RAY
He didn’t?
JAMES
Nope. And you know why?
RAY
Why?
JAMES
When they found him, he’d turned into a frog!
RAY
No way.
TAD
Mama says people come out of the river. They don’t go back in.
JAMES
Oh she does, does she? Grab a towel.
SOUND
THE WATER SLOSHING GENTLY IN THE TUB.
RAY
Not yet, Daddy.
TAD
You have to feed us first.
JAMES
I thought she did that already.
TAD
(amused) Don’t you know anything?
JAMES
Let’s go. Stand up, Tad. You, too, Ray.
SOUND
THE BOYS STAND UP IN THE BATHTUB, DRIPPING WATER. AS LORI’S FOOTSTEPS APPROACH. SHE JOINS THEM IN THE BATHROOM.
LORI
And how are my three men?
JAMES
Slippery as eels. Hand me another towel, will you, honey? Let the water out of the tub, fellas.
RAY
We can’t.
JAMES
Why not?
RAY
It’s broken.
JAMES
What is?
TAD
The drain.
JAMES
Quit stalling.
LORI
Wait a minute. I think I see something.
JAMES
Where?
RAY
You have to lean down.
TAD
Go on.
RAY
A little more. . .
LORI
There.
SOUND
JAMES SLOSHES THE WATER WITH HIS HAND.
JAMES
Looks like it’s plugged up.
LORI
With what?
JAMES
I don’t know. . .
LORI
Take a closer look.
JAMES
The water’s pretty cloudy.
LORI
Lean all the way in. What’s wrong?
JAMES
I feel dizzy. . .
LORI
Let me help you.
SOUND
A SPLASH AS LORI DUNKS JAMES’S HEAD IN THE WATER. HE COMES UP SPUTTERING.
RAY
(giggling) Daddy’s going swimming!
JAMES
Let go of me! I can’t –
LORI
(calmly) Can’t what? Breathe underwater?
RAY
Poor Daddy.
TAD
He doesn’t know how.
RAY
But we do.
SOUND
JAMES THRASHING IN THE WATER.
JAMES
(trying a draw a breath) Get them off me!
LORI
Don’t fight it, James. I put something in your drink, to make it easier. Why don’t you relax? Go with the flow.
JAMES
(face in and out of water) No. . . no. . .!
SOUND
THE THRASHING SLOWS. ONLY A FEW BUBBLES.
TAD
Now, Mama?
RAY
Is it time?
LORI
Yes. (beat) Time to feed.
TAD & RAY
(giggle)
SOUND
THE SPLASHING INCREASES. . .
CUT OFF SUDDENLY BY THE LOUD RINGING OF A STANDARD DESK TELEPHONE.
INT. – A SMALL SHOP.
AS A HARDCOVER BOOK SLAPS CLOSED ON A TABLE. THE RINGING STOPS AS VICTOR LIFTS THE TELEPHONE RECEIVER FROM THE CRADLE.
VICTOR
(flat) Victor’s Fix-It.
JOLENE
(filtered) (upbeat) You’re still there!
SOUND
BEHIND HER (FILTERED): SILVERWARE, DISHES, A FEW VOICES. SHE IS CALLING FROM A DINER.
VICTOR
(preoccupied) Oh hi, Jolene.
JOLENE
I knew you were. I can see the light in the shop from here.
VICTOR
What time is it?
JOLENE
A little after seven.
VICTOR
I must have lost track.
JOLENE
Working late?
VICTOR
I was – reading a book.
JOLENE
You were? Which one?
VICTOR
The new Rex Christian. The library got it today.
JOLENE
Any good?
VICTOR
The best ever.
JOLENE
What’s this one called?
VICTOR
“Nightmare Territory”. I just finished the the first story.
JOLENE
I didn’t mean to bother you.
VICTOR
That’s all right.
JOLENE
I guess you haven’t even been home. When you didn’t stop by the diner. . . well, I figured you changed your mind.
VICTOR
About what?
JOLENE
The movie.
VICTOR
(remembering) Was that tonight?
JOLENE
It’s okay.
VICTOR
Jolene, I’m sorry – really. We can still make it. If I come right over. . .
JOLENE
No biggie. They’ll have a different one next week.
VICTOR
Be right there.
SOUND
VICTOR HANGS UP, SLIDES A CHAIR BACK ON A WOODEN FLOOR, STANDS, CROSSES THE SMALL ROOM AND LETS HIMSELF OUT, KEYING THE DOOR LOCKED BEHIND HIM.
