Building A ScarecrowA Screenplay by Shadow This was written for my screenwriting class. We were supposed to take a children's book, about an old woman wanting pancakes, and make a sequel to it. A very loose sequel. Warning: Some Cursing. INT. BEDROOM MORNING Enter into a small, sparsely decorated bedroom. In the full sized bed, an older lady around sixty, BEVERLY, is sleeping. An old digital alarm clock begins to go off. Beverly reaches over, turns it off, and¬† gets out of the bed. Beverly has graying black hair pulled back into a messy braid and soft brown eyes. She is wearing an old floral nightgown. She stretches and yawns, then puts on her bunny slippers and an old, simple robe that is hung up nearby. She begins to shuffle toward the door and trips over her own feet. She catches herself on a dresser and while she pulls herself up, she glances toward a picture in a simple frame on the dresser. It is a picture of two people standing in front of a cornfield. One of them is a slightly younger Beverly. The other is an old man around the same age as Beverly in the picture. This is her deceased husband, ALAN. Alan has grey hair and soft light brown eyes, full of joy. Both appear very happy. Beverly smiles and laughs lightly. BEVERLY Well, Alan, today is certainly off to a good start, now, isn't it? Beverly, still smiling, pulls herself the rest of the way up and walks out the bedroom door. INT. KITCHEN MORNING Beverly enters the kitchen in her robe and begins to make some coffee. She makes pancakes and slices up an apple. She brings her small stack of pancakes, smothered in maple syrup, and apples, along with a mug of coffee, to her tiny table which sits next to a large window overlooking a cornfield and eats it happily. Beverly finishes her breakfast and sits the dishes in her sink. She grabs another mug of coffee and sits back down at the table to drink it, smiling. She looks outside and frowns at what she sees. EXT. FIELD MORNING Crows are circling above a cornfield, occasionally diving down and attacking the crops. They appear slightly larger than normal, and highly aggressive, fighting amongst each other. INT. HOUSE MORNING Beverly sighs and looks down sadly at her coffee. She then looks a large picture of Alan hanging nearby. BEVERLY I really hate those damn crows. Every year since you passed, with the exception of that first one, I plant that corn and toil hard to make sure it grows well, just like you asked. And it usually does, and the first two years it was fine, no problems. Beverly looks outside at the crows. Her sadness melts away to anger as she begins to glare at them. BEVERLY But then those monstrous things came and started to attack the field. And every year, they get worse. (She glances back at the picture, expression returning to sadness) I don't know if I can take it anymore. (She begins to tear up) I'm sorry Alan, but I have no idea how you kept those monsters away. Beverly looks back out the window, unable to look at the picture any longer. She then notices something outside and becomes a little confused. She leans in closer to the window, trying to get a better look. BEVERLY What in the world...? Sticking out on the far edge of the field on top of a hill is a¬† old-looking pole made out of dark wood about 7 feet tall. About a foot or two down the pole, was another long piece of wood, slightly lighter in color and only about five feet long, sitting almost perpendicular to the other. It looked like it had been standing there for a long time. A look of sudden recogition passes on Beverly's face. BEVERLY I remember now... FLASHBACK TO EXT. FIELD DAY A young Alan, who appears to be in his twenties with medium-length brown hair and cheery brown eyes and wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, is dragging a large object in a bag toward the pole, which can be seen with more detail. The two pieces of wood are nailed and tied together. The nails are old and rusty and the rope, while seeming old, appears strong, with two long ends dangling on the opposite side of the cross-shaped pole. More rope is dangling on the ends of the horizontal pole. All over the wood are strange symbols that seemed to have been carved into it a long time ago. A young Beverly, who appears to be about the same age as her husband, pushes through the corn to her husband, who is now standing next to the pole, looking at her. She is wearing a simple sundress that is slightly worn. Beverly appears to be a little tired. BEVERLY What in the name of Heaven are you doing, Alan? Alan looks at her and smiles. ALAN Why, I'm putting up a scarecrow. At that, he opens up the bag to reveal a scarecrow. The scarecrow is highly detailed and seems to be fairly old. It is comprised of clothing sewn together, with a head made from burlap that oddly resembles the shape of a normal human head, with hay stuck to it to resemble hair. It's face had been painted on with great detail, with pale green eyes and a sweet, kind smile.It looks surprisingly realistic, except for the fact that it was flat and starting to fade. Atop it's head sat an old beaten cowboy hat. Beverly stares at it while Alan scrutinizes the scarecrow's face. ALAN (talking softly to self) Hmm...may need to repaint his face when I take him back down. Beverly shook her head and looked up at Alan, finally thinking of something. BEVERLY Alan. it's a very