"JACOB'S LADDER" by Bruce Joel Rubin EXT. VIETNAM - DUSK A swarm of helicopters swoops out of a yellow sky and deposits an army of men over a Vietnamese hillside. The SOLDIERS scramble over the terraced rice paddies for the protection of the jungle. Falling into coulmns, like strands of soldier ants, seventy-five men, at combat readiness, assemble on the edge of a sweltering wilderness. It is dusk. The mood is lazy, soporific. Members of one platoon huddle close to the ground smoking a joint. JERRY Strong stuff. ROD (to JACOB, a soldier squatting several yards away) Hey, Professor, how many times can you shit in an hour? GEORGE Don't bug 'im. DOUG Where are those gooks already? FRANK Some offensive. I don't even think they're out there. PAUL Jesus, this grass is something else. JACOB SINGER returns to the group, pulling up his pants. ROD Why even bother to pull 'em up? FRANK You jackin' off out there again, huh Jake? PAUL Hey, get off his back. ROD It's called philosophizing, right Professor? JACOB gives them the finger. JACOB Up yours, you adolescent scum. Laughter. SERGEANT (V.O.) Mount your bayonets. FRANK (frightened) Oh shit! PAUL Goddam! ROD Gimme that joint! JERRY Hey, something's wrong. GEORGE What is it? JERRY My head. GEORGE It's nerves. Take another toke. GEORGE reaches out, extending a joint. Suddenly he gasps and falls to the ground, his body convulsing uncontrollably. The others stand back, startled. JACOB grabs him and shoves a rifle barrel between his chattering teeth. ROD What's going on? Before anyone can answer JERRY grabs his head, screaming. He turns frantically in all directions. JERRY Help me! Help me! PAUL What the hell... ? In seconds JERRY is spinning wildly out of control, his head shaking into a terrific blur. He crashes into FRANK with the force of a truck. FRANK slams into the ground as all the air rushes from his lungs. He begins gasping and hyperventilating. His eyes grow wide and frenzied as he gulps for air. Fear and confusion sweep across his face. The MEN watch, horrified, as FRANK's terror escalates beyond reason into all-out panic. Suddenly FRANK begins howling. He lunges for his bayonet and, without warning, attacks the MEN around him. PAUL God Almighty! PAUL spins out of the way as FRANK's bayonet impales the ground. JACOB jumps on top of FRANK and wrestles him into the tall grass. PAUL rushes to his assistance. JACOB stares at FRANK's face as FRANK struggles beneath him. It is the face of a madman. PAUL Good God! What's happening? The sudden chaos is intensified by the sound of fighting erupting behind them. Guns crackle and bursts of light penetrate the darkening sky. ROD Behind you! Look out! This is it! The MEN spin around. PAUL panics and jumps to his feet, leaving JACOB alone with FRANK. FRANK's eyes burn with demonic force as he gathers his strength. JACOB Don't leave me. Dark figures, silhouetted by the setting sun, are storming at them. SOLDIERS squint to see. It is a horrifying vision. PAUL They're coming! Gunfire explodes on all sides. Suddenly PAUL flips out. He begins screaming uncontrollably, ripping at his clothes and skin. FRANK is struggling like four men and JACOB is weakening in his effort to restrain him. Bayonets glimmer in the exchange of fire. Bodies fall. More bodies keep coming. The first wave is upon them. ROD shoots into the air. Shadowy forms hurl forward screaming like banshees. ROD, squinting, jabs with his bayonet, piercing the belly of his attacker. Agonizing cries accompany his fall. ROD yanks the bayonet out and stabs again. In the midst of this madness FRANK shoots to his feet and slams the butt of his rifle into JACOB's back. There is a cracking sound. JACOB's eyes freeze with pain. His hands rush for his spine. As he spins around one of the ATTACKERS jams all eight inches of his bayonet blade into JACOB's stomach. JACOB screams. It is a loud and piercing wail. CUT ON THE SOUND OF THE SCREAM to a sudden rush through a long dark tunnel. There is a sense of enormous speed accelerating toward a brilliant light. The rush suggests a passage between life and death, but as the light bursts upon us we realize that we are passing through a SUBWAY STATION far below the city of NEW YORK. INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT THE WHEELS OF AN EXPRESS TRAIN screech through the station. JACOB SINGER, sitting alone in the last car, wakes up. The sounds of the scream and the grating wheels merge. He is dazed and confused, not certain where he is. JACOB glances around the empty car. His eyes gravitate to overhead advertisements for hemorrhoid preparations and savings banks. Gradually his confusion subsides. Shifting uncomfortably he pulls a thick book out of his back pocket, "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. He begins reading. Another station blurs by. JACOB is a good-looking man, of obvious intelligence. He is in his mid-thirties. It is surprising that he is wearing a mailman's uniform. He doesn't look like one. The subway ride seems to go on interminably. JACOB is restless and concerned. He glances at his watch. It is 3:30 A.M. Putting his book in his back pocket, JACOB stands up and makes his way through the deserted car. INT. SUBWAY TRACKS - NIGHT JACOB enters the rumbling passageway between the cars. The wheels spark against the rails. The dark tunnel walls flash by. He pulls the handle on the door to the next car. It is stuck. He struggles with it. A LADY sitting alone inside turns to look at him. She seems threatened by his effort. He motions for her to help. She turns away. A look of disgust crosses JACOB's face. He kicks the door. It slides open. The WOMAN seems frightened as he approaches her. JACOB Excuse me, do you know if we've passed Nostrand Avenue yet? (she doesn't answer) Excuse me. (she does not acknowledge his existence) Look, I'm asking a simple question. Have we hit Nostrand Avenue? I fell asleep. WOMAN (speaking with a Puerto Rican accent) I no from around here. JACOB (glad for a response) Yeah, you and everyone else. JACOB walks to the other end of the car and sits down. The only other passenger is an OLD MAN lying asleep on the fiberglass bench. Occasionally his body shudders. It is the only sign of life in him. The train begins to slow down. JACOB peers out of the window. Nostrand Avenue signs appear. He is relieved. He gets up and grabs hold of the overhead bar. The OLD MAN shudders and stretches out on the seat. As he adjusts his position, tugging at his coat, JACOB catches a brief glimpse of something protruding from beneath the coat's hem. His eyes fixate on the spot, waiting for another look. There is a slight movement and it appears -- a long, red, fleshy protuberance. The sight of it sends shivers up JACOB's spine. It looks strangely like a tail. Only the stopping of the train breaks JACOB's stare. INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT JACOB is the only passenger getting off. The doors close quickly behind him. He glances at the LADY sitting by the window. There is a fearful expression on her face as the train carries her back into the dark tunnel, out of his sight. JACOB reaches the exit, a huge metal revolving door surrounded by floor to ceiling gates. He is about to push when he notices a chain locking it shut. He stares at it in disbelief. JACOB Goddam it. He turns in a huff and hikes to the other end of the platform. As he approaches the far exit, his eyes widen. The gate there is also locked. His hands reach for his hips as he studies an impossible situation. CUT TO JACOB stepping cautiously onto the ladder going down to the tracks. A rat scampers by and he gasps. JACOB No way! He starts to climb back up the ladder but sees that there is nowhere else to go. He juts out his jaw and steps back down. JACOB is not comfortable on the tracks. He cannot see where he is stepping. His shoes splash in unseen liquid which makes him grimace. The steel girders are coated in subway grime. The oily substance coats his hands as he reaches for support. JACOB Goddam fucking city! He wipes the grime on his postal uniform as he steps toward the center track. He reaches for another girder when it begins to vibrate. Two pinpoints of light hurl toward him. Then the noise arrives confirming his fear. A train is bearing down on him. JACOB looks frightened, not sure which way to go. He steps forward, up to his ankle in slime. He cannot tell which track the train is on. It is moving at phenomenal speed. The station is spinning. The train's lights merge into one brilliant intensity. In near panic JACOB jumps across the track as the train spins by. Its velocity blows his hair straight up as though it is standing on end. He clings to a pillar for support, gasping in short breaths. A few PEOPLE are staring at JACOB from the train. Their faces, pressed up against the glass, seem deformed. A lone figure waves at him from the rear window. The train bears them all away. Then it is quiet again. For a moment JACOB is afraid to move but slowly regains his