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The Dunwich Horror 4

OPENING, EPISODE 4

ANNOUNCER The Dunwich Horror By H.P. Lovecraft

ANNOUNCER When a traveller in north central

Massachusetts takes the wrong fork at the

junction of Aylesbury pike just beyond

Dean's Corners he comes upon a lonely and

curious country.

ANNOUNCER __________ as Dr. Henry Armitage

ARMITAGE Some of the Whateleys and Bishops still send

their eldest sons to Harvard and Miskatonic,

though those sons seldom return to the

mouldering gambrel roofs under which they

and their ancestors were born.

ANNOUNCER __________ as Professor Warren Rice

WARREN Dunwich is indeed ridiculously old - older

by far than any of the communities within

thirty miles of it. South of the village one

may still spy the cellar walls and chimney

of the ancient Bishop house, which was built

before 1700; whilst the ruins of the mill at

the falls, built in 1806, form the most

modern piece of architecture to be seen.

ANNOUNCER __________ as Dr. Francis Morgan

MORGAN Oldest of all are the great rings of rough-

hewn stone columns on the hilltops, but

these are more generally attributed to the

Indians than to the settlers.

ANNOUNCER and __________ as Lavinia Whateley

©2011 Julie Hoverson (screnzy)

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LAVINIA [voiceover throughout] Folk wondered how

swiftly or how lingeringly a cow or bullock

was usually sacrificed. There was talk of a

complaint to the Society for the Prevention

of Cruelty to Animals but nothing ever came

of it, since Dunwich folk are never anxious

to call the outside world's attention to

themselves.

MUSIC

RICE [v.o.] Morgan stumbled out of the bushes, a

local lad over his shoulder. As the

townsfolk were simply staring, slack-jawed,

I leapt into action.

SCENE 4-1

AMB OUTSIDE

SOUND BODY DROP (from before)

RICE Catch him!

EARL Here. [anxious] And Chauncey?

CHAUNCEY [Moan]

LUTHER [relieved] Not dead! Praise god!

MORGAN [weakly, gasping for breath] Boy saved me.

Showed me a cut in the hillside. It

couldn't follow... though it tried hard

enough.

CHAUNCEY [moan]

LUTHER What's wrong with him? [Chauncey]

MORGAN [a couple of deep breaths] I don't know. He

looked back, and just - collapsed.

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ARMITAGE Bring him. Morgan, are you - able?

MORGAN Might be in a minute. Depends. [wry snort]

D'you have my flask?

RICE [sigh relief, almost ends in chuckle] Here.

LAVINIA After mama passed, I cud be gone too.

Stayed out in the woods fer un whole entire

night, and a day, father paid no mind atall.

suhtimes I think maybe I died too.

SCENE 4-2

AMB IN CAR

RICE Take it slow, Morgan. You're still a bit

wobbly on your pins.

MORGAN [grim] We'll have to take it slow, with so

many on the runners. It was carrying the

boy made me take a tumble, not... what

happened.

ARMITAGE We need to know, Morgan. Anything you can

tell us.

MORGAN [low] When it's just the three of us. [up]

Is the boy all right?

RICE I think his arm is broken, and he's still

unconscious, but he's alive.

LUTHER You can leave him with me and Miz Corey. Ef

you'll stop in there.

ARMITAGE The rest of you will come with us, won't

you? At least as far as the "low place?"

We need help to find our way.

EARL Well--

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SILAS [slow, reluctant] Yes. We will. [definite]

That far and no further.

ARMITAGE Understood.

LAVINIA Trees're alive 'n grass're alive 'n morning

glories and everythin all alive. All live.

All quiet. Not quiet like home, where

father sits with books and I just... sit.

SCENE 4-3

AMB OUTSIDE

EARL There it is up yonder. Ef you squint, yew

kin see the table rock atop the hill.

RICE No need to squint.

SOUND METAL SQUEAKS, TELESCOPE BEING PUT TOGETHER

RICE Just a little focus. Ah! It does look like

a table, doesn't it?

SILAS Zat a spyglass?

