THE GORGE screenplay Read Online Free PDF Page A

bushes along the river, and looks out. He sees nothing but the churning water.

    CUT TO:

    EXT.RIVER. DAY.
    Bowie’s raft is once again trailing—Bowie in front, Travis in the middle, C.A. in the rear. The shriek is barely audible over the rushing water but as it grows louder, Bowie looks up just in time to—
    SKEEK —the winged creature swoops down and plows into C.A.’s back, sending a red splash across Travis’s and Bowie’s shoulders. Bowie spins, sees the creature latched onto C.A. The kayak spins wildly as Travis screams and tries to wriggle over the side.
    Bowie tries to beat the creature loose, but its claws are sunk into C.A.’s life jacket, fangs ripping a hole in his neck.

    C.A.
    Get it off me!

    Bowie swings the paddle, the creature ducks, but the blow smacks it square in the head. The paddle shatters. Bowie crawls into the water and jabs at the creature with the broken shaft.
    The jagged tip spears the creature in the back and it emits a SKEEK of pain, then lowers its lips again to C.A.’s wound. The kayak is pulling away from Bowie.

    BOWIE
    (to Travis)
    Brake! Hard left!

    Travis panics as C.A. is bent forward by the creature’s assault. He wriggles over the side and slides into the water.
    Bowie grabs the rope that loops the perimeter of the kayak. He braces and tries to hold the kayak in place, but the current’s too strong.
    C.A. slumps forward and suddenly the creature’s chest explodes like a rotten watermelon. The roar of a shot echoes off the cliffs as the creature falls backwards into the river.

    CUT TO:

    EXT. RIVERBANK. DAY.
    Castle stands on the sandy shore, in a two-fisted pistol stance, legs spread.

    CASTLE
    (to Bowie)
    Stand clear!

    CUT TO:

    EXT.RIVER. DAY.
    A second shot. The creature goes under, leaving a slick trail of chum. C.A.flops face first into the kayak. Bowie shoves the kayak toward shore. Travis bobs in the water, losing his footing, his life jacket keeping him afloat.
    When the kayak reaches shore, Castle is there to meet it. Bowie checks C.A.’s neck for a pulse and shakes his head—nothing.

    CASTLE
    I hit it.

    BOWIE
    You’ve seen it before?

    Castle waves to indicate the rocks above.

    CASTLE
    Something from the gorge. We can fish it out of the river and figure out what it is.

    Travis reaches shore as Bowie and Castle drag C.A.’s body out of the kayak.

    TRAVIS
    What the hell was that?

    Before anyone can answer, the surface of the river explodes with movement—the creature, leaking gray fluid from its wound, flies wobbly over the river and toward the distant trees. Castle tries to aim but the thing is gone.

    BOWIE
    It flew away. You blew a hole in its heart and it still fucking flew away.

    CASTLE
    Whatever it is, I don’t think it has a heart.

    They all look at C.A. as his torn neck seeps blood.

    CUT TO:

    EXT.CAVE. DAY.
    Samford’s eyes open. They are milky. He blinks and squints. Light leaks onto him from the mouth of the cave.
    He runs a leathery hand up to the wound in his neck. He grins and his teeth are sharp—he is changing.
    One of the creatures flies into the cave, dragging Jenny into darkness. Several of the creatures emerge from the shadows and come to feed. Samford licks his lips, sniffs the air, and rolls off the flat stone, heading for her body.
    The creature that just attacked C.A. glides unsteadily into the cave and roosts, gargoyle-like, on a stone, leaking gray fluid from its wounds.

    CUT TO:

    EXT. RIVERBANK. DAY.
    The crew in the second Muskrat has returned. Raintree, Dove, and Farrengalli stand over C.A.’s body along with a shaken Travis, Castle, and Bowie.

    FARRENGALLI
    You’re telling us this hillbilly gargoyle flew down from the sky and chomped Golden Boy’s neck?
    (nods to Castle)
    And Fox Mulder here drilled it a new asshole but it didn’t die?

    TRAVIS
    I figured a broken bone was the worst that could happen.

    BOWIE
    (to Castle)
    You were ready for it.

    CASTLE
    Training.

    BOWIE
    Bullshit. You were on it like