Date: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 23:42:13 -0400 Reply-To: Hobert@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: K Robnett Subject: LESSONS: An Episode, Part 3 of 4 ACT THREE: Darkness, and the sound of heavy breathing. Mark Levison steps into spotlight pointing straight down, with sword in hand, looking right and left. He runs left into darkness, time somewhat slower than normal speed, everything blurry, with an afterimage taking two seconds to follow. Mark is dressed in contemporary clothes. NATHAN: (off camera) Mark! Mark enters spot again, from right. He looks back and then front before shouting. MARK: Nathan! NATHAN: (off camera) Someone's here. MARK: Hold on. I'm coming. Mark moves off. Trevor Matthews moves into spot. He is dressed in 1850's clothes. TREVOR: I'll make it quick, boy. Camera quickly pans to Mark, still looking in all directions. NATHAN: (Off camera) Nooo... TREVOR: (Off camera) It's better this way... MARK: (Panicked) Nathan! Mark runs out of spot. Black screen. TREVOR: (Off camera) You won't have to live forever.... A sword slashes across the screen, light reflecting off the blade. Then it is gone. NATHAN: (Off camera) Ahhhhhh (Cuts off) MARK: (Off camera) Don't... Mark walks slowly into spot from beside camera. Trevor Matthews is in the center, standing over a body, the shoulders at the line of darkness. No head can be seen. TREVOR: Won't know the curse... The ghost of a Quickening appears on the body on the floor. It quickly expands, filling the whole screen. A buzz sound also starts, gradually increasing. Over the noise, the screen still white... RICHIE: (Off camera) Mark! MARK: (Off camera) Richie! I'm coming. The noise and the light explodes, fading quickly to... EXT STREET - LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING Mark sits up in the drivers seat of a car, face dripping sweat. Terror grips his features as Richie is seen moving to the car through the passenger window. He sticks his head in. RICHIE: All packed. MARK: (Still shaky) Is he here? RICHIE: (unsure) No... Everything's quiet. Do you feel something? MARK: No. I... I guess I fell asleep. A bad dream or something. RICHIE: You gonna be all right? MARK: I'm not the one he's after. You sure this cabin is secluded enough? RICHIE: Yeah. It's out in the middle of nowhere. Besides, it's... (Biting tongue) well hidden. MARK: Good. Are you sure you don't want me to drive you? RICHIE: No. I'll ride my bike as far as I can. Then it takes a canoe. MARK: (impressed) Sounds pretty safe. (Moves to start car) Well, call me tomorrow night, and we'll see how things are going. RICHIE: Uh, Mark. You got a minute? MARK: (Stops) Sure. Get in. RICHIE gets in the car and takes a second to get situated. RICHIE: Does running away from a fight make me a...coward? MARK: (Settling back) Depends on what you mean. RICHIE: Shouldn't I stay and fight this guy? MARK: Even knowing you'd most likely die? That's the outcome. Someone dies. RICHIE: I know. But isn't that what Immortals do? Fight each other? MARK: Usually. I guess the real question is, 'do you want to die'? RICHIE: No. But does anyone? MARK: Do you want the Prize? RICHIE: I... I don't think so. MARK: Do you enjoy killing people? RICHIE: No! MARK: Are you ready to face Duncan? Fight him? RICHIE: Never! MARK: Then why do *you* want to fight? RICHIE: Because I have to. MARK: I don't see a sword at your throat. RICHIE: (angry) You don't understand. He opens the car door and gets out, slamming the door shut. MARK: (Shouting) Richie! Richie reluctantly sticks his head in the passenger window. MARK: You're going through what every Immortal has to deal with, lad. Deciding what you want. A lot of the hotheads run around attacking anything that moves. A few cower in fear, afraid everyone is after their head. Duncan wants to be left alone, but is smart enough to realize it's a part of his life, and prepares for it. You've got to decide for yourself, and live accordingly. Don't worry about anything... or anyone else. Kapeesh? RICHIE: Yeah. Thanks. MARK: Keep in mind, though. There can be only one. Don't forget. RICHIE: I understand. (Holds out hand) It's been a