Janus Muse

FADE IN:

EXT. NIGHT- MOUNTAINSIDE PARKING LOT IN FOREST–

Posted signs around lot indicate they’re in a parking area w a 1.5 mile hike to ENIGMA HOLLOW CAVE ENTRANCE

BRAM and RAY sit on the back of Ray’s OPEN HATCH of his S.U.V., tying their hiking boots, putting on headlamps, placing coiled rope and flashlights in their backpacks. All signs of activity showing them getting ready to nighttime hike into the cave. 

GLORY BOX by PORTISHEAD can be heard playing faintly from the car’s radio in the background.

 BRAM:

Look all I’m saying is that Ozzy’s music wasn’t as generic and simple when he was with Black Sabbath, thats all.

RAY:

What do you mean generic? The man is known as, The Prince Of Darkness? The Godfather of Heavy Metal? What about those titles merits the labels of ‘generic’ or ‘simple’, to you?

Bram stands and puts his backpack on, and turns on his headlamp. Shining his light towards the trail at the edge of the lot, revealing a thick coniferous forest surrounding the lot and the trail they are about to embark on.

BRAM:

Come on dude, ‘Crazy Train’? That is one of the most overplayed songs ever. Every time I hear it, it is against my will. And ‘Mama I’m Comin Home’? I swear, he just says that one line over and over. There isn’t even another hook in the whole song.

Ray CLOSES the car hatch after turning off the engine along with the music, and joins alongside with Bram to begin their hike to the cave. 

BRAM (cont’d):  

Now you think about songs like ‘War Pigs’ or ‘Iron Man’, when he was with Sabbath? Thats where the heart of his storytelling quality was. 

EXT. WOODED PATH UPHILL-

The scene surrounding them is thick with vegetation and twisted looking trees. But, the PATH that they are hiking is not too steep an incline, reasonably clear, and not too treacherous looking at all. Ray reaches up and turns on his own HEADLAMP, illuminating the path in front of the two substantially as they move up the path.

RAY:

I mean.. Now I’m not trying to poke a bunch of holes in your reasoning, but in ‘War Pigs’, during the main opening hook he literally rhymes the word masses, with masses… So as far as lyricism goes..

BRAM:

Thats only one example though!

The two duck down together under a tree branch HANGING in the way of the path.

BRAM:

You’re really gonna to tell me that ‘Mr.Crowley’ has the same quality as ‘Paranoid’ ?

RAY:

No man I’m not saying that, exactly. I just think you’re looking at all this from only one point of view is all.

The path is changing to more of an INCLINE as they go higher into the forest. At the top of the hill in the distance, a CLEARING in the trees is visible.

RAY:

I guess I can agree that some elements could be lacking in his solo work, but ‘Crazy Train’? Bro, it is overplayed because people like it, not because it sucks. You may be tired of hearing it, but a song doesn’t become overplayed because it has no quality.

EXT- CLEARING IN FRONT OF CAVE ENTRANCE

Bram and Ray have now reached the clearing at the top of the hill. TRAIL MARKERS and the ENTRANCE of the CAVE are visible at the opposite end of the clearing they entered, 20 yards away.

 RAY:

And ‘No More Tears’? Come on, how many times did we blast that song in Jerry’s basement? I think you aren’t giving his solo work enough credit.

They make their way across the clearing to the entrance of the cave. Bram stops to lean down, open his pack and remove his water bottle. 

BRAM:

Fair enough, that was a big part of the soundtrack to our senior year, I will give you that. 

Bram takes a long drink of his WATER as the two prepare to make their decent into the cave. He places the water back in the pack and glances at his CELLPHONE which reads “5G“, before tucking it away, zipping up, and putting his pack back on.

 BRAM:

Now don’t think that I’m conceding. I see your point but, I just.. I feel like he was better when he was with Sabbath, that’s all.

