Dan turns on the flashlight, bulb illuminates.
DAN
I swear to God it wasn’t working a
few minutes ago.
Jillian spins around, shines flashlight in every direction.
Dam watches intensely, scratches his stubble.
62
DAN
What are you doing?
JILLIAN
Looking for someone.
DAN
Who?
Debra jumps out from the shadows, drunk, and scares Dan and
Jillian. She waves canteen in front of their faces.
DEBRA
Me!
Jillian rolls eyes, walks short distance into TUNNEL #2.
JILLIAN
Did anyone see or hear anything?
DAN
No.
DEBRA
I only heard you talking to
yourself. What’s up with that? You
sounded like a damn hoot owl.
A hand CLAMPS onto Dan’s shoulder. All three of them jump.
Eddie sweeps flashlight beneath his chin, switches it on.
EDDIE
Boo!
DAN
I’m not amused.
Eddie laughs hysterically, stumbles, and collapses into
wall. Fresh blood spills across gauze fibers covering GASH.
Mike strides up, glares at Eddie.
MIKE
I thought I told you to stay off
that leg.
63
EDDIE
Sorry, man. The moment was too
perfect.
JILLIAN
Mike, we need to get out of here.
Eddie’s drunken smile fades.
EDDIE
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm.
JILLIAN
It wasn’t funny.
EDDIE
Sheesh, I said I was sorry.
JILLIAN
(to MIKE)
Did you find a way out?
MIKE
No, but I see you found Dan.
JILLIAN
Well, he actually found me.
Dan shines his flashlight into TUNNEL #3.
DAN
I started down the same tunnel you
were just in, Mike, but I heard a
voice . . . a familiar one, or so
I thought, coming from down this
way. I followed it hoping there
might be an exit.
MIKE
Well, was there?
DAN
No.
Jillian shines her light down TUNNEL #1.
64
JILLIAN
Was there anything down there?
MIKE
Just more tunnels.
JILLIAN
You didn’t see anyone?
MIKE
No, but there’s a lot of little
tunnels that veer off in every
direction. Why?
JILLIAN
It doesn’t matter. Let’s take this
tunnel.
Jillian shines flashlight into TUNNEL #2, glances at TUNNEL
#1, sees FLAME again, and tenses.
Mike notices Jillian’s reaction, sees FLAME. It dies out.
MIKE
Sounds good to me. Dan, you take
lead. I’ll bring up the rear with
Eddie.
Dan nods, proceeds into TUNNEL #2. Mike wraps Eddie’s arm
around his shoulders, hoists him up. He ushers the others
ahead, looks over shoulder.
EDDIE
What are you looking at?
MIKE
I thought I saw something back
there. It’s probably nothing.
Jillian picks up pace.
JILLIAN
Mike?
MIKE
Yeah.
65
JILLIAN
I saw something other than that
lighter back there.
Water POUNDS rhythmically behind them. Eddie looks back.
EDDIE
Hey, that sounds like someone
running.
JILLIAN
Yeah, right toward us.
Jillian and Mike exchange fearful glances.
JILLIAN
Run!
Jillian sweeps Eddie’s other arm around her neck, absorbs
some of the weight. She and Mike sprint forward carrying
Eddie. Debra and Dan dash ahead.
INT. LOS ANGELES - STORM SEWER – 1.45 MILES IN - NIGHT
Six-feet in diameter, old, crumbling red brick, unchanged
ground slope, knee-deep water. New, overhead plastic pipes.
Pitch black.
Dan leans over, gasps for breath. Eddie and Debra pass
canteen between them. Jillian squats next to Eddie, clears
away gauze from GASH. Mike shines flashlight into TUNNEL
#2.
DAN
Maybe it was rats. Eddie’s leg is
bleeding pretty badly. Perhaps,
they were attracted to the scent.
MIKE
I don’t think so. It sounded much
larger than that.
66
JILLIAN
And if it were rats, there had to
be a lot of them.
DAN
Oh, I’ve seen plenty.