RICE Telescope. Basically the same - refractors

and reflectors and all that, but mostly it's

just bigger. Would you like to look?

SILAS I? No. Too many things up and out there I

shouldn't want to see, up close.

EARL Might I?

RICE Certainly. In fact, why don't you fellows

hold onto this while we-- [faltering a bit]

we go on up there.

EARL Ayup. [looking - scared, awe] Ah! The

entire hill looks like it's close enough to

touch!

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LAVINIA Brown'n white. Brown'n white's cows. Brown

'n white's folks. All got brown 'n white -

'ceptin me. Tuk Maimie's clean whites off

th'line in th'dark 'n mashed 'em in th'brown

mud. How she carried on! Why'd she get all

th'pretty thin's?

SCENE 4-4

AMB OUTSIDE

SOUND WALKING

ARMITAGE Are you up to telling us now, Morgan?

MORGAN [very tense] Once we're up the hill and back

into clear sunlight, maybe.

RICE [trying to break the tension] Zebulon, back

at the house, told me some interesting

things about Wilbur's childhood. He seemed

quite impressed with your esoteric

ramblings, Armitage.

ARMITAGE [wry] Good to know my utter humiliation

served a purpose.

MORGAN [blurting] The bullets didn't even slow it

down!

A MOMENT

ARMITAGE [carefully neutral] Yes?

MORGAN [wobbling a bit] They kept shooting and

shooting, [a breath that is almost a sob]

and it kept coming.

RICE [urgent] What did you see?

ARMITAGE [calming] Tch! Let him tell it.

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MORGAN [manly sniff, then hollow and haunted] A

wave - a wave of wind. There was nothing at

all to see, and yet the trees bent, and the

grass flattened.

ARMITAGE [calm, understanding] As we expected.

RICE [taking the cue and staying calm] Yes, yes.

MORGAN [almost a whisper] Yes. [ramping up] But

none of our expectations could have prepared

us for [snarl] THAT--

RICE [voice over] Stunned or not, shocky or not,

Morgan had withstood a dreadful ordeal with

excessive fortitude. Who else could face

such an abomination and still have the

mental capacity to speak coherently of it?

LAVINIA Words words words. Books're words that keep

f'rever like stones. Father's're full of

words with teeth like rattlers. I want soft

'n small 'n quiet, like puffs of air, spoke

to another as mama talked 'n like them pairs

as walk out inta them woods.

SCENE 4-5

AMB COLD SPRING GLEN

COP1 [whispered] I hear something up ahead,

sarge.

O'REILLY [whispered] Good. Quiet, now.

SOUND SLOWLY CRUNCHING FOOTSTEPS

SOUND DISTANT CREAK OF WOOD, NOISE OF MONSTER

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O'REILLY [whispered commands] Fan out, boys. Two up

that way, the rest over here.

COPS [Right! Yes sir!]

WILLIAMS [aside, to Morgan] He was "over there".

MORGAN Ah.

WILLIAMS [explaining] In the Great War.

MORGAN Yes, I got that.

SOUND FOOTSTEPS MOVE TO THE SIDES

SOUND DISTANT CRASH

WILLIAMS [whispered] Ready, now?

MORGAN [whispered] I very much doubt it.

LAVINIA why fuss over mud? Messy, yeah, but cool

and soft. And do stop them words - them

soft ones - when mud craps from up a tree

and ruins a party dress. Or hair.

invisible - a word like ripples on a brook -

thass me, up in them trees.

SCENE 4-6

AMB HILLSIDE

MORGAN Even in that half light, down there, we

could see it coming - or rather [haunted] we

saw nothing.

ARMITAGE You have that sprayer handy?

RICE Right here. I'll get started, build up some

pressure.

SOUND PUMPING

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MORGAN Even if we can see it, I - I don't think

anything we can do will-- [falters, gasp]

ARMITAGE [gently, coaxing] Then why are you still

carrying your gun?

MORGAN [a bit lost] Oh, that. I never - never -

[loses it] I never took a single shot!

[manly sob]

ARMITAGE Oh, dear.

RICE Morgan? Morgan? [calming] If you never

took a shot, then we don't know your rifle

will be ineffective.