composure. He continues to the other side of the tracks and stumbles up the ladder to the UPTOWN PLATFORM. CUT TO: JACOB smiling. The smile, however, is one of irony, not amusement. This exit too is locked. A heavy chain is wrapped through the bars. JACOB stares at it with an expression of total bewilderment. A sudden muffled scream alerts JACOB that he is not alone. His head turns but sees no one. He hears the scream again. He senses its direction and walks toward the MEN'S ROOM. A crack of light appears under the door. He can hear someone moaning inside. JACOB knocks softly and the moaning stops. The lights click off. JACOB Hey, is someone in there? There is no answer. JACOB stands silently for a moment, not sure what to do. He can hear whispering. He chews his lower lip nervously and then reaches for the door. It pushes open. The light from the station penetrates the darkness. He gasps. He sees a MAN tied naked to the stall with ANOTHER NAKED MAN grabbing quickly for his clothes. The BOUND MAN screams. BOUND MAN Fuck off! Mind your own business! A THIRD MAN spins out of the shadows, pointing a knife at JACOB's throat. MAN You cocksucker! Get outta here. The MAN's face is barely human. Before JACOB can even react the door slams shut. The lock engages. The crack of light reappears. JACOB can hear laughter coming from inside, followed by a scream. He backs away from the door. His face is white. JACOB turns with full fury and storms the gate. The chain gives way to his anger. It flies apart and the gate flings open. He stands in amazement, observing the chain as it slides from between the bars and drops to the concrete below. The gate squeaks loudly as JACOB pushes it aside and clangs with an almost painful burst as he slams it shut. EXT. WILMINGTON TOWERS - DAWN JACOB walks toward the towering shadows of a massive PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT. It is dark and the moonlight silhouettes the huge monolithic structures. JACOB passes through a vast COURTYARD dominated by the imposing shapes. Aside from his moving body everything is still. INT. HALLWAY - DAWN JACOB steps off a graffiti-festooned ELEVATOR into a long impersonal hallway. He uses three keys to unlock the door to his APARTMENT. INT. JACOB'S APT. - DAWN JACOB enters the darkness without turning on the light. He tries to navigate his way to the BATHROOM, illuminated by a tiny nightlight in the distance. His effort is unsuccessful. He bangs loudly into a table. A WOMAN's voice calls out. JEZZIE (V.O.) Jake, is that you? JACOB What the hell did you do, move all the furniture? JEZZIE (V.O.) Why didn't you turn on the light? JACOB I didn't want to wake you. JEZZIE (V.O.) (sleepy but pleasant) Gee, thanks a lot. JACOB Where is the lamp? JEZZIE (V.O.) Where are you? JACOB If I knew I wouldn't have to ask. What did you do? I was happy the way it was. JEZZIE (V.O.) I moved the couch. That's all. JACOB Where to? JACOB crashes into it. A light suddenly goes on. JEZEBEL "JEZZIE" PIPKIN, 33, is standing in the BEDROOM door tying a man's terrycloth bathrobe around her waist. Although sleepy, disheveled, and not looking her best, it is obvious that JEZZIE is a beefy woman, juicy and sensual. JEZZIE That help? JACOB (nearly sprawled over the couch) Thanks. He pushes himself up. JEZZIE What do you think? JACOB What do you mean? JEZZIE The room! JACOB Oh God, Jezzie, ask me tomorrow. JEZZIE It is tomorrow. Four A.M. How come you're so late? JACOB Roberts didn't show up. What could I say? Besides, it's double time. JEZZIE (seeing the grease on his uniform) What happened to you? JACOB (unbuttoning his shirt as he walks to the bathroom) Don't ask. JACOB steps into the BATHROOM and pulls at his clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor. He reaches for the faucet and sends a stream of water pounding against the porcelain tub. JEZZIE enjoys JACOB's nakedness. She reaches out to his chest and squeezes one of his nipples. His body tenses slightly. JEZZIE drops her robe. They enter the shower together. EXT. VIETNAM - NIGHT A DENSE RAIN falls on a dark night filling puddles of water. JACOB is crawling through the underbrush in the Vietnamese JUNGLE. His shirt is bloodsoaked. He moves slowly, creeping on his right forearm. His left arm is holding his intestines from spilling onto the grass. JACOB Help me. Someone. Suddenly a flashlight beam can be seen in the distance. It dances around the bamboo trees and draws closer to JACOB. It is impossible to see who is carrying it. The light darts near the ground where JACOB is lying and then bursts directly into his eyes. INT. JACOB'S APT. - DAY SUNLIGHT pours through the BEDROOM window. JACOB is sleeping fitfully as a bar of light saturates his face. His hand rushes up to cover and protect his eyes but the damage is done. He is awake. JACOB lies in bed for a few moments, dazed. Slowly his hand gropes along the shelf at the head of the bed, searching for his glasses. He has trouble finding them. As his hand sweeps blindly across the headboard it hits the telephone and sends it crashing to the floor. He sits up with a disgusted look on his face and searches the out-of-focus shelf behind him. Suddenly JEZZIE enters. JEZZIE You up? JACOB No. Have you seen my glasses? JEZZIE (shaking her head) Where'd you leave 'em? JACOB I don't know. JEZZIE Did you look around the headboard? JACOB (wearily) Jezzie, I can't see. JEZZIE (she scans the shelf) Maybe you left 'em in the bathroom. She leaves and returns moments later with his glasses and a large paper bag. She tosses them both onto the bed. JACOB Thanks. (he puts on his glasses and notices the bag) What's that? JEZZIE Your kid dropped it off. JACOB Who? Jed? JEZZIE (stooping to pick up the phone) No. The little one. JACOB Eli. Why can't you remember their names? JEZZIE They're weird names. JACOB They're Biblical. They were prophets. JEZZIE Well, personally, I never went for church names. JACOB And where do you think Jezebel comes from? JEZZIE I don't let anybody call me that. JACOB (shaking his head) You're a real heathen, you know that, Jezzie? Jesus, how did I ever get involved with such a ninny? JEZZIE You sold your soul, remember? That's what you told me. JACOB Yeah, but for what? JEZZIE A good lay. JACOB And look what I got. JEZZIE The best. JACOB I must have been out of my head. JEZZIE Jake, you are never out of your head! JACOB (ignoring the criticism and reaching for the paper bag) What's in here? JEZZIE Pictures. Your wife was gonna toss 'em so "what's his name" brought 'em over on his way to school. JACOB lifts the bag and pours the photographs onto the bed. There are hundreds of them. He examines them with growing delight. JACOB Look at these, will ya? I don't believe it. Jesus, these are fantastic. Look, here's my Dad... And here's my brother, when we were down in Florida. JEZZIE Lemme see. JACOB (rummaging excitedly through the pile) Here. Look. This is me and Sarah when I was still at City College. JEZZIE (looking closely) That's Sarah? (she studies the photo) I can see what you mean. JACOB What? JEZZIE Why you left. JACOB What do you mean you can see? JEZZIE Look at her face. A real bitch. JACOB She looked good then. JEZZIE Not to me. JACOB Well, you didn't marry her. He digs through more photos. Suddenly he stops. JEZZIE What's wrong? To JEZZIE's surprise and his own, tears well up in his eyes. For a moment JACOB is unable to speak. He just stares at one of the photos. JEZZIE looks at the picture. It is an image of JACOB carrying a small child on his shoulders. JEZZIE Is that the one who died? JACOB (nodding) Gabe. JEZZIE is silent. JACOB grabs a Kleenex and blows his nose. JACOB (continuing) Sorry. it just took me by surprise. I didn't expect to see him this morning... God, what I wouldn't... He was the cutest little guy. Like an angel, you know. He had this smile... (choking up again) Fuck, I don't even remember this picture. Hiding his emotions, JACOB scrambles over the bed and reaches for a pair of pants. He pulls out his wallet and then carefully puts the photo of GABE inside. It joins photos of his two other boys. JEZZIE begins shoving the remaining pictures back into the paper bag. JACOB Wait. Don't. JEZZIE I don't like things that make you cry. JACOB I just want to look... He reaches into the pile for other snapshots. We see an array of frozen moments, happy, unfocused, obscure. Suddenly he stops and stares at a yellowing snapshot. JACOB God, this is me! (he holds up a baby photo) Look. It's dated right after I was born. (he stares at it intently) What a kid. Cute, huh? So much promise. JEZZIE surveys the scene. JEZZIE It's amazing, huh Jake? Your whole life... right in front of you. (she pauses before making her final pronouncement) What a mess! INT. HALLWAY - DAY JEZZIE carries the garbage to an INCINERATOR ROOM down the hall. She is carrying several bags. Two of them are tossed instantly down the chute. She hesitates with the third. After a moment she reaches into it and pulls out a handful of photos. They