 INT- ENIGMA HOLLOW CAVE-

The entrance is tall and wide enough that both men can walk comfortably side by side as the make their way into the cave. The headlamps offer plenty of light and show that it is an incredibly spacious and winding HALLWAY in front of them. The tunnel looks like it was carved into the tan stone that surrounds them as they walk. Bram and Ray hike deeper in at a brisk pace. The two make their way in silence for a moment as they enjoy the casual descent.

RAY: Do you know why they call it Enigma Hollow?

Bram and Ray round the another corner in the cave, the entrance is now no longer visible. The hallway in front of them shows a FORK in the about 50 yards ahead.

BRAM: You literally ask me this every time we come here.

Ray interrupting Bram As two continue walking-

RAY: Because it’s an enigma as to who hollowed this out!

Ray says in a goofy sarcastic tone, laughing at his own joke a little too hard. Bram stops and looks at him with friendly annoyance.

BRAM: You know what Ray, you’re lucky that Luna would beat my ass if I left you in here. 

Ray laughs

RAY: You’re lucky your sister married your best friend! Now I get to annoy you foreve-

Ray stops short of his sentence and both men snap their line of sight toward the left side of the fork in the tunnel in front of them as a LOUD, MALE sounding CRY sails through the air. Both men then turn and look at each other in bewilderment and horror. They advance cautiously towards the side of the tunnel that the sound emitted from.

BRAM:Hello!?

RAY: Hey buddy? Can you hear us? Are you okay down there?

Ray looks to Bram with an uneasy reluctance. Bram peeks forward seeing NO ONE immediately visible down into the opening of the left tunnel.

RAY: Is it an animal? 

Ray steps into the tunnel. The two wait in silence for a moment. They exchange looks of concern and fear as Ray takes a few more steps into the opening shining his headlight further down.

Still complete silence, Ray turns back to Bram with a hurried tone.

RAY: We should go in, it sounds like somebody’s hurt dude. 

Bram hesitates before stepping forward and peering deeply into the left of the tunnel.

BRAM: Why aren’t they answering then?

Bram speaks without taking his eyes off the tunnel, he slowly steps forward farther listening intently. But still, complete silence.

BRAM: This is weird dude, there weren’t any other cars in the lot. How do we know someone’s even down there? We.. We should just leave.

RAY: I don’t know, what if they hit their head and passed out down there? Bram, dude… Maybe we should just call for help?

Both men continue to stand in anticipation for a moment as the silence is still hanging in the air. They wait for a few moments but no sound comes as a reply. Bram begins to turn to leave and Ray TURNS as well and is about to follow when another LOUDER male sounding CRY erupts from within.

Ray RUNS a few paces forward to call out into the opening.

RAY: Hello! Can you hear us?! We’re gonna call for help just hold on! 

Bram follows further into the cave behind Ray and grabs him by the WRIST to stop him.

BRAM: We’re gonna have to hike out of the cave to get service. The reception is garbage in here.

Ray nods and turns with Bram to make their way for the entrance. Before getting too far, he looks around to call back into the tunnell, now behind him.

RAY: We’ll be right back! Just don’t panic!

The two men turn to hurry back, Bram leading the way.

VOICE WITHIN CAVE: Don’t go.

The voice is very faint, almost a whisper that doesn’t sound very far away from where they are standing. Both men stop and turn around again to try to find the source of the voice. Ray takes a few steps back into the tunnell. Bram stays still.

BRAM Dude, this is weird. Let’s just go and call for help. There’s not a lot we could do for him withou-

The voice in a little louder whisper, interrupts Bram.

VOICE WITHIN CAVE: Please, don’t.. Don’t go

Ray is now walking faster toward the fork in tunnel, Bram runs a few steps in front of him to stop him. 

BRAM: Bro, something is weird.. please 

Ray reluctantly agrees and returns to hiking back to the entrance with him.

EXT- CLEARING IN FRONT OF CAVE ENTRANCE

The night sky is clear and full of stars as they EXIT the cave, Bram retrieves his CELLPHONE and walks further into the clearing, away from the entrance while dialing 911.

