H20

                                  BLAKE

                            (continuing)

                        Shaken, she returns to the front

                        door to find the hutch blocking

                        her exit...

              ON gouges across the wood planks, forming tracks from the

              dining room to the front door...

                                  BLAKE

                            (continuing)

                        She runs to the kitchen, where she

                        is ambushed at the back door by

                        the killer.

              Carter and Blake stand in front of the door, which is still

              open.  Carter kneels down, looks at the kitchen floor...

                                  CARTER

                        One set of muddy shoe prints.

                                  BLAKE

                        That don't match either of the

                        victim's.

              Carter stands up, moves to a butcher block on the counter...

              he's starting to enjoy this dance --

                                  CARTER

                        She grabs a knife from the butcher

                        block.

              ON the butcher block, an empty slot where the knife once

              resided...

                                  BLAKE

                        Heads to the living room...

              They cross back into the living room...

              Carter moves to the

              WINDOW

              covered in fingerprint powder, exposing a plethora of prints.

                                  CARTER

                        Where, judging by the looks of the

                        finger and palm prints, she

                        struggles to open the window

                        before banging on it like hell.

                                  BLAKE

                        Unable to escape, she turns and

                        attacks the killer, but doesn't

                        connect.

                                  CARTER

                        No blood on the knife.

              ON the knife, clean as a whistle...

                                  CARTER

                            (continuing)

                        The killer knocks the knife out of

                        her hand with the wrought-iron

                        poker.

                                  BLAKE

                        Broken blood vessels on her right

                        forearm.

              ON Pamela's arm, a bruise forming under the skin...

                                  CARTER

                        As which point she drops to her

                        knees in pain...

                                  BLAKE

                        Explaining the low height of the

                        blood splatter on the curtains...

              ON the curtains, blood stained four feet and below...

                                  CARTER

                        Impressive, Blake.  Where'd you

                        learn how to do that?

                                  BLAKE

                        Girl scouts.

              Carter chuckles... she has a sense of humor, too...

                                                       CUT TO:

              INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY - AFTERNOON

              A BELL RINGS.

              The hallway is flooded with STUDENTS, books in tow...

              ON MOLLY CARTWRIGHT

              a young seventeen, friendly eyes and a face to match.

              Walking beside her is...

              LINDA KANG, same age, unconcerned, full of spunk... multiple

              body piercings, doesn't quite fit in here or anywhere...

                                  LINDA

                        You aced it, didn't you?

                                  MOLLY

                        I did alright.

              Linda grabs Molly's test, peeking out from her biology book...

                                  LINDA

                        Fuckin' A.

                                  MOLLY

                        He gave me a fuckin' A?  Wow.

              Linda punches Molly playfully in the arm.  They stop at

              neighboring lockers, retrieve books from inside...

              AMY KRAMER approaches, book pressed against an ample chest,

              smacking on a wad of gum...

              Eye-catching good looks, a real stunner... a bit short on the

              gray matter though --

                                  AMY

                        These lockers are totally girl

                        unfriendly.

                                  MOLLY

                        Break another nail?

                                  AMY

                        Pointer finger.  And the dance is

                        in two days...

                                  LINDA

                        Life's a bitch.

              The girls head down the hall...

                                  AMY

                        Eddie's working late at Freeman's

                        tonight... all alone.

                                  MOLLY

                        I thought Eddie left for N.Y.U.?

                                  AMY

                        Guess he couldn't tear himself

                        away from me.

                                  LINDA

                        Guess he couldn't pass admissions.

                                  AMY

                        Shut up, pinhead.

              John approaches them from behind, drapes his arms around

              Molly...

                                  JOHN

                        There you are.

                            (to Amy)

                        You tell 'em about tonight?

                                  AMY

                        I just got here.

              John removes a key from his jacket pocket, drops it in

              Molly's hand...

                                  MOLLY

                        What's this?

                                  LINDA

                        You say, "The key to my heart,"

                        and I'm gonna hurl.

                                  JOHN

                        Shelve the barf bag.  It's the key

                        to the main gate.

                                  MOLLY

                        Where'd you get it?

                                  JOHN

                        Swiped it from my mom's desk

                        yesterday.

                                  MOLLY

                        You stole it?

                                  JOHN

                        I borrowed it.

                                  AMY

                        Party at Freeman's tonight.

                                  LINDA

                        I am in need of some serious

                        partying.

                                  MOLLY

                        Not me.

                                  JOHN

                        Why not?

                                  MOLLY

                        I can't afford to get caught.

                                  LINDA

                        Molly, you're the resident

                        assistant.  What are you gonna do,

                        narc on yourself?

              THE BELL RINGS.

              Students clear the hall, move inside their classrooms.

              John kisses Molly on the lips...

                                  JOHN

                        Just meet me in front of the gate

                        after lights out.

              He takes off down the hall --

                                  MOLLY

                            (calling after him)

                        Wait... John...

              He's gone.  A teacher guides the girls inside a classroom and

              shuts the door...

                                                       CUT TO:

              INT. GYMNASIUM - AFTERNOON

              A bevy of STUDENTS scurry about the gym making final

              preparations for the impending Halloween Festivals:  hanging

              decorations on walls, carving pumpkins, spinning cob webs

              along refreshment tables...

              ON WILL BRENNEN, a well-favored Chemistry teacher in his mid-

              forties, thinning hair, more salt than pepper... supervises

              the action... a coffee mug in hand... his attention focused

              on...

              KERI

              sitting atop the bleachers.  Will climbs the benches, sits

              beside her...

                                  WILL

                        What a sight for sore eyes...

              He kisses her softly on the lips.

                                  WILL

                            (continuing)

                        ... and ears...

              He kisses her again.

                                  WILL

                            (continuing)

                        ...and lips...

              He engages her in a lingering kiss.

              A GROUP OF STUDENTS

              point and giggle at the smooching faculty members.

              Keri notices, pulls away...

                                  KERI

                        Will...

              She motions toward the students below.

                                  WILL

                        What?  They've all taken sex ed.

              He leans in for another kiss, she playfully keeps him at arms

              length...

                                  KERI

                        And this isn't the place for a

                        live demonstration.

              Will relents, settles for holding Keri's hand...

                                  WILL

                        Aren't they doing a terrific job

                        this year?

                                  KERI

                            (distracted)

                        Looks great.  It does.

                                  WILL

                        You okay?  You seem a little off.

                                  KERI

                        Nothing a good stiff drink can't

                        fix.

              Will doesn't find the humor, eyes her uneasily.

                                  KERI

                            (continuing)

                        That one always goes over big at

                        the AA meetings.

              An awkward beat, then...

                                  WILL

                        It's John, isn't it?