Read Online Crampton by Thomas Ligotti, Brandon Trenz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Thomas Ligotti, Brandon Trenz
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through channels...
Click: An old black-and-white cartoon.
Click: Some artsy-looking thing, shot in negative exposure and accompanied by AIRY SYNTH MUSIC.
Click: STATIC, with a hint of a human image behind.
Click: Another old cartoon.
INT. HELEN'S MOTEL ROOM
Helen comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a long bathrobe, hair in a towel, looking pissed. The phone is STILL RINGING.
The steam seems to have thickened. She's trying to reach the phone, but can't quite seem to get there. It's as if she keeps getting set back. The phone is STILL RINGING.
Suddenly time jumps--Helen's got the receiver in her hand, held up to her ear. She looks surprised. We never saw her actually pick up the phone.
HELEN
Hello?
VAGUE NOISES on the other end of the line--static, pops--but no reply.
HELEN
Is that you, Brady?
The NOISES seem to coalesce into something like a VOICE, or SEVERAL VOICES not quite in sync. It doesn't sound like English. It barely sounds human--full of HISSES and GRUNTS.
Helen seems mesmerized for a moment. Then the spell breaks, and she SLAMS the phone down.
INT. BRADY'S MOTEL ROOM
Brady is still channel surfing. He stops on a--
COMMERCIAL
Poor reception, lots of static. Gaudy yellow letters--"The Encyclopedia of the Unknown"--dissolve into a forest scene--someone with a HAND-HELD CAMERA running headlong through the woods, as though running for his life.
MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
Do you really want to know the truth about Bigfoot?
... the picture changes to a collection of sunken ships, their hulls split and broken ...
MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
... the Bermuda Triangle?
... changes to a YOUNG WOMAN standing in a crowded elevator, casting terrified glances at a MAN IN A SUIT standing next to her ...
MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
... extra-sensory perception?
... and finally dissolves into a blandly handsome BLOND MAN sitting at desk, a set of encyclopedia-type books stacked in front of him. The poor reception makes the man look gruesome, cadaverous. He stares piercingly into the camera.
BLOND MAN (ON T.V.)
"The Encyclopedia of the Unknown" can give you the answers. There's only one question: Do you really want to know?
The man on screen holds his pose uncomfortably long.
Brady finally changes the channel--CLICK. It's the commercial again.
BLOND MAN
Do you really want to know?
Click: the commercial.
BLOND MAN
Do you really want to know?
Brady scans through the channels faster. Click.
BLOND MAN
--really want to know?
Click.
BLOND MAN
--want to know?
Click.
BLOND MAN
--to know?
Click.
BLOND MAN
--know?
Click.
BLOND MAN
--know?
Click--
The blond man is replaced by a GRAINY VIDEO of a man and a woman talking. The angle is odd--shot from about waist level and looking almost straight up. It is dead silent.
Because of the odd angle, it takes Brady a moment to recognize the two people--himself and Helen, talking in the autopsy room two days before, as seen through Larry Johnson's dead eyes.
CUT TO:
INT. HELEN'S MOTEL ROOM
Helen, in sweats, opens the door to her room. Brady is outside with his overnight bag.
BRADY
Okay, I know you're going to call me paranoid, out I think it might be a good idea if we didn't stay in separate rooms tonight. If it's a problem for you, that's okay, but with all--
HELEN
Come on in.
Brady is surprised to hear Helen agree so quickly. He steps into the room.
HELEN
I'll warn you, the t.v. doesn't work.
BRADY
No problem.
The door SLAMS shut.
CUT TO:
INT. HELEN'S MOTEL ROOM - LATER
Helen is on the bed, doing some paperwork. Brady comes out of the bathroom in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms with a toothbrush in his mouth.
BRADY
(a little slurred)
Whatcha working on?
HELEN
Our expense report. I can't figure out the difference between "general" and "miscellaneous."
Brady turns to the sink and finishes brushing his teeth.
HELEN
Wells ... can I ask you something?
BRADY
Shoot.
HELEN
Why did you join the FBI?