nice scarecrow, but why do you need to put it up? I've never seen any crows here, or really any other bird for that matter, aside from some doves and chickadees ... Alan looks up at her and smiles. ALAN Ah, but this here scarecrow is the reason why there are no crows here. He keeps them away. Beverly scrutinizes the scarecrow again, confused, and looks back up at Alan. BEVERLY I don't understand how this thing has been keeping the crows away. No offense, but it doesn't look particularly scary. In fact, it looks kinda sweet. ALAN This (gesturing to the scarecrow) is no ordinary scarecrow, and this (gesturing to the odd pole) is no ordinary pole. Beverly just stares at him, confused. BEVERLY What do you mean by that? Alan smiles at her softly and sits down on the ground next to the pole. He gestures for her to sit down next to him and she does. ALAN You remember me tellin' you about the previous owner of this land, my Grandma Alice? BEVERLY You mean the one that told you all those old stories about magic? ALAN Yeah, her. Well, she didn't just tell stories about magic, she used it. Well, after being pestered by crows for a few years she got sick of it. So she took out her old spellbook and looked for something to get rid of them. She found a few that would've killed 'em, but she thought that would've been too cruel. She eventually found one that would keep the darned things away from this land. She went and got these two pieces of wood, each from a different tree, and began to carve the symbols into the wood. Then, with the help of my grandpa, she put them up here and they've stayed ever since. BEVERLY Well, if the pole keeps the crows away, why do you need a scarecrow? Alan looks at her and smiles. ALAN But it's not just the pole that keeps the crows away. It's the combined magic of the pole and the scarecrow that keeps them at bay. Beverly looks at him amazed. BEVERLY So the scarecrow's magic, too? ALAN Yes, although it's a different kind of magic. BEVERLY What do you mean? Alan laughs. ALAN It's complicated. Maybe one day I'll tell you. Beverly folds her arms and give him a look of obviously false agitation. BEVERLY Hey, that not fair! Alan laughs harder. Beverly tries to scowl, but ends up laughing with him. After a few minutes they stop and Beverly looks at the scarecrow and smiles. BEVERLY So, is this the same scarecrow that your grandma first used? ALAN Actually, no, I made this one when I was eight, but Grandma Alice helped me make it. She thought we could use a little change. BEVERLY Really? (smiles) Could you maybe show me how to make one? ALAN (laughs) Maybe someday, honey. Maybe someday... At this, Alan puts his arm around Beverly and pulls her close. They then stare out at the landscape. FLASHBACK ENDS INT. KITCHEN MORNING Beverly looks back at the picture of her husband,sighs, and smiles sadly. BEVERLY You never did get around to teaching me how to make one. Beverly sighs again and rests her head in her hands and begins to think. After a few moments, she gets an idea. BEVERLY (happily) Wait a minute! I think I still have that old scarecrow Alan used down in the basement! At that, Beverly left the table and hurriedly headed toward the basement. INT. BASEMENT MORNING Beverly quickly comes down the stairs and looks around. BEVERLY Now, where did I put that stupid box? Argh, I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! I didn't put it up that first year because I was so distraught after losing Alan, heck, I didn't really do anything that year. I must've completely forgotten about it after that. After looking around she sees what she's looking for. She walks over to an old pine box. The box looks like nobody has touched it in years. BEVERLY Ah, there you are. She opens up the box and pulls out a heavy, old bag. She sets the bag on the on the floor and opens it. She then gets a sad and distraught look on her face. BEVERLY (whisper) Oh, no... Inside of the bag, the scarecrow is damaged beyond repair. Sadly, Beverly closes the bag and sets the it next to the pine box, not even bothering to put it back in. As she turns and begins to leave, her shoe catches in something and she stumbles. Beverly begins to turn and look at what tripped her. BEVERLY What the h... She stops when she sees what tripped her. On the floor is a small hole. There is a faint square shape seemingly carved around the small hole. Beverly moves closer to it. BEVERLY What in the name of all that is holy...? I don't remember this being here... Beverly sticks a couple of fingers in the hole and pulls upward. To her mild surprise, the square of flooring come up with little difficulty, revealing a small depression underneath. In it, lies a a small box, covered with odd, but beautiful carvings. Beverly picks it up, curious. BEVERLY What's this? At this, Beverly leaves the basement, carrying the box with her. INT. KITCHEN MORNING Beverly walks into her kitchen, sits down at her table, and sets the box on the table. She stares at it. BEVERLY What a strange looking box. But these carvings are kinda pretty, wonder what they stand for? At this, Beverly begins to trace the symbols with her finger, a look of wonder on her face. Then her look becomes thoughtful. BEVERLY I wonder... what's in this thing? Beverly opens the lid of the box and is a astonished. Within the box is an old, but beautiful leather-bound book. Beverly