DOG DO VOODOO

INT. LADIES ROOM - NIGHT

Courtney looks at herself in the mirror, critically.

COURTNEY
I do look a little peaked.

She sets her purse on the edge of the sink, applies lipstick. She ties the scarf around her neck.

COURTNEY
A little chartreuse actually helps.

INT. ESMERALDA'S BACKROOM - NIGHT

Tillie slumps in the chair, the snake now coiled in her lap. She pets it absently, looks at her watch.

Es slumps over her book, mumbling to herself.

TILLIE
Could you hurry it up? I have cocktails
at seven and I still need to get my car back.
Unless you can throw in another spell that
gets the car and -

Es glares at her. Tillie shuts up.

Es flips one more page in her book.

ES
Perfecto.

TILLIE
Five grand for perfecto?

Es starts to chant.

ES
Oochy goochy parafin moochy.
Poochy! Loochy. Ganaboochy.

She slams the book closed, nods at Tillie.

ES
It's done.

RESTROOM

Courtney fiddles with the scarf. Satisfied, she leans over the sink, cups her hands for a drink of water but -

Courtney - disappears.

A small whining sound. Followed by a big, thirsty slurp -

In the toilet stall, there's a cute wire haired terrier. Drinking from the toilet bowl. With a green scarf around its neck.

COURTNEY
What am I doing?

She jumps off the toilet, shakes herself, water spraying.

COURTNEY
Oh my God. I've lost it...I've lost...

Nails skittering she runs across the bathroom, jumps up, missing the mirror, missing her purse. She can't see herself, she can't reach her purse.

Panic stricken, she leaps, jumps, skitters, falls back as she takes repeated runs at the counter.

With enormous effort she leaps up, catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Yep, she's a dog.

Horrified, she shoves against the restroom door and runs down the

HALLWAY

through the front door - no locking up - and out into the

STREET

Blaring horns, whizzing cars. Courtney at a loss. Distracted by the smell of a burger lying in the street. She starts to eat it.

COURTNEY
Oh my God!

She bats it aside, trots in circles. Two MEN and two WOMEN wait for the bus.

WOMAN ONE
Oh, my God!

She glares at one of the men.

WOMAN TWO
What kind of dog uses a pick-up line like that?

The man shrugs, bends down and pats Courtney.

MAN
Well look here. Isn't she cute...?

Courtney snarls and bares her teeth.

The man draws back.

MAN TWO
You are striking out, old buddy.

The bus arrives and Courtney hops on it, running between legs and under a seat. She whimpers.

EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - NIGHT

Thunder rumbles, lightening crackles and rain comes down. Courtney the dog huddles in the doorway of her condo, unable to get in.

She whines.

Huddled under an umbrella, Ra Ra's owner lets Ra Ra out. To hunch over Courtney's empty driveway.

Courtney rushes at Ra Ra.

COURTNEY
Hey. This isn't your territory.

RA RA
(surprised)
It certainly is.

COURTNEY
This is my lawn. Yours is the other side
of the driveway and don't you forget it you...you poodle!

Ra Ra backs away. Barking and barking.

RA RA'S OWNER
Ra Ra? What is it baby? Is that mutt bothering you?

RA RA
(to Courtney)
Lose the green scarf, kiddo. Tack-ee.

ACROSS THE STREET

Hank looks out the window of his house.

INT. HANK AND STEPHAN'S HOUSE

Stephan's busy serving up mac n' cheese.

STEPHAN
What's all that barking?

HANK
Just Ra Ra as usual...and there's another dog.

STEPHAN
(casual)
Is Courtney home yet?

HANK
Her car's still not there. Hope she's
okay, with the rain and all.

STEPHAN
(disappointed but trying not to show it)
I'm sure she's somewhere warm and dry.

EXT. COURTNEY'S CONDO

Courtney drips and snarls and Ra Ra flees inside her warm, dry home.

Courtney retreats to her own porch, tucks her head down on her paws.

EXT. COURTNEY'S CONDO - LATER - NIGHT

The rain pours down now, wind drives it over Courtney.

Shivering, she trots across the street to Stephan's house, runs around back and scratches at a sliding glass door.

INT. HANK'S ROOM

Done up in cowboy, astronaut and magic themes - layers of Hank overlapping.

A low light burning, Hank practices his magic tricks. He hears the scratching, opens his curtains and sees -- the bedraggled dog.

He opens the door, Courtney bounds in.

COURTNEY
Oh Hank, I'm so glad you let me in. I can't get into my house,
I left my keys at the office and—I have a bigger problem
than that. You can see I -

But all Hank hears is "woof woof woof."

HANK
Shh, doggie. My dad'll wake up.

He lifts a towel off the foot of the bed and wraps the dog in it.

HANK
Poor thing. I bet you're cold.

Courtney nods.

HANK
And hungry, too.

Courtney nods again, can't resist a bark or two.

COURTNEY
Yeah, I'm starving. And I'm scared Hank. I'm a dog!
I don't know what happened. I was fixing this scarf and --

She claws at the blanket, reaches for the scarf with her front paws.

Hank looks at it for the first time, sodden. He smooths the folds, unties is.

Courtney wags her tail, excited.

HANK
How did you get this? I gave this to Courtney.

Courtney barks again.

COURTNEY
I am Courtney!

She races around Hank. Hank just stares at the scarf.

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