BRAM: (ON THE PHONE) Yes hello, I’d like to report an incident in Enigma Hollow. Yeah, we need an ambulance right away. No, no we don’t know how bad it is we just heard someone in the cave and called. 

Ray stands just outside the entrance with a pained look on his face taking turns looking at Bram on the phone and looking back into the cave behind him.

VOICE WITHIN CAVE: Help Me

Ray turns around abruptly stepping back into the entrance, Bram doesn’t take notice and walks further away across the clearing in the direction of the car.

BRAM (ON THE PHONE)Just get someone out here! Please! Hello? No Enigma Hollow, can’t you hear me?

Ray nervously takes a few more steps into the cave searching for the source of the voice. 

INT- ENIGMA HOLLOW CAVE –

RAY: Can you walk at all? How far down here are you? 

VOICE WITHIN CAVE: Not too far…please it’s so dark.

The voice sounds very deep in tone now, deeper than it sounded at first but still very faint. Ray begins hastily advancing downward into the tunnel.

 RAY: Where are you? Are you on the left of the fork?

VOICE WITHIN CAVE: Yes, I’m not far. Please…hurry

Ray practically running now, comes to the fork in the tunnel and veers left without slowing down. The path is smaller but not uncomfortably so, but twisting and turning around corners every few steps. Every corner looks like the last and the tunnel feels ENDLESS.

RAY: Please keep talking or something man! Where are you!

Every corner looks like the last, Ray starts to really panic. He slows down as he begins to feel disoriented in his surroundings. Breathing heavily he leans over to rest his hands on his knees to compose himself. He begins to hear slow dragging footsteps coming from the deeper part of the tunnel. Feeling unsure, Ray bends down and picks up a good sized ROCK on the ground near him. 

VOICE WITHIN CAVE: Ray…. I am here

The voice jump scares Ray as it sounds like it is right around the bend from him. He slowly raises up and looks in the direction the voice came from, using his headlamp. He proceeds to walk, slowly inching around the corner. His light on his headlamp is shining ahead of him onto the ground. It rounds the corner to the slowly reveal a very dirty and disheveled looking PERSON in the same exact SHIRT as Ray, crouching with their face against the wall. Ray is stunned silent in shock and horror as the person STANDS and turns around to reveal they look EXACTLY like RAY, including his OUTFIT. The only difference being this person is incredibly DIRTY, along with a very large SMILE on their face.

EXT- CLEARING IN FRONT OF CAVE

BRAM: Let’s just go, they told us we can meet them down in the lot and walk up together.

Bram turns around and hangs up the phone, going to put it in his pocket and walk towards Ray but stops when he sees Ray is gone.

 A loud and ear piercing SERIES OF GROWLS and ANIMAL NOISES come out of the cave, accompanied by a SERIES OF SLAMMING and THRASHING NOISES. Bram runs towards the entrance and CHARGES into the cave.

INT- ENIGMA HOLLOW CAVE –

BRAM: Ray! Ray where are you! Ray!

Bram is barely getting around the first bend when he sees him. A dirty and disheveled person who looks like Ray, with BLOOD COVERED HANDS and a GASH on his forehead but no headlamp. Bram grabs him by the shoulders as if to scold him but also in relief to have found him. 

BRAM: What happened? It sounded like.. I don’t even know, what were you thinking! What the fuck was that?

NEW RAY: I need some fresh air

New Ray just stands there for a moment bleeding from the head and staring at Bram.

BRAM: Okay?

Bram looks puzzled but still concerned at New Ray.

BRAM: Come on dude let’s just go wait for the ambulance. Bram puts his arm under New Ray’s to help prop him up and begins leading him out of the cave.

EXT- CLEARING IN FRONT OF CAVE-

As they are reaching the END of the cave and begin to cross the clearing to hike back down to the lot, SIRENS can be heard softly approaching in the distance.

BRAM: Are you at least gonna tell me what you saw down there?

New Ray briefly looks over his shoulder at the cave entrance, now fading behind the trees covering the path they are hiking back down.

NEW RAY: It doesn’t matter, we won’t see him again.

FADE TO BLACK.