Chapter 16

EXT. WOODSBORO SUBURBIA – NIGHT

Billy and James are wearing hoodies. Billy is standing at a payphone. Much of the carnage is still centered downtown with Billy and James relatively safe – for the moment. Billy is speaking into the payphone.

BILLY: Greg! Yes, thank God you picked up!

GREG: Billy? What's going on? Mona and I are hunkered down at home.

BILLY: We're in the outskirts of town. We need a ride. Stat.

GREG: You want me to go out in this?

BILLY: We're not downtown! We're in suburbia.

GREG: Who's we?

BILLY: (embarrassed, rolls his eyes) James … might be with me …

GREG: James? JAMES?! Jab-you-with-a-knife-James?!

BILLY: I'll explain later! Just get here!

He hears a female mumbling in the background.

BILLY: (exasperated) Yes, Mona can be in the damn wedding party. But there won't be another one if you don't get here now!

He slams the phone down and turns. James is surveying his fingernails.

JAMES: I sense Greg may have some animosity towards me.

Billy clenches his fist, praying for God to give him strength.

CUT TO:

EXT. COTTON WEARY'S FARMHOUSE – NIGHT

Carrie's car pulls up. Tatum stares at the old mansion, horror on her face, the memories from four years ago still fresh. She turns to Carrie.

TATUM: Okay. Now you get out of here!

CARRIE: Like I said – with you to the end.

Tatum nods. The two get out of the car and approach the old, broken down mansion. Tatum's phone rings.

TATUM: (answering) Yes?

GHOSTFACE: You follow instructions well. The basement. (Beat) You do remember where it is?

TATUM: Like yesterday.

GHOSTFACE: Get there – now.

INT. – COTTON'S BASEMENT – NIGHT

Tatum and Carrie enter the basement. A ceiling light FLARES on!

JOHN AND RENEE ARE ON THEIR KNEES, BOUND AND GAGGED, THEIR ARMS TIED TO THE PIPING ABOVE THEM!

TATUM: Mom! Dad!

She rushes them – HER PHONE RINGS AGAIN! She stops, answering it.

GHOSTFACE: Uh-uh. Not yet. You know how this works, Tatum. We're going to play a little game. THE FINAL ROUND!

TATUM: Bring it you fucker!

GHOSTFACE: So confident this time! Is it because you know your lifeline is dwindling away as we speak? Whether by my blade or your sickness – your time is nearing its end, Tatum!

CARRIE: What's he talking about?

TATUM: (to Carrie) Go upstairs – get help. I'll keep him talking.

Carrie nods and races back upstairs, leaving Tatum alone.

GHOSTFACE: Now that she's gone, we can play our little game of Family Feud!

CUT TO:

INT. UPSTAIRS – NIGHT

Carrie rushes upstairs. She races through the old living room, into the kitchen – AND FINDS A GUN POINTED AT HER HEAD!

Deputy Hicks is standing there in his PANTHYR uniform, handgun raised. His arms and uniform are covered in blood.

HICKS: What are you doing here?

CARRIE: I could ask you the same question.

HICKS: Cyrus sent out an alert. Tatum and Billy are our top priority. I saw Tatum get in your car back in town so I decided to follow you.

CARRIE: Convenient.

The two are circling each other in the kitchen.

HICKS: I'm not here for you, Carrie.

CARRIE: Oh, so you just wanted Tatum for yourself, huh? Is that her parent's blood on your pants?

HICKS: What are you talking about?

CARRIE: Come on, Hicks – I'm not stupid. You go to work for those PANTHYR guys in the prison and in the same day, the supposedly inescapable prison just happens to have a mass breakout?

HICKS: Carrie -.

CARRIE: Not to mention your younger sister was killed by Sidney and Cotton.

HICKS: I'm only here to help -.

Carrie backs up to a kitchen counter. Her fingers graze a pan.

HICKS: Whatever you think – I'm not the killer.

CARRIE: How can I be sure?

Hicks lowers his gun.

CARRIE: If you really want to prove it to me, give me the gun.

HICKS: (Eyebrow raised) I don't think so. You're gonna have to take my word for things. Now – where is Tatum?

CUT TO:

INT. BASEMENT – NIGHT

Tatum is on the phone, eyes streaming. Her parents are struggling, frightened, crying.

GHOSTFACE: Question #1 – For John! Who were the first victims of Sidney and Cotton's massacre?

TATUM: Megan and Jake.

GHOSTFACE: Very good, Tatum. They both may make it out of this alive at the rate you're going. Question #2 – for Mommy Dearest!

Renee's eyes are widened with terror.

GHOSTFACE: You should remember this one a bit more clearly. Who was the sea captain killed by Desirae two years ago?!

TATUM: Shit, I don't remember!

