroline looks around.

CAROLINEWelcome to our new home!

The figure flickers in the corner. Cut to black.

INT. FARMHOUSE- NIGHT

Sarah awakes with a start. She looks around her new room. Abox labeled "wall stuff" lies half opened at the foot of herbed. Make up litters the table in the corner and her laptoplies next to her bedside table. The clock on her bedsidetable indicates that its 4:34am. She groans and slowly getsout of bed. She pads through to the bathroom and switches onthe light. She quietly shuts the door and pours herself aglass of water. She gulps it silently and places the glassback down onto the windowsill. She looks at herself in themirror, drained and tired. She switches the light off andgoes back to bed. As she lies in her bed, we hear the windblowing outside and the gentle scraping of twigs against thewindow.

EXT. MARKET- DAY

Caroline is wandering around the market buying groceries andother foods. The sun gleams in the sky, reflecting on hersunglasses. The elderly woman at the vegetable stall looksup.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 11.

WOMANHello, love. Can I help you?

CAROLINE(fumbling around for hershopping list)

Yeah, can I have two bags ofPotatoes, please?

The woman begins bagging the vegetables.

WOMANI havent seen you around herebefore. Here on holiday are youlove?

CAROLINENo, me and my daughter just movedin up the road at the oldfarmhouse. Its gorgeous, isnt it?

The womans face turns grave. She places the potatoes on thecounter firmly.

WOMANYou be careful up there.

CAROLINECareful?

WOMANAye careful.

Well up there its so far away fromanything. Help cant get to folk upthere.

CAROLINEIm sure well be fine. Oh, can Ihave a bag of-

WOMANIm surprised theyve managed tosell that old place after whathappened.

CAROLINECome again?

WOMANYou know. The old... Oh. Theydidnt tell you did they?

She grins a little bit.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 12.

CAROLINEDidnt tell me? Tell me what?

WOMANNothing, love. Nothing at all. Youhave fun in your lovely new homenow. Be seeing you soon.

The woman picks up a "GONE FOR LUNCH" sign, places it at thestall and leaves.

CAROLINE(shouting)

Tell me what?!

INT. FARMHOUSE- MORNING

The box labeled "wall stuff" is torn open. Sarah beginsputting up posters on her bedroom wall. Bands, films, TVshows...

Sarah pulls open her wardrobe doors and begins loadingclothes into it.

Sarah is perched precariously on top of a chair. She isreaching around at the top of the wardrobe placing boxes upthere when her hand hits something. She frowns and reachesaround some more. Clutching at the item, she pulls and ittopples down from the wardrobe and onto the floor where itfalls open and old newspaper cuttings and drawings fall outof it. Groaning, Sarah climbs down off the chair and beginspicking up the sheets. She first begins by stuffing themimpatiently back into the battered old suitcase until shenotices a photograph of the farmhouse. After taking a lookat it, she picks up the other clippings around her and takesa look. One reads "FARMER DECAPITATED, KILLER ESCAPED" as aheadline. She reads on in horror. She picks up the last itemon the floor- a photograph of the farmers body dressed likea scarecrow. She lets out a slight shriek and throws thephotograph into the suitcase, slamming the lid. She picksthe suitcase up and throws it back onto the top of thewardrobe. She steps backwards away from the wardrobe andtrips over a power chord, falling onto the floor. Next toher head lies a strand of straw. She doesnt notice it.Sarah stands back up and rubs her head before leaving theroom. The scarecrow is visible in the field through her openwindow.

13.

INT. KITCHEN-DAY

Sarah takes a gulp of water. She stares out the window intothe field till her Mums car pulls up a few minutes later.Caroline climbs out and goes to the boot, carrying a load ofshopping bags. Sarah walks to the door and opens it to letCaroline in. She enters and places the bags down on thekitchen counter. Sarah shuts the door and follows herthrough, beginning to unpack the bags.

CAROLINEYou alright?

SARAHYeah, you?

CAROLINEIm fine.

A few moments of silent packing.

CAROLINEThere was this woman at the marketand she seemed to think we need tobe careful here.

SARAHHmm?

CAROLINEShe said something about thingshappening here a few years back.

Recognition flashes in Sarahs eyes.

SARAHWhat kind of things?

CAROLINEWell I dont know. I tried to askher but she just got a bit weirdand left.

SARAHOh. Weird.

CAROLINEWhat I thought... You sure youreokay?

SARAHYeah, course. Why?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 14.

CAROLINEYou seem awfully quiet.

SARAHIm just tired. I think Im goingto go for a jog to see if it wakesme up a bit.

CAROLINEAlright love. Dont be out toolong, mind.

EXT. WOODS- DAY

Sarah is jogging through the woods sticking to the path withher ipod playing loudly in her ears. She keeps a steadypace. She slows down when she reaches a bench and sits down,taking a gulp of her drink. She takes time for her breathingto slow. Looking around at her surroundings, she notices thewind blowing in the trees and the air seems to turn colder.She wraps her arms around herself in an attempt to keepwarm. The sounds of movements in the trees seem louder.Sarah notices something move to her left and hears a twigsnap. She peers into the dense formation of trees, lookingfor the dark shadow that was there a moment ago. She staresand stares. A crow screeches and flies out of the trees.Sarah relaxes, feeling silly. She turns her head back roundand The Scarecrow is stood in front of her, head tilted. Shescreams. When we see the space again it is empty. Sarahlooks around her. No one. Warily, she stands up and beginsher jog home.

