(Mercutio and George Andrews are walking in the woods, guns in hand, when they see a grave digger. He is frail, skinny and meek, wearing a hat over his head. He smokes a pipe while digging the grave. This is Richardson, played by Chris Walas)
Mercutio: Richardson, is it wise to be out alone in the woods tonight...Under light of the full moon?
Richardson: Well...I uh...I was just...Uh...
(Mercutio laughs obscenely)
Mercutio: Never mind Richardson. Never mind. Just keep your wits about you.
(Mercutio and George Andrews walk into the night as Richardson digs the grave. He hears a growling in the woods and drops his pipe as something flashes between the trees.)
Richardson: Hello?
(More movement is seen in the trees. Richardson pulls out a revolver and gulps.)
Richardson: I'm warning you...I...I'm armed. Show yourself, or I'll be forced to shoot!
(Richardson slowly walks into the forest, revolver in hand. He hears an extremely large growl from his side, and fires his weapon. He misses, nothing appearing to be there. As he turns around, The hideous face of The Wolf-Man stares him right in the face, panting in hunger. Richardson screams as we cut to The Wolf-Man's face as it lunges at Richardson. We see a shadow of the two struggling on the ground, the shadow illuminated on a tree. Suddenly, after a pained scream by Richardson, a wave of blood splashes the tree. Cut to Mercutio and George Andrews who turn around.)
George Andrews: What the devil was that?
Mercutio: So that's what it was...
(George looks at Mercutio like he is staring at a madman.)
Mercutio: My father was the son of a slave, but despite his upbringing, he was a fairly rich man indeed. He was a Silversmith who worked deep in the forest. One night, when I was 8 years old, I found I couldn't sleep. No matter what it was, I just couldn't get my eyes to shut and to drift away. So I took a little stroll in the woods. As I was about to turn back, that's when I saw it. It was a man, his face so mauled and brutalized it was unrecognizable. I heard a blood-curling howl in the great beyond. The mad had been partially eaten. My father caught me out in the woods, and naturally was infuriated. He beat me with his old horse whip till sense was finally knocked into my ignorant little self. After that, my father barred the windows and locked the doors at night. But he didn't half to. I never left the house on a full moon from then on. George, over in Tibet I saw people blown to pieces, intestines wrapped in the white snow. I saw people get their heads flat out blasted off. But I never saw anything like that. And that's when I knew: I wasn't brave because I joined the army. I was brave because even after seeing the remains of someone eaten alive, my 8 year old peepers mind you...Some small part of my sanity remained.
(George looks at Mercutio horrified.)
George Andrews: We have to clear the forest. Get everyone out of here as soon as possible.
(Cut to the black and yellow view of The Wolf-Man as it walks through the forest growling. We see a camp of hunters, who seem to have just killed an entire family of deer, which lie next to the campfire. They are all laughing and celebrating.)
Hunter #1: Sometimes I forget how completely we can dominate an entire species.
Hunter #2: Well, that's the way the world works. The strong are satisfied as the weak get massacred like sheep.
(The Hunters continue to laugh, when suddenly, The Wolf-Man bounds out of the bushes, grabs one of the hunters by the throat and rips it's throat out with his teeth.)
Hunter #3: Robert! Mother Mary of...
(The Wolf-Man picks up Hunter #3 and slams him onto the ground, ripping and digging into his body with his teeth and claws. The Wolf-Man get's up with a satisfied grunt, covered in blood. Hunter #4 shoots The Wolf-Man, but it doesn't even slow the beast down. As he runs away, The Wolf-Man pounces on the hunters back, killing him with a bite to the back of the neck. Hunter #1 runs away, terrified. The Wolf-Man looks up, licking it's mouth animalistically. With a roar, it pursues the hunter through the forest. We can hear the hunter scream in a high pitched tone "Help! Mother of God! Help!" Finally, the hunter reaches the end of a cliff. He is cornered, but The Wolf-Man is no where to be seen. The hunter calms down collecting himself together, about to walk back into the forest. The Wolf-Man pounces at him, driving them both of the cliff. The screen blacks out, as a howl is heard. Cut to the next morning, as Father John is walking on a river bank, a nervous look on his face.)
Father John: Lawrence? Lawrence, my boy. Please come out...Please.
(A grunting is heard within the mouth of the sewer tunnel at the end of the river bank, as well as some movement. Slowly, the figure walks out of the sewer. It is Lawrence, in human form, covered in clotty blood, and clothes completely ripped. His hair is extremely messy, matted in blood as well. Lawrence smiles, not knowing the situation.)
Lawrence Talbot (Laughing): Father! Father, is this...Some kind of prank? Oh Father, never knew you to be the...
(Father John steps away, tears running down his face, looking like he is in true agony. Lawrence looks down at his body in complete horror, shock and disgusted awe, his eyes watering immediately.)
Father John Talbot: Terrible things Lawrence...You've done terrible things.
(Lawrence grits his teeth looking like he is about to lose control with his emotions, before letting out a anguish filled cry)
Lawrence: NOOOOOO!!!
(We see Gwen and Mercutio walk down the river. Both are horrified. A group of policeman, led by George Andrews point their guns at Lawrence, surrounding him.)
George Andrews: Don't move, freak!
Gwen Conliffe: Lawrence...
Lawrence Talbot: Gwen...Gwen, I...
(George Andrews knocks Lawrence out with the butte of his rifle. He is clearly smiling cruelly over him. Gwen pushes George out of the way.)
Gwen Conliffe: George, you don't understand! Neither do I, but I don't think Lawrence could...
Father John (Off-screen): Ms. Conliffe...
(Gwen Conliffe turns to Father John Talbot.)
Father John Talbot: Ms. Conliffe, I don't think any of us understand what happened to Lawrence. For now, let none of us point fingers. After all, everything that has happened is...God's will.
(Gwen Conliffe looks as Father John Talbot in a disgusted way. She punches him in the face giving him a bloody nose as he falls to the ground.)
Gwen Conliffe: YOU DID THIS TO HIM!!! YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE JOHN!!! YOU DID THIS!!!
Father John Talbot: Get this prostitute off of me!!
(George Andrews grabs Gwen firmly, carrying her away. A man wearing a top-hat, cane and an over-done orange suit approaches Father John. This is The Phenomenal Phil Reed, played by Brendan Gleeson.)
The Phenomenal Phil Reed: Excuse me, I've heard quite a few...Rumors about your boy there. If he's found guilty, he could end up getting the death penalty. I have a better suggestion.
(Father John turns, tears in his eyes, to Phil.)
Father John Talbot: What are you suggesting?
The Phenomenal Phil Reed: Allow me to introduce myself, I am The Phenomenal Phil Reed! I own a Freak Show in London, and if what they're saying about your son is true...Well, people are gonna want to see it. It's either that or the Electric Chair for your Lawrence. Your son will be the biggest name in London! I'll be premiering The Wolf-Man on April 1st at Midnight! The crowd's gonna eat him up!
(Father John nods sadly)
Father John Talbot: Very well...It is God's will.
(The Phenomenal Phil Reed smiles skeevily as he and 2 of his circus helpers drag Lawrence away.)
Father John Talbot: Be strong Lawrence...Be strong.
To be continued...
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