EXT MARTINEZ BACKYARD – EVENING

Tommy kneels by the basement window. Suddenly he hears growling from the basement, chains rattling. The window's too dirty to see through, but he can see the shadow of something moving around.

CUT TO – Martinezes' dining room. Sangy is studying a painting on the mantle of some kind of open-heart surgery. She frowns, turns it upside down.

Everyone else is seated at the table, the room lit with candles. Some kind of opera music plays. Martin walks over and hands a cup of tea to Zack, who is cleaning the red substance off his hand.

MARTIN
I thought the candles would be romantic…

for the ladies.

MISTY
oh

(laughs nervously)
they're lovely.

MARTIN
(looks at Zack, gestures to his hand)
I really must apologize for the paint. I

was just touching up one of my pictures.
I find painting relaxes me.

Martin turns the painting right-side up. Then he takes a small container out of his pocket and begins unscrewing it. Misty and Sam's eyes widen, wondering what he's got and what he's going to do with it, or what he's done already. They look down at their cups, wondering if they've been poisoned. Mario slurps his tea noisily. Martin notices them and looks up

MARTIN

Sugar substitute?

SAMWISE
(sighs with relief)
No thank you.

Sangy studies the painting more, turns it upside down again.

MARTIN
It was impolite of us not to have

introduced ourselves sooner. I find

my work is rather solitary. It always

keeps us on the move. Did you know we've

had to move four times in as many years?

SAMWISE
Oh, all that moving must be very

hard on you, Mario.

(puts a hand on his shoulder. Mario jumps)

MARTIN
Indeed! And tomorrow, tomorrow we must

all go to the university to discuss yet another

transfer.

MISTY
No! And we're just getting to know you! That's

a shame. Isn't it a shame, honey?

She looks at Zack. Zack nods.

ZACK
That's a shame.

SANGY
Says who?

Everyone looks at her. Martin clears his throat and walks over, turning the painting over again.

MARTIN
And I was just remarking to Mario today, how

nice it would be to meet all of our new neighbours,

and here you are.

SANGY

Actually Doc, we're not all here today.

MARTIN
Oh?

SANGY
The Greenleafs, who live down the street? We don't

know where the hell they are.

Zack jumps and spills hot tea all over himself.

ZACK

… OW.

Sangy goes on as if nothing happened

SANGY
Terrible, terrible thing. We were just remarking the other

day about how a whole family like that could just
(snaps her fingers)

disappear, right off the face of the earth without a sign.

Vanish. No one ever see 'em again. Without a trace. Nothing.

Right Zack, just yesterday, wasn't it? We were just talking

about it yesterday afternoon.

MARIA
I'll bet were you.

(stomps on the floor)

SANGY
Look, why don’t we just cut all this polite crap.
(looks at Martin)
What's the weird erudamn noise you got comin'

out of here all the time?

MISTY
(makes the 'o.o' face)
Uh, I think we should go –

SANGY
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT IN THE
CELLAR, MARTINEZ?

SAMWISE
Sangy!

Sangy spots Zack, giving him a 'why are you just sitting there you should be backing me up' look.

SANGY

Zack! Tell 'em what you saw! Tell 'em!

ZACK
… I have to use your toilet.

He walks out into the hall and looks for the bathroom door. The rest follow him

SANGY
Zack, remember night before last? You said

they were digging, Zack!

Zack reaches to try a door.

MARTIN
DON'T OPEN THAT –

SANGY
ZACK, TELL 'EM WHAT YOU –

He opens the door. There's a huge growling sound and a giant bloody beast of a dog bounds upstairs and through the living room, knocking everything over. Sangy 'o.o's and looks at Martin

SANGY
You keep a horse in the basement?!

The dog jumps through the mesh-bit of the screen door and into the backyard. He sees Tommy. Tommy sees him. There's a beat, and then Tommy screams and runs. The dog follows. Tommy jumps onto the fence, setting off the wire – blinding white lights come on and an alarm wails. Everyone runs out onto the porch.

SAMWISE
Is it a burglar?

MISTY
(generally annoyed)
No. It's Tommy.

MARTIN
Another neighbour?

MARIA
A dumb one.

The dog barks at Tommy, who is now standing on the little-beam-on-top-of-the-fence again.

TOMMY
Go on, you mangy mutt!

He loses his balance and falls forward, back into Zack's yard, breaking one of the wires in half in the process. The lights and sirens die down.

MARTIN
I'm sorry if the dog frightened you. His…

his size tends to overwhelm people.

MISTY
Oh, no. Well, we've imposed on you enough

for one evening. It's been lovely meeting you.

SANGY
Later, Maria.

SAMWISE
Bye Mario!

ZACK
Yeah, Doctor. It's been real.
(shakes his hand)

MARTIN

… a-are you alright?

ZACK

Yes, I'm fine. Let's do this again sometime.
Real soon.
(shakes Maria's hand)
We'll see ourselves to the door.