LOST - Hearing Voices - Script
ACT THREE
EXT. DRY STREAMBED - DAY
A damp but empty streambed winds its way through the dark,
dense jungle. It disappears into the thick overgrowth
uphill.
Jack leads the way, Kate and Michael follow. Nerves are a
bit strained.
JACK
It's a bunch of rocks.
KATE
It's a streambed.
JACK
This is where our water comes from?
KATE
Yeah.
JACK
How come it doesn't get dirty?
MICHAEL
(off the rocks)
No dirt.
Jack is about to reply, but Kate cuts him off, pointing
uphill --
KATE
Okay, we'll go uphill.
Michael looks uphill, and notices something. He STARES IN
THAT DIRECTION.
JACK
Why?
KATE
Because water goes downhill, Jack.
MICHAEL
Both of you shut up!
Jack and Kate are taken aback.
MICHAEL (CONT'D)
Listen.
They listen. And we hear it clearly now: RUNNING WATER.
EXT. THE OBSTRUCTION - DAY
Water gushes from a gap in the ground, proceeds about thirty
feet along a streambed, and runs smack into a MASS OF DEBRIS
- part plant matter, part airplane detritus.
Like Michael predicted, the water is finding its own way
downhill, cutting a sluice through the dirt at right angles
to the streambed.
Michael goes to the source and fills his empty water bottles.
Jack takes a closer look at the debris.
Kate, so happy to see the cool, clear water, CUPS HER HANDS
IN THE STANDING WATER by the debris, and HOLDS IT UP TO HER
FACE -- maybe to drink, maybe just to pour it over herself.
JACK
Kate.
Something in his voice stops her.
Jack uses a stick to prod at a DECAYING SEVERED ARM in the
debris.
JACK (CONT'D)
Don't.
Kate shudders, spills the water out. Ew.
EXT. THE VALLEY - DAY
Hurley heads out, bandana around his head, ready for a hike.
Charlie catches up to him.
CHARLIE
You're going to the beach?
HURLEY
Oh. Is there more stuff I gotta
do?
CHARLIE
I'm just going there too.
HURLEY
'kay.
CHARLIE
'Safety in numbers,' they say.
'Safety in numbers' is a painfully-ironic expression to
Hurley, and his face shows it.
CHARLIE (CONT'D)
I just thought -- with the monster
prowling around --
HURLEY
Monster?
Charlie looks askance at Hurley: you've got to be fucking
kidding me. Pointing back at the piles of debris in the
Valley --
CHARLIE
You slept through the whole thing?
HURLEY
Monster?
As they exit to the jungle path --
CHARLIE
You seriously slept through the
whole thing?
EXT. THE OBSTRUCTION - DAY
Michael has a ton of water. Kate sees him off, while Jack
picks over the debris, tossing stuff into a PILE in the
jungle.
KATE
Once you reach the second point,
you pick a third point on the line.
MICHAEL
And then keep going?
KATE
'til you get home.
MICHAEL
Got it.
He heads out. Meanwhile at --
THE DEBRIS PILE
Jack hoists an armload of vegetation out of the pile.
Jack all but double-takes at what he sees there.
He tosses the vegetation into the jungle, and takes a closer
look at --
THE DEBRIS
It includes several BAMBOO branches, a COUPLE OF AIRPLANE
BLANKETS, a BEATEN-UP BLACK RECTANGULAR PURSE... and a
LOCKET.
Jack picks up the locket. Rubs off the grime.
It looks old and conservative -- theoretically, a guy could
wear it.
Jack opens it, revealing two pictures: one of Rose, the
opposite of an unknown black gentleman.
KATE
It's Rose.
JACK
I guess her husband wore it.
They both can't help LOOKING OVER at the debris pile in the
jungle -- specifically, AT THE SEVERED ARM.
EXT. JUNGLE PATH - DAY
Hurley and Charlie trudge through the jungle. Hurley is all
but jumping at shadows. Charlie is affecting a swagger...
unsuccessfully.
CHARLIE
Just relax, man!
HURLEY
Stop saying that!
CHARLIE
Okay. Um... just think of all the
scary things that aren't on the
island.
HURLEY
Huh?
CHARLIE
Like... secondhand smoke.
HURLEY
(feeling a little better)
'kay.
CHARLIE
Or building collapses.
Hurley winces.
CHARLIE (CONT'D)
Or not.
HURLEY
How 'bout -- okay, there's no risk
of getting drunk, and shoutin' that
you can fight anybody in the bar?
CHARLIE
Uh... Hurley?
HURLEY
Never mind.
Awkward pause.
