RESUME ERIC

Almost bemused. Steadier. A hint of friendliness.

ERIC
Thanks for sharing that.

ETC. GIDEON`S PAWN SHOP - NIGHT

As the T-Bird grumbles tp park curbside. Menacing.

INT. GIDEON'S PAWN SHOP - NIGHT

A junkyard of loot and dusty discards. Junkie thievings and
other people's stereos. Behind a wire-meshed security counter
GIDEON reads a racing form, chain-smoking throughout the scene. He
is pear-shaped, stubbled, unkempt. Food on his shirt. JINGLE
of doorbells. Gideon lowers his paper to reveal Skank and
T-Bird on approach.

GIDEON
Ahhh, jesus, the creatures of the
night, here they come. Tweedledum
and Tweedledummer.

Skank riles

SKANK
Hey, blow me, fat boy!

Just as quick, Gideon cocks and levels a Magnum at Skank.

GIDEON
Blow yourself, bigmouth.

T-BIRD
(interposing)
Whoa, hey, whoa.
(hands up)
Business.

He lifts a small carton onto the counter.

GIDEON
Whatcha got?

NEW ANGLE - COUNTER

Transaction time. T-Bird passes items through the screen slot
and Gideon gives each one cursory, doubtful inspection.

T-BIRD
Coupla more rings... 24k.

GIDEON
18k. Crap.

T-BIRD
...necklace... pearls...

GIDEON
Nineteen bucks at Sears. Fake,

T-BIRD
Leather purse...

He hands though the bag rested from the woman.

GIDEON
What's this -- a little, ah,
bloodstain, right?
(doesn't matter)
Fifty bucks for the box, and I'm
doin' you a --

T-BIRD
Yeah, I know, fatso. Do us all a
favor. Make Top Dollar smile.

SKANK
You wouldn't want Top Dollar not
to smile.

Mention of Top Dollar clams Gideon efficiently up. He hands
over the cash to T-Bird with a grimace.

EXT. ROOFTOP - ON ERIC - NIGHT

Eric stares upward at the crow as it drops like a bomber from
the night sky, flying past him, skimming the roof, leading him
on. Eric exhales, shrugs, feeling mocked by the bird.

ERIC
All right.

And he takes off on a run. Only to stumble and fall. But the
falls turns into a TUMBLING ROLL that lands Eric back on his feet
still moving. He looks back as if to ask: "Did I do that?" and
runs out of the frame.

ANOTHER ANGLE - PICKING UP ERIC ON THE RUN.

as he squints towards the crow and does his best to keep up.
TRACK WITH HIM to the edge of the roof, heavily misted in rain.

He jumps a negligible gap to the next lower roof. The next
roof-top is a one-story jump down. Eric clears the jump with a
WOOF of air. Keeping his eyes on the flying crow; gaining
strength. His next leap is more like a broad-jump. Athletic.

FAST MOVING ANGLE - THE CROW

keeping airborne, keeping ahead.

MOVING ANGLE - ERIC

Eyes confidently on the sky as he arches out into space...

UP ANGLE FROM STREET - BUILDINGS

As Eric is seen to jump across the gap at least three stories up
where there is no connecting building.

CLOSE ANGLE - TARGET BUILDING LEDGE

as Eric smashes into it, just missing, hinging at the waist,
grabbing for purchase, suddenly panicked, gravity pulling him
downward.

ANGLE - AT ERIC FROM PHONE CABLE BRACKET

Eric falls but manages to grab the bracket one-handed. He hangs
for another deadly moment, then slowly, to his own astonishment,
executes a one-handed pull-up that will save his ass.
ERIC
Gotcha.

He completes the pull-up, bringing his chin level with the
ledge. As he reaches for it with his other hand the bracket
rips from the wall and Eric plummets, with a howl of defeat.

UP ANGLE FROM STREET - ERIC'S DOWNFALL

It's a looooooong way down.

ANGLE - ALLEYWAY

as Eric lands and splits a trash can in two. A beat as we wonder
if any bones are left unpulped. PUSH IN as Eric rolls from
facedown to his back.

TIGHT SHOT - ERIC'S FACE

as he completes the roll, gasping, amazed he's still in one
piece.

ANGLE - TRASHCAN - ON THE CROW

It flies easily down to inspect Eric as he slowly sits up,
examining his hands. Frustrated and pissed off.

ERIC
Thanks.

CLOSE-UP - THE CROW

Not "your welcome", but other-worldly patience. It waits.

RESUME ERIC

ERIC (CONT'D)
Where're we going next -- the
sewer?

EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT

Still, dark silence until Eric lands from ABOVE FRAME, feline.
The crow lands simultaneously b.g., perched near a roof access
door with a shaded, dim-yellow bulb.

CLOSE-UP - THE CROW

It just blinks at him.

INT. ABANDONED STAIRWELL - NIGHT

as Eric yanks open the rusty rooftop door from the outside and
sweeps down the steps in a swirl of night mist

ANGLE - FOOT OF STAIRS

Trash and detritus all around, clogging the arteries of the
building, which is old, unoccupied, forsaken. The crow lights
on a scarred banister knob. Eric's footsteps come down into frame.

ANGLE ON LOFT DOOR - INCLUDE ERIC

A year ago this door was sealed with police barricade tape...
which now sags, faded.

A sticker across the jam notifies potential trespassers that
this is -- was -- a crime scene. Eric slows, stops, his hand
on the banister.

ANGLE - THE CROW

as is wafts ahead of Eric, arriving at the door first.

ANGLE ON ERIC, THE DOOR, THE CROW

Eric has had enough.

ERIC
Are we finished yet?

CLOSE-UP - ERIC'S HAND ON BANISTER
sliding along, as he speaks, until it hits a cigarette burn.

PUSH IN ON ERIC - TIGHT

stiffening as he suffers his second --

FLASH: IMAGES and DIALOG are not linked. A rapidfire MONTAGE set
in the loft, a year earlier (it is decorated for Halloween).
The broken door. The stairwell is filled with cops and cop
noise; lab guys bustle. Albrecht is there, making notes as a
DETECTIVE steps over to him.

ALBRECHT
Victim's name is Shelly Webster.
The guy who got tossed is, uh ...--
(checks his notebook)

Albrecht grinds out his smoke on the banister.

FLASH ENDS.

RESUME ERIC ON THE STAIRS.

He sits down hard, hurting from the flash. His eyes seek the
crow. He completes Albrecht's line:

ERIC
"Draven, Eric."

EXT. THE PIT - NIGHT

LOW DOLLY of Elly's little combat boots moving toward the
entryway of the pit. MUSIC gradually UP LOUDER O.s. as she
nears.

ANGLE - ELLY IN DOORWAY

Luridly-lit. A grown-up's place. A burly BOUNCER appraises
her, his tone jokey. He knows Elly.

BOUNCER
Hey! You got any ID?

ELLY
Very funny. Ha. Ha. Oh my,
sides.

The Bouncer jerks a thumb. Go on in.

INT. THE PIT - NIGHT

A grungy sawdust-floored shot-and-beer joint packed tight
with urban BURNOUTS rushing to drink their lives away. Hammering
MUSIC and rude whorehouse lighting. Each predator straining to
be badder than the next.

TRACK THROUGH this maze at Elly's eye level until we reach
DARLA, waitressing her heart out, the drug mileage on her
obvious.

ELLY
Mom --?

DARLA
I told you you're not supposed
to come in here.

ELLY
(a quick lie)
I lost my key.

Disgustedly -- goddamn kids -- Darla fishes up a key and slaps
it into Elly's hand.

FUNBOY (O.S.)
Hey, Darla -- before we die of old
age, how about it --?

DARLA
(to Elly)
Out. Now. I gotta work.

RACK PAST Darla and MOVE IN CLOSE on a corner table -- where sit
Funboy, Skank, T-Bird and a black, vested muscle gypsy, TIN-TIN.

INT. LOFT - NIGHT

As Eric shoves the door open from the outside. The lock, popped
from the frame, spins on the wooden floor. The barrier tape
whisps and dust roils. Dark, chilly, damp. A rat's nest of
disuse.

PULL BACK THROUGH THE BROKEN PICTURE WINDOW

as Eric enters. Glass blown out. Shards poking. Jagged.

NEW ANGLE - AS ERIC WALKS IN

He scans the loft. Sees reflecting golden eyes near the floor.

ERIC'S POV - FLOOR NEAR WINDOW

A white, long-haired cat walks into a pool of night light.

ANGLE - ERIC AND THE CAT

He kneels. Extends his hand. The cat nears; likes Eric.

CLOSE-UP - ERIC'S HAND.

as the cat makes contact. Sudden white jolt - a FLASH.

FLASH: we HEAR Eric strumming his Strat o.s. We see what he
saw: Shelly, holding the cat.

FLASH ENDS.

UP ANGLE - ERIC

Wincing. Recovering from the flash. He purposefully gathers
the cat into his arms and braces for more, harder, stronger...

FLASH: A MAN and a WOMAN make love on a big bed amidst a hundred
points of candlelight. Shelly and Eric, once upon a time.

FLASH ENDS.