Friday the 13th

Brenda turns and nods.

STEVE

(continuing)

She's archery. He's rifle ranged. And I'm behind schedule. Let's go, Ned.

They exit with the tool box. Marcie stops and turns to Brenda, who looks upward and blows the hair from her forehead.

CUT TO:

EXT. EDGE OF THE LAKE – DAY

Steve, Alice, Brenda, Marcie, Ned, Jack and Bill are lugging a swimming float down to the water's edge. Steve supervises as he carries the thing, which is quite heavy. They ad-lid as appropriate. ("There goes my hernia." "Are you sure you're lifting?" "Not so fast." "I'm walking backward.")

They drop the things carefully.

STEVE

Come on back here and let's above the float in.

They get behind it and shove it into the water. Ned hops aboard for the ride, flipping into a handstand.

CUT TO:

INT. EQUIPMENT SHED – DAY

The screen has gone completely black. The door to the shed is whipped open quickly, letting in the full brightness of the sun. There is a shape.

The CAMERA IRISES DOWN so that we can see that Jack has come in on an errand.

As Jack looks around, we can take the time to see that there are a half-dozen lantern, a few cans of lantern fuel, a couple of hibachis, some entrenching tools packs, portable ice chests, etc. Up on the long side wall are a half-dozen hunting knives in sheathes, also hanging neatly.

Suddenly a hand comes into FRAME and touches Jack on the shoulder as he is preoccupied with his task. Jack turns with a start. He looks into the CAMERA.

REVERSE POV to see Marcie standing in the doorway.

MARCIE

What are those for? An Indian raid?

She points to the row of hatchets and knives.

JACK

Steve's got a woodlore program. You see any life rings?

Marcie looks behind some piled up equipment. She pulls out two rings.

MARCIE

Here. Meet me in my cabin after taps. Okay, Camper?

She kisses him on the cheek and gives him a playful goose.

JACK

For sure.

They exit together.

CUT TO:

EXT. ARTS & CRAFTS CABIN – DAY

Steve Christy comes upon Alice, who is renailing floorboards on the porch of the Arts & Crafts cabin. On the railing is a sketch pad which Steve thumbs through.

INSERT: Alice's SKETCH. It is a moody pierce, a sense of foreboding dominates it. Otherwise, it is the camp's central compound, featuring the tree that forms the central focus.

STEVE

You draw very well.

ALICE

Oh, thanks. I wish I could spend more time at it.

Alice misses a nail and hits her thumb. She reacts good- naturedly and keeps on working.

Steve bends down next to Alice.

STEVE

This isn't your cup of tea, hunh?

She shakes her head.

STEVE

(continuing)

Any particular reason?

ALICE

Just a feeling.

(pause)

Nothing personal.

STEVE

(nodding)

You want to leave?

ALICE

I don't know. Probably be best for everybody.

STEVE

You may not care a lot about this place, Alice, but I mean to make it my whole life. It's been my whole life. Gimme a chance. Stay a week. Help get it ready. Next Friday, if you're not happy, I'll put you on the bus myself. I'll be grateful.

He puts out a hand and runs the back of it across her cheek.

She looks up. She nods.

ALICE

Next Friday.

STEVE

Thanks, Alice.

He stands up.

STEVE

(continuing)

I've got to go to town and pick up the trailer and all that other stuff, but I'll be back around ten. If you're still up, we can talk, okay?

ALICE

Sure.

She watches him cross out of FRAME.

CUT TO:

EXT. MAIN CABIN AREA – DAY (LATER)

Steve is at the wheel of his Jeep. The CounsellorS are standing within earshot, huddled around the Jeep.

JACK

You want it listed separately?

STEVE

Yeah. Brenda, after lunch hit the archery range. If Annie gets here, have her start in on the kitchen. Do your best. Tomorrow we have a preliminary inspection by the state safety people. I'd like to look good.

He wheels the car around and out the driveway. The others stand looking before Ned breaks the silence.

NED

He neglected to mention this place is called "Camp Blood" downtown.

They are all getting back to work.

ALICE

How come?

NED

Some campers drowned. Then some counsellors got killed.

BILL

No shit. When?

NED

Late fifties sometime. They never caught the guy who did it either.

MARCIE

Neddy collects weird facts. Next he is going to tell us that there are poisonous snakes in the outhouse and green lizards in the lake.

As they laugh, the CAMERA HOLDS on Alice.

CUT TO:

EXT. ARCHERY RANGE – DAY

Brenda has her sleeves rolled up and is doing her job. She enjoys having the responsibility for the whole safe operation of this area. She likes to think of herself as more sophisticated than she is – or have others think her more sophisticated.

Brenda rolls a straw target out from under the lean-to shelter and heads for a tripod in the middle distance. There are already two such targets out, a product of her efforts so far. The targets are heavy. This isn't an easy one-person job.

The CAMERA CLOSES IN tighter and tighter on her as she gets closer to setting up the target.

In MEDIUM CLOSEUP, she lifts a target up. Her head is very close to the face of the target. She gets it up, lets the tripod take the weight, and then, just as she lifts her weight back, an arrow streaks into the center of the gold, missing her head by eighteen inches.

Brenda whips around.

 
WE SEE WHAT SHE SEES
 

A very cocky Ned, standing by the lean- to with a bow in his hands and three more arrows knocked simultaneously. He has a feather stuck in his hair.

She grabs the arrow and storms at him.

BRENDA

You're crazy!

She snaps the arrow in half.

NED

Did anyone ever tell you you're beautiful when you're angry?

BRENDA

(plussed)

I don't believe you...

NED

Want to see my trick shot? It's even better.

Brenda still thinks he's a jerk, but he's so outrageous there's little she can do. She laughs.

BRENDA

(still laughing)

You ever fire one of those bows again, and I'll tack you up on the wall to dry.

NED

God, but I love that sexy talk.

Brenda snatches the bow from him, shakes her head and puts the bow down next to a collection of wicked-looking arrows.

CUT TO:

INT. ARTS & CRAFTS CABIN – DAY

This is a fairly large single room. The walls are bare and uninsulated. There are a few easels, but for the most part, the room is dominated by long tables and rough-hewn benches.

The light seeps through the streaked windows, making the grey wood interior appear silver-colored. Alice, her hair in a bandana, has just finished sweeping up.

The CAMERA picks up on Alice's sketch of the central camp area on one easel. On a second easel she has done the preliminary sketch of the lake itself. It is also a moody picture.

Alice cocks her head to look at the sketches, shivers just a little, then goes on to her next task. There is a row of newly- arrived cardboard boxes. She opens the first in CLOSEUP with a matte knife. She take out the invoice and checks it against the first items: gimp, the plastic string from which all the campers will make lanyards.

CUT TO:

EXT. ARTS & CRAFTS CABIN – DAY

We watch through one of the dusty panes, seeing the charcoal sketch in the F.G., Alice in the B.G. checking her materials against her invoice.

CUT TO:

INT. ARTS & CRAFTS CABIN – DAY (INTERCUT)