CHARLIE
Zombies.
HURLEY
No, man.
CHARLIE
What? Come on.
HURLEY
We can't be a hundred percent sure
the island is zombie-free.
CHARLIE
Zombies. Aren't. Real.
HURLEY
You want me to start listing the
crazy things we've seen here?
Charlie just looks at him.
HURLEY (CONT'D)
Could be Zombie Island, for all we
know.
They proceed in silence. Charlie's swagger is gone, and he
too eyes the shadowy jungle with alarm.
EXT. ISOLATED ROCK FORMATION - DAY
Shannon struggles to climb to the top of the BIGGEST ROCK in
the rock formation.
She really, really sucks at this. Holding on to the walkie
talkie doesn't make it easier.
She already has a bunch of little scrapes, and AD LIBS A
STEADY STREAM OF CURSES on the island, on her life, on polar
bears, and on anything else she can think of.
In the background, the polar bear goes about its business,
ignoring her for the moment. Is it... looking for something?
Shannon hazards a worried glance at the bear.
EXT. FRENCH STREET - DAY - FLASHBACK
A modest street with small, quaint homes. French signage.
It'll get dark soon.
A little Citroën TAXI comes down the street. We hear
Shannon, sounding like the stereotypical obnoxious American
tourist --
SHANNON (O.S.)
Stop! Stop here!
The taxi screeches to a halt.
INT. TAXICAB/EXT. FRENCH STREET - DAY - FLASHBACK
A very Gallic CAB DRIVER, with a philosophical, "Eh, what are
you going to do?" expression, sits in the driver's seat.
The interior of the cab is cramped and grubby, which doesn't
sit well with Shannon, who leans forward from the rear seat,
brandishing the envelope at the driver.
She speaks slowly and loudly.
SHANNON
Is this it? Is this --
She checks the envelope; massacring the name --
SHANNON (CONT'D)
"L'etaque Elysee"?
The cab driver sighs.
CAB DRIVER
(in French)
L'etaque Street. Fifty francs.
Shannon pulls a wad of money from her purse, shoves it at the
driver.
SHANNON
Here is money. You stay here while
I go to the house.
She exits the car.
EXT. FRENCH STREET - DAY - FLASHBACK
Shannon walks up to a dark and forbidding little house.
In the background, THE TAXI DRIVES AWAY.
SHANNON
Stupid French... dammit!
She seethes for a moment.
She looks around, worried, like she did climbing the rock.
She approaches the house with something like the trepidation
we saw earlier, when she approached the cave.
She arrives at --
THE FRONT DOOR
She KNOCKS ON THE DOOR.
No response.
She reaches out to knock again, and IT OPENS.
Standing there is MIREILLE (8) who looks up at Shannon
nervously. Her resemblance to young Shannon (from the
opening scene) is uncanny.
Behind her, what little we see of the house is dark and
shadowy.
Shannon, as usual, tries out the 'universal language': loud,
slow English --
SHANNON (CONT'D)
Hi. I'm looking for --
As Mireille disappears into the house --
MIREILLE
(in French)
Mommy, there's a strange American
lady at the door.
NICOLE
(in French)
What? One second...
Nicole (40) appears in the doorway. Again, there is a clear
resemblance to Shannon. The years have taken a heavy toll on
Nicole, but she retains a dignity and elegance in her dress
and manner.
Still, there's always something in her expression -- haunted.
Hurt. Whatever she's been through, it hasn't made her
stronger; it's just made her sad.
SHANNON
(loud and slow)
Hi. You don't know me --
NICOLE
I speak English.
-- and with no accent whatsoever. Shannon finally speaks at
a normal speed and volume.
SHANNON
Thank god. Look, I found this --
She shows Nicole the envelope, and Nicole's nonverbal
reaction stops her cold.
A moment of tense, heart-in-throat silence.
NICOLE
Shannon?
Shannon's almost crying, almost can't force the word out --
SHANNON
Mom?
A hug. Tears.
EXT. ISOLATED ROCK FORMATION - DAY
Shannon sits on top of the big rock she was climbing.
CUT OUT TO REVEAL that it's actually not that big -- it's
kind of pathetic, really, that Shannon had so much trouble
climbing it -- and really, the bear could probably scale it
easily.
The bear looks fixedly into the jungle.
It ROARS.
Shannon can't help but SCREAM a little.
This gets the bear's attention.
SHANNON
Oh no. No no no no....
The bear ambles towards Shannon, staring at her.
SHANNON (CONT'D)
Just... stop!
The bear stops. Again, it looks into the jungle.
