Simon Says – Hunting Party

FADE IN:

EXT. WOODS – NIGHT

HUBERT FINES is sitting at a fire, surrounded by the dark woods form a wall around the clearing. Gnarled and ancient trees climb into the sky, and the canopy above blocks out the star light.

Hubert is a round man in his early sixties. As he’s packing his pipe with fresh tobacco, he pulls off his sailor hat and wipes his forehead.

His breathing comes out in huffs when he sparks up a match and brings it to his pipe. He puffs smoke until the pipe begins to glow. Satisfied he shakes the match and throws it into the fire.

A branch snaps to his left. Hubert jumps to his feet and pulls an old flintlock pistol from his waistband.

HUBERT: Come on out. I’ve got ya in ma sights.

HENRY STETSON steps into the clearing ten feet to the right of where Hubert is aiming. Henry is a thin wiry man with ghoulish features. He raises his left hand. He has two large scars on the palm and is missing the tip of his index finger.

HENRY: Don’t shoot. I wouldn’t want that thing to kill you before the smoking gets the chance.

Hubert chuckles and raises the pistol as he uncocks it.

HUBERT: I didn’t know ya cared s’ much.

Henry drops a pair of rabbit carcasses by the fire then stabs a knife into the ground beside them. Pulling his coat off, he searches for a branch to hang it on. Once rid of it he sits and pulls the carcasses towards his lap.

HENRY: I’ve just grown too reliant on your business contacts.

Henry pulls his knife out of the ground and cuts open the rabbits. He looks up at Hubert and grins.

HENRY: I’d hate to have to go out and meet new people. Not much good at that friendly stuff.

Hubert puffs on his pipe, pulls it out, and points it at Henry.

HUBERT: I’ll have ya remembering that when we get ta dividing the bounty.

Henry sneers as Hubert before glancing back to the woods behind him.

HENRY: Where’s the kid? I thought he’d be back by now.

Hubert leans back.

HUBERT: His ‘eart is ta soft for this work.

Henry looks back to Hubert.

HENRY: What’s that mean?

Hubert shrugs. He puffs at his pipe but gets nothing. He removes it from his mouth and looks inside.

HUBERT: Jus’ an assumption as ta what’s keeping ‘im.

Henry laughs and points the knife at Hubert.

HENRY: Not this one. He’s not getting entangled in this one’s web.

Henry glances back to the woods as he pulls the skins off of the rabbits.

HENRY: This one’s too cold for his blood.

Hubert knocks his pipe out into his palm, stands, and throws the contents into the fire. He warms his hands as he follows Henry’s gaze into the woods.

HUBERT: That boy’d fall for a fish if it had the right face.

Henry sighs and throws his knife into the ground. He stands, letting the rabbit carcasses fall out of his lap and into his hand. Then he throws them across the fire, forcing Hubert to catch them.

HENRY: Cook them through this time. I ain’t getting sick out here.

Henry turns back to the woods.

HENRY: Come on, kid. I’m pulling for you here.

Hubert lowers himself then when he’s seated, pulls open a knapsack next to him.

HUBERT: Ya have a lot more faith in ‘im than I could muster.

GERALD BLADELY comes running out of the woods. He’s a large, bearded man in his late thirties, and he’s carrying his shirt and shoes in his arms.

HENRY: Where have…

GERALD: We have to clear out. He’s onto me, and he’s pissed as hell.

Henry stoops over and pulls his knife out of the ground. Gerald runs to Henry’s side and turns back to the woods.

HENRY: What’s he know?

Hubert drops the rabbits into a pan and holds it over the fire.

HUBERT: There’s one sure thing’ll make a man pissed as hell.

Henry shoots a glare over his shoulder.

HENRY: He’s not a man.

Hubert shrugs.

HUBERT: ‘Eart beats the same.

Gerald looks form Hubert to Henry.

GERALD: We need to go. Now. The way he found us together…

Gerald glances to the woods then back to Henry.

GERALD: He’s not leaving me with anything intact.

Henry sighs. He places his hand on his forehead and rubs his temples.

HENRY: Even this one? How could you end up with this one? She’s the vampire’s wife.

Gerald shrugs.

GERALD: She’s really sweet. She told me she loved me, and she said we could get away together in the morning.

Hubert breaks into laughter.

HUBERT: I told ya we shoulda started lookin’ for a new partner. Yer gonna get ‘im killed.

Henry grabs Gerald’s face and brings it close to his.

HENRY: Her husband is a vampire. She’s a vampire. They want all that heated blood flowing to your…

A bat flies into the clearing. Henry and Gerald duck low as the bat flaps around the fire.

GERALD: He’s here. It’s him.