carefully lifts it out of the box and admires the intricate illustration on the front, an beautiful drawing of a field at sunset, with birds flying off in the distance and in the middle of the field stands a scarecrow. Beverly is amazed and looks for a title, but not finding one, she becomes puzzled. BEVERLY No title? Hmmm....Maybe it's on the inside. Beverly opens the book. On the first page is a single word, a name, written in a simple and slightly messy script: Alice. Beverly becomes intrigued. BEVERLY Alice? Wasn't that Alan's grandmother's name? This must've belonged to her... Beverly begins to look through the book, becoming more amazed and astonished as she turned each page. Each page is filled with detailed spells, written in an elegant, flowing script, and detailed hand drawn illustrations. Occasionally, there are notes written in the margins in a script identical to the that of the name on the first page. BEVERLY (astonished) It's a spellbook! It's Alice's spellbook! Beverly then got a shocked and thoughtful look on her face. BEVERLY Wait a minute...This is...Alice's...spellbook... ALAN (VO) ...Well, after being pestered by crows for a few years she got sick of it. So she took out her old spellbook and looked for something to get rid of them. She found a few that would've killed 'em, but she thought that would've been too cruel. She eventually found one that would keep the darned things away from this land... Beverly smiles, ecstatic. BEVERLY If this is Alice's spellbook, that means that the instructions on how to make the scarecrow must be in here! I'll just make my own! Beverly quickly flips through the pages, until she finds one with an illustration of a cross similar to the one out in her field. The page was titled: Activation Cross. Beverly looks over the page which described that the cross was used to activate the magic of another spell or object. BEVERLY So, that what that thing is for. Beverly continues to flip through the pages, finally stopping on a page with a detailed drawing of a scarecrow. This page was titled: Guardian of The Home And Field. Beverly raises an eyebrow at the title, but begins to read what's written on the page. BEVERLY The Guardian Of The Home And Field is to be built with no malice in mind. The Guardian's duty is to protect the fields in which it set up and to protect the home and all who live within...(excited)This is it! This is exactly what I'm looking for! At this, Beverly stands up and looks happily at the picture of Alan. BEVERLY Don't worry Alan, I'll get this scarecrow built and chase those damn crows out of here! I won't let you down! Beverly hurriedly leaves the room to get ready, taking the book with her. EXT. FRONT YARD DAY Beverly exits her small home, fully dressed in work clothes and carrying a large duffel bag. She sits on a small bench swing near the door. She then takes the spell book out of the bag, flips to page about the scarecrow, and begins to read. BEVERLY (thoughtful) Okay, it says here that the first thing I need is the clothes of a loved one. Hmm....The only loved one I can think of is Alan, but I don't have any of his clothes anymore, I gave 'em all away. Beverly rests her head in her hand and begins to think. Suddenly, she is struck by an idea. BEVERLY Wait a sec. I remember giving some of the clothes to the Mayer's for when their children got older. (snaps fingers) I'll just go and ask them if I can have some of them back! I'm sure they won't mind at all. At this, Beverly stows the book back in the bag and stands up. She grabs the bag and begins to walk away, but the bag catches on the swing and she falls to the ground. Beverly glares at the swing before laughing and getting the bag unhooked from the swing. She checks to make sure the bag isn't torn, which it isn't, then gets back on her feet and heads down her long driveway to the road. Once there, she turns to the left, and begins to walk merrily down the side of the road toward her destination. EXT. MAYER'S HOUSE MORNING Laughter is heard from the MAYER'S HOUSE, a large two story house painted bright blue. The property is surrounded by large trees, mostly maple. To the right of the house is a large shed, which is used for storing maple syrup, near an old red barn THOMAS MAYER, a thirty something man in work clothes, is exiting his storehouse and walking towards his home when he spots Beverly walking down the road, heading towards his house. Johnathan turns towards the house and yells to his wife, ELIZABETH MAYER, a thirty-something woman in jeans and a t-shirt, who is standing at a nearby window. THOMAS Hey, Lizzie! Beverly's come over to visit! ELIZABETH (leans out open window) Really? Wasn't expecting her to come over for a few more days. Well, I guess it's a good thing I made some fresh coffee. At this, Elizabeth returns to her tasks inside. Thomas goes over to Beverly, who is walking in his direction, and greets her. THOMAS Why, Beverly! What a surprise! Please come on in, Lizzie just made some coffee, and, if I'm not mistaken, some of her famous zucchini cookies! BEVERLY (Smiling) Why, thank you Thomas, I'd love to come in. They walk into the large house, leaving the door open behind them. INT. MAYER HOME KITCHEN MORNING Thomas and Beverly enter the large, well equipped kitchen to find Elizabeth feeding JESSICA MAY MAYER, a toddler, in a high chair. She turns to