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EXT. RIVERSIDE
James stomps along, pounding the ground with his walking
stick and muttering.
JAMES
Lucky little furball. I'm crazy.
Gotta be.
He glances back. Chris and Sarah hold each other tight.
JAMES (CONT'D)
Doesn't waste any time, does he?
He turns and trudges on, poking at vines along the riverbank.
JAMES (CONT'D)
Just you and me, Veck.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CAGE
Straw covers the floor. A water bottle hangs on one wall. A
high-pitched, repetitive, mechanical squeak sounds.
A weasel runs in a wheel, grinding his teeth and whistling
faintly. It's Veck. Suddenly he stumbles, skidding to a
stop. He sneers, and swings himself around to sit up. He
massages his leg.
VECK
(bitterly)
Thank you, James. Never did heal
right--
INT. ANIMAL RESEARCH CENTER, LAB
Rows of cages are stacked on shelves. Obscure and painful
looking equipment lies ready in glass cabinets. A beautiful
but cold brunette scientist in her early thirties--think of
an ice princess--storms into the room with a clipboard,
stopwatch, and a pocketful of pens. Her name is DR. OGLESBY-
'Lila' to only a few.
TED
This is a terrible risk! What are
you going to tell the committee?
DR. OGLESBY
I won't tell them a thing. They'd
never let us release one of the
animals, tracking device or not.
INT. CAGE
Veck cocks his head and listens harder.
VECK
Now this is interesting...
INT. ANIMAL RESEARCH CENTER, LAB
Oglesby sets her clipboard aside and wrenches at her hair.
DR. OGLESBY
They say they want results--then
they tear my reports to shreds! We
don't understand what makes these
animals different yet!
She presses a button on a spinning centrifuge. It stops, and
she holds up a vial full of separated blood.
DR. OGLESBY (CONT'D)
Is it genetic? A disease? Just our
imaginations running away with us?
TED
I believe you, Dr. Oglesby. The
committee might think you're
chasing fairy-tales--
Ted lifts up a long sheet of graph paper protruding from a
printer near Veck's cage. Long squiggly lines trail down it.
TED (CONT'D)
But you and I have both seen these
animals break out of a locked cage.
We had to design new ones!
Oglesby fiddles with the latch to Veck's cage.
DR. OGLESBY
(with a touch of regret)
It doesn't mean they're
intelligent. They just adapt more
quickly.
Ted shakes the printout at her.
TED
Adapt? These animals plan. I think
they might even talk to each other,
Lila. Not words, maybe...
DR. OGLESBY
Never use my first name at work.
And you're doing a bit too much
dreaming yourself.
She returns her coffee mug, stomping over to Veck's cage.
INT./EXT CAGE
Veck retreats into a corner but Oglesby grabs and extracts
him. He writhes and tries to bite, but Oglesby holds him
more firmly.
DR. OGLESBY
We'll track more of them down. And
this one will help, like it or not.
EXT. RIVERSIDE - MORNING
James, curled against a rock and covered with a blanket and
fallen leaves, stirs and opens his eyes. He yawns and
reaches into the backpack propped against the rock. He
removes a pad and pencil, sits up, and flips through sketches
of his friends--mostly of Sarah. He adds a few strokes of
detail to one, and begins to write. A chill wind whirls
leaves around him, and he shivers. He inspects his fur-
clumps of it are going white.
JAMES (V.O.)
Dear Diary: Getting my winter coat
again. Late October now--half a
year since I left. I could have
taken a boat, but I don't want to
end up a thousand miles away from
my friends.
INT. SARAH'S HOME
Sarah carves at a little pumpkin. She sets the knife aside,
scoops out a slimy pawful of seeds, and pelts Christopher.
He ducks, but hugs her, both of them getting all sticky and
giggling. In the living room, the story-telling Desmond
speaks gruffly, growls, claws the air, then puts on a look of
mock fright, all for KATIE (a stocky, muscular little ferret)
and her brother BRIAN (bonier and taller). Both of course
resemble their parents Sarah and Christopher.
JAMES (V.O.)
Still no sign of Veck. Time to
check on the others. I'm sure
Sarah and Chris are keeping each
other busy.
SARAH
Pumpkin all over. You need a bath.
Christopher raises an eyebrow.
CHRISTOPHER
No, we need a bath.