MORGAN But the other guns, they-- [long shuddering

breath]

RICE Did it not react at all? As far as you

could see?

MORGAN [back to grim] Oh, it reacted all right.

LAVINIA Father whupped me fer talkin to Sally up to

town. Fillin me with nonsense bout a magic

babe what come long time ago to help folks.

Said them thick enough t'b'lieve in mary and

jesus deserve whate'er it is come fer them.

SCENE 4-7

AMB COLD SPRING GLEN

COP1 I see movement!

SOUND FLUTTER OF PANICKED BIRDS

O'REILLY Ready!

SOUND RUSTLE, CRASH

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SOUND CREATURE ROAR

WILLIAMS Watch the trees! they're parting... and ...

COP1 I don't see anything!

WILLIAMS It's the shady light down here!

O'REILLY Must be colored like the leaves.

MORGAN Then why am I seeing a patch of sunlight

through it?

O'REILLY [hissed] Stifle! It's just about in range!

COP2 Where?

WILLIAMS Aim between the trees - hiding or not, once

it bleeds, we'll see that.

O'REILLY Go!

SOUND GUNS UNLEASH

SOUND MONSTER ROARRRR!

LAVINIA Hurt! So bad! Father said pain is good-

pain is shown y'are alive. Screamed 'n

screamed - like mud was fillin m'eyes 'n

ears, 'n mouth 'n... others... drownin' like

a cat I thrown in the well and sticked down

til it stopped movin'.

SCENE 4-8

AMB HILLSIDE

MORGAN They unloaded all five guns, and I think at

least two of them reloaded, before it [deep

breath] reached us.

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RICE I think we're almost to that subordinate

hilltop. Looks like a good place to get our

bearings. Watch what it does.

MORGAN That's what I did - I just watched.

[horribly guilty] I didn't even unsling my

rifle, just stared.

ARMITAGE Fascination, in the deepest sense of the

word.

MORGAN [continues] I could not take my eyes off the

trees and bushes, and how they moved around

"it" - such a phenomena as I've never even

imagined before.

RICE We'll likely be seeing it again - soon.

ARMITAGE Sooner than you think. Look.

SOUND DISTANT CREAK OF TREE, RUSTLE OF BUSHES

MORGAN [shaky] Oh heavens!

LAVINIA All thanks to him as come to me, for all the

pain and all the time's gone away in my head

now I got him. My perfect baby. Papa let

me give him Wilbur for a name, since he has

the handlin of aught else.

SCENE 4-9

AMB ROAD, TOWNSFOLK

EARL They've gotten up past the trees! Surprised

how fast they can move it up there.

SILAS Steep enough a goat'd go round.

OSBORN Even that old feller?

EARL Them others have to help him time to time.

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OSBORN Why a gaffer like that would go gadding

about in other people's misery is beyond me.

CURTIS Let someone else have a gander, there, Earl!

EARL Just a tick. Ah. They're setting down.

Fixing to wait. Here.

SOUND METAL CHANGES HANDS

CURTIS Yuh too kind. [looking] Hmm. Ah, I see

them! [gasp, horrified] And I see - I see--

SILAS What?

CURTIS 'Gawd almighty, the grass an' bushes is

a'movin'! It's a-goin' up - slow-like -

creepin' - up ter the top this minute,

heaven only knows what fur!'

EARL Give over!

CURTIS Take it. I don't want to see no more.

EARL I wonder ef they kin see it from where

they're settin'.

OSBORN [hesitant] Maybe we should signal, like?

It's slow in the goin, they kin still get

ahead of it.

ZEBULON What? Yell? They'll never hear.

CURTIS Shoot off a gun, then.

SILAS No! Never! It will hear it and come a-

lookin.

EARL I think it's purt near set on the path it's

-- [cuts off with a Startled shriek, as--]

SOUND GUNSHOT

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OBORNE Right in my ear.

SILAS [terrified] It'll come!

ZEBULON [dead certain] Ain't nothin in this world'll

distract that beast, not now. Not ever

again, whatever happens.