EXT. FARMHOUSE- DAY

A handsome young man of 19 cycles up to the house and climbsoff of his bike. His name is Harry Stebbing. He pullssomething out of his bag and knocks on the door. He catcheshis own reflection in the window and smooths down his hair.Caroline answers the door.

CAROLINEOoh, Hello.

HARRYHi, Im Harry. My Dads the chiefof police around here and he toldme someone had just moved in.Thought Id come and introducemyself.

He holds out a bottle of wine.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 15.

CAROLINEOh Thank you Harry. Its a shame mydaughter isnt here. Shed love to-

Sarah comes into view jogging up to the house. She spotsHarry and looks mortified at her appearance. Jogging slowerthan before, she reaches the house and smiles awkwardly athim.

SARAHHi.

Harry smiles.

CAROLINEHarry this is my daughter Sarah.Sarah, this is Harry. His fathersthe chief of police.

HARRYIts nice to meet you.

SARAHNice to meet you too.

They both look at each other slightly awkwardly.

HARRYWell... Id better head off. Seeyou around.

SARAHYeah.

She smiles to herself as he leaves. When she turns to thedoorway, she sees Caroline has slipped away. She steps intothe house and closes the door behind her.

INT. HOUSE- EVENING

Caroline is lounging on the sofa with a glass of wine. Sarahis on the floor on her laptop. We see she is researching"Farmer murder 1994". No search results available. She sighsand tries "farmhouse death". Again no results are found.With this, she shuts the laptop lid and sits next to hermother.

SARAHMum, what did you say that farmerdied of again?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 16.

CAROLINEA heart attack, love.

SARAHHmm.

CAROLINEWhy? Why the interest all of asudden?

SARAHI dont know. I just wondered. Ilike knowing about where I live.

CAROLINEThis isnt just where you live.Its our home.

Sarah smiles uneasily. A thud sounds from upstairs. Theyboth look towards the ceiling.

SARAHWhat was that?

CAROLINEWell I dont know, have a look.

Sarah, looking less than pleased, stands up. She leaves theroom. A few moments later we hear a scream.

INT. HOUSE- MOMENTS LATER.

Caroline arrives at Sarahs room and looks over hershoulder. On the floor lies a dead crow with dried bloodcovering it. Sarah looks terrified.

CAROLINEEurgh! Would you look at that! Hangon Ill get a plastic bag.

Caroline rushes back downstairs. Sarah walks over to thecrow and peers down at its bloodied body. Caroline ascendsthe stairs and sees Sarahs uneasy expression.

CAROLINEWhats the matter with you?

SARAHNothing.

She steps away and allows her mother to clear up.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 17.

CAROLINENow Ill take this downstairs andthen Ill have to wash the floor.Make sure all the windows are shut.Dont want any more of them comingin.

She leaves. Sarah, shaking, takes a seat on the bed and runsher fingers through her hair. She breathes in deeply andlies down on her bed. She falls asleep. We see night fall.The trees outside are still in the darkness. The moon castsshadows over the house. Sarahs eyes fly open. She looksaround and rubs her eyes. She gets out of bed and proceedsthrough to the bathroom. As she turns the taps, water slowlyseeps out of them. She splashes her face and rubs her eyesagain. In the bathroom mirror, she examines her own face.Tracing the bags under her eyes, noticing every littlewrinkle. The scarecrow appears behind her. She screams andwhirls round. The scarecrow is gone. Caroline throws thedoor open, still in her pyjamas.

CAROLINEWhats wrong?! Are you okay?!

SARAHIm fine! There was... There was ascarecrow... He was-

CAROLINECome here.

She draws Sarah into a hug.

CAROLINEYouve had a bad dream. Itsperfectly natural. Youre all alonein a new place, its likely to bescary.

SARAHIts not that! It was there. Thescarecrow. It was!

CAROLINEShhh, come on. Back to bed.

She leads Sarah back through to her bedroom, shutting thedoor behind her. We hear a crow screech in the darkness.

18.

INT. CAFE- MORNING.

The cafe is quiet, with only a few customers. Sarah entersand takes a seat by the window. The waitress comes over tothe table and takes her order. Sarah gives her the money andthe waitress leaves. She reaches into her bag and pulls outthe photos of the farmhouse and the newspaper article aboutthe killing. A steaming mug of hot chocolate is placed onthe table in front of her. She thanks the waitress withoutlooking up.

HARRYNo problem.

She looks up and spots Harry stood there in an apron. Hegrins.

HARRYDid I mention I worked here?

SARAHNo, no I dont think you did.

She begins to hide the papers on the table, slowly shovingthem into her bag.

HARRYAnd here is a free biscuit.

Sarah smiles and goes to take the cookie in his hand.

HARRYONLY if you let me sit here withyou.

Sarah nods. He gives her the cookie and takes a seatopposite.

HARRYSo, what brings you here?

SARAHI just needed to get out of thehouse.

HARRYMother driving you insane?

SARAHNo... No its more the housereally.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 19.

HARRYThe house?

SARAHIts weird. Ive always lived inthe same place and now were here.And its so big and old.

HARRYThat it is. Must be quite a change.Where did you live before now?

SARAHNewcastle. Its... well its amillion miles from here.

HARRYI know where it is.

SARAHYou do?

HARRYYeah. Kind of. Ive heard of it.

She laughs.

HARRYSo how are you liking the area?