EXT. SNOWSTORM
James plows through the snow. A loose, rough, rabbit-skin
coat hangs around his shoulders, his breath freezing in
little puffs. Ice hangs from his face-fur, which has gone
white. His tail has too, except for a black tip.
JAMES (V.O.)
Dear Diary: In the thick of
November, now. My fur's gone white
like everything else. I'd freeze
without the rabbit skin. I don't
want to talk about the rabbit.
A wisp of smoke rises beyond another hill. Through the snow,
James sees a dark speck appear at the top of the hill. It
stumbles into snowdrifts, but stands and plows ahead.
JAMES
(shouts)
Hello!
James hurries down the hill and the STRANGER takes his time,
becoming clearer. About James' size, but thin as a rake,
he's wrapped in rags, and has a rattling cough. The rags
cover his face. James reaches him but keeps his distance.
JAMES
Are you friendly?
STRANGER
(chuckles and coughs)
I've never been accused of that--
James points toward a narrow rocky pass.
JAMES
I think there's a house that way!
The Stranger nods--they set off for the pass.
EXT. ROCKY PASS ABOVE HUMAN CABIN
James comes through the pass to see the cabin below. Smoke
rises from a tall chimney.
JAMES
Oh, thank God.
James rushes down the winding path. The Stranger follows.
INT. HUMAN CABIN
A plump old man with a bushy beard snores by a crackling
fire, a mug of hot chocolate steaming on a little table at
his side. Boxes and bags are stacked everywhere.
James and the Stranger push a sliding window open and squeeze
through it onto a table in a back room. Wind whistles but
cuts out as they shove it closed and collapse. The Stranger
begins to unwrap itself like a frozen mummy. James tries to
help, but the Stranger shoves his paws away. The Stranger's
nose shows, then a jaw. He pulls away the rest of the rags
like a cap. James gasps and grins.
JAMES
Veck! How--
Veck looks hollow--his fur is white for winter, like James',
but thin and patchy. He has a loose collar, half-wrapped in
tinfoil.
VECK
Hello, James.
James grabs Veck's shoulders, then hugs him. Veck reaches a
paw up to hug back, but thinks better of it. James pulls
back and looks him over.
JAMES
Man, you are thin!
Veck tugs at the collar, a wicked gleam in his eye.
VECK
I could almost slip this off--
(chuckles)
--if I wanted to. You're none too
plump, yourself, but you look warm.
Veck rubs the fur of James' coat between his fingers,
grinning and chuckling. James' smile falls.
VECK (CONT'D)
Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on its
way.
James winces, bares his teeth and digs into Veck's shoulders
with his claws, shaking him. Veck rattles like a leaf,
almost brittle somehow.
JAMES
That's nothing to joke about! It
was a very sad thing!
Veck shrugs, spreading his paws. James lets him go with a
look of distaste.
JAMES (CONT'D)
You've changed.
VECK
No, I'm just more myself.
EXT. RIVERSIDE - SPRING AFTERNOON
Brian and Katie are sprawled out on the riverbank, watching
the water. Brian wears trousers with suspenders. Katie
wears a plain but pretty blue dress. Brian fiddles with a
stick. Little fish swim by. Katie trails an arm in the
water and a bigger fish comes up to snap at her. She cries
out and Brian pounds the water with the stick, growling.
BRIAN
Here, fishy, fishy!
INT. WATER
The fish flashes away, looking as astonished as it can.
EXT. RIVERSIDE
Brian shakes the stick in triumph as the fish escapes. He
shakes his head at Katie.
BRIAN
Katie... I always gotta watch out
for you.
KATIE
I can take care of myself--
She tackles Brian. They wrestle, giggling. Brian snags a
sleeve of her dress and rips it. Katie stands up, shocked,
and rushes off through the weeds. Brian leans on his stick.
BRIAN
Weird sister.
He turns at the sound of far-off voices. He squints
downriver and smiles broadly.
EXT. SARAH'S HOME
Christopher and Sarah tend their garden. It's full of little
wildflowers. Christopher picks a red one and carefully tucks
it behind Sarah's ear. She giggles coyly. Christopher shakes
his head in amused disbelief.
CHRISTOPHER
How can you stay so shy, after all
we've done?
SARAH
We're all a little silly. Why
don't you ever talk about the past?
Christopher thinks it out. He taps her lightly on the nose
and she twitches gleefully.
CHRISTOPHER
Because with you, the present is
perfect.
Katie marches out of the weeds, holding her torn sleeve out.