are pictures of JACOB and SARAH. With cool deliberation she drops them down the chute. An apartment door slams shut. Quickly she disposes of the pictures remaining in her hand. JACOB opens the door to the tiny room as the bag filled with the memories of his life falls to the fire below. JACOB Ready? JEZZIE Just gettin' rid of the garbage. JACOB and JEZZIE, both wearing postal uniforms, head for the ELEVATOR. They are surprised that it has arrived promptly. JEZZIE reaches out and playfully sticks her tongue into JACOB's ear. He pulls her into the ELEVATOR. They disappear, laughing, behind its closing doors. EXT. NEW YORK CITY - DAY JACOB is driving a mail truck through the crowded streets of midtown Manhattan. As he drives he is humming to himself a rendition of Al Jolson's "Sonny Boy." JACOB stops his truck in front of a LAUNDRY on West 46th Street. He opens the back door and pulls a stack of boxes toward him. He lifts them with effort and slams the door with his foot. It doesn't close. He considers giving it another whack but the boxes are heavy. He turns instead and waddles toward the store. INT. LAUNDRY - DAY A heavyset WOMAN with a dark tan is standing behind a counter cluttered with laundry. A picture of Richard Nixon is still stapled to the wall. She looks at JACOB. WOMAN Where do you expect me to put those? I don't have any room. She tries clearing the counter, but it doesn't help. WOMAN (continuing) How 'bout over there? (she points to a table) No wait. Do me a favor. Bring 'em to the back room. JACOB They're awfully heavy. WOMAN I know. That's why I'm asking. JACOB waddles reluctantly toward the back of the store. CHINESE LAUNDERERS are hovering over piles of clothes. Steam from the pressing machines shoots into the air. JACOB (huffing and puffing) Where's Wong? WOMAN That's what I'd like to know. If you see him on the street somewhere, tell him he's fired. JACOB stoops to put the boxes on the shelf. There is a snapping sound and he winces in pain. Massaging his back, JACOB unfolds some papers for the WOMAN's signature. JACOB How was Palm Springs? WOMAN Hot. Where do I sign? JACOB (pointing to the line) You got a nice tan, though. WOMAN Tan? What tan? It faded on the airplane. I'd try to get my money back, but who do you ask? (she looks heavenward) Two hundred dollars a night, for what? She hands JACOB the wrong sheet. JACOB No. I'll take the other one. (he takes it) Right. Well it's good to have you back. See you tomorrow, probably. WOMAN If you're lucky. JACOB smiles to himself as he leaves the store. He walks carefully. His back is out. INT. MAIL TRUCK - DAY ANGLE ON THE MAIL TRUCK stuck in traffic. Nothing is moving. Horns are blaring and drivers are agitated. JACOB reaches for a newspaper lying on top of his mail bags. To his shock one of the bags appears to move. Curious, JACOB pokes at it. Instantly a terrifying figure pops out from beneath it and stares at him with a frightening glare. JACOB jumps back, stunned. It is a moment before he realizes that he is looking at an old WINO who has been sleeping in the truck. The man's face is covered in strange bumps. JACOB Goddamn it! What the hell... ? WINO (pleading) I didn't take nothin'. I was just napping. Don't hit me. I was cold. JACOB (lifting the man up) What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't do this. This is government property. He begins opening the door. The WINO begs. WINO Don't throw me out. They're gonna get me. They'll tear me to pieces. He holds on to JACOB's leg. JACOB tries to pull away. JACOB Come on. You can't stay here. WINO Please! I never hurt anybody when I was alive. Believe me. I don't belong here. JACOB gives the WINO a strange look and then escorts him from the truck. A hundred eyes peer out of motionless cars and follow him as he leads the WINO to the sidewalk. JACOB pulls a dollar bill from his pocket and places it in the WINO's hand. The OLD MAN crumples it into a ball and turns away. He has a frightened look on his face. JACOB returns to the truck shaking his head. JACOB New York! He climbs into his seat and glances into his rear view mirror. He notices the WINO edging fearfully along the side of a building. A horn honks and traffic begins moving. When JACOB looks back the WINO is no longer there. INT. GARAGE - DAY JACOB drives his mail truck into the huge POST OFFICE PARKING GARAGE on 34th Street. His mind seems distracted. He has difficulty parking. INT. POST OFFICE - DAY We see a vast room filled with hundreds of PEOPLE sorting and moving mail. JACOB, carrying a bag of McDonald's hamburgers, walks stiffly through the aisles, his left hand rubbing his back. Several workers greet him and grab for his french fries. He offers them around. ANGLE ON a conveyor belt sorting mail. A hand reaches in, correcting mistakes. Suddenly a hamburger passes by. JEZZIE looks up and smiles. JEZZIE Jake! JACOB How's it going? She takes the hamburger and shrugs. JACOB (continuing) I'm going home. JEZZIE What's wrong? JACOB I don't know. One of these days, I'm gonna see Louis. My back's killing me. JEZZIE Now? What about the boss? He's not gonna like it. JACOB shrugs. JEZZIE (continuing) Well, I'll miss riding home with you. I was looking forward to it. JACOB I'll be glad to avoid the crush. JEZZIE I enjoy crushing into you. She grabs him and hugs him tightly. JACOB Gently. My back. JEZZIE ignores him and squeezes again. INT. CHIROPRACTIC OFFICE - DAY CUT ON A SCREAM to JACOB in a CHIROPRACTOR'S OFFICE. He is lying on a long leather padded device that looks like an instrument of torture. LOUIS, the Chiropractor, is a giant of a man, 280 pounds. He is adjusting JACOB's spine. LOUIS Come on, Jake. That didn't hurt. JACOB How do you know? LOUIS I know you. How come you're so tense today? JACOB What can I tell you? LOUIS I saw Sarah the other day. JACOB Her knee acting up? LOUIS A bit. JACOB What did she have to say? LOUIS Turn on your right side. (he turns on his left) How about the other "right?" (JACOB turns back) I don't understand you philosophers. You've got the whole world figured out but you can't remember the difference between right and left. JACOB I was absent the day they taught that in school. What did she say? LOUIS Who? JACOB Sarah. LOUIS Not much. She's like you that way. Two clams. No wonder your marriage didn't last. Put your hand under your head. Take a breath and then let it out. He makes a rapid adjustment pushing down on JACOB's thigh. JACOB groans. LOUIS (continuing) Ah, good. Now turn to your left. JACOB She talk about the boys? LOUIS She says she can't get them new coats because you haven't sent the alimony for three months. JACOB She told you that? (he shakes his head) Did she tell you about the $2,000 I'm still paying for the orthodontist? I'll bet she didn't mention that. LOUIS She said you were a son of a bitch and she regrets the day she set eyes on you. JACOB I thought you said she didn't say much. LOUIS She didn't. That's about all she said. Put your hand up. Good. I think she still loves you. Take a breath and let it out. He makes an adjustment. JACOB screams. JACOB Loves me!? She hasn't said a kind word about me in years! LOUIS Right. She doesn't stop talking about you. You're always on her mind. That's love, Jake. JACOB She hates me, Louis. LOUIS You should go back to her. JACOB What? She threw me out, remember. She wanted some professor to carry her far away from Brooklyn. Only we didn't make it. She can't forgive me that she still lives in the same house she grew up in. LOUIS Her problem is that you spent eight years getting a PhD and then went to work for the post office. JACOB What can I tell you, Louis? After Nam I didn't want to think anymore. I decided my brain was too small an organ to comprehend this chaos. LOUIS (looking at JACOB with affection) If it was any other brain but yours, I might agree. Relax, this is going to be strong. JACOB I can't relax. LOUIS Wiggle your toes. JACOB wiggles his toes. At that instant, LOUIS twists JACOB's neck rapidly. There is a loud cracking sound. EXT. VIETNAM - NIGHT THERE IS A FLASH OF LIGHT. A MAN rushes at the camera yelling. MAN I found one. He's alive. He shines a flashlight into the lens creating rings and halos. CHIROPRACTIC OFFICE - DAY Suddenly LOUIS reappears, a halo effect still visible behind his head. JACOB God almighty. What did you do to me? LOUIS I had to get in there. A deep adjustment. Rest a moment and let it set a bit. JACOB I had this weird flash just then. LOUIS What? JACOB I don't know. I've been having them recently. (he thinks a moment, then changes the subject) You know, you look like an angel, Louis, an overgrown cherub. Anyone ever tell you that? LOUIS Yeah. You. Every time I see you. No more Errol Flynn, okay? Your back won't take it. You tell your girl friend to calm down if she knows what's good for you. JACOB Louis, you're a life saver. LOUIS I know. EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS - EVENING JACOB is walking down Nostrand Avenue. He is singing to himself