SDuffy
February 6th, 2004, 05:00 PM
What do you guys think? Been working on this first draft for a bit now. The movie is title, 'Bump in the Night'. It's about a Clown (of course) and his relationship to the small boy that knows his secret.
________________________________________________________
EXT. HOUSE- NIGHT
A classy looking white house somewhat bigger than the Sullivan home, yet still looking like it could be in the same neighborhood. Printed on the mailbox in front of the house is the name MENDLE.
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, KITCHEN/DINING ROOM- NIGHT
Jessica sits at a family dinner table across from jessica. Emily closes the fridge, a soda in her hand, and joins the others.
JESSICA
You ready yet?
SARAH
Yeah, the board's in the other room, be right back.
Emily leaves the room.
EMILY
Are you sure you want to do this?
Jessica scoffs.
JESSICA
Of course, I'm not afraid of this kind of junk. It's only as
scary as you let it be.
EMILY
Yeah, but actually trying to summon a spirit is kind of
freaky you know?
JESSICA
You're such a baby.
Before Emily can respond Sarah returns with the ouija board.
SARAH
Here it is.
EMILY
Who are we going to try to summon?
SARAH
You know, I didn't think about that.
JESSICA
I know.
Jessica reaches into her backpack and produces the manila folder from her house.
SARAH
What's that?
JESSICA
Something my Dad's working on for the police.
EMILY
Isn't that top secret then?
JESSICA
No, he left it on the table at home-
EMILY
What's it about?
JESSICA
That kid in town that had his family murdered last month.
SARAH
The Hanners or something, right?
JESSICA
Hansen's.
SARAH
Sucks to be him I guess.
EMILY
Sarah! Don't be a bitch.
JESSICA
Both of you shutup-
Emily and Sarah stop and turn their attention to Jessica.
JESSICA
That's not the freaky part about it- look at police sketch
the kid gave them.
REVERSE SHOT OF Jessica as she pulls out a sheet of paper and holds it so the girls can see, both GASP.
We turn to the front and see what they do: A SKETCH OF A CLOWN.
Around his eyes are what looks like a hundred horrible scars coupled with a terrible grin and the tattoo of a bulls-eye on the top of his head.
EMILY
Jesus Christ!
JESSICA
Yeah, listen to this story they got from the kids house.
Jessica puts away the photo and pulls a few small pages from the folder. They are yellowed and dingy looking.
JESSICA
(reading)
The murderer claimed over 38 lives. He is nowhere,
everywhere, a bump in the night-
Jessica stops abruptly.
SARAH
Keep going!
JESSICA
(reading)
He is the creaking of the floorboards while you try to
sleep, his butcher knife the swish of the trees outside...
Jessica looks up. Emily isn't taking the story well, Sarah is almost falling over she's leaning in so far.
JESSICA
(reading)
This Clown has no known history- only the lives he leaves
behind his murderous wake.
Jessica flips over the page.
JESSICA
It's all muddled up and the rest of the story is missing.
EMILY
Did it really happen?
JESSICA
It looks like a story from a book or something, but who
knows?
A CHILL runs down Emily's spine.
EMILY
God, clowns are freaky.
SARAH
It's only a story.
EMILY
Yeah, a story that came true last month.
Sarah concedes, nodding her head. Jessica puts the pages back in the folder and replaces it in her backpack.
JESSICA
I want to summon him.
EMILY
Who?
JESSICA
The clown, dummy.
SARAH
Yeah!
EMILY
I don't know about this guys...
Jessica shakes her head, as if admonishing a child.
JESSICA
Come on, you said you'd do it Emily
EMILY
How are we supposed to do it?
JESSICA
We just tell him to come with the board. Give me your hands.
All three girls put their hands on the board over a marker piece.
EMILY
What now?
JESSICA
Don't know, guess we talk to him.
Jessica makes a show of clearing her throat.
SARAH
Gross.
JESSICA
Shh! Clown, I command you to make your presence known.
The room falls silent as the girls wait for something to happen.
Nothing.
EMILY
Uh, nothing's happening-
Emily is cut off by the sound of the pointer piece slowly SCRAPING across the board. She looks like she's about to have a heart attack.
EMILY
Jessica?
JESSICA
Quiet! Clown, what do you want?
Again nothing happens for a moment, then the pointer piece moves ever so slowly across the board.
CLOSE UP ON THE BOARD: The pointer piece SCRAPES across the board, spelling out the word 'K-I-L-L'. Emily GASPS.
EMILY
You two are doing it!
Jessica and Sarah look at each other.
JESSICA
It's not me.
SARAH
Yeah, your hands are on the board too!
EMILY
Don't lie, do you both swear?
Both girls nod.
SARAH
Yeah.
JESSICA
Watch we'll barely touch the pointer.
Jessica and Sarah pull their hands away until their fingertips are barely touching the board.