SARAHIts pretty. I love being able togo out and look around. Only thephone signals crap and I get losteasily.

HARRYI can show you around sometime. Imean if you want.

SARAHYeah Id like that.

Harry looks over at the tills.

HARRYId better go before I get sacked.Ill see you later.

SARAHBye!

20.

DREAM SEQUENCE- NIGHT

Sarah is lying in her bed asleep. The scarecrows faceflickers onto the screen. She stirs. An axe swings down. Shejumps, still asleep. The farmer crawls along the floor ofthe barn. She lets out a small shriek. The axe swings down.She sits up in bed screaming. Caroline rushes in. She seesSarah in bed and sighs. Stopping in the doorway, she flicksthe light switch.

CAROLINEAre you okay?

SARAHYeah... Yeah dont worry Im fine.Sorry.

CAROLINEDont be silly! Its fine. Night,love.

She turns the light off and leaves. Sarah wipes her brow andlies back down on the bed. Her breathing slows. Another daypasses and turns into night. Caroline is lay in her bedasleep. She wears an eye mask. Something falls downstairsand she awakens. Another noise. She props herself up on herelbows and removes her mask. Something smashes. She gets outof bed and slowly walks to the landing.

CAROLINEHello? Is someone there?

Sarahs scream sounds from downstairs. Caroline rushes downand sees Sarah fall against the banister as if she has beenthrown. She lashes out like shes kicking at someone onlythere is no one there. The invisible monster knocks her tothe floor with a slap and she lands at her mothers feet. Shelooks up.

SARAHMum! Mum hes there. Hes... He wasright there I promise.

Caroline helps her to her feet and holds her tightly in ahug. Shushing her and reassuring her. Her face is grim andworried.

21.

INT. FARMHOUSE- MORNING

Sarah is sat in the kitchen sipping at a glass of orangejuice. Caroline comes downstairs in her dressing gown. Sheyawns.

SARAHBad nights sleep?

CAROLINEMmm.

SARAHSorry.

CAROLINENo its fine. Im more worriedabout you. Whats wrong Sarah?

SARAHNothing I... I dont know I justkeep having these dreams andtheyre just so real. I cant helpit.

CAROLINEI know, I know. But you really needto find some way of stopping.

SARAHMum! I cant help it. Its not likeIm trying to freak out all thetime. Do you think I want to bewaking up screaming every night?!

CAROLINENo honey thats not what I meant.What if we... What if we went tosee a therapist. You know just aone off to see if they can doanything?

SARAHI dont know Mum. Its probablyjust nerves. You know the new houseand everything.

CAROLINEThis could be good for you. Giveyou a chance to talk about yourfeelings with someone whounderstands.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 22.

SARAHI dont-

CAROLINEPlease. For me.

Sarah doesnt look pleased but she nods in agreement.Caroline smiles.

CAROLINEIll book you an appointment.Theres a clinic just down theroad.

Sarah forces a smile. She finishes the rest of her orangejuice.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE- DAY

The sky is overcast with a few beams of light shiningthrough the clouds. Harry reaches the top of a steep hill,soon followed by a very short-of-breath Sarah.

SARAHSo now I have to go and see abloody therapist and act like somefreak of nature or something. Imean why do I need to do that, Illbe fine soon anyway.

HARRYI know but your Mums only doingwhat she thinks is best for you.

SARAHIts just so annoying sometimes.Its like I cant make my owndecisions anymore. And I can feelher staring at me waiting for me toscream or have a break down orsomething.

HARRYIt might be good for you. I meanyou dont exactly sound like youvebeen having the time of your life.

SARAHMaybe.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 23.

HARRYSo how come your arms all bruised?

SARAHOh.

HARRYAnother one of these "Dreams"?

SARAHYeah. Theyre so real, Harry. I wasdownstairs and this scarecrow thingcame at me and it... it threw meagainst the wall and startedhitting me and then it had this axeand it came towards me and then Mumwas there and no one else had beenaround. I just dont understand.

HARRYI think this councillor woman mightbe able to help.

SARAHReally? I feel like it could justmake it worse.

HARRYYoull be fine. Come here.

He hugs her.

SARAHSo how do we get back home fromhere?

HARRYIm not exactly sure.

SARAH(half amused)

What!?

HARRYWell I was too busy talking to youso I didnt really pay attention towhere we were going.

SARAHGreat!

Rain starts to fall from the clouds.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 24.

SARAHOh Jesus Christ.

EXT. FARMHOUSE- DAY

Rain is pouring down from the sky. Sarah runs along thedrive up to the house, soaking wet. She is buried underHarrys jacket. Caroline comes to the door.

CAROLINEIts about bloody time! Hurry upand get changed, were going to belate.

She looks out at the rain. The sky is dark and we can seethe scarecrow in the field dripping with water.

INT. THERAPISTS- DAY

Rain lashes down outside, pattering on the windows. LucindaRose, a smartly dressed woman in her 60s is sat in acomfortable looking armchair. Opposite her are two otherchairs, distanced by a coffee table in the middle whereLucindas clipboard rests. There is a knock on the door.

LUCINDACome in!

Caroline and Sarah enter.

CAROLINEHi, Im Caroline. We spoke on thephone.

LUCINDALovely to meet you. Im Lucinda,Lucinda Rose. And you must beSarah.

Sarah nods.

LUCINDAWonderful. Why dont you two take aseat.

They sit in the armchairs and Lucinda picks up herclipboard.

