Report to your cellblocks for evening count.

BOOM DOWN to Red and the boys. Convicts drift past them.

FLOYD

Where the hell is he?

HEYWOOD

Probably still up in the warden's.

TOWER GUARD

(via bullhorn)

YOU MEN! YOU HEAR THAT ANNOUNCEMENT OR ZUST TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND?

SKEET

Christ. What do we do?

FLOYD

Nothing we can do. Not tonight.

HEYWOOD

Let's pull him aside tomorrow, all of us. Have a word with him. Ain't that right, Red?

RED

(unconvinced)

Yeah. Sure. That's right.

INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- NIGHT (1966)

Andy's working away. Norton pokes his head in.

NORTON

Lickety-split. I wanna get home.

ANDY

Just about done, sir.

We follow Norton to his wife's sampler. He swings it aside, works the combination dial, opens the wall safe. Andy moves up, shoves in the black ledger and files. Norton shuts the safe.

ANDY

Three deposits tonight.

Andy hands him the envelopes. Norton heads for the door.

NORTON

Get my stuff down t'laundry. And shine my shoes. I want 'em lookin' like mirrors.

(pauses at door)

Nice havin' you back, Andy. Place just wasn't the same without you.

Norton exits. Andy turns to the laundry. He opens the shoebox. Nice pair of dress shoes inside. He sighs, glances down at the old ragged pair of work shoes on his own feet.

INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- NIGHT (1966)

Andy is diligently shining Norton's shoes.

INT -- PRISON CORRIDOR -- NIGHT (1966)

Andy trudges down the hallway, laundry slung over his shoulder,

INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- NIGHT (1966)

Andy nods to the GUARD. The guard BUZZES him through.

INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966)

Red hears Andy coming, moves to the bars. He watches Andy come up to the second tier and pause before his cell.

GUARD (O.S.)

Open number twelve!

Andy gazes directly at Red. A beat of eye contact. Red shakes his head. Don't do it. Andy smiles, eerily calm… and enters his cell. The door closes. KA-THUMP! We hold on Red's face.

INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966)

Andy is polishing a chess piece.

VOICE (O.S.)

Lights out!

The lights bump off. He finishes polishing, holds up the piece to admire. A pawn. He sets it down with the others -- and we realize it's the final glance for the board. A full set.

He gazes up at Racquel and smiles. Pulls a six foot length of rope from under his pillow. Lets it uncoil to the floor.

INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966)

Red sits in the dark, a bundle of nerves, trying to hold himself still. He feels like he might scream or shake to pieces. The seconds tick by, each an eternity.

RED (V.O.)

I have had some long nights in stir. Alone in the dark with nothing but your thoughts, time can draw out like a blade…

A FLASH OF LIGHTNING outside his window sends harsh barred shadows jittering across the cell. A storm breaking.

RED (V.O.)

That was the longest night of my life…