LAVINIA Time and again, father said how we'd be like

mary 'n jesus only with real gods to give

him to me, and real power to change the

world, but don't care a snip fer that. just

wanted my baby. My wilbur. Someone to love

me, and be my very own. Foever.

SCENE 4-10

AMB HILLSIDE

SOUND DISTANT RUMBLING, GROWS THROUGHOUT THE SCENE

SOUND WHIPPOORWILLS BEGINS

MORGAN [breathless from climbing, but grim] You've

never seen anything quite so disturbing as a

man lifted into midair and pulled apart like

a toy by something ...unseen.

RICE [sympathetic noise] Mm.

ARMITAGE [very out of breath] And the boy?

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MORGAN Just as the thing finished with the last of

the hapless policemen, I heard a noise

behind me. It took the utmost effort of

will to turn my head, to ... [falters, quick

breath] to not look. And there he was,

beckoning up between the rocks. It was

quite a narrow and secret way, the kind boys

always seem to find, and it ... it couldn't

follow.

RICE Close shave.

ARMITAGE [breathing very hard, between the words] Do

you see where the creature has got to?

RICE I'll look - you rest.

SOUND GUNSHOT

ARMITAGE What's that?

MORGAN [panicking a bit] I don't know!

RICE [commanding] I'll go look!

SOUND FOOTSTEPS AWAY

MORGAN You shouldn't be here, Henry old man.

ARMITAGE [wry] As it might be the death of me? If

we don't stand, it will be far worse.

MORGAN But you--

SOUND RICE RETURNING, FAST

RICE [panting a bit] That was a signal. It's

getting close.

ARMITAGE Ready the sprayer. It may only appear for a

brief moment or two, but it will give us

something to aim at. You must be prepared--

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MORGAN To see such a hideous thing? Of course.

RICE Yes.

ARMITAGE Promise me, Rice. If I falter, you will

take this--

SOUND PAPER

ARMITAGE --and finish the spell, at any cost.

SOUND PAPER RUSTLES

RICE This is it? The incantation? Seems a

bit ...short

ARMITAGE You may be surprised - we shall have to keep

repeating it until it takes full effect.

[grim] No matter what.

RICE Of course.

MORGAN [teasing a bit] And I?

ARMITAGE [joking] Your latin pronunciation is

atrocious.

MORGAN [grim again] Hunh. I'll be the distraction

then. Just say when.

RICE [whispered to armitage] You would risk your

life, Henry?

ARMITAGE [annoyed, but trying to make light] You two

mother hens. I'd be dead either way.

LAVINIA his baby! my baby! why does he need so much

of my sweet wilbur? He's growin so fast and

strong but I don't bother over nothin odd he

does, for he loves me.

SCENE 4-11

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AMB ROAD, TOWNSFOLK

OSBORN [looking through the telescope] They're

getting the sprayer ready!

CURTIS Pass the glass along!

SILAS I wouldn't look if you paid me.

EARL He gave it t'me in the first place!

OSBORN Hold your damn hosses. Both of you.

SILAS Maybe we should ought to try and recall our

prayers, at a final moment like this.

ZEBULON Maybe it ain't thy Christian god thee

should'a been praying to all along, eh?

OSBORN Hush! It was talk like that brung up things

like that up there. Here, Curtis.

CURTIS [to Osborn, taking the telescope] Thanks

ever so.

ZEBULON They's gods that grant without askin the

whole entire world in return.

OSBORN You're as bad as old Wizard was! I've

always said--

EARL This ain't the time--

CURTIS [screams]

SILAS What?

EARL Catch him!

ZEBULON What? What'd thee see?

CURTIS Oh, oh, great Gawd... that... that...

ZEBULON [urgent] What?

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CURTIS [faints]

LAVINIA no! Said let t'other take on the mantel, 'n

father locked me in m'room for nigh a week,

and no one left outside to look after Wilbur

but them. Come out, 'n suthin's different.

Tis in the air. Thick as mud.

RICE [voice over] The powder revealed the

creature's visage - a monstrous apport none

on this earth have ever seen before, or god

willing shall ever see again. We stiffened

our resolve, and set on the next portion of

Armitage's plan.