LUCINDANow Sarah, why dont you start bytelling me whats been going on?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 25.

SARAHIve been having dreams aboutthis... This thing. Its like ascarecrow. It carries an axe.

Lucinda looks concerned but carries on listening.

SARAHAnyway, Ive been waking up in thenight screaming. The other day myMum found me in the hallway tryingto fight the scarecrow because Ithought it was attacking me butthere was no one there.

LUCINDARight. Mhm. Now do you have anyidea what could have triggeredthese... Lucid dreams?

SARAHWell we just moved here so it couldbe that.

LUCINDAAnd?

SARAHAnd nothing.

LUCINDAYou want to say more.

SARAHI...

LUCINDACome on, its alright. You can sayanything you want.

Sarah looks as though she might say something. She opens hermouth to speak but at the last minute she shakes her head.Lucinda looks disappointed.

LUCINDAWhen did these dreams begin?

SARAHA while after we moved in. A fewweeks ago maybe?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 26.

LUCINDAI see. And how often do theyreoccur?

SARAHEvery night.

LUCINDAThe same dream?

SARAHNo, it changes. But its always thescarecrow. Always there.

LUCINDAI see. And do you always sleepwalkduring the dreams?

SARAHWhat do you mean?

LUCINDAYou told me that your mother foundyou in the hall fighting off aninvisible figure. Does this alwayshappen?

SARAHNo, no it was only that one time.

LUCINDAAnd the rest?

SARAHUsually I wake up screaming.Sometimes Im crying. And Imalways freezing cold, like Ivebeen standing outside.

LUCINDARight. And how do these dreamsimpact your day to day life?

SARAHIm sorry?

LUCINDADo they affect you during the dayat all?

SARAHSometimes I think I see things butIm pretty sure thats just my mindplaying tricks on me.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 27.

LUCINDA"Things"?

SARAHThe scarecrow. Theres one justlike the one from my dreams in thefield outside our house. SometimesI see it move.

LUCINDASurely thats just the wind?

SARAHNo, like wave at me. And the otherday when I was in the woods I couldhave sworn I saw it.

LUCINDABut nothing came of this?

SARAHNo. I just went right back home.

LUCINDARight. Well thank you for coming,it was a very productive session.

Sarah looks confused.

SARAHIs that it? Dont you need to likedo some weird psycho analysisstuff?

LUCINDATheres plenty of time for PsychoAnalysis stuff later. For now Imsatisfied that youre alright. Idlike to see you again next week.Monday?

Sarah looks to her mother.

CAROLINEMondays fine. Ill speak to you onthe phone. Thank you Lucinda.

LUCINDAMy pleasure.

28.

INT. CAR- DAY

The rain has cleared up now as the two drive home.

CAROLINESee, that wasnt too bad now wasit?

SARAHI guess.

CAROLINELook, I know it isnt ideal but weneed to do something. I think itllhelp. Were there again in a fewdays and shell tell you how to getbetter.

SARAHI know.

INT. HOUSE- NIGHT

Sarah is in her room. She wakes up screaming. She realisesshes had another nightmare and growns, burrying her head inthe pillow.

INT. CAFE- DAY

Sarah and Harry are sat talking over Coffee.

SARAHIt just doesnt stop and Imgetting like no sleep. I just dontknow what to do.

INT. HOUSE- NIGHT

Sarah battles with an imaginary attacker on the floor of herroom. She hits her head off of the wall and wakes up. Shelooks around, realises whats happened and climbs back intobed.

EXT. FARMHOUSE- DAY

Sarah jogs down the drive and sees the scarecrow in thefield. She speeds up as she goes past it.

29.


Caroline is in bed trying to sleep but her eyes wont close.She hears a blood curdling scream from the next room. Hereyes dont move. She sighs.

EXT. FIELD- MORNING

Harry and Sarah are walking again. The sun is high in thesky.

SARAHHappened again last night. I dontknow how much longer its going tolast. I mean Mum needs to begetting some sleep.

HARRYI know, but hey- youre seeing thatwoman tomorrow. She might be ableto help.


Sarah wakes up again screaming. She sighs and lies backdown. The clock on the wall is slowly creeping up to 3am.Her door creaks open by a centimetre. She stares at it,wondering if she just imagined the movement. It opens afraction more. She sits up in bed. It opens fully now but noone is there. Sarah stands up and walks to the door, peeringout of bothe sides before she takes a step out into thehall. She looks around for the cause of the noise but seesnothing. She turns to go back to bed but in the doorway isthe scarecrow. It swings its axe through the air and itslams into the wall next to Sarahs head. She screams andruns but theres nowhere to go. The Scarecrow follows her tothe top of the stairs. It swings the axe once more whichsmashes a photograph on the wall. Sarah begins to rundownstairs. The scarecrow throws the axe and Sarah ducks. Indoing so, she falls forward and tumbles down the stairs.Caroline rushes out of her room and sees Sarah in a bloodycrumple on the floor.

CAROLINESarah!

She dashes down the stairs to her daughter.

CAROLINESarah what happened?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 30.

SARAHIt was here. The axe... Thescarecrow was here Mum.

CAROLINETheres no one here honey Ipromise. Nothings going to hurtyou.

SARAHBut Mum-

CAROLINEShhhh. Its okay. Come on, letsget you cleaned up.

INT. HOUSE- NIGHT

Sarah is sat at the kitchen table. Her wounds have beencleaned up but her face is bruised. Caroline places down acup of tea.