KATIE
Motherrr...
Christopher and Sarah rush to her, all concern, taking her in
their arms. She squirms, frustrated.
SARAH
(relieved)
Oh, it's just your sleeve...
CHRISTOPHER
We'll have that sewn up in a jiffy.
They set Katie down and she stomps her foot.
KATIE
Brian gets away with everything!
BRIAN (O.S.)
Mom! Dad! Come quick!
They all perk up their ears and look.
EXT. RIVERSIDE
As his parents and the still-fuming Katie approach, Brian
hops up and down, pointing up-river. He grabs Christopher's
paw.
BRIAN
Weasels! Lookit! Are they
friendly?
Christopher squints upriver at the weasels and grins.
CHRISTOPHER
That must be James. And Veck!
KATIE
Which one's which? Desmond says
James is the handsome one.
Sarah begins to point, but realizes she doesn't know, either.
Both weasels look road-worn, and their fur has gone brown
again. Both look a little disgusted.
SARAH
(irritated with herself)
I--I can't tell. Not from here.
Christopher bends and pushes the kids ahead a little.
CHRISTOPHER
Let's go meet 'em.
The kids rush on and their parents follow, arm in arm.
EXT. OBSERVATION DECK
High in his tree, Desmond lounges in a deck chair with pedals
on the end, little flip-down sunglasses over his spectacles.
The deck is stretched out between a few strong branches.
Desmond pulls a lever, then pedals. An acorn pops out of a
tube by the chair, into a strange contraption. Desmond
wrenches the lever back again, and a belt turns wheels and
gears. The contraption pulls the 'cap' off the acorn, spins
it around, and cuts around the shell. Desmond lazily
retrieves the acorn, lifts off the 'lid', and chows down.
DESMOND
(mouth full)
I really can't believe I did it the
hard way all those years.
He hears far-off greetings and cries of surprise, and leaps
off the chair.
He rushes to the railing of the deck, flips the sunglasses
up, swings a telescope around, and squints down it. He sees
James lifting the happy but astonished Sarah and Christopher
off their feet in a bearhug. Well, a weaselhug. Veck is
nonplussed, studying the house. Katie tries to get his
attention, but he brushes her off. Brian tugs at James'
shirt.
DESMOND (CONT'D)
Veck? Alive? I was wrong! Oh,
well, a first time for everything--
He zips away, giving the telescope a playful spin.
INT. DESMOND'S TREE
As Desmond dashes toward the door, he pauses, and picks up
something small from a workbench. He holds it up to the
light--it's a plain golden ring.
DESMOND
Should I...no, their anniversary's
soon, don't blow a gasket--
He places it back on the workbench.
EXT. RIVERSIDE
Christopher leaves the others and approaches Veck, who stands
with his arms crossed, grits his teeth, and glares.
VECK
(icily)
You didn't come after me.
CHRISTOPHER
I'm sorry, Veck.
(gestures to SARAH)
I had a lot on my mind.
Veck clamps a paw on Christopher's shoulder.
VECK
Oh, that's all right. I don't
blame you or anything.
DESMOND (O.S.)
Veck! James!
VECK
(under his breath)
If he hugs me, I'll rip his
whiskers out.
Desmond bounces in and grabs James' paw, shaking it violently
and thumping his back. Veck looks relieved.
DESMOND
You did it! You found the
scoundrel!
(draws back)
But you're a mess, both of you!
Desmond lets James go and hugs Veck. Veck growls and
recoils, raking his paws into claws. Desmond lets him go,
adjusting his spectacles.
DESMOND (CONT'D)
Sorry, got carried away--
Sarah drags Christopher close again and they hug each other.
SARAH
Can you believe it? Chris and I,
we're actually married, by a
preacher, even!
Desmond stands taller, proud, whistling through his incisors.
DESMOND
--that was me. Forgot to tell you
I was an ordained minister.
VECK
How did that happen?
Desmond folds his paws prayerfully.
DESMOND
U.S. Postal Service, God bless 'em.
The kids hang on James. He hugs them tight--they squirm.
JAMES
They're great, Sarah! They look so
much like you and Chris.
SARAH
I should certainly hope so--
(scolding)
--children, you'll choke Mr. James.
Katie and Brian hang around James' neck--he does look as if
he could use some air. They reluctantly let go.
VECK
Choke James, eh? Never crossed my
mind.