the two when they enter, smiling. ELIZABETH Why, hello Bev! It's nice to see you. How have you been doing? I see you have yet to trip and break your leg. Beverly and Elizabeth laugh. While they laugh, Thomas walks over to where some freshly made cookies have been laid out. As he is is about to grab one, Elizabeth hits his hand hard with a large plastic mixing spoon. ELIZABETH Now, don't you go touching those! I just got them out of the oven! Geez, you're worse than your son sometimes. At this, Thomas pouts, which causes both Elizabeth and Beverly to laugh heartily, causing Thomas to smile. Thomas and Beverly sit down at the table, while Elizabeth gets them some coffee and cookies that have cooled down. She sits down, but before they can talk, two young children, JOHNATHAN and ALICIA MAYER, come rushing into the room. JOHNATHAN Momma? Can Alicia and I have a cookie? ELIZABETH Sure sweetie, if you two play with your little sister for awhile. Their faces split into wide grins, and Alicia goes and gets Jessica out of the high chair. ALICIA Sure! Me and Johnny will have lots of fun with Jessie! (to Jessica) Won't we? The adults laugh as Alicia gets Jessica out of the chair. Elizabeth gets up and gets them some cookies and juice boxes. She hands them to Johnathan. ELIZABETH Here you go, sweetie. Now, remember, don't play too rough with your sister, 'kay? JOHNATHAN (Nodding) 'Kay, momma, we will. At this, the children leave the room to play. Beverly looks at them leaving, smiling. BEVERLY Wonderful little balls of energy, aren't they? ELIZABETH (sighs and chuckles) That they are. Now, Bev, what are you doing here today? THOMAS Yeah, what brings you 'round here? You can't be out of syrup already. I know you go through the stuff like crazy, but I thought the last batch would last you a few more days. BEVERLY (Laughs) No, I still have plenty of syrup. Actually, I was wondering if I could have some of Alan's old clothes back, I need them for something. THOMAS I don't see a problem with that, they were originally yours, anyway. Do you have a problem with it hon? ELIZABETH No, no problem at all. Thomas gets up out of the chair, stretches, and grabs a cookie. THOMAS I'll get them now. They should still be in that box up in the attic, right? Elizabeth nods, and Thomas leaves to grab the box in the attic. He soon comes back, toting a box labeled "Clothes From Bev." He heaves it up on an empty chair and sits down. THOMAS Here you go Bev. Got everything you need in it? Beverly begins to look through it, pulling out a few old shirts, pants, and gloves, nodding an affirmative. BEVERLY Uh-huh. Elizabeth looks at the stuff as Beverly begins to put the clothes in the bag she brought with her. She looks like she is debating something. She then looks at Beverly and catches her attention. ELIZABETH Hey, Bev? If you don't mind me askin', why do you need the clothes, anyway? Beverly looks up at her, looking like she is debating something. She then digs through her bag and grabs the small book and flips to the appropriate page. She gives Elizabeth the book. BEVERLY Well, actually, I'm gonna try making this. Thomas looks over his wife's shoulder and reads the book. THOMAS "Guardian of the Home and Field?" Bev, is this a spell book? BEVERLY (Nodding) This used to be Alan's grandmother's. I found it in the basement earlier today. ELIZABETH You don't really believe in this stuff, do you? Elizabeth looks up at Beverly. Beverly shrugs. BEVERLY I believe that everything is possible. Besides, it's my last option to get rid of those monsters. Thomas and Elizabeth look confused for a moment, then a look of recognition passes over their faces, followed by concern. THOMAS You mean those crows are still bothering you? BEVERLY Bothering would be an understatement. I swear, sometimes I think those things try to destroy my crops just to bother me. I've tried darn near everything to get rid of them. ELIZABETH But what makes you think this will help? BEVERLY Well, Alan put one of these up every year, and he never had any problems with crows, so I figured it was worth a shot. Thomas nods, while Elizabeth still looks skeptical, but seems to understand. ELIZABETH Well, I guess that makes sense. THOMAS Yeah, and it never hurts to try. Beverly nods, smiling. She then looks at the clock. She begins to stand up. BEVERLY Well, I should get going. I've got lots to do today. THOMAS We understand. We'll see you soon right? BEVERLY (Smiling) Of course. Beverly begins to walk out, but steps on a toy that had been left out and falls. Thomas catches her before she reaches the floor. He helps her to her feet. THOMAS Darn those kids! I'm sorry, Bev. I've told them countless times to take care of their toys... BEVERLY (Laughs Lightly) It's quite alright. Well, see you guys later! At this, Beverly waves goodbye and leaves. Elizabeth gets up and looks at Thomas. ELIZABETH You don't think that thing will work, do you? THOMAS I don't know. I hope for Bev's sake it does. The poor old woman is running out of options. At this, Thomas puts his hand on her shoulder and gives it squeeze. The two then separate and start working. INT. KITCHEN MORNING Beverly sets the bag of clothes on the floor and then takes the book out. She stands back up, flipping through the pages while walking around. BEVERLY Okee-dokiee then. Now I'm probably gonna need to get some straw to fill