CAROLINEIm going to call Lucinda firstthing.

SARAHWhy?

CAROLINETo let her know about this. Whyelse?

SARAHBut were seeing her tomorrowanyway.

CAROLINEI just think she should know assoon as possible.

SARAHMum, Ill be fine. She cant doanything anyway.

CAROLINEI dont know Sarah, Im reallyworried about you.

SARAHI know. I am too. But I promiseMum, Ill be fine.

31.

INT. THERAPISTS- DAY

Lucinda is sipping coffee listening to Sarah speak.

SARAHAnd then Mum found me at the bottomof the stairs.

LUCINDARight. And you say this Scarecrowcharacter just seemed to appear outof nowhere?

Sarah nods.

LUCINDASarah, do you ever feel like thisis your fault?

SARAHExcuse me?

LUCINDADo you ever blame yourself?

SARAHNot... not really. Should I?

LUCINDANo. No of course not. Only Imrecognising signs that thisScarecrow character could be amanifestation of your mind so thatyou have someone to blame for therecent upset thats happened inyour life.

SARAHI... I never really thought aboutit that way. I mean, do you reallythink thats what this is?

LUCINDAI believe its a possibility.

SARAHRight. So... so what does thatmean?

LUCINDAIm not sure yet. At our nextsession well go into your past andI might be able to unlock thislittle puzzle of ours.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 32.

CAROLINEIs there anything I can do to help?

LUCINDAKeep an eye on her. If theresanything happens I want you totelephone me straight away,alright?

CAROLINEI will. Thank you, Lucinda. I dontknow what wed have done withoutyou here.

LUCINDAOnly doing my Job, dear. Now we canarrange the next meeting for...

Lucindas voice dims to a faint drone as Sarah stares out ofthe window. Images of the scarecrow flash into her mind. Shestops daydreaming to find both Lucina and Caroline examiningher worriedly. She looks embarrassed and apologises.

CAROLINERight then, wed better be going.Thanks Lucinda, see you soon.

LUCINDABye now.

INT. FARMHOUSE- EVENING

Sarah is sat on her bed speaking into her mobile phone.

SARAHIt was awful. She kept telling mehow she thought I hated myself orsomething.

HARRY(Voice Only)

That sounds awful, I hope yourealright.

SARAHIll be fine. Its just sometimesI... I dont know. Listen, I haveto go but Ill talk to you later.Yeah. Bye!

Sarah hangs up and ties her hair back. She flicks the lightoff and lies down. Light still shines in from the windows.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 33.

Time passes and the light fades to a dim glow of moonlight.Sarah stirs. She yawns and rubs her eyes. She flicks on thelamp. A figure is sat at the bottom of the bed. She screamswith shock. As her panic fades, she realizes that its hermother.

CAROLINESorry, did I wake you?

SARAHNo... No. What time is it?

CAROLINEJust gone 12.

SARAHUgh.

CAROLINEYou want some tea?

Sarah sits up and Caroline notices blood trickling down herT-shirt.

SARAHNo, I think Ill just have a-

CAROLINESarah?! Sarah what have you done?!

SARAHDone? Done what? What?!

CAROLINEOh my God whats happened?

SARAHMum I dont know what youretalking about.

CAROLINEYour back.

SARAHWhat about my back?

Sarah stands up and walks over to her full length mirror.She turns her body to the side and sees the blood seepingfrom her back.

SARAHOh my God!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 34.

She pulls her top off, wincing at the pain. On her back arescratch marks layered on top of each other in criss crosses.Caroline has tears in her eyes.

CAROLINEWhat have you done?!

SARAHMum I dont know. They werentthere when I-

CAROLINEDid you do it?

SARAHWhat?!

CAROLINEYou heard what Lucinda said. Aboutyou blaming yourself. I cantbelieve you would do this!

SARAHMum I didnt I-

CAROLINEWhat is wrong with you?!

SARAHCome on Mum thats ridiculous!

CAROLINEI cannot believe you. Aftereverything weve been through yougo and do this?!

SARAHMum, come on!

CAROLINEYoull stay in here till Lucindaarrives to talk to you.

SARAHBut Mum I-

CAROLINEI dont want to hear it.

She leaves, locking the door behind her. Sarah sits down onher bed and bursts into tears. Blood trickles down her back.A crow screeches outside.

35.


Caroline sits down in the kitchen and exhales. She wipesaway her tears and picks up her mobile phone before diallingLucindas number.

INT. LUCINDAS HOME- NIGHT

Lucinda is dressed in a pink dressing gown and slippers. Hermobile phone rings and she answers immediately.

LUCINDAHello? ... Oh I see ... Well thatwas the right thing to do... Yes,Ill be there within the hour.

She hangs up and sighs, leaving to get dressed.


Caroline leans back in her chair, holding back tears. Shepicks up a glass of water and drinks it in one go.


The doorbell rings and Caroline pulls open the door. Therestands Lucinda in her brightly coloured raincoat.

LUCINDASorry I took so long, dear. I cameas fast as I could.

CAROLINEThank you so much.

LUCINDASo tell me whats happened. Anychance of a cup of tea?

Caroline nods and leads her through to the kitchen where shebegins to discuss the evenings events.

CAROLINEShe... she just had all these cutson her back and after what you saidabout her self hatred and findingsomething to blame... I justthought... You know.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 36.

LUCINDAA natural assumption. And Iwouldnt be surprised if you arecorrect.