and imitating Al Jolson. JACOB When there are gray skies, I don't mind the gray skies, as long as there's you ... He hums. It is near dusk and lights are just coming on. The shop windows have a particularly garish look about them. The mannequins are dressed in inexpensive, almost tawdry, clothes and have a pathetic appearance. A few shops have set up their Christmas decorations. The ornamentation seems strangely out of place; almost blasphemous. JACOB passes a street gang standing in the doorway of a local drug store. They chortle and make taunting sounds. GIRL (shaking her tits, singing) "Hey, Mr. Postman... " JACOB stops and stares at them. To their surprise, he begins to sing with them. He knows the words. They like that. It is a sweet moment. JACOB continues walking. He comes to a cross street. The light is green. He is still singing to himself and does not notice a BLACK CAR charging around the corner. The car is moving at full speed, heading straight toward him. A YOUNG MAN walking a few steps behind yells out. YOUNG MAN Look out! JACOB turns and sees the car. He scoots out of the way but it swerves in his direction. The YOUNG MAN calls out again. YOUNG MAN Jump! With a huge thrust, JACOB hurls himself onto the curb as the car shoots by. Two MEN are peering at him from the back seat. They are laughing like madmen and shaking their heads. They do not look human. JACOB yells and waves his fist, to no effect. After a moment he turns to thank the YOUNG MAN whose scream had saved him, but he is gone. INT. JACOB'S APT. - DUSK JACOB and JEZZIE are lying in bed. They are a sensual couple and even in quiet, reflective moments such as this, their positioning is erotic and stimulating. Both of them are nude. JACOB's hands are clasped behind his neck and he is staring mournfully at the ceiling. JEZZIE is lying on her side, her left leg draped across JACOB's pelvis. Her head is propped up on her right arm while her left hand strokes the bayonet scar on JACOB's stomach. Neither are talking. Suddenly, out of the blue, JEZZIE speaks. JEZZIE Maybe it's all the pressure, Jake. The money. Things like that. Or your wife. JACOB Why do you bring her up? JEZZIE 'Cause she's always on your mind. JACOB When was the last time I said a word? JEZZIE It has nothin' to do with talkin'. She pauses for a while, long enough to suppose that the conversation is over. Then she continues. JEZZIE (continuing) Or maybe it's the war. JACOB closes his eyes. JEZZIE (continuing) It's still there, Jake. (she points to his brain) Even if you never say a word about it. You can't spend two years in Vietnam... JACOB (annoyed) What does that have to do with anything? Does it explain the barricaded subway stations? Does it explain those Godforsaken creatures? JEZZIE New York is filled with creatures. Everywhere. And lots of stations are closed. JACOB They're like demons, Jez. JEZZIE Demons, Jake? Come on. They're winos and bag ladies. Low life. That's all they are. The streets are crawling with 'em. Don't make em into somethin' they're not. (she rubs his forehead) It's the pressure, honey. That's all it is. JACOB Those guys tried to kill me tonight. They were aiming right at me. JEZZIE Kids on a joy ride. Happens all the time. JACOB They weren't human! JEZZIE Come on. What were they, Jake? JACOB doesn't answer. He turns over on his stomach. JEZZIE stares at his naked back and drags her fingernails down to his buttocks. Scratch marks follow in their wake. JEZZIE You still love me? He does not respond. INT. JACOB'S KITCHEN - DAY JACOB and JEZZIE are sitting at the breakfast table. JEZZIE is reading the National Enquirer and chewing at her lip. Suddenly a drop of blood forms and falls onto the formica table top. Staring at it for a moment, she wipes it with her finger and then licks it with her tongue. JACOB is nursing a cup of coffee and staring out the window at the housing project across the way. The toaster pops. JEZZIE jumps. She gets up, butters her toast, and returns to her paper. JEZZIE Says here the world's comin' to an end. The battle of heaven and hell they call it. Should be quite a show; fireworks, H-bombs, and everything. You believe them, Jake? JACOB doesn't answer. JEZZIE (continuing) Me neither... God, look at this. Two heads. Only lived two days. A day for each head. Could you imagine me with two heads? We'd probably keep each other up all night -- arguing and whatnot. You wanna see the picture? He does not respond. JEZZIE gets up and walks over to JACOB. Standing in front of him she slowly unties her robe and lets it fall apart. She is naked underneath it. Sensuously she leans forward, unbuttons his shirt, and strokes his chest. She waits for a response from him, but there is none. He sits silently, disinterested. Furious, JEZZIE turns away. Grabbing the vacuum cleaner from the broom closet she angrily unravels the cord and switches it on. Breasts flash from beneath her gown as the vacuum roars back and forth across the floor. JEZZIE (continuing) Goddamn you son-of-a-bitch! My uncle's dogs used to treat me better than you do. At least they'd lick my toes once in a while. At least they showed some fucking interest. A NEIGHBOR bangs on the wall, shouting. JEZZIE All right! All right! All right! JACOB peers at the courtyard eighteen stories below and watches the patterns of early morning movement. Tiny figures drift purposefully over the concrete. Suddenly the vacuum cleaner goes off. In the silence, JACOB realizes that JEZZIE is crying and turns to see her curled over the kitchen table. He walks to her side and strokes her hair. JEZZIE begins to sob. After a moment she looks at him with puffy eyes. JEZZIE You love me? He nods his head "yes." She smiles coyly and rubs her hair like a kitten against his crotch. After a few moments she speaks. JEZZIE (continuing) Della's party's tonight. Why don't we go? It'll take your minf offa things. And I won't make you dance. I promise. Huh? (he nods his head in consent. JEZZIE hugs him) You still love me, Jake? He nods his head again, only heavily, as though the question exhausts him. INT. BELLVUE HOSPITAL - DAY JACOB is in the "Mental Health Clinic" at BELLVUE HOSPITAL walking through the PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY ROOM. It is overflowing with people. Some are handcuffed to their chairs. POLICEMEN are with them. JACOB approaches the main RECEPTION DESK. He speaks nervously. JACOB I'd like to speak to Dr. Carlson, please. RECEPTIONIST Carlson? Is he new here? JACOB New? He's been here for years. She shrugs and looks at a log book. RECEPTIONIST Not according to my charts. Do you have an appointment? JACOB (shaking his head) Look, I need to see him. I know where his room is. Just give me a pass. I won't be long. Ten minutes. RECEPTIONIST Our doctors are seen by appointment only. JACOB Damn it. I was in the veteran's out- patient program. He knows me. RECEPTIONIST (not happy) What's your name? JACOB Jacob Singer. She walks over to a file drawer and goes through it several times before coming back over to JACOB. RECEPTIONIST I'm sorry but there's no record of a Jacob Singer in our files. JACOB Whataya mean, no record? RECEPTIONIST You want me to spell it out? There's nothing here. JACOB That's ridiculous. I've been coming here for years. Listen to me. I'm going out of my fucking mind here. I need to see him. RECEPTIONIST If this is an emergency we have a staff of psychiatric social workers. There's about an hour's wait. I'll be glad to take your name. Why don't you just fill out this form? JACOB Goddamn it! I don't want a social worker. Carlson knows me. JACOB pounds the desk, rattling a tiny African violet and knocking the RECEPTIONIST's forms to the floor. She grunts angrily and stoops to retrieve them. Standing up her cap hits a drawer handle and slips off. TWO KNUCKLE-LIKE HORNS protrude from her skull where the cap had been. JACOB's eyes lock on them like radar. He backs away. She immediately replaces her cap and breaks the spell, but her eyes glare at him with demonic intensity. JACOB, freaked, angry, turns and runs toward the "In Patient" door. RECEPTIONIST Hey! You can't go in there! JACOB doesn't stop. A POLICEMAN, guarding the entrance, runs after him. JACOB charges through the interior corridors of the aging institution. A LINE OF MENTAL PATIENTS, all holding hands, is moving down the hall. They break ranks as he charges by and begin to scream. Their ATTENDANT tries to calm them down but the sight of the POLICEMAN increases their hysteria. They grab hold of him as he tries to get by. POLICEMAN LET GO! GET AWAY! INT. GROUP ROOM - DAY JACOB dashes out of view. He runs down another corridor, wildly searching for a specific room. He finds it and rushes inside. He is surprised to find A GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN seated in a circle. They all look up at him. LEADER Can I help you? JACOB I'm looking for Dr. Carlson. Isn't this his office? The LEADER stares at him uncomfortably. After a moment he gets up and takes JACOB into a corner of the room. Everyone is watching them. The LEADER speaks quietly. LEADER I'm so sorry. Obviously you haven't... Dr. Carlson died. JACOB (stunned) Died? LEADER A car accident. JACOB Jesus, Jesus!... When? LEADER Last month, before Thanksgiving. JACOB How did it happen? LEADER No one knows. They say it blew up. JACOB (growing pale) Blew up? What do you mean it blew up? The LEADER shrugs and tries to put his arm around JACOB, but he pulls away. LEADER Do you want me to get someone? JACOB No. No. It's okay. I'm okay. He backs quickly to the door. As he turns to leave he realizes that all of the PEOPLE in the group are watching him intently. Unsettled, JACOB hurries back into the hallway. He is frightened and confused. Suddenly a voice calls out. POLICEMAN HEY YOU! MAILMAN! JACOB turns and sees the POLICEMAN waiting for him. His gun is drawn. POLICEMAN Hold it. Just hold it. Where the hell do you think you are? This is Bellevue, for God's sake. People running around here get shot. The GROUP LEADER pokes his head out of the door and motions to the POLICEMAN. LEADER It's alright. He's okay. POLICEMAN (nodding, re-holstering his gun) Come on, get out of here. I wouldn't want to interfere with the U.S. Mail. He leads JACOB toward the lobby. JACOB does not look back. INT. DELLA'S APT. - NIGHT WE HEAR LOUD DANCE MUSIC. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE. JACOB is with some POST OFFICE EMPLOYEES at a crowded party in a small apartment. A DRUNK is telling a bad joke and trying to hold a glass of wine at the same time. It is constantly on the verge of spilling. JACOB is fixated on it. In the background, we see JEZZIE dancing and motioning for JACOB to join her. He nods no. The DRUNK, who keeps asking people if they "get it," takes JACOB's head nodding as a sign of confusion and keeps trying to re-explain the joke. JACOB hears a strange noise and looks around. It seems to be coming from a covered bird cage. He goes over to it and lifts the cover. The BIRD is flapping its wings wildly as if trying to get out. The sound, loud and insistent, startles him. He lowers the cover. In the DINING ROOM, several people are gathered around ELSA, an attractive black woman who is reading palms. She sees JACOB and calls over the music. ELSA Hey, you! Let me look at your hand! JACOB shrugs. DELLA, dancing nearby, calls out. DELLA Go on Jake. She reads 'em like a book. JACOB No, thanks. DELLA It's fun. CUT TO A CLOSE UP OF JACOB'S HAND. ELSA is squeezing the mounds and examining the lines. What begins as a playful expression on her face turns suddenly serious. She reaches for his other hand and compares the two of them. JEZZIE looks over from her dancing and eyes the scene jealously. ELSA You have an unusual hand. JACOB I could have told you that. ELSA You see this line here? It's your life line. Here's where you were born. And this is where you got married. You're a married man, huh? Oh oh. Nope. Divorce. See this split. She studies his life line with growing concern. JEZZIE tries to get JACOB's attention. He ignores her. ELSA (continuing) You know, you got a strange line here. JACOB (examining it) It's short, huh? ELSA Short? It's ended. JACOB (laughing) Oh, terrific. ELSA It's not funny. According to this... you're already dead. JACOB (smiling) Just my luck. CUT TO: THE DANCERS. Their movements are loose and getting looser. The music is strong and insistent. The smokey atmosphere disfigures the dancers and gives them a strange, distorted appearance. Suddenly JEZZIE breaks from the crowd and reaches for JACOB. He pulls away. Some of the MALE DANCERS call out to him. DANCERS Come on man, show your stuff. JACOB is easily intimidated. Relenting, he glares at JEZZIE and nods apologetically to ELSA. It is obvious that he is embarrassed at his inadequacy on the dance floor. MAN Come on professor. You got feet, too. JACOB tries to smile but it is pained and unconvincing. JEZZIE is playing with him, mimicking his movement. A number of DANCERS notice and laugh, which only increases his discomfort. JEZZIE's taunting has a strange effect on JACOB. He grows distant and withdrawn, even though his body is still going through the motions of the dance. A MAN taps JEZZIE on the shoulder. She spins around, smiling, and begins dancing with him. JACOB is left alone, dancing by himself. He looks away, uncomfortable. In the shadows a WOMAN kneels close to the floor. She seems to be urinating on the carpet. JACOB is shocked. Several DANCERS obscure his view. He turns around. A PREGNANT WOMAN stands half naked in the kitchen. JACOB cannot believe what he sees. In the next room, past JEZZIE, JACOB glimpses a terrifying image, a MAN whose head seems to be vibrating at such enormous speed that it has lost all definition. Something about the image compels and frightens JACOB. Slowly he approaches it. As he draws nearer to it the tortured image lets out a scream of such pain and unearthly terror that JACOB backs away. A WOMAN, laughing, grabs JACOB, spins him around, and begins dancing with him. He is totally disoriented. WOMAN Hold me, baby! She takes JACOB's arm and guides it to her back. THE CAMERA follows his hand as it reaches the smooth skin beneath her sexy, loose fitting dress. He runs his fingers up to her shoulder blades. Then, suddenly, he recoils. Her back is a mass of shoulder blades, hundreds of strange, bony protrusions. JACOB gasps. Out of the blue, JEZZIE leans into him and wiggles her tongue in his ear. JACOB, startled, jerks his head and his glasses go flying to the floor. JACOB Shit! He stoops down blindly to pick them up. Shoes just miss his fingers as he digs between dancing legs trying to recover them. Miraculously, he grabs the spectacles just before they are crushed and slips them back on. Instantly his world comes back into focus. As he stands, JACOB is surprised to find JEZZIE facing him, gyrating in wild abandon. There is a huge, satisfied smile on her face. She grabs his hand as if encouraging him to dance but it is obvious that she is dancing to her own rhythm. JACOB stares at her, confused. It takes him a moment to realize that her smile is not for him. Standing behind JEZZIE is another DANCER, his hands around her waist. They are moving together, locked in erotic embrace. It appears that he is mounting her from behind. Looking down we see that the DANCER's feet are deformed. They have a bizarre clubbed appearance and look very much like hooves. They skid and careen amidst the dancing feet. Something horrible and winglike flaps behind JEZZIE's back. We cannot make out what it is, but it elicits a primal terror. Before JACOB can react, JEZZIE opens her mouth. With a roaring sound, a spiked horn erupts from her throat. It juts menacingly from between her teeth and thrusts into the air. A CIRCLE OF DANCERS scream out in excited approval. CUT TO JACOB's face as it registers terror and disbelief. He stares at the DANCERS who are crowding around him. They have become perverse, corrupt aspects of their normal selves. JACOB grabs his eyes as though trying to pull the vision from his head but it won't go away. The music throbs. His actions become spastic, almost delirious. JACOB is out of control. His frenzy becomes a kind of exorcism, a desperate attempt to free himself from his body and his mind. WE MOVE IN ON HIM as his eyes pass beyond pain. The dark walls of the APARTMENT fade away. EXT. VIETNAM - NIGHT Strange faces in infantry helmets appear in the darkness, outlined by a bright moon that is emerging from behind a cloud. The faces are looking down and voices are speaking. VOICE He's burning up. VOICE Total delirium. VOICE That's some gash. His guts keep spilling out. VOICE Push 'em back. JACOB (V.O.) Help me! His eyes focus on the moon. Rings of light emanate from it filling the sky with their sparkling brilliance. The rings draw us forward with a quickening intensity that grows into exhilarating speed. The rush causes them to flash stroboscopically and produces a dazzling, almost sensual, surge of color. The display is spectacular and compelling. Music can be heard in the distance, growing hard and insistent, like a heart beat. Heavy breathing accompanies the sound. The stroboscopic flashes are replaced by intense flashes of red and blue light. The music grows louder and reaches a thundering crescendo. Then silence. INT. DELLA'S APT. - NIGHT The APARTMENT reappears in all its normalcy. The neon sign is still flashing outside the window. DANCERS are smiling and sweating. Cheers and applause ring out for JACOB and JEZZIE but JACOB barely hears them. JEZZIE hugs him tightly. PEOPLE smack him on the back. ADMIRER You are out of your mind, man. Out of your fuckin' mind. WOMAN Jake, you little devil. You never told me you could dance like that. MAN Jezzie, what did you put in his drink? JEZZIE smiles while pulling JACOB to a corner chair. He plops down. His chest is heaving and he is grabbing hold of his stomach. Hie face is frightened and distorted. JEZZIE You okay? JACOB I