MIKE
I haven’t seen any, but I’ve been
a little distracted.
DAN
Trust me, those little bastards
are everywhere. They disappear
into crevices and shit when we get
close, but they’re there.
EDDIE
I haven’t seen them either.
DAN
That doesn’t surprise me. You’re
inebriated.
EDDIE
That’s not nice.
DAN
Deny it.
Eddie shrugs, takes sip from canteen. Jillian folds gauze
into a thick square, places it over GASH, and secures it
with large bandage.
JILLIAN
Okay, it’s the best I can do.
EDDIE
How’s it look, doc?
JILLIAN
Bad. It won’t stop bleeding.
EDDIE
(panics)
Is it infected?
67
JILLIAN
I don’t know. I’m not a doctor.
Jillian sees FLAME flicker ahead of them in TUNNEL #2. She
clears her throat, motions with her head. Mike picks up on
her cue, glimpses FLAME.
MIKE
How did it get in front of us?
Dan, Eddie, and Debra turn, see FLAME, watch it disappear.
DAN
Maybe it’s another Creeping group.
MIKE
(mutters)
I don’t think so.
EDDIE
They might be able to help.
DAN
And, they’ll know the way out.
Dan bolts, light from headlamp diminishes. Jillian and Mike
exchange alarmed glances.
EDDIE
Shit, man, I’m so fucking tired.
There’s no way I can keep up. Can
I just wait here?
Jillian removes BOOK from coveralls.
JILLIAN
I’m afraid not. We’re all in this
together literally and
figuratively.
Debra points at BOOK.
DEBRA
What is that?
68
JILLIAN
I hope its our way to get out of
here alive.
DEBRA
That’s so not funny.
Jillian opens BOOK, flips a few pages, and brings it over
to Mike.
JILLIAN
Take a look at this.
&nb
sp; Mike licks his lips, takes the BOOK. He reads in silence,
face grows grimmer.
MIKE
Do you think this is what we’re up
against?
JILLIAN
No doubt. Each of our ancestors
are in there. Look at the last
names.
Eddie slumps against wall.
EDDIE
What the fuck is going on? Who are
we up against?
Jillian takes the BOOK, slips it into her coveralls.
JILLIAN
Deceased devil worshippers.
Eddie laughs heartily.
EDDIE
You almost had me there.
Debra stares back and forth between Jillian and Mike.
DEBRA
I don’t think they’re joking.
69
INT. LOS ANGELES - STORM SEWER – 1.55 MILES IN – NIGHT
Six-feet in diameter, old, crumbling red brick, increased
ground slope, almost waist-deep water. New, overhead
plastic pipes. Pitch black.
Jillian and Mike plod forward, carry Eddie between them. He
is semi-conscious, his head bobs to the side. Debra sloshes
behind them, hums softly.
MIKE
How are you holding up, Jill?
Jillian shines headlamp into water. Charlie’s mangled-up
body floats next to her. She shuts eyes, reopens them. He’s
gone.
JILLIAN
I think Charlie is trying to help
us.
MIKE
What do you mean?
JILLIAN
Back when you were checking out
the other tunnel, he appeared and
said someone was going to hurt me.
MIKE
Charlie told you that?
JILLIAN
I know. You think I’m crazy.
Mike remains silent, contemplates.
MIKE
That depends.
Mike swipes his tongue over lips, adjusts grip on Eddie.
70
MIKE
I didn’t say anything earlier
because I wasn’t sure how the
others would react, but I thought
I heard Charlie’s voice.
JILLIAN
Go on.
MIKE
When I checked out the other
tunnel, I heard him whisper that
you were in danger. It’s what made
me turn around. That’s when my
lights went out.
JILLIAN
Yeah, same here.
MIKE
So what else is bothering you?
JILLIAN
Besides my dead fiancé haunting
me?
MIKE
(chuckles)
Yeah, besides that.
JILLIAN
Every so often I see his body all
mangled-up in the water next to
me, but it’s like an artist’s
twisted interpretation of the way
he looked when he died.