CAROLINESo I told her to stay in her roomand she did a lot of shouting etcetera and then I came down hereand rang you.

LUCINDARight... and has she got any sharpobjects in her room?

CAROLINEI... I dont think so. It was all abit sudden so I didnt really thinkto check.

LUCINDANo matter. I think its best if Ispeak to her now.

CAROLINEIll take you upstairs.

Caroline leads Lucinda up the stairs and to Sarahs room.

LUCINDALets hope she hasnt hurt herselfanymore.

She knocks on the door.

LUCINDASarah? Sarah Dear its Lucinda.Your mother told me about whathappened. Its awful, I know. Buttrust me I can help. Can I come in?

She waits for a reply but doesnt get one. She looks toCaroline who nods. She pushes open the door and gasps. Theroom is empty. No Sarah. Caroline begins to panic. She runsto the open window but no trace of Sarah can be seen. Shestarts to whimper.

CAROLINEOh God, Oh God whats she done?!

LUCINDAIm sure shell be perfectlyalright. Do you have any idea whereshe might be?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 37.

CAROLINEI... I dont know. She... I meanshe doesnt really have any friendshere yet.

LUCINDAAny family she could go to?

CAROLINENo family. Oh God!

LUCINDACome on now, its going to bealright. Come downstairs and Illput the kettle on while you callthe police.

INT. CAFE- NIGHT

Harry is cleaning up the counter in the cafe. Industriallights dimly glow and flicker. A face appears at the door,hands smacking onto the glass. Harry jumps, dropping theglass he was holding. He rushes to the door and pulls itopen, allowing Sarah inside.

HARRYWhat happened to you?!

INT. CAFE- MOMENTS LATER

Sarah is stood at the counter opposite Harry with a glass ofwater in her hand. Harry sweeps up the glass from the flooras he listens.

SARAHSo she asked me what Id done and Iwas like "what?" and she juststarted screaming. She thinks I didit to myself and she locked me inmy room. I just had to get out ofthere.

HARRY(emptying the shards of glassinto the bin)

As long as youre okay.

SARAHI will be.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 38.

HARRYHow bad are the cuts?

SARAHIll show you.

She removes her top, wincing at the pain. She turns round soshe is facing away from him. Her back is covered in deepscratches. Most of the blood has dried and created a darkred layer over most of her back. Harry winces and takes alook. He gently runs his finger over one of the scars. Sarahturns back around. She is met with Harrys gaze.

HARRYYoure beautiful, you know.

Sarah leans in to him and they kiss. Sarah freezes, a lookof horror on her face. She backs away from Harry.

HARRYWhat? Whats wrong?

Sarah points behind him, unable to speak.

HARRYSarah whats going on? Whats thematter?

SARAHBehind you!

Harry turns, terrified. His horror fades when he seesnothing.

HARRYTheres nothing there.

He turns back around. The scarecrow has replaced Sarah.Harry shouts and stumbles backwards. The Scarecrow follows.Harry tries to escape but cant leave. An axe is raised.Harry turns and tries to run. The axe comes down on hishead. He smashes face first onto the floor, twitching as hisblood runs out onto the tiles. The Scarecrow pulls the axeout of Harrys head and turns to Sarah, raising his axe.


Caroline is pacing backwards and forwards whilst Lucindaspeaks with the police. The chief of police, David, isdiscussing the happenings of the evening.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 39.

DAVIDAnd you came right here, no stopsor anything?

LUCINDAThats right. And then when Iarrived Caroline was upset.

DAVIDUpset?

LUCINDAThe two had argued. Caroline foundscratch marks on Sarahs back andshe suspected it was self harm.

DAVIDI see. Miss Rose, do you have anyidea of where she could have gottento?

LUCINDA(shaking her head)

Im sorry.

David nods and turns to Caroline.

DAVIDCaroline I have to ask you again,have you ANY idea at all where shecould be?

CAROLINE(shaking her head)

No... No... her only friend wasHarry.

DAVIDHarry? My son? Ill give him aring.

David digs out his phone and dials Harrys number.

INT. CAFE- NIGHT

Harrys phone rings next to his bloodied body.

40.


David hangs up his phone.

DAVIDNo answer. Ah, hell be working atthe cafe. Is there any chance Sarahmight have gone to see him?

CAROLINEI dont know... Maybe?

DAVIDIll send an officer down there totake a look. In the meantime, wellhave to try and reach her by othermeans. Do you have her mobile phonenumber?

Caroline nods and reaches for her phone.

INT. HUT- NIGHT

Sarahs eyes fly open. She looks around her at the darkbrick walls. The floor is blanketed in blood stained hay. Adim light hangs from the ceiling providing the onlyillumination. Sarah tries to move but soon realises she isstrapped to the makeshift bed she lies on. Her head isbleeding lightly, leaving trails of red across her face. Shestruggles to get free but the chains binding her wont give.A figure appears in the doorway. The scarecrow. Sarahs eyeswiden as the scarecrow reaches to a small wooden table inthe corner where a toolbox sits. The lid is pulled open anda scalpel taken out. Sarah half-shrieks at the sight of theweapon. The scarecrow lifts a hand to hold the maskconcealing what is presumably its face. Slowly, the mask isremoved which leaves the figure of a head in the shadows.Sarah, although scared, is curious and tries to get a lookat her attackers face. The scarecrow steps towards her andlifts up her shirt to reveal her stomach. The scalpel movescloser and closer to her skin. The pressure of the bladegently digs into Sarahs stomach without cutting. She hardlydares to breathe.