SCENE 4-12

AMB HILLSIDE

NOTE - FACING THE CREATURE, ALL THREE MEN ARE VERY TENSE AND

CONTROLLING THEIR TERROR - THEY HAVE SEEN

ITS FACE!!!!

SOUND MONSTER NOISE - IT SEEMS CONFUSED

RICE Good god, it's huge!

MORGAN I told you - but seeing it, even for an

instant... is so much worse!

ARMITAGE [beginning a chant] [lorem ipsum]

MORGAN [manning up] I'll try and - and keep its

attention.

RICE Go.

ARMITAGE [chanting]

RICE [puzzled] It's - it's moving away?

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ARMITAGE [breaking off the chant] Stay with it.

Don't let it get out of hearing.

RICE Why isn't it - well - attacking us?

ARMITAGE [very grim] A malign singleness of purpose,

I fear. We must get to the top of the hill

before it does.

SOUND HUGE GUNSHOT

RICE Good old Morgan. Come along, then. I'll

carry you on my back if that's what it

takes.

LAVINIA Used to done everythin together - showed him

all th'best trees, stones on the hill - now

he says go back mother, but don't sound like

mother. Sound like toadstool 'n potato like

everyone else calls me! What got into him!

SCENE 4-13

AMB ROAD, TOWNSFOLK

CURTIS [horrified mumbling] Bigger'n a barn... all

made o' squirmin' ropes...

EARL Hush now, Curtis. Hush.

CURTIS The hull thing sort o' shaped like a hen's

egg bigger'n anything with dozens o' legs

like hogs-heads that haff shut up when they

step...

ZEBULON I told thee all. More'n oncet I told thee.

But wouldst any take heed?

OSBORN [quiet strain under osborn's weight] I gotta

lay him down.

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CURTIS Nothin' solid abaout it - all like jelly,

an' made o' sep'rit wrigglin' ropes pushed

clost together... great bulgin' eyes all

over it...

SILAS Let's get him over theere. Not s'muddy.

SOUND FEET MOVING

EARL Where's the-- aha.

SOUND PICKS UP TELESCOPE

SILAS [loudly hissed] Y'ain't gonna look!

EARL Someone has ta.

CURTIS [still muttering] ten or twenty maouths or

trunks a-stickin' aout all along the sides,

big as stove-pipes an all a-tossin' an

openin' an' shuttin'...

ZEBULON [serious] Come to eat the world, need a

sight of mouths.

CURTIS all grey, with kinder blue or purple

rings... an' Gawd in Heaven - that haff face

on top...' [wailing groan, passes out]

LAVINIA Ghost in m'own house agin. Father 'n Wilbur

spend all the time upstairs, and say I ain't

fit. Frettin' - nigh on had a fit when a

feller come through sellin fish 'n made to

try the door. He laughed, but not me, jest

prayed he din’t hear the hooves up there.

SCENE 4-14

AMB HILLSIDE

SOUND RISING WINDS AND NOISE - THE MEN MUST SHOUT

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ARMITAGE [chanting]

RICE It isn't having any effect!

ARMITAGE [stops, gasping for breath] Take it up.

Keep it going.

RICE [yelling] We could use a distraction!

ARMITAGE A what?

SOUND GUN SHOT

SOUND MONSTER ROAR

ARMITAGE [realizing] Ahhhh. Morgan. [gulping

breath, then yelling to the others] Keep it

from reaching the altarstone if we can.

RICE I'll move us a little closer. Here, lean on

me. I can chant while we walk. [begins

chant]

SOUND AWKWARD FOOSTEPS

RICE [voice over] Armitage's age and recent bout

of illness were clearly showing in his face

- greying in the thickening unnatural

twilight. And yet his lips were set in a

determination firm as any general in ages

past.

LAVINIA Ast wilbur - can't ast father - can't be

bothered with me no more - ast why they want

to do what they're purposin'. Why clear the

Earth atall? Glare poked me to th'heart all

while he was sayin "tis polluted by useless

creatures ...like you." [whimper]

SCENE 4-16

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AMB ROAD, TOWNSFOLK

EARL Two of them have made the topmost ridge -

apart from the table, but acrost from it.