it with. Good thing I already have so... Beverly stops when she reaches the page she needs and reads what she needs next. She blinks, confused. BEVERLY Hay? I need to fill it with hay? What for? She searches the page, looking for an explanation, but finding none. She growls lightly. BEVERLY You're just not going to make things easy on me, are you? Beverly sets the book down and begins to think. BEVERLY Now, who do I know that has hay? She paces about while thinking. She looks up at and old photograph hanging on the wall. It's a picture of young Alan and another man, who has blond hair and blue eyes. Beverly snaps her fingers, looking triumphant. BEVERLY Ah-ha! I'll ask ZEKE. He always has hay lying around. At that, Beverly picks up the book and a nearby small bag. She then hurries out the door. EXT. ZEKE VANDERVEEN'S HOME DAY ZEKE VANDERVEEN, a man in his sixties in worn plaid shirt, jeans, and a worn hat, exits his large barn, wiping sweat off of his brow. He looks out toward his old farmhouse and sees Beverly walking up to it. He waves at her. ZEKE Hey, Beverly! Over here! Beverly hears him and looks up. She waves back and walks over. When she reaches him, he leans on the shovel he had been carrying, tips his hat back to see her better, and gives her a crooked smile. ZEKE Hey now, long time no see! How've you been, Bev? BEVERLY I've been doin' good. how about you? ZEKE I've been doin' fine. So, what brings you 'round my neck o' the woods? Beverly rubs the back of her neck, a tad embarrassed and nervous. BEVERLY Well, Zeke, I was hoping I could ask you for something. Zeke quirks an eyebrow, intrigued by her actions. ZEKE Really? Well, whatcha need? BEVERLY Well, I was wondering if you spare any of your hay for a project of mine. ZEKE (Smiles) Well, sure I have plenty. Ya can have as much as you'd like. Beverly smiles as Zeke stands up straight and lifts the shovel to his shoulder as he leads the way to where he keeps his hay in his barn. When they get there, he turns around and smiles at her. ZEKE Well, here ya go. As I said, take as much as ya need. Though I would like to know whatcha need it for. Beverly looks at him and rubs the back her neck nervously before she answers him. BEVERLY Well, you know that old scarecrow that Alan used to put up every year? ZEKE Ya mean the magic one that he made with his grandma? Beverly is surprised that he knows this and looks at him incredulously. BEVERLY You know about it? ZEKE (Nods) Yep. I asked him about it when we was kids. Didn' me much other than that it was magic, though. So, what about it? BEVERLY Well, I'm making a new one to try at get those crows to leave... Zeke gets a bit agitated at the mention of the crows and growls gruffly. ZEKE Those mean things are still botherin' ya? Beverly nods in affirmation and Zeke gets madder. ZEKE Urgh! Why won't those damn things just leave ya be? You've been through more than enough. (His mood softens) But if you need the hay for a scarecrow, why not just use Alan's old one. Beverly shakes her head in a negative manner. Zeke becomes confused and motions for her to explain. Beverly sighs. BEVERLY When I went down earlier to grab it, I found it destroyed beyond repair. I don't even know how it could have happened. I've kept the thing in the basement since Alan passed, and I don't even go down there often. ZEKE (Slightly confused) That is kinda odd, I must admit. (Smiles) Well then, take as much hay as ya need. BEVERLY (Smiling) Thanks, Zeke. Zeke then looks at her and what she is carrying, which is just a small bag. He chuckles and Beverly gets confused. BEVERLY What? Zeke smirks at her and leans on his shovel. ZEKE Ya did bring something to carry it all in, didn't ya? Beverly looks confused for a moment, and then, realizing what he meant, slaps her forehead. Zeke laughs, having got his answer. ZEKE Don' worry 'bout it, hon. I can help ya with that. EXT. FRONT YARD DAY Zeke and Beverly pull up in front of her house on a large tractor. The tractor is hauling a trailer full of hay. Beverly gets off the tractor, almost falling down in the process. Zeke, trying not to laugh, helps her down and unhooks the trailer from the tractor. ZEKE Just let me know when you're done makin' that scarecrow, and I'll come back and get the rest of the hay. BEVERLY (Smiling) Thanks for the help, Zeke. ZEKE (Tips hat toward her) No prob, Bev. (Climbs back on tractor) Well, I'm gonna get going. See ya later. BEVERLY See ya. Zeke leaves on his tractor and Beverly sits down on the bench swing. She pulls out the book and flips to her page. BEVERLY Okay, the next thing that this says I need is a bag for the head. Well, I'll just use the head from Alan's old one, it was the only thing that wasn't decimated.(Thinks for a moment) In fact, the only damage it seemed to receive was being ripped off the rest of the body and that the hair and painted face had come off as well. Kinda odd. Beverly thinks about it for a moment, but decides to dismiss it. BEVERLY Oh well, it's not that important. (Looks back at book) Okay, the next thing I need is black thread. Damn it! I ran out of black a week ago.