Free Beowulf by Neil Gaiman

HALLWAY
    80
    looking at Beowulf. Wiglaf pushes himself to the front of them.
    WIGLAF
    Grendel’s arm! You’ve done it! You’ve killed him!
    (turning to the other men)
    He’s done it! He’s torn the limbs from the beast!
    They all begin CHEERING.
    81 BEOWULF
    81
    on the other hand, doesn’t seem so confident. He quickly turns and pulls the door open, revealing
    82 THE OUTSIDE OF HEROT
    82
    As if a nightmare is over -- it’s placid and quiet and there is a marked absence of Grendel around.
    MATCH CUT TO:
    83 THE OUTSIDE OF HEROT
    83
    The nightmare is over. But it is now morning, and all is well. We hear HAMMER BLOWS, rhythmic as sex.
    84 INT. HEROT - MEAD HALL - DAY
    84
    CLOSE ON: Grendel’s arm is being NAILED into a massive wooden beam in the mead hall.
    It is Beowulf who wields the massive blacksmith’s hammer. Beowulf laughs as he nails Grendel’s arm to the wall, and we wonder, which one is the monster?
    CUT TO:
    85 INT. THE GREAT CAVE - DAY
    85
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    From the inside of the great cave, the outside world is a bright and hot place. Grendel comes stumbling in from this world of light and heat into the safety of the cave. He is in silhouette and we can see that he is missing his arm.
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    Grendel shambles awkwardly, dripping crimson blood as he goes, toward the placid clear waters of the cavern’s pool.
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    Grendel is making A DREADFUL SOUND as it goes, one arm missing, into the pool, with little or no sense of balance, stumbling and half-falling. It should take us a few moments to realize that the noise Grendel is making is SOBBING.
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    Grendel falls through the dark water of the pool, blood from his shoulder, from the missing arm, pumping out into the water, until everything is red and we
    CUT TO:
    86 INT. THE GREAT CAVE - GRENDEL’S MOTHER’S LAIR - DAY
    86
    Grendel comes up from the pool in her cave. Tears are running down his face. He is dying -- nearly dead.
    GRENDEL
    Mama…mama…he hurt me…mama…
    There is no answer. Grendel collapses to the floor, and then he bellows, sobbing.
    GRENDEL
    Mama!
    There is A RUSTLING NOISE and the SOUND OF A RUSHING WIND.
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    Grendel’s mother sits beside him. She wears a black cowl and cloak, that covers her from head to toe, and she has her back to us.
    GRENDEL’S MOTHER
    Oh Grendel, my son. My poor son. I warned you. You must not go to them--
    GRENDEL
    He killed me, mother.
    GRENDEL’S MOTHER
    Who killed you, Grendel my son?
    GRENDEL
    He tore my arm away, and my life’s blood has spilled onto the ground, and it hurts so…Grendel hurts so bad…
    Grendel’s Mother’s golden hand strokes his forehead. She has a beautiful hand, with slightly-too-long golden fingernails.
    GRENDEL’S MOTHER
    I know. Sleep now, my sweet son. Sleep forever. Mother is here.
    GRENDEL
    Mama? I do not know his name. So strong. He hurt me.
    GRENDEL’S MOTHER
    He will pay, my darling. In the fullness of time. I love you so much, Grendel my son.
    The life has gone from Grendel’s eyes: they have misted over, like the dead eyes of a rotten fish. There is silence in the hall beneath the earth.
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    EXTREME CLOSE ON: Grendel’s mother’s lips.
    GRENDEL’S MOTHER
    He will come here to me, he who did this thing to you. And he will pay.
    87 EXT. HEROT - VILLAGE - DAY
    87
    Yrsa is talking to Isolde the Fat and Gitte in the muddy grass.
    GITTE
    He’s dead?
    YRSA
    The creature’s arm is nailed to the wall of the hall. They say Beowulf ripped it off with his bare hands.
    Isolde and Gitte look appropriately amazed.
    CUT TO:
    88 EXT. HEROT - STOCKADE - DAY
    88
    A Pyre is being assembled. Thanes are picking up the dead bodies -- and bits of bodies -- from the night before, and throwing them onto the pyre. Standing beside it are a handful of WOMEN sobbing, and a few CHILDREN. And Wiglaf.
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    We however SWING AROUND from the pyre and ENTER THE HALL, where Hrothgar is standing in front