ZEBULON Known better than to get within reach. More

sense than I give em credit fer.

SILAS Two? Did one of them fall aready?

SOUND GUN SHOT

MEN [all gasp]

SILAS That won't do no good - din't do them police

fellers no good.

EARL Glads my heart to hear, natheless.

OSBORN Drawin' down dark - [sarcastic] just what

they need, a thundershower.

SILAS T'ain't no storm!

ZEBULON [spooky] The Dark at noonday will herald the

opening of the way.

EARL If you can't say something nice, don't say

nothing atall!

SILAS It is a-gettin' dark up there.

OSBORN JUST up there.

ZEBULON [ominous] t'will spread over the face of the

land like wine stain on clean linens.

EARL [more fearful than angry] I said SHUT IT!

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LAVINIA Father gone, tis just me and them upstairs.

Wilbur 'n... that I never seen. Sounds so

big now. Wilbur's kinder - mebba thinks I

mourn father's passin. Wish it happened

years agone. Afore everythin went bad. But

not afore the birth. No - I wouldn't give

up my babies for nothin'.

SCENE 4-17

AMB HILLSIDE

SOUND MORE WIND, LIGHT STARTS TO GO. LIGHTNING

RICE I can't read any more! It's getting too

dark!

ARMITAGE Stay with me as best as you can. I have it

memorized - I hope.

MORGAN Science triumphs again.

SOUND CLICK - FLASHLIGHT ON

SOUND CREATURE MAKES A NOISE

ARMITAGE [chant for a minute, then] It's not working!

RICE I have an idea - the banishment of solomon!

MORGAN The what?

RICE A series of gestures outlined in the book of

Inanna of perimedes - an ancient alchemical

text. For the safe renunciation of summoned

spirits.

ARMITAGE Show us! Quickly! I'll continue the chant!

MORGAN It's at the altar!

RICE How can you tell? The powder faded--

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MORGAN Just can. There's a-a "mistiness" when the

lightning flashes.

ARMITAGE All the more reason for us to keep moving

forward with the spell. Show us, Rice.

ALL THREE [CHANT]

ORVILLE Ygnailh... ygnaiih... thflthkh'ngha.... Yog-

Sothoth ...

MORGAN [gasp]

RICE [whispered] Invisible, and yet not silent.

ARMITAGE [grim] keep chanting!

LAVINIA "tis Hallowmass, mother." mother felt like

love again. "Time to see what we wrought."

So proud of him. of them. Opened the door

t'upstairs 'n led me up, he did. Father

kept us runnin onward so long and now,

finally - to see what's at the end.

RICE [voice over] Without warning came those

deep, cracked, raucous vocal sounds. Not

from any human throat were they born, for

the organs of man can yield no such acoustic

perversions. It is almost erroneous to call

them sounds at all, since so much of their

ghastly, infra-bass timbre [tam-bra] spoke

to dim seats of consciousness and terror far

subtler than the ear.

SCENE 4-18

AMB ROAD, TOWNSFOLK

EARL I guess he's sayin' the spell.

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OSBORN Looks like they all are, dancing and a

shouting up there. God preserve em.

SILAS God preserve us, if they falter.

ZEBULON Hmph.

EARL And them Whippoorwills! What cud that

portent?

ZEBULON I cud tell thee, but will aught listen?

SOUND RUMBLING, THUNDER

SILAS [resigned] Tis the wrath o' god.

ZEBULON Mayhap, but which one?

EARL Sothin's happenin! Some kinda light!

SOUND PORTAL NOISE BEGINS

NECRONOMICON The gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate... where

the Old Ones broke through... no one can

behold Them as They tread. ...that shape

without sight or substance ... mutters with

Their consciousness.

SCENE 4-19

AMB HILLSIDE

[still shouting - noise is rising]

ORVILLE Yog-Sothoth ... Y'bthnk... h'ehye -

n'grkdl'lh...

