I want all the weapons unloaded,

Y'HEAR? TAKE OUT YOUR SHELLS, I

WON'T HAVE A MAN SHOT BY ACCIDENT

TODAY! BOBO, WHERE THEM DOGS?

--and the dogs come bounding out of the back of a truck,

howling down the incline to lead the chase...

VARIOUS ANGLES

...which takes us through the cattails and bulrushes...to the

spot where Klaus finds the little scrap of pale yellow

fabric, turns and screams...

KLAUS

Oh, Lord, this belongs to my

Katie...

...and they keep going, stopping abruptly as they find: A

blood-drenched area of tramped grass. A little girl's bloody

nightgown hangs in the low branches of a tree. Some of these

strong men look like they might throw up or faint at the

sight of it. Their blood freezes in their veins as an INHUMAN

HOWLING commences up ahead. It's like nothing they've ever

heard before, raising the hackles of men and dogs alike.

PAUL ON BLEACHERS

...as Paul quietly turns another page, shaking his head...

PAUL

Jesus.

EXT. FIELD - DAY (FLASHBACK)

The men reload their weapons. Everybody's terrified. McGee

starts off, the other following his lead toward--

THE RIVER

--where they emerge from the treeline, drawing ever closer to

the source of that INHUMAN HOWLING...

...and they stop, gazing in horror:

John Coffey sits on the riverbank in bloody overalls, his

huge feet splayed out before him. He's making that inhuman

howling sound, face twisted in monstrous grief, pausing

occasionally to take in a great hitching breath of air.

Curled in his massive arms are the naked bodies of

Detterick's 9 year-old twin girls, their once-blonde hair now

matted to their heads with blood.

A tableau. The men staring. John Coffey howling. A train

puffing smoke across the landscape.

Klaus Detterick breaks the moment, lunging down the riverbank

in a headlong rush. The others try to grab him, but he shrugs

them off and throws himself on Coffey with a scream of

inarticulate rage, kicking and punching, fists flying. Coffey

barely seems to notice.

The others catch up with Klaus, drag him off. He falls to his

knees on the riverbank, sobbing into his hands. Howie runs to

him, throws himself into his father's arm. They hug each

other tightly, overwhelmed with grief.

A semblance of quiet descends, except for Coffey's

heartbroken wailing. A ring of rifle toting men forms around

him, though he hardly seems aware of it. McGee steps forward,

uncertain:

McGEE

Mister.

Coffey goes quiet at once, eyes still streaming tears.

McGEE

Mister? Can you hear me?

(Coffey nods)

You have a name?

COFFEY

John Coffey. Like the drink, only

not spelt the same.

McGee hunkers carefully down, watching for any sudden moves.

McGEE

What happened here, John Coffey?

You want to tell me that?

COFFEY

I couldn't help it. I tried to

take it back, but it was too late.

McGEE

(pause)

Boy, you are under arrest for

murder.

McGee spits in Coffey's face...