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CLAY03    6' GREEN CLAY FROM OUTER SPACE: kidnapped

EXT NIGHT OVER-THE-SHOULDER: KATIE'S YARD

(Villain enters frame past camera in the darkness, stands with
house over shoulder, he scans slowly left and right)

                           HENCHMAN1

(enters frame opposite, carrying long ladder over shoulder,
speaks softly pointing toward house)

The girl is in the second floor bedroom right rear.

                            VILLAIN

(nods, softly, points at house)

Do it.

(Henchman1 exits frame carrying ladder, Henchman2 enters frame
carrying the rear end, exits frame)

INT MORNING WIDE: KATIE'S ROOM

                              MOM

(knocks outside, opens door, enters)

Katie, you've got to get going or you'll be late for sch...

(shouts)

Harold? Harold?!

                              DAD

(enters with the remains of shaving cream on his face, wipes
half of it)

What's the fuss?

                              MOM

Katie's gone. Did she say anything about having to go to school
early?

                              DAD

(crossing to window)

She's not at school.

                              MOM

(follows)

How do you know?

                              DAD

The window is open and the screen has been cut.

                              MOM

(pushes flap of screen material, gasps)

Oh, Harold! You don't suppose she's... she's been....

                              DAD

(sticks head out the window through the slit in the screen,
looks down)

There's two marks from a ladder in the soil in the flower bed,
there was a ladder leaning against the wall. Our baby girl has
been kidnapped!

INT MORNING CLOSE-UP: VILLAIN'S LAIR

(Katie, dressed in pajamas, moans, awakens, looks left and
right, up and down)

What happened?! Where am I?! How did I get here?

(sits up, swings feet onto the floor, feels neck)

The spider bite. This isn't a spider bite. This is a needle
mark. I was drugged. I've got to get out of here.

(stands, sees her backpack on the floor with its contents,
including a sandwich bag full of green clay, strewn nearby, she
kneels, stuffs the contents back into her backpack, stands with
it, moves toward nearby door, is suddenly stopped when the
shackle on her ankle reaches the limit of the chain, she falls
forward, reaches unsuccessfully for the door knob)

                            VILLAIN

(enters through door)

Where do you think you're going?!

                             KATIE

I want to go home.

                            VILLAIN

You'll have to answer some questions first.

                             KATIE

What do you want to know?

                            VILLAIN

You were the one who discovered the spacecraft that fell from
the sky, weren't you?

                             KATIE

Who wants to know?

                            VILLAIN

I'm special agent Mickey Mantle from the department of Homeland
Security. Now...

                             KATIE

...No you're not.

                            VILLAIN

Yes, I am.

                             KATIE

No you're not. Federal agents don't drug people while they're
sleeping and kidnap them.

                            VILLAIN

These are special circumstances. It's a matter of national
security. What did you do with the payload from the spacecraft?

                             KATIE

If you're really a federal agent, show me your badge.

                            VILLAIN

I left it in my other pants.

                             KATIE

Just as I thought. You're a phoney!

                            VILLAIN

Look, you little rug rat,

(advances as Katie retreats)

what did you do with the payload from the spacecraft?!

                             KATIE

I don't even know what a payload is.

                            VILLAIN

That spacecraft undoubtedly had advanced alien technologies on
board, maybe a state-of-the-art computer system or maybe a
secret weapon. I want that payload and I want it NOW!

                             KATIE

(jumps up on the bed, huddles against the wall, protects herself
with the backpack)

What do you want it for?

                            VILLAIN

If the spacecraft came from an advanced civilization, the
technology would be priceless.

                             KATIE

So, you're just after it for the money.

                            VILLAIN

My motivation is none of your business. Now, tell me what you
did with the payload!

                             KATIE

(digs into the pocket of her backpack, pulls out the sandwich
bag of green clay lumps, offers it)

Alright, you don't have to yell. Here it is.

                            VILLAIN

(swats the bag with the back of his hand)

Nice try, kid! Now where is the REAL payload.

                             KATIE

That's it. All that was in there was a big lump of green clay.

                            VILLAIN

(exiting)

Have it your way, then. You're not leaving here until I get that
payload. No food, no water. Nothing!

(exits, slams door, bolts it)

                             KATIE

But...

(sighs)

(jumpcut montage: Katie sits on the edge of the bed, Katie paces
in front of the door, Katie lies on the bed, Katie sits on the
floor, Katie sits on the bed, Katie paces in front of the door,
Katie lies on the bed, Katie sits on the floor, Katie sits on
the bed)

                             KATIE

(holds her stomach)

(softly, to self:)

I'm hungry. I'm thirsty. I could die of thirst before he
believes me.