¬† Beverly gets up walk around, thinking. She then looks out toward a nearby house, getting an idea. BEVERLY Hmmm...well, SARAH does a lot of sewing, she might have some black thread. (Looks back at the book) It also says I need paint. I know that NORMAN likes to paint. Maybe they'll lend me some paint, too. Beverly goes and grabs her bag and sticks the book in it with a determined look on her face. BEVERLY Well, I'll never get anything done by just standing here. Might as well go and ask. Beverly begins to walk next door when she hears a loud caw. She looks up and sees one of the crows flying above. It appears to be glaring at her. Beverly rubs her eyes and it flys away. Beverly becomes confused. BEVERLY Was that crow...? Naw, I'm just seein' things. Beverly walks across her yard to her neighbors. INT. REED HOME LIVING ROOM NORMAN REED, a bookish man in his mid-forties, is sitting on a couch in his well-furnished living room, reading a book and sipping tea. SARAH REED, Norman's wife who is around the same age, enters the room. She is wearing a simple, but pretty dress.¬† SARAH Norman, do we still have some syrup? NORMAN (Looks up from book) Last I checked we did. It should be in the fridge behind the milk. SARAH Okay, thanks honey. Sarah begins to turn around to go into the kitchen but is stopped by a knock on the door. They both look over at the door with curious expressions on their faces. SARAH Huh. I wasn't expecting anyone over today. I wonder who it is. Sarah goes over to the door and opens it to find Beverly standing there. Sarah's face immediately splits into a smile. SARAH Why Beverly! What happy surprise! (begins to lead her in) Please come in and have a seat. Would you like some tea? BEVERLY Sure, I would love some. Thank you. Sarah goes to the kitchen to get some tea while Norman sets down his book. Sarah comes back with two cups of tea and gives one to Beverly. She then sits down next to Norman and sips a little bit of her tea. NORMAN So, Beverly, what brings you here? (Smiles) It wouldn't have anything to do with that scarecrow you're making, would it? He says this while Beverly is about to take a sip of her tea. She stops, surprised, and brings her tea down. BEVERLY How did you hear about that? SARAH (laughs) Thomas told us when he came over to pick up some dresses I made for his girls. (takes a sip of tea) So, does this lovely visit have something to do with it? BEVERLY Actually, yes. I was hoping you could lend me a few things. SARAH (Smiling) Well, what do you need? BEVERLY Well, I was wonderin' if you could lend me some black thread and paint. NORMAN Well, sure Beverly, we can do that, right honey? (Sarah nods) So, any particular colors you need for paint? Beverly mulls this over for a little bit, sipping her tea. BEVERLY Well, I definitely need black, and white too. (Thinks for a bit) And light brown as well. NORMAN (quirks an eyebrow) What do you need light brown for? BEVERLY (chuckles) For the eyes. I'm using Alan's old clothes, so I figured I might as well give it Alan's eye color. SARAH (laughs) That makes sense. (Thinks for a moment) In fact, I think I may have something you can use. (Stands) Excuse me for a moment. Sarah then leaves the room. While she is gone, Norman and Beverly talk about random things. When she comes back, she is holding two boxes. One is small and the other is about the size of her head. She hands Beverly the small one. SARAH Oh here's that thread by the way. You said black, right? BEVERLY Yes, black. (glances at other box) What's that? Sarah looks over at the box she sat down, then grabs it. She opens it and pulls out a wig. The wig is the same color and style as Alan's when he was young. Beverly is astonished. SARAH Diane brought this home while on break from beauty school one year. She left it home and when we asked what to do with it, she said we could just keep it. It always reminded me of how your husband's hair looked in all those old pictures. Since you're giving that scarecrow Alan's clothes and eyes, why not give it his hair, too? BEVERLY (Begins to tear up) Thank you. (takes the wig) But are you sure Diane won't mind? Sarah begins to speak, but Norman answers before she can. NORMAN Nah, she won't mind at all. Besides, we can't use it, so why not give it to someone who can use it. (Stands up) Now, let me get you that paint. Norman goes over to cabinet sitting nearby and takes out the paint Beverly asked for. He brings it over to her and she thanks him. She stands up, preparing to leave. They try to stop her. SARAH Why don't you stay for lunch, Beverly? We're making your favorite, blueberry pancakes. BEVERLY The offer is tempting, Sarah, but I should really get going. I need to finish thing as soon as possible. NORMAN (Nods) We understand. Goodbye, Beverly. BEVERLY Bye. Sarah waves goodbye at Beverly as she goes out the door. INT. KITCHEN DAY Beverly enters the kitchen and sets the bag down, pulling the book out. She turns on her radio and begins to work on the scarecrow for several hours, leaving the kitchen only to grab some hay to put in it and occasionally to the bathroom. She sews the clothes and old boots of Alan's she found. She stuffs it full with hay. She then painstakingly paints a very detailed face on it. She superglues the wig to the head and sews it onto the body of the scarecrow. EXT. BACK YARD DUSK Beverly drags out the finished scarecrow and sits it up against the house. She looks it over. It looks remarkably like Alan. A thoughtful look passes over her face. BEVERLY Something seems to be missing. (Thinks for a bit, then snaps fingers) I know! You need a hat! I know