David is using his mobile again. He hangs up once more,increasingly frustrated. Lucinda is comforting Caroline.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 41.

DAVIDStill no bloody answer. He shouldhave picked up by now.

INT. CAFE- NIGHT

A police officer knocks on the door. No answer. He knocksagain.

OFFICERHello! Hello? Harry, are you inthere?

He tries the door and, to his surprise, it opens. He walksthrough the cafe.

OFFICERHello? Is someone in here?

He picks up an empty glass from one of the tables andexamines it before placing it back down. The officercontinues to looks around at his surroundings. Somethingmoves behind him. He spins round. Nothing there. It must bejust a trick of the light. He spots a strand of straw on thefloor and picks it up, holding it up to the light. Shruggingit off, he drops the straw and proceeds to the counter.Sarahs half- finished glass of water. He picks that up andlooks at it but decides it is of no interest to him. As heis placing it down, he notices the blood marks running downthe wall. He walks round the side of the counter to take alook. Sure enough, there lies Harrys body. The officerholds his arm to his mouth as though he is about to be sick.


Davids phone rings. He picks it up almost instantly.

DAVIDYes?


OFFICERBoss youre going to want to seethis.

42.

INT. FARMHOUSE- MOMENTS LATER

DAVIDWhat is it?


OFFICERI really think you should see itfor yourself.

INT. FARMHOUSE- MOMENTS LATER

DAVIDFor Gods sake tell me. We donthave the time!

He listens to the details of the officers discovery.

DAVIDOh my God! I-

Another phone rings. Caroline leaps up.

CAROLINEIts her! Its Sarah... Hello?

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE- NIGHT

A walker is holding Sarahs phone.

WALKERHello? Hi. No.. no Im not Sarah. Ifound her phone, though... On thebridge over next to Brammel woods.Yeah.


CAROLINEBrammel woods! Her phones beenfound. (to the phone) Thank you!

She hangs up.

CAROLINEShe must be near Brammel Woods!

David is silent, staring.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 43.

CAROLINEWhat is it? Whats wrong?

DAVIDSarah was with Harry. Hes dead.

CAROLINEOh my God! How?! What?! Is Sarahthere? Is she alright?

DAVIDNo. Whoever did it must have takenSarah. Ill... Ill send a team outto find her.

CAROLINEThank you!

LUCINDAIll go with them.

CAROLINEWhat?

LUCINDAIm the one whos been treatingher. And I had it all wrong. I needto help.

Caroline nods.

CAROLINEYou can come with me.

DAVIDNo! You two shouldnt be going.Theres a killer on the loose forchrists sake.

CAROLINEIm sorry but thats my daughter.

Caroline grabs her car keys and leaves, followed by Lucinda.David wipes his face, shaken.

INT. HUT- NIGHT

The scarecrow is still bent over Sarah, gently skimming herstomach with his scalpel. The scalpel digs into her skin andblood trickles out. Sarah gasps. The Scarecrow looks up andhis face is illuminated. We see a deformed man. His face isfull of cuts that have all been sewn up with what looks like

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 44.

thread. His black eyes are deeply sunken into their sockets.Strands of whispy hair emerge from his tarnished skin. Sarahstares at him, taking in his ghastly appearance. He digs thescalpel into her stomach and she screams, kicking him fullforce. He stumbles backwards and falls, knocking his head onthe wall. He collapses into a heap, unconcious. Sarah spotsthe scalpel still resting on the edge of her bed. The ropebinding her hands stretches. She is a centimetre away fromgetting the scalpel when it tips off the end of the bed. Sheloses balance and topples off of the side, smacking onto thefloor with a thud. Carefully, she edges herself along thefloor towards the scalpel. She looks up and inches away isthe seemingly unconcious killer. She stares at him, tryingto see if hes awake or not. After moments of deliberation,she grabs the scalpel and slowly wears down the rope untilit snaps. She then cuts her feet free and stands up. Sarahdrops the scalpel without thinking and begins to half-runout of the old hut. She staggers out of the hut and looksaround, deciding on which place is best to run. She decideswhere to go and begins running. The cold wind whips herhairas she travels to the gathering of hills behind the hut.Sarah trips and skids down a small embankment. She finallycomes to a stop. Catching her breath, she looks around atthe vast open countryside. Something moves behind her. Sheturns but nothing is there. Another movement but again,nothing. Another movement. She turns and sees a strand ofstraw. She moves her hand closer to it. As she touches it,an axe swings down and narrowly misses her. She screams andgets back to her feet. The scarecrow follows her as sheruns. She leaps over streams and ducks under branches, thescarecrow never seeming to lose her. She turns and he hasvanished. Her pace slows down as she realizes shes outrunhim. Headlights appear in the distance. She waves and runstowards them. The car stops at a bridge over the stream. Shereaches it and bangs on the windscreen. The driver climbsout.

DRIVERWhats wrong?!

SARAHIm being chased... By a killer.He, he has an axe and-

DRIVERWhat?! Where is he?

SARAHHe was... He was right behind me. Idont know where hes gone. Pleasejust let me in the car.

The driver looks uneasy.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 45.

DRIVERIm not sure. Im sorry. I dontsee anyone though.

The driver looks around. Suddenly, the Scarecrow appearsbehind him and slices his head off with his axe. Sarahscreams and runs into the dense forest. The scarecrowfollows.

