BROOKS (V.O.)

I don't like it here. I'm tired of being afraid all the time. I've decided not to stay.

He takes one last look around. Only one thing left to do. He steps to a wooden chair in the center of the room, pulls out s pocketknife, and glances up at the ceiling beam.

He steps up onto the chair. It wobbles queasily. Now facing the beam, he carves a message into the wood: "Brooks Hatlen was here." He smiles with a sort of inner peace.

BROOKS (V.O.)

I doubt they'll kick up any fuss. Not for an old crook like me.

TIGHT ON CHAIR

His weight shifts on the wobbly chair -- and it goes out from under him. His feet remain where they are, kicking feebly in mid-air. His hat falls to the floor.

ANGLE WIDENS. Brooks has hanged himself. He swings gently, facing the open window. Traffic noise floats up from below.

EXT -- EXERCISE YARD -- SHAWSHANK -- DAY (1954)

Andy reads the letter to Red and the others:

ANDY

P.S. Tell Heywood I'm sorry I put a knife to his throat. No hard feelings.

A long silence. Andy folds the letter, puts it away. Softly:

RED

He should'a died in here, goddamn it.

INT -- PRISON LIBRARY -- DAY (1954)

Andy is sorting books on the cart. He replaces a stack on the shelf -- and pauses, noticing a line of ants crawling up the wood. He glances up. The ants disappear over the top. He pulls a chair over and stands on it, peers cautiously over.

ANDY

Red!

Red steps in with an armload of files. Andy gingerly reaches in, grabs a black feathered wing, and pulls out a dead crow.

RED

(softly)

Is that Jake?

INT -- WOOD SHOP -- DAY (1954)

Red is making something at his bench, sanding and planing.

RED (V.O.)

It never would have occurred to us, if not for Andy. It was his idea. We all agreed it was the right thing to do…

EXT -- FIELDS -- DAY (1954)

Low hilly terrain all around. A HUNDRED CONS are at work in the fields. GUARDS patrol with carbines, keeping a sharp eye. We find Andy, Red, and the boys working with picks and shovels. They glance over to the pickup truck. Hadley's chewing the fat with Mert and Youngblood. A WHISTLE BLOWS.

GUARD

Water break! Five minutes!

The work stops. Cons head for the pickup truck, where water is dispensed with dipper and pail. Red and the boys look to Andy. Andy nods. Now's the time. The group moves off through the confusion, using it as cover. They head up the slope of a nearby hill and quickly decide on a suitable spot. The guards haven't noticed.

Jigger and Floyd start swinging picks into the soft earth, quickly ripping out a hole. Red reaches into his jacket and pulls out a beautiful wooden box, carefully stained and varnished. He shows it around to nods of approval.

ANDY