ARMIOTAGE [chanting]

MORGAN That light!

RICE The gate is opening!!!

MORGAN What is that?

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RICE Something's coming through!

ARMITAGE The chant and the gestures, boys! Don't

stop for anything! This may be our last

hope!

ALL THREE [start the chant again]

NECRONOMICON Nor is it to be thought that man is ...

earth's master...The Old Ones shall be. The

wind gibbers with Their voices, and the

earth mutters with Their consciousness.

SCENE 4-20

AMB HILLSIDE

SOUND DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS.

SOUND WHIPPORWHILS CRECENDO

ORVILLE [chanting]

ALL THREE [Chanting]

SOUND CRACKING AND RUMBLING

SOUND LIGHTNING FLASHES

SOUND WARP IN THE PORTAL NOISE

ARMITAGE It's faltering!

SOUND BULLETS INTO RIFLE

MORGAN Let's see if this will throw it off its

stride.

SOUND GUNSHOT

ORVILLE [SHRIEK]

SOUND GUNSHOT

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ORVILLE Eh-y-ya-ya-yahaah - e'yayayaaaa...

ngh'aaaaa... ngh'aaa... h'yuh... h'yuh...

HELP! HELP!

SOUND NOISES WARp, CRECENDO

ORVILLE HELP! ...ff - ff - ff - FATHER! FATHER! YOG-

SOTHOTH!...

SOUND HORRIBLE ENDING!!!!!! NOISE CONTINUES UNDER

RICE, OBSCURING SOME OF HIS WORDS

RICE A single lightning bolt shot from the purple

zenith to the altar-stone, and a great tidal

wave of viewless force and indescribable

stench swept down from the hill to all the

countryside.

SCENE 4-21

AMB ROAD, TOWNSFOLK

EARL I heard that!

SILAS Get down!

EARL You can't tell me you didn't!

OSBORN It's a-comin!

EARL No! They stopped it! I swear'n they did!

ZEBULON Its going out should be terrible to behold.

SOUND HUGE WIND SUDDENLY HITS

SILAS I said get down!

SOUND BODIES DROP

ZEBULON [muttered like a mantra] Great Cthulhu is

their cousin, yet can he see them only

dimly!

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SOUND THUMP

ZEBULON [ungh - knocked out]

SILAS Hmph. I'm that tired o' him.

RICE The pallid group in the road jumped

violently at the terrific report which

seemed to rend the hills; the deafening,

cataclysmic peal whose source no hearer was

ever able to place.

SCENE 4-22

AMB HILLSIDE

SOUND HORRIFIC CRACKING NOISES - STONE BREAKING

MORGAN I don't "see" it any more?

RICE Time to go. Armitage?

ARMITAGE [exhausted] Tired...

RICE Grab him before he falls!

MORGAN [grunt as he catches] Gotcha.

RICE I'll get the other side--

MORGAN Go on, you lead. You've got the flashlight?

I can't see a damn thing in the dark.

RICE Yes. All right. [looking around] Hmm.

[definite] Right. This way, then.

SOUND THE WIND IS DYING DOWN, BUT...

SOUND SMALL IMPACT

MORGAN [panicked] Oh god, what now?

SOUND SMALL IMPACT

RICE Something falling--

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SOUND MORE OF THEM

MORGAN Keep moving! If anything got through that

gate, we'll have to regroup.

SOUND THUMPS GO ON

SOUND RUNNING IN GRASS

RICE The stench left quickly, but the vegetation

never came right again. To this day there is

something queer and unholy about the growths

on and around that fearsome hill.

SCENE 4-23

AMB ROAD, TOWNSFOLK

SOUND SMALL THUDS, BEGINNING

SOUND THE MEN ARE ALL SLIGHTLY MUFFLED, TUCKED

FLAT, TRYING TO STAY SAFE

EARL Hail?

OSBORN Ow! Ain't been hail this hard since

eighteen ninety five- oh my gawd!

SILAS Don't tell me. I want to go to my maker

innocent as a babe.

OSBORN [snide] So glad you have a dream, Silas.

[grunts and he gets up, then hit again] Ow!