just the hat, too. It should still be down in the basement. I'll just go and get it. Beverly then goes into the house, leaving the scarecrow outside. The crows begin to fly in circles above it. INT. BASEMENT DUSK Beverly enters the basement, almost falling down the steps, but catching herself on the railing. She is smiling as she begins to searching through the multitude of boxes situated there. After searching for a short time, she gets a little agitated and puts her hands on her hips. BEVERLY Now, where the heck did I put that darn thing? Beverly continues her search and after opening one box, becomes immediately happy again. BEVERLY Ah, here you are! Beverly pulls an old beat up fedora out of the box. She blows the dust off of it and goes into a small coughing fit. Afterwards she begins to smile again. BEVERLY Alan's old fedora. He loved this damn thing. It's perfect! She leaves the basement, taking the fedora with her, and turning the light off as she ascends the stairs. EXT. BACK YARD DUSK Beverly opens her back door smiling, but once she sees what is going on, she drops the fedora and becomes terrified. BEVERLY NO!! The crows are attacking the scarecrow, tearing it to shreds. Beverly grabs a nearby umbrella from inside and begins to run toward the crows, yelling at them and attempting to beat them with the umbrella. BEVERLY Get away from there you monsters! Beverly manages to hit a couple of them, and they begin to attack her. She manages to beat a couple away, but they won't relent, and soon she is covered with small cuts. Beverly grabs the scarecrow's head, the only part that seems untouched, and runs back into the house, slamming the door behind her. Some crows hit the door and they attack it for a short time. They soon leave. INT. KITCHEN DUSK Beverly is leaning against the door, bleeding from various cuts. She is cradling the scarecrow's head in her arms, crying. She slides down to the floor and continues to cry as the sun sets. She then wipe her eyes, looking first at what remains of the scarecrow in her hands, and then up at Alan's picture. She begins to tear up again, her voice cracking. BEVERLY I'm so sorry Alan. I just can't do it. I can't keep my promise. I've tried everything to get rid of those damn things. (looks at the scarecrow's head) I even tried to use magic. But let's face the facts, I can't do it. Fate's working against me, it's just not meant to do this.(Looks back up at the picture) I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to break my promise. I just can't plant the crops with those damn crows around. I'm sorry... Beverly looks away begins to sob. Then a soft wind begins to blow around her and Beverly looks up, confused. She looks around for the source, but all of the doors and windows are shut tight. Just as she is about to get up she hears a sound that surprises her, a voice. ALAN (VO) Now, now. You can't possibly be giving up. Beverly screams, shocked, and falls back down. She then hits her forehead with her hand, agitated with herself. BEVERLY Great, now I'm going crazy. Alan's voice laughs lightly, and the wins caresses her again. ALAN (VO) No you're not. Not yet at least (laughs) (turns serious) But you can't seriously be thinking about quitting? Beverly looks up, her eyes still teary, debating about whether or not to respond. She sighs and stutters. BEVERLY B-but I can't do it! Those crows are too aggressive! I...I just can't. ALAN (VO) That doesn't sound like the Beverly I knew. What happened to the woman who thought quitting was for the weak? Who never quit no matter what? BEVERLY (looks down) She got old and tired. And old, tired ladies just can't do so much work... ALAN (VO) (Chuckles) An old tired lady, huh? The wind picks up again and makes Beverly lift her head. ALAN (VO) Can an old, tired lady plant seeds for five hours straight and not take a break? Can an old, tired lady lift a heavy box of tools for several miles without breaking a sweat? Can an old, tired lady walk around twenty miles in one day gathering materials and still have plenty of energy to make a scarecrow? The wind helps Beverly, whose mood has brightened, stand back up as he continues. ALAN (VO) You are so much more than just an old, tired lady. You can do so much if you just put your mind to it. The Beverly I knew was never a quitter. Are you? Beverly sets a firm look of determination on her face. BEVERLY No, I'm not. ALAN (VO) That's what I wanted to hear. So, what are you gonna do now? Beverly looks down at the scarecrow's head, which stills rests in her hands. She makes a decision and looks back up. BEVERLY I'm gonna finish this scarecrow and get rid of those damn crows... (looks at the sores on her arms) ...after I take care of these cuts. Alan's voice laughs and fades, and the wind dies down. Beverly walks over to a cabinet determinedly and pulls out a first aid kit. She sits down and begins to take care of her wounds. BEVERLY I'm gonna finish that scarecrow and get it up in that field if it's the last thing I do. INT. KITCHEN NIGHT Beverly begins to work on the scarecrow once again. She picks out some new clothes from the ones she got and finds another pair of boots. She sews all of these together carefully, making sure the stitches are strong as she can make them. She hurriedly goes out the door with a large bag and comes back as quickly as she can, with the bag