wanna leave. Get me out of here. JEZZIE Oh, come on. It's early. JACOB (pulling JEZZIE close to him, his voice filled with paranoia) Where are we? JEZZIE (surprised by the question) We're at Della's. JACOB Where? JEZZIE What do you mean? Where do you think? JACOB Where's Della? Bring her here? JEZZIE Why? What for? JACOB Show me Della! JEZZIE (confused) Hey, I'm here. JACOB eyes her with a pleading look. Annoyed, JEZZIE leaves JACOB and crosses the room. He watches her as she goes. JACOB is holding his stomach and rocking painfully. Moments later JEZZIE returns with DELLA. DELLA Hiya Jake. That was some dance. JACOB (staring at her closely) Della? DELLA (feeling the strangeness) You want to see me? Well, here I am. JACOB I see. DELLA What do you want? JACOB Just to see you. That's all. DELLA (a bit uncomfortable) Well, how do I look? JACOB Like Della. Suddenly JACOB breaks out in a dense sweat and begins shaking. His entire body is convulsive. JEZZIE Are you feeling all right? Shit, you're burning up. Feel his forehead. DELLA (checking his forehead and cheeks) Damn, that's hot. Maybe from dancing. JEZZIE I think you should lie down. JACOB is shaking uncontrollably. People are gathering around. JEZZIE (continuing) Can't you stop it? JACOB If I could stop it, I'd stop it. WOMAN Is he sick? DELLA He's on fire. ELSA Let me help you. She reaches out to JACOB. Unexpectedly he recoils, jumping to his feet like a wild man. He begins to scream. JACOB Stay away from me! Don't you come near me! All of you. Go to hell! Go to hell, goddamn you! Stay away! JEZZIE stares at JACOB with a confused and embarrassed look. A MAN whispers to her. MAN I'll call a cab. INT. JACOB'S APT. - NIGHT JACOB is lying in bed in his own BEDROOM with a thermometer in his mouth. JEZZIE is pacing the floor with great agitation. JEZZIE I've never been so mortified in my whole life. Never! Screaming like that. I don't understand what's gotten into you, Jake, to make you do a thing like that. You're not acting normal. I've lived with too many crazies in my life. I don't want it anymore. I can't handle it. I'm tired of men flipping out on me. Shit, you'd think it was my fault. Well you picked me, remember that. I don't need this. The NEIGHBOR pounds on the wall. JEZZIE (continuing) All right! All right! JEZZIE jabs her finger at the wall. JEZZIE (continuing) If you go crazy on me you're goin' crazy by yourself. You understand? JEZZIE reaches for his mouth and pulls out the thermometer. She looks at it closely and then squints to see it better. JACOB What's it say? A hundred and two? JEZZIE I don't believe this. I'm calling the doctor. She runs out of the room. JACOB calls after her. JACOB What does it say? JEZZIE (V.O.) It's gone to the top. JACOB How high is that? JEZZIE (V.O.) The numbers stop at 107. JEZZIE is on the phone to the doctor in the next room. JACOB begins shaking again and reaches for the extra blanket at the foot of the bed. He pulls it up around his shoulders. The whole bed vibrates with his shivering. Suddenly JEZZIE rushes through the BEDROOM and into the BATHROOM. SHe turns on the bath water. JACOB What the hell are you doin'? JEZZIE Get your clothes off. JACOB What are you talking about? I'm freezing. JEZZIE Get your clothes off! JACOB gives her a confused look as she rushes back to the KITCHEN. JACOB What'd the doctor say? JEZZIE (V.O.) That you'd die on the way to the hospital. Now get into that tub. JACOB stares at her as she bursts back into the BEDROOM carrying four trays of ice cubes. She hurries into the BATHROOM and dumps them in the tub. JEZZIE (V.O.) He's coming right over. JACOB Coming here? JEZZIE (V.O.) Goddamn it. Get in here. I can't stand around waiting. She rushes out of the BATHROOM and pulls JACOB out of bed. He is shaking violently and she has difficulty navigating across the room and undressing him at the same time. She maneuvers him into the BATHROOM next to the tub. He looks down at the ice cubes floating in the water. JACOB You're out of your mind. I'm not getting in there. I'd rather die. JEZZIE That's your decision. JACOB Look at me. I'm ice cold. JEZZIE You're red hot, damn it. Get in there. I've got to get more ice. She runs out of the room. The door to the apartment slams shut. JACOB sticks his toe into the water and pulls it out again instantly. JACOB Oh Jesus! He sticks his whole foot in and grits his teeth as the ice cold water turns his foot bright red. He keeps it in as long as he can and then yanks it out, quickly wrapping it in a towel. JACOB rubs his foot vigorously to get rid of the sting and stares at the water, afraid of its pain. INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT JEZZIE is running up and down the CORRIDOR knocking on doors and collecting ice cubes from those who will answer. She hurries back to the BATHROOM with several PEOPLE behind her carrying additional ice trays. One of the MEN is shifting the trays in his hands to avoid the burning cold. INT. JACOB'S BATHROOM As JEZZIE enters the BATHROOM, JACOB is sitting on the rim of the tub with the water up to his calves, shivering vigorously. JACOB I can't do it. JEZZIE What kind of man are you? She unloads two trays into the water. JACOB Don't gimme that. JEZZIE Lie down! JACOB (pleading) Jezzie! My feet are throbbing! JEZZIE (calling out) Sam, Tony, come in here. JACOB Hey, I'm not dressed. SAM You got nothin' we ain't seen before. SAM and TONY grab hold of JACOB who wrestles to get away. JACOB Get the hell off me. TONY He's like a hot coal. SAM It's for your own good, Jake. JACOB Let go of me, you sons of bitches. The TWO MEN struggle with JACOB and force him into the water. TONY winces when the water hits his arm. JACOB nearly flies out of the tub. The TWO MEN fight to hold him down. JACOB screams and cries for the MEN to let him go but they keep him flat on his back. JACOB (continuing) I'm freezing! I'm freezing! Goddamn you! TONY (his hand turning red) Sam, I can't take it. SAM Don't you let go. TONY Jez, get help. My hands are killing me. JACOB Help me! Help me! JEZZIE (to TONY) Here. I'll do it. TONY Take his legs. SAM Run your hands under hot water. MRS. CARMICHAEL comes in. MRS. CARMICHAEL I have some ice from the machine. JEZZIE Bring it in. MRS. CARMICHAEL Is he all right? JEZZIE He doesn't like it. MRS. CARMICHAEL I don't blame him. What should I do with the ice? JEZZIE Pour it in. MRS. CARMICHAEL On top of him? JEZZIE He's melting it as fast as we dump it in. MRS. CARMICHAEL Okay. My husband's got two more bags. He's coming. They're heavy. TONY helps her pour the ice into the water. JACOB yells. JACOB Oh God! You're killing me! Stop! INT. A BEDROOM - NIGHT CUT TO JACOB lying in a BEDROOM we have not seen before. He is tossing and turning in his bed as though struggling to get out. Suddenly he sits up and looks over at the window. It is open and the shade is flapping. Cold air is blowing in and he is shivering. JACOB Damn! You and your fresh air. He jumps out of bed and goes over to the window. He pushes at the frame and it comes flying down with a loud bang. A woman in the bed sits up. It is SARAH. SARAH What was that? JACOB It's freezing. SARAH I'm not cold. JACOB Of course not. You have all the blankets. It must be ten degrees in here. I'm telling you, Sarah, if you want to sleep with fresh air, you sleep on the fire escape. From now on that window is closed. SARAH It's not healthy with it closed. JACOB This is healthy? I'll probably die of pneumonia tomorrow and this is healthy. He settles back into bed and pulls the covers back over to his side. He lies quietly for a moment, thinking. JACOB (continuing) What a dream I was having. I was living with another woman... You know who it was? SARAH I don't want to know. JACOB Jezebel, from the post office. You remember, you met her that time at the Christmas party. I was living with her. God, it was a nightmare. There were all these demons and I was on fire. Only I was burning from ice. SARAH Guilty thoughts. See what happens when you cheat on me, even in your mind? JACOB She was good in bed, though. SARAH Go to sleep. JACOB She had these real beefy thighs. Delicious. SARAH I thought you said it was a nightmare? Suddenly, out of nowhere, we hear the tinkling sound of a music box. A YOUNG BOY enters the room, carrying a musical LUNCH BOX in his arms. He is wearing a long T-shirt nearly down to his ankles. We recognize him from his photograph. It is GABE. GABE Daddy, what was that noise? JACOB (surprised to see him) Gabe? (he stares curiously at his son) What are you doing... ? GABE There was a bang. JACOB It was the window. GABE It's cold. JACOB Tell your mother. GABE Mom, it's... SARAH I heard you. Go back to sleep. GABE Will you tuck me in? SARAH (not happily) Oh... all right. She starts to rise. JACOB stops her and gets up instead. He whisks GABE upside down and carries him into his GABE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT BEDROOM, licking his belly and tickling him all the way. GABE laughs and snuggles into