pleasure. MARK: (Shaking hands) Don't worry, you'll see more of me. RICHIE: (Laughing) That's what I'm afraid of. He straightens and walks to his bike, getting on and driving off around a corner. Seconds later, Mark's car starts and follows him around the corner. EXT CEMETERY - NOON Duncan and Amanda are walking arm and arm. It is cloudy, threatening to rain. Occasional thunder can be heard in the background. DUNCAN: (Shrugs) I can't help it. I worry about him. AMANDA: Of course you do. What Teacher wouldn't? DUNCAN: (Stops) I'm sorry. Here I am spouting off about Richie again, and you just buried... She places a finger on his lips, silencing him. AMANDA: There's nothing anyone can do for Michelle. There is something you could do for Richard. The question is 'will you'? Duncan looks at her, thinking. They begin walking again. DUNCAN: I don't know. I want to, so badly. But he'll hate me. AMANDA: And if you don't? DUNCAN: He'll die. And I don't know if I could handle that. AMANDA: His training is over. He's not under your protection anymore. DUNCAN: I know that! AMANDA: It's difficult, because he's still around. He should go away for a century or... DUNCAN: (stopping) I need him. And I know he needs me. To be there. AMANDA: (starting to cry) My poor, sweet Duncan. That's the last lesson to learn when training an Immortal. And it's yours, my love. Letting go. You have to let them go. Amanda breaks down, nestling against Duncan as he wraps his arms around her. He is crying as well. A light rain begins to fall. DUNCAN: I don't think I can. EXT ISLAND CABIN - BEFORE DAWN Time lapse montage showing Richie paddling up to shore in the dark, then lights on in the cabin and the canoe beached, to dawn and the sun rising. He walks out door and stretches. He then appears in front of the cabin, in his black workout outfit. He performs an exercise as the camera slowly pans into the bushes. One camera shot over Voice's shoulder, looking at Richie through the bushes. Richie turns to go back in, and the buzz sounds. VOICE: (Off camera) Nice setup. Private *and* safe. RICHIE: Come and try your luck, Matthews. VOICE: Brave words, pup. Practice all you want. You'll have to leave Holy Ground someday. And I'll be waiting. More time lapse, ending with sun overhead and smoke coming out of chimney. INT CABIN - SAME TIME Richie kneels next to the fire, setting a duffel bag on the wood floor near a rug. He throws more logs on the fire before turning to the bag. He throws the carpet off the floor, revealing a trap door. He opens it, throwing the duffel bag down the hole, and follows, pulling the trapdoor closed. EXT HIGHWAY - LATER Richie stumbles from the brush next to a major highway. He is soaked to the skin, muddy, and disheveled. The duffel bag is missing. He also keeps looking behind as he makes his way to the road, limping, his sword barely hid under his leather jacket. He tries hitchhiking, but no one stops. He interjects several words, getting angrier at each passing car. He tries one last time, slowly realizing when the buzz starts and the black car swerves toward him that he is in danger. Trying to dodge, he is hit, sending him flying into the grass. The car slows, then stops, when a highway patrol speeds up from the other direction, lights ablaze. The black car speeds off with the cop in pursuit. Richie lies unmoving on the side of the road. INT PARIS HOTEL - AFTERNOON Duncan and Amanda enter room as the phone rings. She picks up the phone and listens. AMANDA: Yes. Thank you.... He is. She hands the phone to Duncan and goes to the bedroom. DUNCAN: MacLeod. Yeah, we've been at the cemetery. I was meaning to call you anyway, have you seen Richie? INT JOE'S BAR - SAME TIME JOE is at a desk surrounded by the night's receipts. In the background is the patron who followed Richie earlier. JOE: Not for a couple of hours. And I can't find him now. He said an Immortal named Trevor Matthews was after him? INT PARIS HOTEL DUNCAN: Yeah. At least we think so. INT JOE'S BAR JOE: (reaching for folder) I did some checking. Mac, Richie's in serious trouble. Fade to black. Commercial. =========================================================================