INT. CAR- NIGHT

caroline is in the drivers seat looking drained. Lucindasits next to her.

CAROLINEIt cant be far now.

LUCINDAStop worrying, shell be fine.

CAROLINEWe dont know that.

LUCINDAShes a clever girl, shellsurvive.

CAROLINEHe has an axe.

LUCINDAShe has brains.

CAROLINEHe has an axe.

LUCINDAIm positive that girl will bealright.

CAROLINEFor Gods sake we cant know that!

LUCINDALook, theres another car overthere!

Caroline pulls over next to the other car and Lucinda climbsout. She walks over to the other car but soon realisessomething is wrong. The driver door is wide open and thelights inside the car are still on. She crosses round to thefront and spots the dead body of the passer-by. At her feet

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 46.

lies their decapitated head. She shrieks and stumblesbackwards before spinning round and running back to the car.

CAROLINEWhats the matter?!

LUCINDATheres... theres a body there.

CAROLINEWe must be near! Come on, get out.

LUCINDAAre you mad?!

CAROLINEWell were not going to get muchfurther in the car.

Caroline gets out of the car. Lucinda begrudgingly follows.

EXT. WOODS-NIGHT

Sarah is running through the woods, increasingly out ofbreath. The Scarecrow paces behind her, managing to keep upwithout running. Sarah trips and falls face first into thehard ground. She turns around expecting to see the Scarecrowbut he is nowhere to be found. Sarah stands up and movesquickly to take cover behind a nearby tree. She pressesherself up against it, her breathing slowing. She turns andis faced with the mangled face of the scarecrow.


Caroline and Lucinda hear Sarahs scream of horror.

CAROLINEThats her!

Lucinda makes a start for the woods. Caroline stops her.

CAROLINEWhere are you going?!

LUCINDAThere is a high chance thatwhichever one of us goes in therewill get killed. If you think Imletting that girl go without amother then youve got anotherthing coming.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 47.

CAROLINEI have to find her.

LUCINDAStay here.

Lucinda moves off into the woods before Caroline can argue.She stands looking helpless.

EXT. HILLS-NIGHT

The police team are stood around David as he gives orders.

DAVIDIf the girl is in any danger thenyou get her out of thereimmediately. If her attacker is onthe loose then shoot to kill. Iwant her back here. Go!

The team disperse into the wilderness. David pulls out acrumpled sheet from his hand. A photograph of Harry. Hestuffs it into his pocket and follows the rest of the team.

EXT. WOODS-NIGHT

Sarah is still being pursued by the scarecrow. His axetrails along the floor as he walks, never taking his eyesoff of her. She darts through the trees, managing to avoidfalling over.

EXT. WOODS-NIGHT

Lucinda has a flashlight and is looking for Sarah. She callsout for her but gets no reply. Lucinda peers into the deeplayers of trees, seeking out a figure. She turns and a bodyslams into her. She screams before realizing that itsSarah.

LUCINDASarah oh my God are you alright?!

SARAHShh, shh! I dont know where hesgone. He could be anywhere.

LUCINDAOh dear God. Come on well find ourway out of here.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 48.

SARAHWheres my Mum?

LUCINDAShes fine. I told her to wait bythe car. I mean if-

Sarah screams. An axe swings down through the air and slicesinto Lucindas stomach at an angle. She coughs up blood andfalls backwards. The scarecrow comes into sight and kicksLucinda backwards, simultaneously pulling out his axe. Shetumbles backwards down an embankment and topples into theriver below as her blood turns the water a cloudy shade ofred. The killer turns to Sarah, bloody axe raised high. Shescreams and begins to sprint back through the forest.


The police see the hut in the distance. David yells at hismen to follow and they hurry to the small building. Theyreach it and David rushes inside, finding only used rustyblades and torn ropes. He curses under his breath. From thewoods comes a blood curdling scream. He turns and his facefills with horror. David screams at his men and they run tothe woods.

EXT. WOODS- NIGHT

The Scarecrow drags Sarah by the hair through the woods. Shewrithes around trying to get free but nothing works. Shegrabs hold of a tree trunk and pulls herself away from theScarecrow. Her face turns red as tufts of her hear are tornout. She gets free and begins to scream as she runs throughthe woods.

SARAHMum! Mum! Somebody help! Please!

DAVID(out of shot)

Sarah?!

SARAHHello?! Please help!

We hear policemen coming toward her.

CAROLINESarah?!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 49.

SARAHMum! Mum where are you?!

CAROLINESarah!

Caroline comes into view, staggering over the muddy ground.

SARAHHow did you..?

CAROLINEI found Lucinda and then I heardyou...

The police arrive and look around, not dropping theirweapons.

DAVIDWhere did he go?!

SARAHI dont know. He was... He wasthere...

They all look around, apprehensive. The danger is still justas high. A scream comes from the back of the group of policeofficers. Sarah spins round in confusion. Another scream.She whirls around again. The scarecrow is stood directly infront of her. His axe swings down and we cut to black.

EXT. WOODS- NIGHT

Fade in on Caroline screaming.

The police rush over to Sarahs body.

The killer strides away, vanishing into the darkness of thetrees.

Sarahs eyes become heavier.

Caroline is sobbing.

Sarah slips into unconsciousness.

Fade to black.

After a few moments the Scarecrows face flashes up on thescreen and he swings his axe towards the camera. We cut toblack.

Scarecrow Indie horror film screenplay

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