JESSICA
Clown! What do you want us to do?
CLOSE UP ON BOARD: The pointer continues to slowly SCRAPE across the board. This time it spells out the word, 'D-I-E'.
Emily JUMPS out of her seat, knocking her chair to the floor.
EMILY
Oh God! This can't be happening!
Jessica and Sarah watch Emily's hysterics for a moment, then both burst into laughter. Realization of the ruse dawns on her.
SARAH
Scaredy cat!
JESSICA
You should see your face!
(imitating Emily)
Oh God! This can't be happening!
EMILY
Jerks! I knew it was a joke...
JESSICA
Right, whatever. You were so scared.
Jessica and Sarah give other a high five. Sarah's eyes catch the clock on the wall.
ANGLE ON THE CLOCK: It reads 11:35. Jessica stops laughing.
JESSICA
Shit!
Emily and SARAH look at the clock.
SARAH
What?
JESSICA
I was supposed to meet Dan twenty minutes ago, he's going to
be pissed.
SARAH
Ooh! I bet he's going to punish you!
JESSICA
Shut up.
SARAH
(imitating Dan)
C'mere girl. You've been bad.
SARAH mimes like she licks her hand then slaps at an imaginary butt in front of her, gyrating her hips like she's humping it.
JESSICA
Whatever. We don't do that.
SARAH
Whatever you say. Later dude.
EMILY
Bye Jessica.
JESSICA
Bye.
Jessica heads for the door but we don't follow her. We hear the door OPEN, then CLOSE and Jessica is gone. Emily turns her attention to the board.
EMILY
You don't really think it works do you?
SARAH
Of course not. You worried about clowns Em?
Emily shakes her head.
EMILY
No, well, not really. I just don't like thinking about
people like that.
SARAH walks toward the stairs.
SARAH
Don't worry about it, kid was probably just freaked out and
lied.
EMILY
Yeah, you're right.
SARAH
I'm going to take a shower before bed.
SARAH trots down the stairs out of view leaving Emily in the dining room.
Emily reaches into SARAH's backpack and pulls the manila folder out. She takes the sketch of the Clown out and looks it over again.
EMILY
Stupid clowns.
She puts everything back and leaves the room.
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, BATHROOM- NIGHT
Sarah turns the shower on and looks at herself in the mirror.
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, EMILY'S ROOM- NIGHT
The sound of a SHOWER running on the other side of the house.
Emily turns the lights off and steps across her room to the bed.
A night light casts a deep blue across the room and Emily gets into bed, pulling the covers up over herself.
CLOSE ON EMILY as she closes her eyes.
The sound of the shower fades away and it becomes deathly quiet for a moment. Somewhere else in the house we HEAR something we can't quite make out, a bump in the night.
Emily opens her eyes and props herself on an elbow to look towards her door.
EMILY
Stupid stories... I better not have a nightmare.
Emily plops back down and turns towards the wall directly behind her bed.
She moves around until she is comfortable then stops moving.
It is still quiet, but something has changed. We see Emily's bed in full view now and move towards the floor.
From underneath the bed we hear a SCRAPING sound, then a RUSTLING as a large, veiny WHITE HAND emerges from the sheets, setting down on the floor as if it is straining to pull itself from nothingness.
Once again Emily opens her eyes, but this time she does not move. She tries to breathe as quietly as possible as the sounds continue from below her bed.
A DARK FIGURE has now pulled itself from under the bed and we hear LABORED BREATH from behind Emily.
She doesn't move, fear has paralyzed her. She continues to watch her wall as a shadow begins to rise. The night light on the opposite wall casts the SHADOW of a man against Emily's wall, but we still cannot see the man with the white hand swathed in darkness. The figure hulks over Emily's bed.
CLOSE UP on WHITE HAND. We see the gleam of a bulky butcher knife in the blue light. Emily watches the shadow as the arm slowly rises. She turns, only the beginning of a SCREAM escaping her lips as the arm swings down--
CUT TO:
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, BATHROOM- NIGHT
Sarah is out of the shower now. She is wearing an oversized t-shirt and is working on blow-drying her hair.
We hear a SCREAM echo from Emily's room and Sarah freezes.
She turns the blow-dryer off and sets it down, opening the door to the bathroom.
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, HALLWAY- NIGHT
Sarah steps out of the bathroom slowly, flipping the light switch in the hallway on. The floorboards CREAK as she ever so slowly makes her way to Emily's room.
The walk is long, the sounds of the night amplified.
From outside we hear a muffled cry and a THUMP.
SARAH
Emily?
Reaching the door SARAH stops, holding her hand over the handle- it's shaking.
Her breathing is loud and we can almost hear her heart beat. As her hand closes in on the handle something SMASHES against the door from the other side. The force is so strong the door CRACKS and SPLINTERS from the outside.