MIKE
Maybe your mind is still trying to
grasp the extent of your loss.
DEBRA
Perhaps, you both should see a
shrink.
Mike and Jillian fall silent. Street noise ECHOS in front
of them. Eddie raises his head.
71
EDDIE
Do you guys hear that?
MIKE
(grins)
We made it!
They rush forward, spill into larger room. Cast iron ladder
ascends to covered manhole.
DEBRA
Hallelujah! We can fucking get out
of here.
JILLIAN
We need to find Dan.
DEBRA
Maybe he took a wrong turn.
Mike slides out from underneath Eddie’s arm, leaves Jillian
with balancing Eddie. He grabs a lower rung on the ladder.
MIKE
One thing at a time. Let’s see if
we can actually get out of here
first.
Mike climbs ladder, presses hands against bottom of manhole
cover. It won’t budge. He peers through a hole in cover,
sees vehicles passing by.
MIKE
Hello? Hello?
Mike presses up on manhole cover again, climbs down ladder,
and slips back into water.
EDDIE
(anxiously)
Well?
MIKE
I can’t lift it.
72
DEBRA
Maybe you should try again.
Jillian gives Debra an annoyed glance.
JILLIAN
I think if it were possible to
move it, he would have.
DEBRA
Maybe Eddie should try.
EDDIE
Are you crazy? If Mike can’t do
it, what makes you think I can?
DEBRA
Determination.
MIKE
(sarcastically)
Yeah, Eddie, you can do anything.
You’re Luke Skywalker. Who cares
if you’re bleeding to death?
DEBRA
Shut up.
JILLIAN
Everyone needs to shut up.
An eerie silence settles over them. Water SLOSHES, traffic
BUZZES overhead, unintelligible voices WHISPER.
Debra takes a swig from canteen, waves it at Eddie.
EDDIE
I’ve had my fill, thanks.
Debra takes a sip, hears WHISPERS calling her a drunk.
DEBRA
I wish those fucking voices would
shut the hell up.
73
JILLIAN
I can’t understand what they are
saying.
DEBRA
I don’t know. I’m not going to be
a freak show like you.
Jillian removes BOTTLE from pocket, opens it, and stares at
last two pills.
DEBRA
Oh great, suicide girl is going to
get drugged up.
Jillian glares, dumps pills in hand, and offers them to
Debra.
JILLIAN
I thought you might need them.
DEBRA
I don’t fucking need your drugs.
Debra slaps Jillian’s hand away, knocks pills into water.
DEBRA
Oops.
Jillian eyes flash with anger. She tucks empty BOTTLE away,
snags Debra’s canteen, and gulps ALCOHOL. She hands it back
to Debra, shakes her head, and puts distance between them.
JILLIAN
Does Dan have the only map?
EDDIE
No, I have one.
Jillian holds out hand, waits. Debra moves over to Eddie,
withdraws map from interior pocket of backpack, and slaps
it against Jillian’s chest.
Jillian and Mike study it. Their faces drain of color.
74
EDDIE
What’s wrong? Was this supposed to
be the way out of here?
JILLIAN
I don’t think so.
EDDIE
What’s the matter then?
JILLIAN
Do you guys remember when that
news story broke about the show
for haunted places aired and one
of the episodes was the compound
of devil-worshippers?
EDDIE
It was a couple years ago.
JILLIAN
The cult leader murdered his
members to show his devotion to
the devil before killing himself.
DEBRA
Does this have anything to do with
that stupid book you found?
JILLIAN
Yes, it does. Do you remember
where the police found the bodies?
EDDIE
Down in some fucking tunnel that
ran beneath the compound.
EDDIE’s eyes widen.
EDDIE
You have to be fucking kidding me.
JILLIAN
Unfortunately, I’m not.
75
MIKE
We’re about two-tenths of a mile
away from where the compound stood
before the city started their
renovation project earlier this
week and all of our last names are
listed in the text.
The Urban Creepers Page 6