BRADY
Got tired of kicking in crack house doors.
HELEN
You
Click: An old black-and-white cartoon.
Click: Some artsy-looking thing, shot in negative exposure and accompanied by AIRY SYNTH MUSIC.
Click: STATIC, with a hint of a human image behind.
Click: Another old cartoon.
INT. HELEN'S MOTEL ROOM
Helen comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a long bathrobe, hair in a towel, looking pissed. The phone is STILL RINGING.
The steam seems to have thickened. She's trying to reach the phone, but can't quite seem to get there. It's as if she keeps getting set back. The phone is STILL RINGING.
Suddenly time jumps--Helen's got the receiver in her hand, held up to her ear. She looks surprised. We never saw her actually pick up the phone.
HELEN
Hello?
VAGUE NOISES on the other end of the line--static, pops--but no reply.
HELEN
Is that you, Brady?
The NOISES seem to coalesce into something like a VOICE, or SEVERAL VOICES not quite in sync. It doesn't sound like English. It barely sounds human--full of HISSES and GRUNTS.
Helen seems mesmerized for a moment. Then the spell breaks, and she SLAMS the phone down.
INT. BRADY'S MOTEL ROOM
Brady is still channel surfing. He stops on a--
COMMERCIAL
Poor reception, lots of static. Gaudy yellow letters--"The Encyclopedia of the Unknown"--dissolve into a forest scene--someone with a HAND-HELD CAMERA running headlong through the woods, as though running for his life.
MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
Do you really want to know the truth about Bigfoot?
... the picture changes to a collection of sunken ships, their hulls split and broken ...
MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
... the Bermuda Triangle?
... changes to a YOUNG WOMAN standing in a crowded elevator, casting terrified glances at a MAN IN A SUIT standing next to her ...
MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
... extra-sensory perception?
... and finally dissolves into a blandly handsome BLOND MAN sitting at desk, a set of encyclopedia-type books stacked in front of him. The poor reception makes the man look gruesome, cadaverous. He stares piercingly into the camera.
BLOND MAN (ON T.V.)
"The Encyclopedia of the Unknown" can give you the answers. There's only one question: Do you really want to know?
The man on screen holds his pose uncomfortably long.
Brady finally changes the channel--CLICK. It's the commercial again.
BLOND MAN
Do you really want to know?
Click: the commercial.
BLOND MAN
Do you really want to know?
Brady scans through the channels faster. Click.
BLOND MAN
--really want to know?
Click.
BLOND MAN
--want to know?
Click.
BLOND MAN
--to know?
Click.
BLOND MAN
--know?
Click.
BLOND MAN
--know?
Click--
The blond man is replaced by a GRAINY VIDEO of a man and a woman talking. The angle is odd--shot from about waist level and looking almost straight up. It is dead silent.
Because of the odd angle, it takes Brady a moment to recognize the two people--himself and Helen, talking in the autopsy room two days before, as seen through Larry Johnson's dead eyes.
CUT TO:
INT. HELEN'S MOTEL ROOM
Helen, in sweats, opens the door to her room. Brady is outside with his overnight bag.
BRADY
Okay, I know you're going to call me paranoid, out I think it might be a good idea if we didn't stay in separate rooms tonight. If it's a problem for you, that's okay, but with all--
HELEN
Come on in.
Brady is surprised to hear Helen agree so quickly. He steps into the room.
HELEN
I'll warn you, the t.v. doesn't work.
BRADY
No problem.
The door SLAMS shut.
CUT TO:
INT. HELEN'S MOTEL ROOM - LATER
Helen is on the bed, doing some paperwork. Brady comes out of the bathroom in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms with a toothbrush in his mouth.
BRADY
(a little slurred)
Whatcha working on?
HELEN
Our expense report. I can't figure out the difference between "general" and "miscellaneous."
Brady turns to the sink and finishes brushing his teeth.
HELEN
Wells ... can I ask you something?
BRADY
Shoot.
HELEN
Why did you join the FBI?
BRADY
Got tired of kicking in crack house doors.
HELEN
You
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