his pillow as soon as he hits the bed. JED, 9, and ELI, 7, are both in bunk beds across the room. JED looks up. JED Dad? JACOB Jed. It's the middle of the night. (he kisses GABE and goes over to JED in the lower bunk) What's up? JED You forgot my allowance. JACOB Your allowance? It's five A.M. We'll talk at breakfast. JED Okay, but don't forget. Suddenly another voice pipes in from the top bunk. ELI I love you, Dad. JACOB smiles. JACOB What is this, a convention? I love you, too, Pickles. Now go back to sleep. He turns to leave. GABE Wait... Daddy. JACOB Now what? GABE Don't go. JACOB Don't go? (he smiles) I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here, Gabe. (he looks at his son tenderly) Come on, go back to sleep. You can still get a couple of hours. He hugs him warmly and then walks to the door. GABE ...I love you. There is deep emotion and seriousness in GABE's words. JACOB is struck by them. GABE (continuing) Don't shut the door. JACOB nods and leaves it a tiny bit ajar. GABE (continuing) A bit more... a bit more. JACOB adjusts the opening enough to please GABE and make him secure. GABE smiles and cuddles in his bed. INT. SARAH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT JACOB settles back into bed. SARAH turns over and gets comfortable. JACOB lies on his back facing the ceiling. He pulls the blankets up to his neck. He is overcome with feelings of sadness and longing. JACOB I love you, Sarah. She smiles warmly. His eyes close and in a matter of seconds he is back asleep. EXT. VIETNAM - PRE DAWN WE HEAR SUMMER MORNING SOUNDS, CRICKETS and BIRDS. The image of trees materializes overhead and a beautiful pink sky, just before sunrise, can be seen through the branches. It is an idyllic setting. Suddenly a strange sound can be heard in the distance, a metallic humming, growing louder. There is a scramble of feet and a sound of heavy boots moving through the tall grass. Voices can be heard. Men's voices. VOICE They're here. VOICE Thank God. Move 'em out! VOICES Bust your balls! VOICE Move it! Move it! There is an instant swell of activity. Trees and branches blur and speed by overhead. The idyllic image of moments before reveals itself as a P.O.V. SHOT. The CAMERA races out of a JUNGLE covering and into a huge CLEARING. High overhead a helicopter appears. Its blades whirl with a deafening whine. Long lines drop from its belly and dangle in mid-air. SOLDIERS leap up into the air reaching for them. The air is filled with turbulence. Tarps fly off dead bodies. SOLDIERS hold them down. Voices yell but the words are not clear. They are filled with urgency. The CAMERA leaves the ground. The edges of the sky disappear as the helicopter's gray mass fills the frame. It grows larger and darker as the CAMERA approaches. Rivets and insignias dotting the underbelly come into view. Suddenly the stretcher begins spinning, out of control. Hands emerge from inside, reaching out to grab it. Watery, womb-like sounds rise out of nowhere, the rippling of water, a heart beating. Gradually voices can be heard mumbling; distant sounds, warm and familiar. INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT JACOB's DOCTOR reaches down to help him out of the tub. Surprisingly JEZZIE and MRS. CARMICHAEL are standing there too. JACOB stares at them in total confusion. DOCTOR You are a lucky man, my friend. A lucky man. You must have friends in high places, that's all I can say. SAM and TONY appear next to the DOCTOR. They are extending their hands to the P.O.V. CAMERA. JACOB'S arms, nearly blue, reach out to them. Slowly they lift him from the icy water. JACOB takes one step onto the tile and collapses to the floor. CUT TO BLACK: INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM - DAY FADE IN sounds of feet shuffling across the carpet. A glass rattles on a tray. A television is on low in the background. Slowly the CAMERA LENS opens from JACOB's P.O.V. and we see JEZZIE puttering around the BEDROOM. Suddenly she is aware that JACOB is watching her. She smiles. JEZZIE Jake. (she places her hand on his head and strokes his hair) You're gonna be all right, Jake. You're gonna be fine. JACOB Am I home? JEZZIE You're here. Home. The doctor said you're lucky your brains didn't boil. (she smiles) What a night, Jake. It was crazy. You kept sayin' "Sarah, close the window," over and over. And talkin' to your kids. Even the dead one. Weird. You know you melted 200 pounds of ice in 8 hours. Amazing, huh? JACOB Are we in Brooklyn? JEZZIE You're right here, Jake. You just rest. (she puffs up his pillow) The doctor said you had a virus. That's what they say when they don't know what it is. You can't do anything for a week. He says you gotta recuperate. (she strokes his forehead, and gets up) Now you just lie here. Mrs. Sandelman made you some chicken soup. It'll warm you up. JEZZIE leaves the room. JACOB watches her as she goes. He seems lost and confused. INT. JACOB'S KITCHEN - DAY JACOB, unshaven, wearing his bathrobe, is sitting at the KITCHEN TABLE. PILES OF BOOKS on demonology are spread out before him. He studies them to distraction. JEZZIE is standing by the counter making sandwiches. She wraps them in plastic Baggies and puts one in a lunch box, another in the refrigerator. She is dressed in her postal uniform. JEZZIE You know, you really ought to get out today. You can't just sit around like this all the time. It's not healthy. It's not good for your mind. Go take a walk, or somethin'. Go to a movie. Christ, who's gonna know? You think I care? I don't give a shit. Go. Enjoy yourself. One of us should be having a good time. (JEZZIE knocks on JACOB's head) Hello! Anybody home? (she looks in his ear) Anybody in there? JACOB What? JEZZIE just stares at him. She does not respond. JACOB returns to his books. CUT TO CLOSE UP IMAGES OF WINGED DEMONS, real demons, with spindly horns and long tails. JACOB's huge finger, magnified, scans page after page of ancient images and archaic text. JEZZIE, enraged at his lack of attention, returns to packing her lunch box. Suddenly she spins around. JEZZIE Goddamn it! I can't stand it anymore. I've had it up to here. Go ahead and rot if you want... You son-of-a-bitch, I'm talking to you. CUT BACK to the DEMONS. Suddenly a crashing sound catches JACOB's attention as a KITCHEN POT flies by his head. He looks up to see JEZZIE knocking pots and pans off the kitchen counter and kicking them wildly across the room. The noise is terrible. The intensity of her rage is shocking. The pots crash into every surface, knocking all his books onto the floor. And then, suddenly, she stops. JEZZIE stoops down to the floor and picks up her sandwich, stuffs it back in its plastic Baggie, and puts it back in her lunch box. She is about to leave when she stops and looks at JACOB. JEZZIE (continuing, her anger in check) I made you a tuna fish sandwich. It's in the fridge. Eat a carrot with it. The aspirin's on the bottom shelf. We're out of soap so, if for some reason you decide to wash yourself again, use the dishwashing stuff. (she walks out of the room and returns with her coat) I'm sorry I yelled, but you get on my nerves. (she bends down and makes eye contact with Jacob) Hello? Listen, I gotta go. JEZZIE sits on his lap, gives him a big kiss, and then, unexpectedly, raises two fingers, like horns, over her head. The gesture catches JACOB's full attention. JEZZIE (continuing) Look, I'm horny. Keep it in mind. (she kisses his cheek) Love me a little? JACOB (speaking with affection) You are the most unbelievable woman I have ever met. One second you're a screaming banshee and the next you're Florence Nightingale. Who are you? That's what I want to know. Will the real Jezzie Pipkin please stand up. Suddenly the telephone rings. It startles them. JEZZIE Oh shit. Tell 'em I've left. JEZZIE grabs her jacket and shoves her arm in it upside down. A pocketful of change falls on the floor. JACOB smiles. JEZZIE curses as she struggles to pick it up and get the jacket on right. JACOB gets the phone. JACOB Hello. PAUL (V.O.) Jacob Singer? JACOB Speaking. PAUL (V.O.) Paul Gruneger! JACOB Paul Gruneger! Well I'll be goddamned! JACOB indicates it's for him. JEZZIE throws him a kiss goodbye and hurries out the door. JACOB (continuing) Paul! You son-of-a-bitch, how the hell are you? I haven't seen you in what, five, six, years? PAUL (V.O.) A long time. JACOB Jesus Christ. How've you been? What's happening in your life? PAUL (V.O.) Nothin' much. JACOB Me neither. Nothing too exciting. So tell me, to what do I owe the honor? PAUL (V.O.) I need to see you, Jake. JACOB Shit, Paul. I'd love to see you. But I'm kind of laid up here. I've been sick. PAUL (V.O.) I need to see you. INT. PAUL'S CAR - DAY JACOB and PAUL are driving through EAST NEW YORK heading toward WILLIAMSBURG. The elevated trains rumble above them. JACOB pats PAUL on the back. JACOB Jesus, man, you look terrific. You must have put on twenty pounds. PAUL I work in a bakery. JACOB You're lucky. How many vets you know are even