Brian Clemens' Thriller 5.3 Won't Write Home Mom, I'm Dead

[michaellevenson]

Douglas Sadler is in a basement full of paintings and sculptures. The art works are home made, created by the young artists living in the commune here in this deserted pub. In effect the artists are squatters but the police say nothing, the village consists of this ex pub and a couple of houses, now deserted, the artists, or more accurately hippies are left alone.
Douglas is breathing heavy, seems scared as he runs through the basement, paper in hand, looking for somewhere to hide it.
Propped up against the far wall is a painting of 6 elm trees in a field. Douglas picks up the painting, turning it over, there's a little gap between frame and back of picture, he folds up his piece of paper and places it behind frame. Now he heads desperately for stairs leading up to main living area , but someone is coming down the stairs, holding a vicious looking knife. Doug backs away, but the assailant corners him, the knife is plunged in, Doug screams," ABBY ABBY!"



A battered white jeep parks outside the bank of this little English town. Out of the jeep piles half dozen artists/hippies. The manager inside the bank looks disapprovingly as the mob troop in. The leader of the artists is Alan Smerdon who walks up to the manager at the cashier desk.
Alan " has my allowance come through."
Manager, through gritted teeth, " I'll check sir."
Alan, " can't you serve me without that look of disapproval."
Hank another of the hippy artists says, " ah, he's just jealous because he doesn't have a Mummy and Daddy sending him money."
Manager, " it's here sir, how much would you like?"
Alan, " I'll have all of it."
Minutes later the hippies leave, pile back into the jeep and drive off to the commune.

Meanwhile a taxi has pulled up outside the pub where they all live, and an American woman gets out and enters pub.

She enters and sees no one around and calls out, "anyone here."
A man enters from rear room , he is carrying a knife in one hand and a lump of wood in the other. He silently comes up behind the woman, "can I help you?"
The woman turns startled, the man apologises, ""sorry to startle you, I'm Frank, that's a good scared look on your face though, you should keep it, sort of Joan of Arc, before she went to the flames. Mind if I carve you, it's a great look."
Frank starts chipping away at his wood, carving a face.
"So you scare people for fun eh? I'm Abigail, Abby, where is everybody?"
Frank, " in town, it's payday, get allowance from home day."
Abby," I'm looking for Alan Smerdon, I'm his half cousin."

 

[michaellevenson]

The hippies arrive back, led by Hank, who stops in his tracks as he sees Abby.
" Well, what have we here?"


Abby, "Alan ?"
Hank, " no pretty lady,( pointing) that's the man you want."
Alan Smerdon comes in, Abby steps forward, "Alan, it's me, don't you recognise me?"
Alan looks puzzled.
Frank ," put him out of misery, Alan it's your half cousin Abby."
Alan, " Abby, yes of course , Geoff's daughter, well Abby it's been a long time, you didn't recognise me, I got more handsome I guess."


Abby, " thirteen years."
Alan, " how are folks back home?"
Abby, "your mother worries about you Alan, she hardly leaves her bed now. You never call or write, and she'd love to hear from you."
Alan," I've been busy."
Abby, " she says it's only the bank statements that keeps her in touch and as long as you draw your allowance she knows you're alive."
Alan," what about if I write and you can take it back to her?"
Abby, " fine, that's great thanks."
Alan," when will she get it? How long you staying?"
Abby," couple of days I guess."
Alan, " great, there's a hotel in town I'll call them."
Abby ," can't I stay here."
Alan alarmed, " here?! This isn't really your scene Abby, we've got a room but palatial it ain't."
Abby, "that's okay, I'd love to learn about how you live here."
A woman enters from the staircase leading up from the basement, carrying a clay bust that she sculpted.
Beryl, " Alan, I've done it look, pure copper red."
Alan looks at the female sculpted face, " it's beautiful."
Abby, " can I see?"
Alan, "oh Beryl, this is Abby my cousin from the States."
Abby looks at the sculpture and is taken slightly aback, the left eye is bleeding, a red streak of paint running down face.

