Psycho: Arbogast Meets Mother

[CAMERA HOLDS as ARBOGAST goes up onto the porch. The house is dark within except, as we can now see, for a faint spill of light in the foyer, light which comes from the upstairs hall. ARBOGAST goes to the living room window, looks in, sees only darkness. Then he goes to the door, listens for along moment, hears nothing. Very slowly, almost painfully, he turns the knob of the door and pushes gently with his arm and shoulder. The door begins to open. He allows it to open just enough for him to slip through and into the foyer.]

[CUT TO: INT. FOYER OF BATES' HOUSE - (NIGHT). ARBOGAST gradually eases the door closed, stands against it, waiting. He looks up in the direction of the light, sees no one. The door at the head of the stairs is closed. ARBOGAST listens, holds his breath, hears what could be human sounds coming from upstairs but realizes these could also be the sounds of an old house after sunset. After a careful wait, he crosses to the stairs, starts up, slowly, guardedly, placing a foot squarely on each step to test it for squeaks or groans before placing his full weight on it. CAMERA FOLLOWS, remaining on floor level but TRAVELLING ALONG the stairway as ARBOGAST makes his way up.]

[CUT TO: EXTREMELY HIGH ANGLE. INT. STAIRWAY AND UPSTAIRS LANDING. We see ARBOGAST coming up the stairs. And now we see, too, the door of the mother's room, opening, carefully and slowly. As ARBOGAST reaches the landing, the door opens and the mother steps out, her hand raises high, the blade of an enormous knife flashing.]

[C.U. - A BIG HEAD OF AN ASTONISHED ARBOGAST. The knife slashes across his cheek and neck. Blood spurts. The sudden attack throws him off balance. He stumbles back and staggers down the whole of the staircase. He frantically gropes for the balustrade as he goes backwards down the stairs. The CAMERA FOLLOWS him all the way. A wicked knife keeps thrusting itself into the foreground. As he collapses at the bottom, the black head and shoulders of MRS. BATES plunges into the foreground as the CAMERA MOVES IN to contain the raising and descending murder weapon. FADE OUT.]