The Beast in the Cave
by
Philip Millheisler
philipjmillheisler@gmail.com
***
INT. CAVE - NIGHT
(This is an adaptation of "The Beast in the Cave", by H.P.
Lovecraft.)
Silence. The darkness consumes the cave and the ambience
seems to be the only audible thing. After a few moments, we
see Thomas' hand latch onto a stubborn rock. He pulls
himself forward, the natural light bringing his hollow face
into visibility.
THOMAS
(Narrating)
My thoughts began to wander. Wander
just as I had wandered.
We see him pace towards an opening, his eyes squinting. He
stops suddenly and focuses on a stone. He looks fearfully
behind him.
THOMAS
(Narrating)
For I had wandered astray. Far from
the rest.
He looks forward, back at the stone. He shows panick.
THOMAS
(Narrating)
Time had passed. Much time it
seemed. The rest must have left.
We see him begin to pace faster through the stone and dirt.
Tripping over rocks, taking sudden turns. He continues
moving faster and faster, finding a new route using as much
light the cave lets just for- a dead end.
THOMAS
(Narrating)
The horrible truth had dawned on
me. The blunt and unforgiving
truth. I was lost.
Terror and sadness swoofs over him. All this energy and time
wasted for nothing. No sign of life around him. He was
helpless.
THOMAS
(Narrating)
I had been lost for some time. I
didn't let that sink in though. But
now it was. It was sinking deeper
into my thoughts like a coffin.
He pushes his back against the wall, his damp hair drooping
over his face. His mouth gaping with terror.
THOMAS
(Narrating)
All hope was dead.
Thomas sits there. All of this dawning upon him. All these
emotions and awful thoughts weighing on him. He looks down
at his hands, there trembling with exhaustion.
Silence again. Silence for a while now. Nothing but Thomas.
But then something else appears. A sound. A skid. A skid
along the old dirt. Thomas looks up. Hope in his eyes now.
Perhaps his hope was being revived.
THOMAS
(Excitment)
Guide? Guide!? Hello!
He stands and distances himself from the wall, leaning
forward, trying to catch a glance of his saviour.
THOMAS
(Louder, more eager)
I'm lost! I- I wandered.
He smiles, begins to laugh at himself a while.
THOMAS
(Smiling, joyful now)
I know... Sound pathetic doesn't
it!
Thomas stands in that leaning position. His smile fading at
the lack of response.
A skid again. Thomas steps backward now, squinting. Maybe he
was further than he thought.
THOMAS
(Worrysome)
If anyone is there... Can you let
me know! I'm not dangerous- no. I
was on a guide!
He smiles again, trying to be friendly to anyone who might
be seeing him.
Nothing. His smile fades.
Another skid. This time closer. He peers out into the
darkness. Whatever it was it didn't seem to be too fond of
him.
THOMAS
(Quite, and scared)
Who are you...?
Then, from the little light there was, a figure appeared. A
leg it seemed to be. Disfigured, pale, red veins popping out
like sore thumbs. Thomas was horrified. A beast. A thing of
legends. That was standing before him. After a moment, the
leg vanished, and Thomas was left alone in the dark with a
monster.
THOMAS
(Narrating)
I wasn't alone. I was in the
darkest depths of the caverns. With
a creature. An unrecognizable
creature.
Thomas backed up against the dead end. He heard a groan, or
was it the cave shifting? Concern and worry is all that
Thomas was feeling. The cave seemed like a child's story
compared to the unknown that lived and breathed infront of
him. He bent over and picked up the stone by his foot. The
skiding and groaning (or whatever it was) began to continue.
It was louder.
THOMAS
(Narrating)
I was planning to die... Why was I
so afraid?
Thomas raised his stone. Higher, prepared to give all his
hope into that rock.
CUT TO: The guide.
The torch begins to illuminate the old man winding through
the tunnels. He takes a stop to look around, and then
glances at his watch.
THE GUIDE
Son!? Hello!? If you can hear me
please I will not punish you! These
caves ar-
A sudden smack grabs his attention. A sound so strange. So
alien. Like skin against stone.
THE GUIDE
Are you there!? Hello!?
As he begins to walk through the darkness, a hand grabs his
shoulder. A cold hand. The guide jolts around. And before
him is a worried and scared young man.
THOMAS
(Panick and dread, his
voice trembling)
Please save me! Please! Help me, I
have found a-! Please!
The guide shaken by this pulls himself together.
THE GUIDE
You're safe now! Now breathe. What
is it you fear!?
THOMAS
I do not know I-! It's, from whence
I came. Down that trail.
The guide looks down the tight and narrow rocks. He then
looks down at the horrified mess infront of him. He lifts
him from the floor and illuminates toward the narrow rocks.
CUT TO: The dead end.
Thomas, standing behind the man like an abused child peering
around him. A skid and sand alert the guide. He pushes back,
terrified, but tries not to show. He grabs his flintlock out
of his pouch and raises it. His jaw clenched tight and his
eyes wide, he raises his torch to reveal the beast.
A monster. A humanoid with contorted bones. Pale, bald and
bare. A cloth wrapped around his torso. His side bruised,
with a stone sitting beside him. It begins to push upwards,
twitching and coughing. The two men back away. Fear. It was
weak. It turned its head at them slowly, his black beedy eye
reflecting the light of the burning torch. The sight of the
beast sunk into the eyes of the humans.
That last skid of dirt occured as the monster lunged its
pale body at the men. It's body only slightly reveald as it
quickly bounds towards them. Thomas couldn't think before
the flash of the muzzle gave light to the dark cave for a
split second. It lands at there feet. The guide could feel
the warm blood trickle off his nose. He lowered his torch,
and it's face was revealed. A face just like theres. Only
not.
THE GUIDE
(Raspy and tired)
That... That is no beast.
The two shared a look. A look of relization that they had
not heroicly killed a beast, but had murdered a starving
man.
THE END.