 

[michaellevenson]

That evening everyone is sitting around the log fire, Abby interested in how these young artists live.
Abby ," don't you miss home Alan, all that you had?"
Alan, " what did I have? Fast cars , useless possessions, nothing with real value. But here we take materials and sculpt or paint, give something back , here you can find yourself. Take Frank, when he came here, he had all this pent up aggression, now he focuses it all into his carvings."
Frank with his knife and lump of wood says in his dour Scots accent, "aye that's right I used to get into trouble, fights and stuff."
Abby turns to Beryl," what about you?"
Beryl, " same as Alan, rich family, no real values, I turned my back on them."
Abby," not entirely, you still collect your allowance?"
Beryl, " sure, why not we have to eat, they can afford it. I use it to get materials to work with my hands. And that doesn't conflict with my philosophy."
Abby, " what did Dougie think of it all?"
Alan is perplexed ," Dougie?"
Abby, " Douglas Sadler, he came here."
Alan turns to Beryl, " Douglas Sadler name mean anything?"
Beryl, " no, sorry."
Abby," but he said he was coming here, you remember him Alan, at college , he always admired you, the way you'd dropped out, done your own thing. I got a message that he was heading here some time ago."
Alan," how ? He was never here."
Abby, "this is going to sound strange, but Dougie and I had a thing going, and we had a sort of understanding mentally, telepathy I'd guess you call it. Anyway the deeper we fell in love the stronger it got, for example I'd be out on the road and my car would break down, and Dougie would know, and he'd come out to help. We ended up feeling exactly what each other felt and thought. Anyway we want to get married but Dougie insisted he came to Europe first, to see you Alan, get your advice, I wasn't happy but I had to let him go or risk losing him. Then I got a message, it was a bit fuzzy, maybe distance affects telepathy I don't know, but he said he was almost here. That was two weeks ago, the last time I heard from him."
Frank, " perhaps he's on his way, hasn't arrived yet, have you considered that Abby?"
Abby, " no Frank, you could be right, that's got to be it "


The next day Abby has been driven into town by Frank in the jeep. They enter the bank, the manager looks suspicious until Abby says she wants to cash travellers cheques.
Manager, " certainly Madam, sorry I thought you were one of the artistic set."
Frank, " he means from the community, he thinks they're all leeches, sponging off their folks."
Manager, " how would you like the money Madam?"
Frank ," she'd like it quickly."
Back in the jeep Abby notices Frank's mood.
Abby, "he really got to you."
Frank, " his attitude, condescending, holier than thou, makes my blood boil."
Abby, " stop here Frank."
The jeep stops, they get out, Abby stares across a field at some trees.
Abby, " five trees, and I thought they'd be six."
Frank, " what's that?"
Abby, " in my mind I thought I could see six trees."
Frank, " that's odd, there were six until recently, one had to be cut down ,it had died, it was dangerous. But there was six."
Abby, " what happened to it?"
Frank," Dutch Elm Disease, a terrible thing , they are all dying, all will have to come down eventually."

Later when Abby gets back the phone rings, someone wanting Abby. Abby goes into hall to take call.
Abby, " hello, Janet hi , any news?"
Janet, " I've just arrived from Rome, Douglas wasn't there, he left for England two weeks ago."
Abby, " well he's not here either, listen Janet I've just remembered, Alan's birthday is day after tomorrow, wouldn't it be just like Doug to turn up then, a surprise visit."
Janet " yeah sure, look I'll try and get there, if I can make it I'll be on the train, about 5.30 okay?"
Abby, " okay Janet, see you."



Abby is asleep that night, suddenly she wakes, a voice is heard, a male voice, " Abby.....Abby...."
She sits up, was it in her head, a telepathic message from Dougie.