Shannon is perplexed: Did I just make it stop?
The bear, for no apparent reason, walks away into the jungle,
going the opposite direction from where it was staring.
Shannon finally TAKES A DEEP BREATH.
She CLAMBERS DOWN from the rock, again making a neat landing
in the sand.
Then, from where the bear had been fixedly staring:
LOUD-AS-HELL MONSTER NOISE.
A tree falls on to the sand, almost like it had been THROWN.
It knocks Shannon to the ground.
EXT. JUNGLE PATH - DAY
Charlie and Hurley proceed down the path.
CHARLIE
I mean, to sit there --
HURLEY
Hmm.
CHARLIE
-- just sit there -- while someone
you care about is in mortal
danger....
Hurley isn't used to being Mr. Moral Support.
He puzzles over what he's supposed to say.
HURLEY
Uh... it sucks?
CHARLIE
I should have run to her. Damn the
monster and everything else.
HURLEY
C'mon, man.
(not really believing it)
Nobody thinks you're a coward.
Charlie knows that's bullshit.
HURLEY (CONT'D)
("uh-oh")
Are you gonna cry?
Charlie is incensed, and he's putting together a really witty
comeback when --
In the distance, off to their left, MONSTER SOUNDS.
That gets their attention.
And it's so far away we barely hear it, but we hear it:
SHANNON SCREAMS.
Charlie screws up his courage and stomps towards the sounds,
off the path, into the woods.
HURLEY (CONT'D)
Charlie!
Hurley is so not cut out for this 'hero' crap.
HURLEY (CONT'D)
Oh, c'mon!
Hurley tromps off after Charlie.
EXT. ISOLATED BEACH - DAY
It's a fucking war zone.
The sand is churned over and kicked up everywhere, there's
all sorts of dirt and trees scattered on the beach --
And the MONSTER NOISE is nearly constant --
Things CRASH TO THE GROUND in the jungle --
And Shannon, nearly covered in dirt, DRAGS Sayid by his arms.
She's aimed for the cave.
SHANNON
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.
Shannon is doing it all wrong -- trying to pull with her
back, and her arms can barely hold on to the guy.
She keeps trying.
SHANNON (CONT'D)
Wake up! Wake up, you stupid,
useless little --
She trips backwards over a tree branch, and yelps in pain.
She gets up and resumes tugging.
INT. ISOLATED CAVE - DAY
It's more like a tunnel from the light of day into the pitch
black. A STALACTITE drips into a POOL OF WATER.
Shannon approaches the cave mouth, with Sayid in tow. The
MONSTER NOISES are quieter now. She peers into the cave.
SHANNON
Hello?
It echoes. No answers. No roars at least. Good enough.
Shannon manhandles Sayid into the cave, props him up against
the wall.
In the process, her WALKIE-TALKIE CLATTERS TO THE FLOOR.
She's winded. She sits.
Then she gets up, dips her hands in the pool of water, and
flicks water at Sayid's face.
SHANNON (CONT'D)
Wake up.
(flick)
Wake up.
(flick)
Wake up.
Then suddenly, THE LOUDEST MONSTER NOISE YET! (It
reverberates creepily in the cave.) And there's also some
sort of WRENCHING ANIMAL SCREAM.
Shannon gets a moment of Oh my god I'm going to fucking die.
Calms down the tiniest bit.
SOMETHING SLAMS DOWN ON THE GROUND at the cave mouth.
It's a gory clump of tissue and organs.
The tufts of white fur indicate what it is -- or was.
Shannon SCREAMS OUT LOUD for a split second, and then wills
herself quiet.
Fainter MONSTER NOISE.
She crawls across the cave floor, to the WALKIE-TALKIE.
Quietly, quietly, quietly.
Faintest MONSTER NOISE -- she stops, tense, then keeps going.
She reaches out -- she's got it.
SHANNON (CONT'D)
(whispered)
Yes!
She presses the BIG BUTTON.
There's a little BEEP that reverberates around the cave.
Shannon looks a little puzzled.
She presses the BIG BUTTON again.
BEEP.
She STEPS SLOWLY TOWARDS SAYID, an "Oh shit" expression
slowly appearing on her face.
She presses the BIG BUTTON again.
BEEP.
She leans towards him and opens one of the pockets.
Yep -- THERE'S THE OTHER WALKIE TALKIE.
Oh, god, no.
She absently presses the BIG BUTTON one last time.
BEEP, clearly from the other WALKIE-TALKIE.
Off of Shannon's face, reflecting a brand-new level of
bitterness, panic, and despair --
CUT TO BLACK.
END OF ACT THREE