| They walk cautiously through the huge mounds of
junk. There's very little in good repair here. Susan is nowhere in
sight, and Ian is a bit disgusted. |
| |
| IAN: Will you look at this mess? I'm not
turning any of this stuff over to find her... |
| |
| BARBARA: (points) Over there? |
| |
| Ian starts that way, only to stumble over a tin bucket. He picks
himself back up -- ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... |
| |
| IAN: I dropped it! |
| |
| BARBARA: What? |
| |
| IAN: The torch! |
| |
| BARBARA: Well, use a match! |
| |
| IAN: I haven't got any. Oh, never mind. ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... |
| |
| The two teachers continue their (now dark and gloomy) trek
through the junkyard. |
| |
| BARBARA: Susan? |
| |
| IAN: Susan? Susan?? (starts up a flight of stairs)
Susan?? (comes back down) Susan!! Mr. Chesterton and Miss Wright!
(under his breath) How'd she get out without us seeing her? |
| |
| BARBARA: Ian.....look at this! |
| |
| She's come upon that strangely humming blue police box. |
| |
| IAN: Well, it's a police box! What on earth's it doing
here? Why, these things are usually on the street -- |
| |
| He pats the box's side -- and his eyes go wide. He touches it
with his full hand, more firmly. |
| |
| IAN: Feel it! Feel it!! |
| |
| Barbara quickly puts her hand on and off it. |
| |
| IAN: Did you feel it? |
| |
| BARBARA: It's a faint vibration..... |
| |
| IAN: (takes a HUGE step back from the box) It's
alive! |
| |
| He quickly walks across all four walls of the box. |
| |
| IAN: (now a little nervous himself) It's not connected to
anything, unless it's through the floor. |
| |
| BARBARA: (moves up from nervous to scared) Look, I-I've
had enough. Let's go and find a policeman. |
| |
| IAN: (takes her hand) Yes, all right -- |
| |
| A coughing echoes through the junkyard. |
| |
| BARBARA: Is that Susan?? |
| |
| |
| |
| The gate opens -- |
| |
| IAN: Quick! |
| |
| They hide behind a pile of junk. |
| |
| An old man walks into view. About 55, with straight, slightly
long white hair (with a funny black fur hat), wearing a heavy coat
and scarf. He coughs and waves at the air. He ambles up to the box,
pulling out a key and (holding a pen flashlight in the other hand)
starts to jiggle it into the lock set into the box's door -- |
| |
| SUSAN'S VOICE: There you are, Grandfather! |
| |
| BARBARA: (whisper) Susan! |
| |
| IAN: (whisper) Shh!! |
| |
| Too late -- the old man heard them. He glowers and waits for
them to come out. ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... |
| |
| IAN: Excuse me.... |
| |
| OLD MAN: (shining the pen at his face) What are you doing
here? |
| |
| IAN: Uh, we're looking for a girl. |
| |
| OLD MAN: We? |
| |
| BARBARA: (steps into view) Good evening. |
| |
| OLD MAN: What do you want? |
| |
| IAN: Um....one of our pupils, Susan Foreman, came into
this yard. |
| |
| OLD MAN: (a strange smile on his face) Really? In here?
Are you sure? |
| |
| BARBARA: Yes. We saw her from across the street. |
| |
| OLD MAN: (whispering to himself) One of their pupils. Not
the police, then.... |
| |
| IAN: W-What did you say? |
| |
| OLD MAN: (fixes Ian with a brilliant stare) Why were you
spying on her? Who are you? |
| |
| IAN: We heard a young girl's voice call out to
you.... |
| |
| OLD MAN: Your hearing must be very acute. I didn't hear
anything. |
| |
| BARBARA: (points at the box) It came from in here! |
| |
| OLD MAN: (a flash of fear crosses his eyes) You imagined
it. ...... ...... ...... |
| |
| BARBARA: I most certainly did not imagine it! |
| |
| The old man pulls Ian aside. |
| |
| OLD MAN: Young man.....Is it reasonable to suppose that
anyone would be inside a cupboard like that, hmm? |
| |
| IAN: Would it therefore be unreasonable to ask you to let
us have a look inside? |
| |
| The old man's attention is suddenly drawn to a painting amid the
junk. |
| |
| OLD MAN: (picks the painting up) I wonder why I've never
seen that before. Pretty damp and dirty....hmph..... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... |
| |
| BARBARA: Won't you help us? We're two of the teachers
from the Coal Hill School. We saw her come in and we haven't seen
her leave. Naturally, we're worried.... |
| |
| The old man's not paying any attention. |
| |
| OLD MAN: (muttering to himself) Needs
cleaning....(suddenly notices her again) Oh, I'm afraid it's none of
my business. I suggest you leave here. (walks back in front of the
box) |
| |
| IAN: Not until we're satisfied that Susan isn't here.
Frankly, I don't understand your attitude -- |
| |
| OLD MAN: Oh, yours leaves a lot to be desired. |
| |
| IAN: Open the door! |
| |
| OLD MAN: There's nothing in there! |
| |
| IAN: Then what are you afraid to show us? |
| |
| OLD MAN: Afraid? Oh, go away! |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Ian shakes his head at Barbara. |
| |
| IAN: I think we'd better go and fetch a policeman. |
| |
| The old man is standing away from them, as if having made a
silent decision. |
| |
| OLD MAN: Very well. |
| |
| IAN: And you're coming with us. |
| |
| OLD MAN: Oh....am I? (chuckles) I don't think so, young
man. No, I don't think so..... |
| |
| BARBARA: (whisper) We can't force him! |
| |
| IAN: (whisper) But we can't leave him here! Doesn't it
seem obvious to you he's got her locked up in there? I mean, look at
it! ...... |
| |
| The old man is standing away from them again, that creepy smile
growing wider as Ian tests the box's door..... |
| |
| IAN: There's no door handle..... must be a secret lock
somewhere. ...... |
| |
| BARBARA: I swear it was Susan's voice.... |
| |
| IAN: Of course it was! Susan.....Susan?? Are you in
there? It's Mr. Chesterton and Miss Wright, Susan! |
| |
| OLD MAN: Don't you think you're being rather high-handed,
young man? You thought you saw a young girl enter the yard. You
imagined you heard her voice. You believe she may be in there. It's
not very substantial, is it? |
| |
| BARBARA: But why won't you help us? |
| |
| OLD MAN: I'm not hindering you. If you both insist on
making fools of yourselves, I suggest you do what you said you'd do.
Go and find a policeman. ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... |
| |
| IAN: While you nip off quietly in the other
direction. |
| |
| OLD MAN: (momentarily closes his eyes) Insulting. (faces
them again) There's only one way in and out of this yard. I shall be
here when you get back. I want to see your faces when you try and
explain away your behavior to a policeman. ...... ...... ...... |
| |
| IAN: Nevertheless, we're going to find one. Come along,
Barbara. |
| |
| The two teachers turn their backs on the old man, toward the
gate. They've taken only a foot when the door of the box
opens-- |
| |
| SUSAN'S VOICE: What are you doing out there? |
| |
| IAN: She is in there!! |
| |
| Suddenly the old man is between the two, holding them back
-- |
| |
| OLD MAN: Close the door!!! |
| |
| Ian and Barbara work their way free, both lunge through the
box's open door -- ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... |
| |