He chuckles and tugs his collar uncomfortably, pulling away
the tinfoil. He rolls the foil into a ball, and tosses it to
the kids.
VECK (CONT'D)
Curses, foiled again.
The kids eye Veck questioningly, but kick the foil back and
forth. Desmond reaches for Veck's collar, distrustful.
DESMOND
Here now. Let me see that.
Veck strikes Desmond's paws away. Everyone turns to look.
INT. DR. OGLESBY'S VAN
Ted, the lab tech, sits in a swivel chair and sips coffee.
He stares at a monitor screen. Speakers emit faint, warbly
beeps. Suddenly a bright red dot appears on the screen, and
the speakers ping loudly. Ted startles and spills his coffee
all over his nice white lab coat.
TED
Dr. Oglesby! Look!
Dr. Oglesby puts aside her magazine and nearly clambers over
the driver's seat in her haste.
DR. OGLESBY
The radio collar. Got you now.
EXT. DR. OGLESBY'S VAN
The black van starts up--its tires spin and it hurtles darkly
down a dirt road far out in the country. Birds scatter.
EXT. RIVERSIDE
Desmond points at the collar, shaking with fury.
DESMOND
That's right, a radio collar!
Humans can follow him, and trust
me, they'll come here!
JAMES
Desmond's right.
Christopher and Sarah wheel around, looking wounded. James
spits his words at Veck.
JAMES (CONT'D)
Veck's ruined everything. Get him.
Veck backs up, but not fast enough, as the others circle him.
Even the kids look vicious.
SARAH
No biting, children.
CHRISTOPHER
Well, maybe a little.
They all mob Veck--he struggles in a tangle of furry bodies.
INT. SARAH'S HOME - EVENING
James and the ferrets frantically throw clothes, pots, and
such together and tie them up in bundles. Sarah takes the
framed stamp from the wall. Christopher looks up.
CHRISTOPHER
Honey, we can't take everything!
Sarah nods and tosses the frame and stamp into the fireplace.
The glass shatters and the stamp burns. Sarah returns to
packing more useful items.
SARAH
I won't have some human poking
through my things. I stole them
fair and square.
INT. DESMOND'S TREE
Veck slurps down a bowl of soup. He's in a rough wooden
cage, looking even more scratched and tired than before.
VECK
Your cooking's improved, Desmond.
Desmond turns from disassembling a machine, and rattles a
wrench along the strong bars of Veck's prison.
DESMOND
Flattery will get you nowhere, you
treacherous backbiter.
VECK
Oh, it got me places. I could tell
you stories.
DESMOND
Me too. About a weasel named Veck,
who never would have sold out his
friends. He always complained, but
never really hurt anyone.
Desmond presses his face close to the bars.
DESMOND (CONT'D)
He fell over a waterfall and died.
There's a story, whoever you are.
Veck winces, honestly wounded, but regains his composure and
waves Desmond off.
VECK
I'm just out for a little payback.
DESMOND
Nuts to you. Time to get that
collar off.
Veck tugs at the collar and chuckles.
VECK
You'll have to knock me out, or
I'll rip you to shreds.
Desmond taps his chin thoughtfully.
DESMOND
Let me see--maybe I'll put
something in the soup.
Veck does a double-take and flops into his soup, snoring.
Desmond picks up Veck's paw and lets it fall with a thud.
DESMOND (CONT'D)
Just like clockwork.
He unbolts the cage and picks up a heavy set of shears,
snapping them open and shut a few times.
DESMOND (CONT'D)
I should make sure you never breed.
INT. SARAH'S HOME
Packing is done. A pitifully small pile of essentials rests
near the door. James and the ferrets survey their work.
KATIE
That's it? This is--sad.
BRIAN
I don't want to go.
James, Christopher, and Sarah hug the kids.
SARAH
We've taken too long already--
INT. DESMOND'S TREE
Desmond has the collar off Veck and on a workbench. He sets
his feet squarely and raises a hammer above his head. He
brings it down and smashes the red plastic sensor box.
INT. DR. OGLESBY'S VAN
Ted's driving. Oglesby frantically ruffles a map, tracing
lines with her finger. On the radar screen, the red light
makes one last weak 'bloop' and goes out. Oglesby looks up.
She swipes maps and a mug full of pencils off the seat.
DR. OGLESBY
Dammit! We were close!
She stands and rockets to the front of the van, grabbing
Ted's shoulder and making him swerve.
DR. OGLESBY (CONT'D)
Stop the van!
