ERIC
Maybe because he had to get ready. Like a caterpillar who had to wait until he could become a butterfly. He was just waiting all that time, changing inside, growing into… something else. (turns to JANICE)
You know what tonight is, don’t you? Don’t you? Why are your kids coming back tomorrow?
JANICE
Oh, shit, I never called them. What do you mean, why are they coming back? Because they have to be back for school… (it finally hits her)
Oh. Oh, God, tonight is…
ERIC
Yeah. The last Saturday night of the summer.
They look at each other across the sunlit living room of a nice, ordinary house as we DISSOLVE TO:
INT. — BRENT’S HOUSE — HOURS LATER
The living room is beginning to look a bit like a cage. A house of cards has fallen over on the coffee table. BRENT and ERIC are smoking. BRENT has sobered a bit — he just looks hellishly depressed. JANICE is clearing up in a sort of obsessive way, straightening things on shelves, etc.
ERIC
Leave it alone. It’s okay.
JANICE
It’s driving me crazy. All this mess… It’s something to do, for God’s sake. What are we waiting for?
ERIC
The power to come back on. The phone to start working. A monster who used to be our friend to knock on the front door. Who knows?
JANICE
If you really think this is going to happen, why don’t we just leave? Let’s just get in the car and go! BRENT
Won’t do any good… ERIC
For once I agree with Zenger. What if the engine just happens to die while we’re driving down some back road somewhere? There we’ll be, out in the woods somewhere, stuck, no walls, no locked doors…
JANICE
It just seems… it just seems so stupid. All of it. This is stuff that happened years ago! What’s it doing screwing things up now? I just want it all to go away so I can have my kids and my life back.
ERIC
There has to be some kind of sense to this. He was in that psychiatric hospital for years. What did they find? What the hell was in those pills? BRENT (shaking his head)
Doesn’t matter now.
ERIC
But it does! Was it some kind of psychic warfare experiment? Some kind of biological modification thing? The CIA, a bunch of other government groups were working on all kinds of crazy shit in the Seventies. What did Topher get his hands on?
JANICE has finished nervously clearing the living room. She wanders into the hall and through the open bathroom door. We can still hear ERIC’s voice.
ERIC (cont.)
For a while, about ten years ago, I thought I might write an article about it — I even started researching. Nobody wanted to say a fucking word — total blackout. It was definitely something big. But I just couldn’t go through with it, you know, dragging all that stuff back out again…?
JANICE is staring at herself in the mirror, hands on the sink. ERIC’s voice has become a faint murmur. As she stares, the radio beside the bath begins to play Cat Stevens’ “Moonshadow”. She stares at it in shock. When she looks back at the mirror, it’s her own YOUNGER FACE looking back. At first she is terrified, but the impulse to look at this lost version is irresistible. As she lifts her hand to touch her own adult face, the YOUNG JANICE image mirrors her, and we CUT TO:
EXT. — PIERSON HOUSE, 1976 — NIGHT
It’s dark now, and YOUNG ERIC and YOUNG JANICE are sitting on the front porch overlooking the orchard. “Moonshadow” is wafting out the front door. There are stars in the sky and crickets chirping. JANICE is looking into the mirror of her compact, her hand in the same position we last saw it.
YOUNG ERIC (amused)
What are you doing?
YOUNG JANICE
You know Carly Heener? She said that when she did acid, she knew when she was tripping because she looked in the mirror and her face was melting.
YOUNG ERIC
Carly Heener’s brain was already melted. Cool out, it won’t even hit for half an hour or so. You’re just high from all that weed. (a beat)
Man, Zenger must have a serious crush on Kimmy. He’s actually in there listening to Cat Stevens with her. Like the Pope sitting down to have breakfast with Satan.
YOUNG JANICE (laughing, high)
You’re so funny, Eric. But if you guys all think Cat Stevens’ is so bad, how come you have one of his records? Busted!
YOUNG ERIC
I think my cousin must have left it or something.
YOUNG JANICE
Yeah, sure. (looks at him fondly, then frowns)
You know, you’re kind of sweating a lot.
YOUNG ERIC
I think it might be coming on a little.
YOUNG JANICE
Do you think Topher will be all right? Where is he, anyway?
YOUNG ERIC
Out running through the trees, probably. Yeah, he’ll be fine. I saw him drink gasoline out of a jug once. He thought it was white wine. Crazy fucker’s invincible. Besides, I bet he’s bullshitting anyway. His dad would beat the shit out of him if he got caught ripping that place off. I bet it’s just speed, or some psilocybin he bought off Ricky Caffaro or something…
JANICE nestles against ERIC, looking out at the orchard. “Moonshadow” ends and is replaced by Peter Frampton’s “Baby I Love Your Way”. ERIC laughs. YOUNG ERIC
Man, Zenger’s really got it bad. (shouts toward the door)
Put on some decent music, will you?
YOUNG JANICE
I never noticed how close the trees are to the house. They look… I don’t know. Like they’re surrounding the place.
YOUNG ERIC
They are surrounding the place.
YOUNG JANICE
You already did that joke. But don’t you think they’re weird? Like they’re reaching…
YOUNG ERIC
Ssshhh. You’re just starting to come on. It’s fine. It’s all fine.
He puts his arm around her. After a moment, he starts to kiss her neck, then her mouth. She tries to respond, but when his hand moves up to her breast she pulls away.
YOUNG JANICE
Don’t…
YOUNG ERIC
It’s okay.
YOUNG JANICE
It’s not okay. I feel weird. Like… like I’ve got a battery on my tongue. I don’t think I like this.
YOUNG ERIC
Shit. You only took half a hit. (he sits up)
I’m leaving in like a week, you know.
YOUNG JANICE (quietly)
I know.
YOUNG ERIC
And, I don’t know, since I’m going to be in LA, and we’ll only be able to see each other on weekends… I don’t know, maybe we should start thinking about… about…
There is a loud CLATTER from just overhead, then something large and dark DROPS down from the roof above them and lands with a SLAM on the porch, making ERIC and JANICE shout and jump in shock. It’s TOPHER, very wired and grinning. He’s got his shirt off and tied around his waist. He looks like a wild man. TOPHER
Take me to your leader! (cocks an ear to music)
What is that queer shit? (shouts)
Zengerdenger! Put on some Zep or some Sabbath or I’ll kick your ass into next year! (leans over ERIC and JANICE)
Man, I’m so fucking thirsty — let’s make a run for brews. C’mon, Erky, you drive.
YOUNG ERIC
I’m not driving, man. The acid’s just starting to come on.
TOPHER
Then we’ll walk. C’mon. Janice, make your fuckin’ boyfriend get off his ass. Come on, come on!
YOUNG JANICE
Why do we need beer?
TOPHER
Why do we need beer? Why do we need anything? Why do we need fucking music? Why do we need dope? Because life is shit and I’m so fucking high I can’t believe it! (he laughs and shadow-punches the air, circling ERIC and JANICE like a dog excited about going for a walk)
Party time!
TOPHER throws back his head and howls like a wolf, a rising, hoarse note that turns into ERIC yelling:
ADULT ERIC
Janice! Janice!
As we DISSOLVE TO:
INT. — BRENT’S HOUSE — EVENING