Hubert drops the pan into the fire, and sparks go flying into the air. The bat flies off to the far edge of the clearing as Hubert pulls out his pistol.

The bat transforms into a VINCE, a vampire in a cloak with turned up collar. Vince has his back to the men. Hubert levels the pistol on him, and Henry readies his knife. Vince laughs as he turns around.

VINCE: What is this? I hardly expected to find a hunting party when I chased this local scoundrel out of my home.

HENRY: He’s not a local. He’s with us.

Henry points the knife at Gerald. Gerald pushes the tip away from his face. Vince feigns surprise then smiles. Gerald steps forward.

GERALD: And I’m not a scoundrel.

Vince tilts his head.

VINCE: Come on now. We both know how I found you with my sweet Victoria.

Gerald leans closer to Henry.

GERALD: I told you she was sweet.

Vince points from Henry to Hubert.

VINCE: Did he tell you what he and my wife were doing?

Henry shakes his head.

HENRY: I’ve already heard too many of these stories.

Hubert holds his arms out.

HUBERT: I could listen t’ a new one.

Vince smiles.

VINCE: Well…

They all pause as they hear flapping approaching. Vince grins.

VINCE: My wife. Maybe another time.

Gerald and Henry jump away from each other when a bat flies between their heads. The bat flies to Vince’s side and transforms into Victoria. Gerald leans close to Henry as she turns to the men.

GERALD: That’s her.

Henry glares a Gerald.

HENRY: You think I couldn’t figure that one out?

Victoria smirks at Gerald.

VICTORIA: It’s good to see you again, Gerald. We hadn’t quite finished what we started.

Gerald smiles at Victoria.

HENRY: Are you for real?

Gerald looks to Henry.

GERALD: She followed me.

Gerald points to Victoria.

GERALD: You followed me here.

Victoria holds up her arms.

VICTORIA: We were going to run away together. Have you already forgotten the love we shared.

GERALD: It wasn’t love.

VICTORIA: You break my heart.

Victoria bares her fangs, and Gerald drops the shirt and shoes he’s still holding.

VICTORIA: I get very nasty on a broken heart.

Henry rushes across the clearing, brandishing his knife above his head. Vince steps in front of Victoria as Hubert pulls the trigger, but his pistol blows up in his hand. Flames jump back at him, burning his eyebrows off, and he drops to the ground, covering his face.

HUBERT: No, no, no, not the face.

Henry is distracted, and Vince seizes the moment, shooting to his side. Henry turns, but it’s too late. Vince grabs his knife, shoves it through his left hand, and pins him to a tree.

HENRY: Not again.

Gerald grabs a log out of the fire. The tip tapers to a point, and Gerald points it towards the vampires. Vince eyes him up.

VINCE: Careful, that one might be too hot for you to handle.

GERALD: I do alright with the heat.

Gerald rushes Vince, tucking the log under his arm like he’s jousting. Vince disappears and reappears behind Gerald, but Gerald is ready. He twists on his foot and falls into the Vince. Vince cries out in pain.

VINCE: What have you done?

Gerald leans in close, shoving the burning log deeper into Vince’s chest.

GERALD: I guess you could say I just warmed that cold heart of yours.

A laugh bursts out from Victoria’s direction. Gerald and Vince looks to her. She covers her mouth and looks to either side of her, shrugging.

VINCE: I can see he’s already gotten to yours.

Vince bursts into ashes, and Gerald turns to Victoria. She smiles and blows him a kiss before transforming back into a bat. She flies into the sky, disappearing above the trees.

Henry pulls his hand free.

HENRY: You got lucky this time.

Gerald holds up the burning log.

GERALD: Lucky?

Hubert stands.

HUBERT: At least she weren’t a fish.

As Henry chuckles, Hubert kicks the pan out of the fire. The rabbits are burned to a crisp.

HUBERT: I say they be cooked through.

Henry walks towards the fire, stabs one of the rabbits, and brings it close to his face.

HENRY: Works for me.

Henry sits down while Hubert packs tobacco into his pipe. Gerald looks from Hubert to Henry.

GERALD: What’s this about fish?

HENRY: Next time.

Hubert lights his pipe and takes a couple puffs. Gerald drops the log back onto the fire and shakes his head.

FADE TO BLACK.

Simon Says – Hunt Lodge

FADE IN:

INT. DINING ROOM – NIGHT

A GROUP OF MEN are seated around a table. Large red curtains are drawn across from the wall with a fireplace. The fireplace is ornate with images of cherubs flying along its edge. The fire is burning low, glowing, red embers pulsating with life.

GERALD BLADELY is a bearded man in his late thirties. He has a large frame and sits with his elbows on the table, arms crossed. He stares into the fireplace.