EXT. DR. OGLESBY'S VAN
Oglesby flings the van door open, stands in the middle of the
road, and pulls her long brown hair, cursing. Ted cowers in
the driver's seat. A familiar tree shifts in the wind, just
across the field, a wisp of smoke rising from Sarah's hill.
INT. DESMOND'S TREE
In the cage, Veck inches his eyes open, clutching his throat,
which is rubbed bare of fur in spots--no collar. The hammer
rests on Desmond's workbench. Desmond glances back and Veck
shuts his eyes.
Desmond mutters and throws random bits of machinery into
packs, takes them back out and throws them into a pile.
DESMOND
Sure, I'm the squirrel, so they
leave me with this nutcase--
Veck quietly crouches in his cage, Desmond's back turned to
him. He reaches out and snags the hammer from the workbench
with a grin of wicked glee.
Desmond turns as a vicious growl builds. Veck slams the
hammer against the bars of his cage, splintering wood.
Desmond jumps about a foot in the air--his glasses fall off.
Desmond dashes for the door, zips back to pick up the
glasses, and escapes as Veck works at the cage, already
squeezing through the broken bars and getting splinters.
INT. SARAH'S HOME
Everybody's got packs and bags, even the kids. Loaded down,
they reluctantly head for the door.
DESMOND (O.S.)
Help! This is awful!
Desmond pops in, gesturing frantically--everyone startles.
DESMOND (CONT'D)
Veck's out!
Christopher sets his packs down and zips outside. James and
Sarah take a few steps after him.
EXT. SARAH'S HOME
Christopher scans the scene, turns, and shrugs at the others,
who take a few steps toward the door.
CHRISTOPHER
Maybe he left.
EXT. TOP OF SARAH'S HOME
Veck roars and slams the hammer against the chimney again and
again. He puts his shoulder to it and pushes it over the
side of the house, stones and mortar crumbling.
VECK
This'll keep you in!
EXT. SARAH'S HOME
Christopher startles and takes a step back. The huge pile of
stone rains down on him. He falls toward the house, cries
out, and is covered completely.
SARAH
Christopher! No!
The kids retreat against the table. Desmond, James, and
Sarah dig frantically at the rocks, but the door is blocked.
JAMES
Hold on, Chris--
EXT. TOP OF SARAH'S HOME
Veck shouts down the hole where the chimney was, flipping the
hammer in the air again and again.
VECK
Oh, it's a lovely little house,
Christopher, but now it's one big
TRAP!
A human argument catches Veck's attention and he twists
around, setting the hammer aside. Oglesby's van is at the
top of a rise nearby, two tiny human figures gesturing and
stomping. Veck collapses and rolls with laughter.
VECK (CONT'D)
Doctor Oglesby! You couldn't have
better timing, you coldhearted--
Veck regains his composure and streaks toward the humans. He
leaps off the house onto the pile of chimney stones.
EXT. SARAH'S HOME
As Veck slams into the rocks and bounces away, a weak groan
sounds and Christopher wedges a paw out of the rocks.
INT. SARAH'S HOME
Brian comforts Katie, who sobs. Brian glares at the ceiling.
KATIE
Let us out, let us out! Mama...
BRIAN
He hurt Dad! CREEP!
Choked, Sarah gathers up the kids. James and Desmond keep
pulling at rocks, but shield themselves as mortar flies from
a sudden collapse. Sarah gasps and perks up, remembering--
SARAH
Desmond! James! The window!
EXT./INT. BATHROOM WINDOW
Inside the bathroom, James hammers at the glass with one of
the chimney stones. It spiderwebs and crashes to pieces.
INT. SARAH'S HOME, BATHROOM
Sarah and James clear away the glass frantically. Sarah
winces and pulls away, holding her paw.
James grabs a cloth and pulls Sarah to one side, pulling a
long sliver of glass out of her paw as blood drips. He holds
the cloth against the wound. Sarah bites her lip. Desmond
heaves the kids up at the window--they're too heavy for him
and James leaves Sarah's side to help. They get the kids
through the window. The kids reach back in.
KATIE
C'mon, Mama!
BRIAN
Hurry up!
Desmond leaps up and scurries through the window. James
lifts Sarah up and shoves her through the window, her wounded
paw curled against her body. Desmond helps pull her through-
it's a squeeze. She reaches back in with her good paw, and
James climbs onto the bathtub's edge to take it.
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