(looks over at the discarded sandwich bag of green clay lumps,
picks it up)

Maybe I could make myself something to eat!

(sighs, drops bag)

Naw, it only works on animals.

(picks up bag)

Wait a minute. I've never tried to make anything but animals.
Maybe....

(holds bag at eye level)

I've got enough clay to make a small apple or a small banana.
What would taste good right now?

What am I thinking?! I should use some of the clay to make my
get away.

I am really hungry. Maybe I should make a miniature banana
first.

(ponders)

Okay. Banana first.

(reaches into bag, pinches off a small clump of green clay,
rolls out a two-inch-long rod, then tapers the ends, then bends
it into a bow shape, then elongates one end between her fingers
to make a tiny stem, then she lays it down, immediately, it
grows to ten inches long and turns yellow simultaneously)

Wo! It works! It really works!

(touches banana tentatively, lifts it, hefts it, smells it)

Feels and smells like a real banana.

(peels the banana)

But the real test is the taste.

(bites off a piece, chews, closes eyes and moans)

Oh, man! This is delicious!

(devours the banana, then tosses the peel over shoulder, but
immediately turns toward it)

Wait! I can use this to make my get away.

(hides it under her pillow, then sits up straight)

Wait! If I can make a banana out of clay, I can make ANYTHING.

(picks up sandwich bag, ponders)

What else do I need to make my getaway?

(looks down at ankle shackle)

A key.

(mimics Mom)

Don't be ridiculous, Katie. You don't even know what kind of key
fits into that lock.

(reaches into sandwich bag and pinches off two small clumps of
green clay)

I have to try, Mother.

(rolls one of the clumps into a rod, then flattens the rod into
the shaft of a key with no teeth, then she rolls the other clump
of clay into a ball, then flattens it into the handle of the
key, then she raises her shackled foot and rests it on the bed
and lays the lock on it side, she assembles the two halves of
the tiny clay key on top of the lock next to the slot, waits)

Nothing. Well, nice try.

(ponders)

Wait. A key always has a hole in the handle.

(reaches into backpack, pulls out a yellow pencil, carefully
twists off the eraser, uses the metal sleeve like a doughnut
cutter to cut a uniform round hole in the handle of the key,
carefully picks out the donut hole, immediately the key grows to
normal size, turns grey, then brass color and shines like new)

Holy Cow!

(touches the key tentatively)

It's real. It's really metal!

(the key begins to tremble, withdraws finger, the key stands up
on end by itself, inserts its tip into the lock, an indentation
appears on the shaft of the key just above the lock, the key
sinks into the lock by itself one tumbler at a time, one
indentation at a time until it's all the way in to the key slot,
the key turns itself and the lock opens releasing Katie's ankle)

Nobody is ever going to believe this! How would I explain this?!

(imitates)

Mother, did you know that this magic key slid into the slot and
opened the lock by itself?!

(realization, reaches into the sandwich bag)

I don't have time for this. If he comes back, I'll need a
diversion to get me out of here.

(pinches off a small chunk of clay, then a second smaller chunk,
she rolls the larger clump into a two-inch-long rod, then tapers
one end of it to look like the tail of a snake, then she molds
the smaller chunk into a snake head)

(sound cue: footfalls outside the door)

(gasps, repositions the shackle to look like its on her ankle,
picks up the two halves of the clay snake and presses them
together, then tosses the clay snake toward the door post)

(a key inserts into the lock, the knob turns and the door opens)

                            VILLAIN

(enters carrying a plate of food)

Well, if you tell me where the payload is, I'll give you this
food.

(sound cue: rattle snake rattles)

What's that sound?

                             KATIE

There's a snake behind you.

                            VILLAIN

Nice try, you little rug rat. Are you saying you'd rather go
hungry than...

(sound cue: rattle snake rattles)

(shivers, turns toward door, pulls the door, looks behind it,
reveals a four-foot long rattle snake advancing, backs toward
Katie)

I hate snakes!

(Katie retrieves banana peel from under pillow, grabs her
backpack, runs out the door, drops the banana peel in the
doorway, runs away)

Why you little rug rat!

(runs after Katie, slips on the banana peel, falls backward,
tossing the plate of food into the air, its contents land on
Villain's face, then the plate smashes)

(sound cue: rattle snake rattles)

(close-up: Villain turns his head toward the advancing snake as
camera exits room)

Nice snake. Good snake. Ouch. Ooo. Ouch. Ooo. Ooo. Ah!

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