Abby, " Dougie?"
Voice.." Abby......Abby..."
She gets our of bed, looks out of window, and sees a black car drive into the village, a Rolls Royce. She leaves the bedroom and goes downstairs, the voice is heard again.
" Abby.....Abby..."
It's coming from the basement, Abby descends stairs and into darkened room. Spooky looking sculptures sit on various benches, the macabre work of Beryl.
" Abby......Abby.."
" Abby, what are you doing down here."
Abby turns, it's Beryl, Abby just runs out and outside in front of the pub, suddenly coming along the road is the black Rolls Royce, Abby jumps back as the car goes away down the road.

 

[michaellevenson]

Next morning at breakfast,
Abby," who owns that car, big black Rolls Royce, big ghost of a car, I saw it last night."
Alan, " no one here, our budget doesn't run to Rolls Royces. Probably tourists, they occasionally come out here to stare at us."
Abby, " Janet Sadler is coming tomorrow, you remember her, it has to be tomorrow, Dougie I think will be here too."
Alan says nothing, then..." tomorrow my birthday, you thought I'd forgotten, tomorrow is my birthday. "
Abby, " yes Alan, and Janet thinks Dougie will be here then too. She's coming on the 5.30 train. "
Alan," I'll pick her up , and get some champagne."
Beryl comes in teasing, " champagne Alan Smerdon , did I hear you correctly.?"
Alan ," why not, got to live once in a while."


Next evening, Janet arrives at nearby station.

A black Rolls Royce is there, someone gets out to meet her. Janet places her luggage in the boot of the car, and gets into the passenger seat, the car drives off.
A bit later, the Rolls is parked in a lonely dark country lane, a woman's scream is heard. The car boot is opened, the dead body of Janet Sadler is flung in on top of her luggage.

Alan enters commune carrying bottles of champagne, " come on everybody, it's my birthday let's get this party going."
Beryl," are we starting without this Janet Sadler Alan, I mean how long do we wait."
Abby, " something's happened to her I can feel it.
Frank," nothing has happened, she said if she could make it she would, perhaps she can't come, or perhaps she's on a later train."
Abby, " she's not coming ever. "
Frank annoyed by Abby's misery guts attitude, "what d'you mean by that, explain yourself."
Abby, " what?"
Frank, " you said Janet's not coming."
Abby, "did I say that? I didn't even know I said it."
Beryl, " how long do we wait?"
Frank," well let's ask Abby, she's the psychic one, come on Abby, concentrate, concentrate on Janet Sadler, when she coming. Tell us...tell us Abby." They all laugh at her.
Abby, " NO STOP IT!"
Abby crying runs out and upstairs.

 

[michaellevenson]

Later Beryl comes in after seeing Abby upstairs, "she's asleep she's okay now."
In the middle of the night Abby gets out of bed, half asleep as if in a trance, she walks down to the basement, as if drawn there telepathically. She goes to the kiln, and opens a peephole in the door and peers in.
Inside of the kiln are two sculptured clay busts being ' cooked' , suddenly the heads ARE ALIVE, Douglas and Janet, disembodied heads alive as the flames lick around them, they scream out.


" ABBY...ABBY HELP US...ABBY..AAAARRRGGGGHH!"


Abby pulls herself away crying, was it real! Or a telepathic message from beyond the grave.
She hurries back to bed.
Later in the basement Alan is staring into the kiln, Beryl walks up behind him.
Beryl, " you can't open it Alan, not until tomorrow. I mean it Alan, you open it and you ruin everything."
Alan, " the ashes, they're evidence."
Beryl, " not anymore, total metamorphosis, rebirth."

The next day Abby is in the field looking at the 5 dying elm trees, Frank's jeep pulls up at the roadside, he gets out.
Frank, " Abby we've been looking for you, why did you come here?"
Abby, "Dougie and Janet need me, those trees, somehow they're important, 6 trees, but there's only 5 now."
Frank," come back Abby. You're letting this Douglas thing get on top of you, the truth is he isn't coming, ever, you have to face it, you're not the first girl to have a man run out on them, but why he'd do that to a pretty girl like you, I don't know."
Abby, " he hasn't run out on me, I don't believe he's coming here, I've accepted that, but he's in trouble, he's been trying to reach me, I know it, and there's that car, a big black Rolls Royce, I've seen it, it's in the village somewhere."
Frank, " there's no Rolls Royce."
Abby, " it almost knocked me down."