HUBERT FINES is a round man in his early sixties. He has a pipe in his mouth and a sailor’s hat on his head. He lifts the pipe from his teeth and releases a puff of smoke.

HENRY STETSON is thin, his wiry frame stretched upright. The smoke crosses his face and crinkles his nose. He waves it away with his left hand. He has a scar across the back of it and is missing the tip of his index finger.

HUBERT: In my day we knew what ta do with a woman like that. There weren’t no sittin’ around.

He returns his pipe to his mouth.

HUBERT (CONT’D): No, sir. We didn’t have inhibitions about what needed ta be done.

Gerald stands and walks over to the fire. He prods it with a poker.

GERALD: What if the authorities were to find out? What then? Least I need is jail time.

HENRY: Wouldn’t be jail time if we do it right.

Hubert grabs a log from a stand near the fireplace. He tosses it onto the coals, and the bark goes up in flames.

HUBERT: Jus’ like that. Poof! Gone.

Gerald shakes his head. He walks over to the door and listens for a beat then turns.

GERALD: It just wouldn’t be right. She loves me, and I… I…

HENRY: Love her?

Henry smirks and leans back in his chair, gloating in his observation. Gerald huffs and goes red.

GERALD: I just wouldn’t want to betray that. She’s so young. Innocent.

Hubert snorts. He limps over to the curtains and peeks outside.

HUBERT: An innocent woman. Fancy that.

He turns to Gerald.

HUBERT (CONT’D): Love is playing tricks on you. Making you soft. Blind.

Gerald rushes over to the table and slams his fist on it. Henry almost falls but catches himself. He glares at Gerald.

GERALD: I don’t love her, damn it.

HENRY: You say that every time.

The door swings open, and CATHARINE MEABERRY enters. She is a woman in her late twenties. She is wearing a long, dark dress and removes her hat to reveal blond hair.

CATHARINE: You all look cheery tonight.

Henry watches Gerald.

HENRY: We were having a rather stimulating conversation.

CATHARINE: I could hear.

Gerald gulps.

GERALD: Oh?

She removes her coat and takes a seat beside where Gerald is standing.

CATHARINE: It sounds as though a woman loves you that you do not return a love for.

HENRY: It is my hypothesis that the opposite may be true.

Catharine smiles at Henry then turns to Gerald.

CATHARINE: Oh? How simply fascinating this all must be. Do I know the girl?

Hubert walks over to the door and locks it. He drops the key into his pocket. Everyone looks to him.

HUBERT: She ain’t a girl. She be a woman and then some.

He steps towards her, but Gerald blocks his path.

GERALD: They speak of you, darling. They mean to harm you.

Catharine turns to Henry.

CATHARINE: Is this true?

Henry shrugs, drawing a match from his coat pocket. He lights it and tosses it at her. Catharine pulls back, but the match goes out before it reaches her. Henry smirks.

HENRY: True enough for my satisfaction.

Catharine glares at him.

CATHARINE: Incanto. Incanto. Ishlark flemtar.

HUBERT: You hear that, boy.

Gerald glances over his shoulder as Catharine rises from her chair. The windows fly open and a gust of wind blasts through the room.

CATHARINE: Heeth cryte, Breela.

Henry glances around himself. He looks back to Catharine and pulls a knife from his jacket.

Gerald releases Hubert, but before he can reach her, Catharine is back in her seat. She crosses her arms and laughs.

CATHARINE (CONT’D): You think I’m a witch.

The wind dies down. The men glance around the room. The fire begins to blaze. Hubert steps closer to Catharine.

HUBERT: We don’t think. We know it.

CATHARINE: Didn’t have to tell me you don’t think.

He grabs her shoulder. Her eyes glow red, and flames shoot up Hubert’s arm. He cries out and releases her.

Henry begins to move around the table, but his knife whips into the air. He dodges back in time to save his eye. The knife comes back and stabs through his left hand, pinning it to the table.

HENRY: Again? Blast it all.

Hubert throws his jacket off and drops to his knees, clutching his burned hand. Catharine stands and the jacket flies into her hand. She frees the key and steps towards the door.

Gerald rushes to the exit, cutting her off.

GERALD: I can’t let you go.

Catharine leans in close.

CATHARINE: You don’t have a choice.

She kisses him on the lips. Gerald’s body relaxes. Catharine laughs and pushes him back. He stumbles as she exits the room.

Hubert shuffles over to the door and looks outside. When he returns, he shakes his head.

HUBERT: Gone.

He looks at Gerald and slaps him. He winces as he’s reminded of his burns.

HUBERT (CONT’D): Yer head is soft as well as yer heart.

Henry pulls the knife from his hand.

HENRY: He’ll be smarter next time.

He looks at Gerald.

GERALD: Right. Next time.

FADE OUT.