GHOSTFACE: Tick-tock, Tatum. Tick-tock.

TATUM: (trying to remember) Sea captain, sea captain …

ANGLE ON:

Renee is crying, tears streaming.

ANGLE ON:

Tatum is running her hand through her hair.

GHOSTFACE: Almost out of time! Mommy Dearest is counting on you!

TATUM: (slowly) Louis … Captain Louis …

GHOSTFACE: YES! Correct! Now for the real questions -.

TATUM: No! You said two questions! I got them right!

GHOSTFACE: But those were only the warm-up questions. Besides, you're doing so well. We can't stop now. I have full confidence in you.

TATUM: Fine – bring it!

GHOSTFACE: Oooh, cocky. I like it. The speed-round then! Name the girl killed in a swimming pool?

TATUM: Jenna!

GHOSTFACE: Who got eaten by a shark?

TATUM: Dylan!

GHOSTFACE: The couple killed in the House of Mirrors?

TATUM: Shane and Ashley!

GHOSTFACE: Name the victim who -.

TATUM: (interrupting) Casey Becker! Mr. Lovedge! Judy Hicks! Captain Louis! Ashley Becker! Shane McKonnell! Veronica and Brian! Jake and Megan! Maureen Prescott! Neil Prescott! The two cops transporting Cotton! Randy Meeks! Stu Macher! It's one of those, right! Right?!

The line on her phone has gone dead.

Tatum looks around. Nothing.

She rushes forward, grabbing a power tool, crying hysterically and CUTS her mother and father free. John and Renee stand up, removing their gags. Tatum grabs them, hugging them both.

TATUM: I got it right! I was fucking right! We have to find Carrie and go!

CUT TO:

UPSTAIRS – NIGHT

Carrie and Hicks are still staring each other down, still completely not trusting each other.

HICKS: If I'm a suspect because my sister was a victim in a prior massacre, then you're a suspect since you're a survivor!

CARRIE: How does that even begin to make sense?!

HICKS: I'm not giving you my gun, Carrie!

TATUM: You won't need to!

Tatum appears in the kitchen, her parents in tow, worse for the wear but alive.

CARRIE: (relieved) Tatum! (she rushes forward and hugs her) How – he just let you go?

TATUM: I got his questions right …

Carrie backs away.

CARRIE: Something doesn't feel right.

BLAM!

A gunshot goes OFF, blasting a hole right in HICK'S head! Hicks sways, and collapses to the floor, dead, blood pooling.

ANGLE ON:

John is standing there with a smoking gun!

CARRIE: Oh shit!

BLAM!

A gunshot wound hits Carrie in the stomach. She doubles over, her shirt blossoming. She stares up at Tatum who is absolutely horrified. Blood pours from Carrie's mouth.

CARRIE: I … wasn't fast … enough …

TATUM: Carrie!

Carrie collapses next to Hicks, bleeding out.

Tatum turns – John now has Renee at knifepoint, the blade up against her neck. Renee is absolutely terrified and confused.

JOHN: This wasn't how I wanted you to find out, Tatum, but here it is.

RENEE: John …?

JOHN: Sorry, honey. Nothing personal. (thinks about it) No, scratch that. It actually is personal!

TATUM: Dad … all those people? Dead! How … why?

JOHN: (shaking his head) I haven't been running around in a Ghostface costume killing people. Oh no, I'm not in good enough shape for that. I'm just an accomplice – a delivery man. One task – to deliver you to him. Unspoiled.

TATUM: And who is him?

JOHN: Uh-uh – not yet. I wouldn't want to take it away from him. We've been waiting a long time for this.

TATUM: At least tell me why?!

RENEE: John … please … just kill me … don't tell her …

JOHN: Oh? You want me to keep lying to her? As I lied throughout her entire childhood? As you've lied?!

TATUM: Mom … Mom what's he talking about?

JOHN: Should I tell her Renee? Should I tell her about your cheating, whoring ways?!

RENEE: Please – Tatum, I never meant -.

JOHN: You never meant it? 'Not meaning it' would have meant you didn't sleep around with another man! Not meaning it would have meant you wouldn't have carried his child!

The soundtrack thuds.

TATUM: What? Dad?

JOHN: Sweetie … I'm not your Dad. But I'll let our guest waiting in the wings have the honors of revealing it all.

He jerks Renee around and points at Carrie's body.

JOHN: Get her car keys.

CUT TO:

EXT. COTTON'S HOUSE – NIGHT

Tatum is hysterical. John shoves Renee into the backseat of Carrie's car, holding a knife to her neck with one hand and a gun aimed at Tatum's head with the other.

JOHN: Drive. I'll give you the directions.

Tatum enters the driver's seat, starts the ignition and puts the car in drive.

The soundtrack thuds as the car takes off.