The following afternoon Alan and his gang of hippies, not Frank, are heading off to a nearby rock concert.
Alan, " coming Abby?"
Beryl, " it'll be fun."
Abby, " no, I'll be packing, I can't stay here forever. "
Alan, " I'll be sorry to lose you Abby."
Abby, " if you want to write that letter to your mum before I go."
Alan," sure."

Later Abby is packing when she hears that disembodied voice again, haunting, whispering, Dougie's. "Abby.....Abby.."
She leaves room, following voice.
" Abby....Abby..."
And into Alan's bedroom.
She looks around room, and opens bedside table, takes out sheets of paper, written on it are lines and lines of the Alan Smerdon signature, as if someone was practicing writing it. Frank comes in, Abby hands Frank sheets, " look at that .....and this Frank."
Abby has found Rolls Royce car keys, Frank grabs them and runs out.
Frank is outside and goes over to barn a few hundred yards down the road. It is padlocked, but Frank uses key on keyring to open it and enters barn. The car is there, he opens boot and sees Janet Sadler's labelled luggage, he runs out.


Abby comes down stairs into main living area, and hears Doug's voice again, "Abby....Abby.."
It's over by the stairs leading down to the basement, Abby descends stairs and walks through basement.
" Abby......Abby....."
It's over by the far wall. Abby walks over to wall and sees painting of 6 elm trees, she picks it up, and her hand feels the paper stuck into back of frame. She takes paper, unfolds it and looks at it.
Beryl enters ," what are you doing here?"
Abby, " Dougie wanted me to find this, that's why I kept seeing this image, 6 trees."
Beryl, " what is it?"
Abby, " it's from the University magazine, a clear photo of Alan Smerdon receiving his diploma." She hands it to Beryl, the photo is of a very different person to the Alan Smerdon here.

Beryl, " I don't understand, are you saying.."
Abby, " the Alan here is an imposter , Dougie did come here, saw the man posing as Alan and had to be silenced. Dougie and Janet, they're both dead."
Beryl, " this is crazy Abby, why?"
Abby, " the ten thousand a month allowance, that's an amount someone would murder for."
Alan's voice is heard upstairs, " Beryl?"
Beryl calls out, " Alan...down here."
Alan comes down stairs,
Beryl, " I'm afraid she knows Alan."
Alan ," that's too bad, another day and you'd have been gone....Beryl."
Beryl removes silk scarf from around her neck and hands it to Alan.
Alan, " it'll be over very quick."

Abby backs away and screams.."FRANK..FRANK. "
Frank enters building he cries out, " Abby Abby." He hears the scream from Abby.
Frank runs down stairs, Beryl blocks him.
Beryl, " keep out of this Frank."
Frank, " I've never hit a woman, but I've never met one with murder in her heart before." He pushes past her.
Alan has wrapped the scarf around Abby's neck and is tightening his grip, Frank grabs him, punches exchanged, Alan picks up Beryl's sculpture to fling at Frank , Beryl screams " NO ALAN."
Frank ducks the flying bust, and lands a knockout punch, Alan crashes to the floor.

Frank comforts Abby, " the police will be here soon, about time they cleared this place out. Here for you.....Joan of Arc."
He hands Abby his finished carving, the face on the wooden carving is Abby's.
On her way home she takes one last look at the 5 trees that were once 6.



Cast;
Oliver Tobias......Alan Smerdon
Pamela Franklin......Abby
Suzanne Neve......Beryl
Ian Bannen....Frank
Dallas Adams.....Douglas Sadler
Lesley North.....Janet Sadler

 

[michaellevenson]

Thriller (1973)