filled with hay. She stuffs the hay into the scarecrow and sews the remaining open spots up. She picks up its head and looks it over, smoothing out the hair and fixing up the painted face. She sews it onto the body. Beverly props the scarecrow up in a chair and looks it over. She then grabs Alan's old fedora and carefully places it on the scarecrow's head. She then steps back and looks it over again. She nods and smiles. She then looks through the window to see the first streaks of dawn in the sky. She sets a determined look on her face. EXT. BACK YARD AND FIELD DAWN As the sun begins to rise, Beverly walks out of her home carrying a large bag, which contains the scarecrow, and carrying an umbrella for use as a weapon. She stops for a moment and looks at the sunrise. She then looks up at the crows circling in the sky above her. She looks back down at the bag near her. BEVERLY Well, here goes everything. She began to walk towards the field with no problems. As she gets closer to the field, the crows begin to act agitated. When she reached the edge of the field, they began to attack her. Beverly yelled and began to beat at them with the umbrella, occasionally hitting one, but they kept attacking, giving her new wounds. As she is beating at them, she hears a gunshot and the crows scatter. Beverly whips around to see Thomas holding a smoking rifle, pointed at the crows. Beverly is shocked, but before she can speak, the crows come back to attack her. Before they can reach her, a voice calls out and a shotgun goes off. ZEKE (offscreen) Git away from 'er, ya nasty brutes! Beverly turnss to see Zeke holding a shotgun. Two more voices call out. NORMAN (offscreen) Now, calm down, Zeke. SARAH (offscreen) Yeah. Leave some for us... Beverly looks in the direction of the voices and sees Norman and Sarah running over. Norman has a small revolver, while Sarah is carrying a broom as an improvised weapon. They all walk over to the stunned Beverly. BEVERLY What are you all doin' here? ZEKE Well, earlier, I had a strange feeling that I had to come over and that you might need some help. THOMAS Same here. (The Reeds nod) Can't really explain it. NORMAN And now that we're here, we're gonna help you out with your little crow problem. Beverly looks at all of their determined faces, a small, thankful smile forming on her lips. BEVERLY Thank you so much... SARAH (Smiling) No problem. Now then, don't you have a scarecrow to put up? (waves broom at crows) We'll keeps these nasty little monsters off you. Beverly looks at them all again and nods, her look becoming determined. She then picks her bag back up and hurriedly starts heading through the field. As she goes through the stalks of corn, she hears gunshots and yells ring out from all over the place. Suddenly, a few crows come and attack her in the corn. She beats them away with renewed vigor. A couple begin to attack the bag and she hits these one really hard. BEVERLY Oh no you don't, you little monsters. Beverly continues on her way through the field, beating away any crows that dare to try and stop her. She gains many new wounds along her way. Eventually, she reaches the edge of the field. Seeing the pole nearby, Beverly quickens her pace. She quickly reaches the pole and rips open the bag. Suddenly, the markings on the the pole begin to glow blue. Beverly watches, amazed as the ropes on it begin to untie themselves. The scarecrow also begins to glow blue and rises out of the bag toward the cross-shaped pole. The ropes latch onto the scarecrow and tie it securely onto the pole. The scarecrow begins to glow brighter and suddenly lets out a bright burst of light. The crows cry out in agony and begin to furiously fly away. The glowing begins to die down, and then flares back up again, this time white. The scarecrow sends out another burst of light, this one gentle. As it flows over the crops they begin to heal and become lush and prosperous. As it flows over Beverly and the others, it heals all of the wounds caused by the crows. The glowing dies down again and finally goes out. Beverly stares at the scarecrow almost in a trance. She is suddenly brought out her stupor by the joyous cheering of her friends. She smiles and begins to cheer as well. She rushes to her friends and begins to celebrate. EXT. FIELD DAY (MONTHS LATER) Beverly and her friends and neighbors are having a party out at the edge of the field, the occasion being the harvest season. The scarecrow still stands proudly upon the pole as young children run around it having fun. Beverly and the other adults are all having merry conversation.¬† Beverly gets away from the group to have a moment of privacy. She stands near the scarecrow, taking in the sight of all of her friends having fun. Suddenly, a light wind picks up and a she hears a faint voice. ALAN (VO) You did a great job. Beverly looks up at the sky and then towards the scarecrow. She smiles. BEVERLY Thank you.... Beverly walks away to rejoin the festivities with her friends. The camera stays fixed to the scarecrow as we hear merry-making in the background. FADE TO BLACK © 2012 ShadowAuthor's Note
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ShadowSan Tan Valley, AZAboutI'm a video editor for a small company that does primarily business videos. I enjoy writing in my spare time. more..Writing
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