employed? PAUL Count 'em on one hand. JACOB It's almost like a conspiracy, huh? PAUL No joke. Fuckin' army! That goddamn war. I'm still fightin' it. JACOB It's not worth it. You'll never win. PAUL You tellin' me? How many times can you die, huh? PAUL looks in his rear view mirror before changing lanes. He sees a black car tagging close behind him. He pulls out. So does the car. PAUL (continuing) Still married, Jake? JACOB Nope. PAUL You and everybody else. God I hate this area. Makes me nervous. JACOB Why the hell we drivin' here? PAUL I just need to talk. JACOB You can't talk in Brownsville? PAUL I'm not sure where I can talk anymore. JACOB What's wrong? PAUL Let's get a couple drinks, okay? (he looks at his rear view mirror) Hey, take a look behind us. Do you think that car is followin' us? JACOB (turning to look) That black car? PAUL Pull the mirror down on the sun visor. (JACOB does) Just watch 'em. JACOB What's goin' on Paul? PAUL I don't know. JACOB You in trouble? PAUL Yeah. JACOB notices PAUL's left arm. It is shaking. The black car passes on the left. Both PAUL and JACOB stare at it as it speeds by. INT. BAR - DAY JACOB and PAUL are sitting in a dark booth in an obscure WILLIAMSBURG BAR. It is nearly empty. PAUL is leaning across the table in a very intimate fashion. PAUL Somethin's wrong, Jake. I don't know what it is but I can't talk to anybody about it. I figured I could with you. You always used to listen, you know? JACOB nods. PAUL takes a sip of his drink and stares deliberately into JACOB's eyes. PAUL (continuing) I'm going to Hell! JACOB's face grows suddenly tense. PAUL (continuing) That's as straight as I can put it. And don't tell me that I'm crazy 'cause I know I'm not. I'm goin' to Hell. They're comin' after me. JACOB (frightened, but holding back) Who is? PAUL They've been followin' me. They're comin' outta the walls. I don't trust anyone. I'm not even sure I trust you. But I gotta talk to someone. I'm gonna fly outta my fuckin' mind. PAUL cannot contain his fear. He jumps up suddenly and walks away from the booth. JACOB follows him with his eyes but does not go after him. A YOUNG MAN in the next booth observes the scene with interest. He looks vaguely familiar, like we have seen him before. PAUL stares out the window for a moment and then walks over to the juke box. He pulls a quarter out of his pocket and drops it in the slot. His finger pushes a selection at random. Some '60's rock hit blares out. JACOB's mind is reeling by the time PAUL sits back down. PAUL (continuing) Sorry. Sometimes I think I'm just gonna jump outta my skin. They're just drivin' me wild. JACOB Who, Paul? What exactly... ? PAUL I don't know who they are, or what they are. But they're gonna get me and I'm scared, Jake. I'm so scared I can't do anything. I can't go to my sisters. I can't even go home. JACOB Why not? PAUL They're waitin' for me, that's why. PAUL's hand starts to shake. The tremor spreads rapidly to his whole body. The booth begins to rattle. PAUL (continuing) I can't stop it. I try. Oh God! Help me Jake. JACOB slides quickly out of his side of the booth and moves in toward PAUL. He puts his arm around him and holds him tightly, offering comfort as best he can. PAUL is obviously terrified and grateful for JACOB's gesture. A few PEOPLE at the bar look over in their direction. JACOB It's okay, Paul. It's okay. PAUL (crying) I don't know what to do. JACOB Don't do anything. (PAUL begins to relax a bit and the shaking subsides) Paul, I know what you're talking about. PAUL What do you mean? JACOB I've seen them too... the demons! PAUL (staring at JACOB) You've seen them? JACOB Everywhere, like a plague. PAUL God almighty. I thought I was the only one. JACOB Me, too. I had no idea. It's like I was coming apart at the seams. PAUL Oh God. I know. I know. JACOB What is it Paul? What's happening to me? PAUL They keep telling me I'm already dead, that they're gonna tear me apart, piece by piece, and throw me into the fire. (he fumbles in his coat pocket and pulls out a small Bible and silver cross) I carry these everywhere but they don't help. Nothing helps. Everyone thinks I'm crazy. My mother filed a report with the army. JACOB (stunned) The army? PAUL She said I haven't been the same since then. Since that night. There's still this big hole in my brain. It's so dark in there, Jake. And these creatures. It's like they're crawling out of my brain. What happened that night? Why won't they tell us? JACOB I don't know. I don't know. PAUL They're monsters, Jake. We're both seein' 'em. There's gotta be a connection. Something. JACOB leans back in the booth, his mind racing. The YOUNG MAN in the next booth is watching them with rapt attention. INT. MEN'S ROOM - DAY PAUL and JACOB are in the MEN'S ROOM. PAUL flushes the urinal. PAUL I'm afraid to go by myself anymore. I keep thinkin' one of 'em's gonna come up behind me. Somethin's wrong when a guy can't even take a leak by himself. I've seen 'em take people right off the street. I used to go home a different way every night. Now I can't even go home. JACOB You come home with me. PAUL What about your girlfriend? You don't think she'll mind? JACOB Are you kidding? We've put up more of her cousins. You wouldn't believe how they breed down there. PAUL smiles. EXT. BAR - DAY The TWO MEN leave the bar on a dingy side street. It is cold outside. Christmas lights seem ludicrous dangling in the bar's front window. PAUL looks at them and smiles. PAUL Merry Christmas. PAUL steps into the street and walks to the driver's side of his car. He pulls out his keys and opens the door. JACOB looks down on the sidewalk and notices a dime. JACOB Goddamn, this is my lucky day. He bends down to pick it up. PAUL inserts the key into the ignition and steps on the gas. He turns the key. THE CAR EXPLODES. Pieces of metal and flesh fly into the air. JACOB sprawls out flat on the ground as the debris hurls above him. He covers his head. EXT. VIETNAM CUT TO A HELICOPTER suffering an air bombardment. Flack is exploding all around it and the shock waves are rocking the craft violently. JACOB's eyes peer to the left. INFANTRY GUNNERS are firing rockets into the JUNGLE below. A pair of MEDICS are huddled over him. A sudden gush of arterial bleeding sends a stream of blood splattering over the inside of the windshield. The PILOT, unable to see, clears it away with his hands. JACOB screams over the roar of the chopper. One of the MEDICS presses his ear close to JACOB to hear. JACOB Help me! MEDIC We're doing the best we can. JACOB Get me out of here! EXT. BAR - DAY THE YOUNG MAN from the bar grabs JACOB under the arms and drags him down the sidewalk. YOUNG MAN Just hold on. JACOB Where am I? Who are you? The YOUNG MAN yanks JACOB around the corner just as another explosion consumes the car. The air is filled with flames and flying debris. The YOUNG MAN pulls JACOB into the bar. YOUNG MAN Just lie still. You're okay. You're not hurt. The CUSTOMERS are in a state of bedlam. Part of the wall has blown apart and bricks and glass are everywhere. The cross from around PAUL's neck is buried in the debris. Sirens are heard in the distance. A BLACK CAR speeds off down the street. JACOB looks for the YOUNG MAN who had helped him. He is gone. EXT. FUNERAL PROCESSION - DAY A FUNERAL PROCESSION heads down Ocean Parkway. INT. JACOB'S CAR - DAY JACOB and JEZZIE are driving in an old Chevy Nova. They are dressed up. JACOB's face is bruised and he has a gauze pad over his ear. They drive in silence. JACOB appears very sad. Slowly his right hand reaches across the seat, seeking JEZZIE's. Their fingers embrace. EXT. CEMETERY - DAY The FUNERAL PROCESSION enters the CEMETERY. Cars park along the length of the narrow road. MEN IN DARK SUITS emerge from their cars along with WIVES and GIRLFRIENDS. They are the SOLDIERS we have seen at the opening of the film, only they are older now. A small group of FAMILY MEMBERS are helped to the graveside. JACOB joins the other VETERANS as pallbearers. They carry the casket in semi-military formation to the grave. INT. PAUL'S LIVING ROOM - DAY JACOB'S OLD ARMY BUDDIES are sitting together in Paul's living room, talking. PAUL'S WIFE can be seen in the BEDROOM. Several WOMEN are comforting her. JEZZIE is talking to a small group of LADIES in the DINING ROOM and nibbling off a tray of cold cuts. PAUL'S SISTER is with her and they seem to be having a lively, almost intimate, conversation. JACOB and his BUDDIES are drinking beer. They all have a tired, defeated look about them. FRANK Did anyone see the police report? It sounds like a detonation job to me. JERRY The paper said it was electrical; a freak accident. ROD Bullshit. Someone's covering somethin'. That was no accident. GEORGE Why do you say that? ROD Cars don't explode that way. Any simpleton knows that. GEORGE But the paper... ROD That was set. I'm tellin' you. DOUG By who? Why? Paul didn't have an enemy in the world. JERRY How do you know? DOUG Hey, you're talkin' about Paul. Who'd want to hurt him? FRANK