It's ... [laughs in wonder]

SOUND THUMPS BEGIN TO SLACK OFF A BIT

OSBORN It's safe, fellers. They won't do you no

harm. Can't even peck y'no more.

EARL What? [coming up, getting it] Hah! You want

to tell him?

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OSBORN It's whippoorwills, Silas. And they're all

dead.

SOUND THUMP

RICE As we approached, the scattered senses of

poor Curtis Whateley began to knit back into

a sort of continuity. Memory seemed to pick

itself up where it had left off, and, not

realizing the events he had passed through,

insensible, the horror of the sight that had

prostrated him burst in upon him again.

SCENE 4-24

AMB ROAD, TOWNSFOLK

CURTIS [muttering, waking]

SOUND THE THREE APPROACHING

OSBORN Can we help you fellers atall?

MORGAN We'll be fine. After a bit of rest.

ARMITAGE You can put me down now, boys.

RICE Gently now.

SOUND HELPING ARMITAGE INTO SITTING

ARMITAGE [noise of sitting, deep breath, quiet

chuckle] This'll be a story for the

journals, Rice.

RICE More like the stories my friend Edward

writes.

CURTIS [wakes with a yell] Oh! Oh my Gawd!

OSBORN [annoyed sigh] Oh, someone tell him it's all

over.

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EARL It is all over, isn’t it?

ARMITAGE Yes. Shh.

CURTIS [muttering, earnest, urgent] that haff face

- that haff face on top of it... that face

with the red eyes an' crinkly albino hair,

an' no chin, like the Whateleys...

SILAS Hush, Curtis. It's a-gone now.

CURTIS It was a octopus, centipede, spider kind o'

thing, but they was a haff-shaped man's face

on top of it, an' it looked like Wizard

Whateley's, only it was yards an' yards

acrost....

ZEBULON [distant, musing] Fifteen year' gone, I

heered Ol' Whateley say as haow some day

we'd hear a child o' Lavinny's a-callin' its

father's name on the top o' Sentinel Hill...

OSBORN [ignoring him] What was it, anyhaow, an'

haowever did young Wizard Whateley call it

aout o' the air it come from?

ARMITAGE [heavy sigh] It was - well, it was mostly a

kind of force that doesn't belong in our

part of space; a kind of force that acts and

grows and shapes itself by other laws than

those of our sort of Nature.

SILAS But how do they--?

ARMITAGE We have no business calling in such things

from outside, and only very wicked people

and very wicked cults ever try to.

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EARL [not joking] Like opening the door and

lettin a fox in at the hens, eh?

ARMITAGE Mm. There was some of it in Wilbur Whateley

himself - enough to make a devil and a

precocious monster of him, and to make his

passing out a pretty terrible sight.

RICE [quiet] Amen to that.

ARMITAGE I'm going to burn his accursed diary, and if

you men are wise you'll bring down that

altar-stone up there, and all the rings of

standing stones on the other hills.

MORGAN [grim] I'll personally send a consignment of

dynamite.

ARMITAGE Those stones brought down the beings those

Whateleys were so fond of - the beings they

were going to let in, tangibly to wipe out

the human race and drag the earth off to

some nameless place for some nameless

purpose.

NECRONOMICON After summer is winter, after winter summer.

[huge, and yet fading out] They wait.

ARMITAGE But as to this thing we've just sent back -

the Whateleys raised it for a terrible part

in the doings that were to come. It grew

fast and big from the same reason that

Wilbur grew fast and big - but it beat him

because it had a greater share of the

outsideness in it.

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LAVINIA Only ever saw Wilbur. Father said be happy

with my share of th'god's bounty. Now my

baby, grown so tall, took me up them stairs

to face the other. Twas hallowmass, and I

wan't afeared no more.

ARMITAGE You needn't ask how Wilbur called it out of

the air. He didn't call it out. It was his

twin brother, but it looked more like the

father than he did.

LAVINIA [fading] Part of my boys ...forever.

END OF DUNWICH HORROR

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famous jury trials€¦ · web viewopening, episode 4. announcer the dunwich horror by h.p....

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