MUSIC
BEGIN EPISODE SCORE (CONTINUING).
NARRATOR
His name is Victor Rippon – resident of a small town in the Pacific Northwest. He has his own business, and he lives alone, since the divorce. His life is simple now. He spends most of it at work – or reading stories by his favorite horror writer. They are his only friends, apart from a waitress at the diner across the street. Tonight he agreed to meet her for a movie – strictly platonic, of course, because he’s not quite ready to trust anyone again. But before the night is over, he’ll reach out to a new friend. . . the only one who might understand. It’s
NARRATOR (cont’d)
a risky step. But as the saying goes: a man with nothing has nothing to lose. Or does he?
MUSIC
EPISODE SCORE THRU TO: THEME. FADE DOWN.
ANNOUNCER
Dread Time Stories will continue in a moment.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
MUSIC
THEME.
ANNOUNCER
Now back to Dread Time Stories, and. . . “Talking In the Dark.”
MUSIC
EPISODE SCORE. THRU TO:
SOUND
INTERIOR – SMALL-TOWN DINER.
QUIETER NOW. ONLY A COUPLE OF CUSTOMERS LEFT.
JOLENE
More coffee, Hank?
HANK
Don’t mind if I do.
SOUND
SHE POURS, REFILLING HIS CUP.
JOLENE
I’ll get you some sugar.
HANK
Don’t need any.
JOLENE
But you like it sweet.
HANK
Give me your hand.
JOLENE
Why?
HANK
Stir it with your finger.
JOLENE
What for?
HANK
That’ll make it plenty sweet!
JOLENE
(laughing) Oh, you!
SOUND
A BELL ON THE DOOR JINGLES AS VICTOR ENTERS.
VICTOR
(a little out of breath) Sorry I’m late.
JOLENE
Go ahead and have a seat. Any table is fine. (calling) Walt?
WALT
(off) Yeah?
JOLENE
One more and I’m outta here.
WALT
Sure thing, Jolene. What’ll it be?
JOLENE
Hold on.
SOUND
SHE CROSSES TO THE TABLE AS VICTOR SITS.
VICTOR
It’s almost seven-thirty. . .
JOLENE
Will you relax? When’s the last time you ate?
VICTOR
I had something.
JOLENE
When?
VICTOR
I – don’t remember.
JOLENE
I swear, you’re gonna waste away. (calling) Make it a Blue Plate Special.
WALT
(off) Comin’ up.
SOUND
OFF: A SIZZLING FROM THE GRILL.
AS JOLENE PULLS BACK A CHAIR AND SITS.
VICTOR
You should go on without me.
JOLENE
Well now, that wouldn’t be any fun.
VICTOR
But you wanted to see this one.
JOLENE
It’ll be out on DVD. Then maybe we can – you know. Watch it together. I mean, if you want to.
VICTOR
I don’t even have a player.
JOLENE
You don’t?
VICTOR
Susan took everything.
JOLENE
Oh. (a beat) Victor, look at me. Are you all right?
VICTOR
I’m fine.
JOLENE
Are you?
VICTOR
I didn’t get much sleep, is all.
JOLENE
I can tell.
VICTOR
Don’t worry about me.
JOLENE
But I do.
VICTOR
Jolene. . .
JOLENE
Listen. You’re my friend – we’re friends. And friends tell each other things. Don’t they?
VICTOR
I guess.
JOLENE
Well, you never tell me anything.
VICTOR
Nothing to tell. I go to work, I go home. I read. Sometimes I have dreams. I get up. . .
JOLENE
What kind of dreams?
VICTOR
You don’t want to know.
JOLENE
That’s just it. I do. Know what I think? I think you read too much.
VICTOR
What’s wrong with reading?
JOLENE
Too much of that horror stuff, I mean.
VICTOR
Only the ones by Rex. I know every story by heart.
JOLENE
I’ll bet you do.
VICTOR
I wish he’d write more. I’d read them all.
JOLENE
Tell me one thing. What’s so special about him?
MUSIC
FADE IN EPISODE SCORE.
VICTOR
Well. . . he’s the only one who gets it right. I mean, there are lots of people who write horror. But they just do it for the money. Vampires, werewolves, the same old thing. Kids’ stuff. Who cares? Rex, though, he’s been there, I can tell. He knows.
JOLENE
Knows what?
SOUND
WALTER WALKS OVER TO THEIR TABLE AND SETS A PLATE DOWN.
WALT
One shrimp platter.
JOLENE
I coulda got