Sarah YELPS and wheels back, losing her footing and landing on her back. CLOSE ON SARAH as we hear an insidious LAUGH from inside the room. Sarah sits up and moves back a foot or so as the handle to the door begins to slowly turn.
ANGLE ON SARAH as we HEAR the door open. She looks terrified and raises her hands, SCREAMING.
_______________________________________________________
If the format looks funky, sorry.
Anyways, what do you guys think?
________________________________________________________
EXT. HOUSE- NIGHT
A classy looking white house somewhat bigger than the Sullivan home, yet still looking like it could be in the same neighborhood. Printed on the mailbox in front of the house is the name MENDLE.
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, KITCHEN/DINING ROOM- NIGHT
Jessica sits at a family dinner table across from jessica. Emily closes the fridge, a soda in her hand, and joins the others.
JESSICA
You ready yet?
SARAH
Yeah, the board's in the other room, be right back.
Emily leaves the room.
EMILY
Are you sure you want to do this?
Jessica scoffs.
JESSICA
Of course, I'm not afraid of this kind of junk. It's only as
scary as you let it be.
EMILY
Yeah, but actually trying to summon a spirit is kind of
freaky you know?
JESSICA
You're such a baby.
Before Emily can respond Sarah returns with the ouija board.
SARAH
Here it is.
EMILY
Who are we going to try to summon?
SARAH
You know, I didn't think about that.
JESSICA
I know.
Jessica reaches into her backpack and produces the manila folder from her house.
SARAH
What's that?
JESSICA
Something my Dad's working on for the police.
EMILY
Isn't that top secret then?
JESSICA
No, he left it on the table at home-
EMILY
What's it about?
JESSICA
That kid in town that had his family murdered last month.
SARAH
The Hanners or something, right?
JESSICA
Hansen's.
SARAH
Sucks to be him I guess.
EMILY
Sarah! Don't be a bitch.
JESSICA
Both of you shutup-
Emily and Sarah stop and turn their attention to Jessica.
JESSICA
That's not the freaky part about it- look at police sketch
the kid gave them.
REVERSE SHOT OF Jessica as she pulls out a sheet of paper and holds it so the girls can see, both GASP.
We turn to the front and see what they do: A SKETCH OF A CLOWN.
Around his eyes are what looks like a hundred horrible scars coupled with a terrible grin and the tattoo of a bulls-eye on the top of his head.
EMILY
Jesus Christ!
JESSICA
Yeah, listen to this story they got from the kids house.
Jessica puts away the photo and pulls a few small pages from the folder. They are yellowed and dingy looking.
JESSICA
(reading)
The murderer claimed over 38 lives. He is nowhere,
everywhere, a bump in the night-
Jessica stops abruptly.
SARAH
Keep going!
JESSICA
(reading)
He is the creaking of the floorboards while you try to
sleep, his butcher knife the swish of the trees outside...
Jessica looks up. Emily isn't taking the story well, Sarah is almost falling over she's leaning in so far.
JESSICA
(reading)
This Clown has no known history- only the lives he leaves
behind his murderous wake.
Jessica flips over the page.
JESSICA
It's all muddled up and the rest of the story is missing.
EMILY
Did it really happen?
JESSICA
It looks like a story from a book or something, but who
knows?
A CHILL runs down Emily's spine.
EMILY
God, clowns are freaky.
SARAH
It's only a story.
EMILY
Yeah, a story that came true last month.
Sarah concedes, nodding her head. Jessica puts the pages back in the folder and replaces it in her backpack.
JESSICA
I want to summon him.
EMILY
Who?
JESSICA
The clown, dummy.
SARAH
Yeah!
EMILY
I don't know about this guys...
Jessica shakes her head, as if admonishing a child.
JESSICA
Come on, you said you'd do it Emily
EMILY
How are we supposed to do it?
JESSICA
We just tell him to come with the board. Give me your hands.
All three girls put their hands on the board over a marker piece.
EMILY
What now?
JESSICA
Don't know, guess we talk to him.
Jessica makes a show of clearing her throat.
SARAH
Gross.
JESSICA
Shh! Clown, I command you to make your presence known.
The room falls silent as the girls wait for something to happen.
Nothing.
EMILY
Uh, nothing's happening-
Emily is cut off by the sound of the pointer piece slowly SCRAPING across the board. She looks like she's about to have a heart attack.
EMILY
Jessica?
JESSICA
Quiet! Clown, what do you want?
Again nothing happens for a moment, then the pointer piece moves ever so slowly across the board.
CLOSE UP ON THE BOARD: The pointer piece SCRAPES across the board, spelling out the word 'K-I-L-L'. Emily GASPS.
EMILY
You two are doing it!
Jessica and Sarah look at each other.
JESSICA
It's not me.
SARAH
Yeah, your hands are on the board too!
EMILY
Don't lie, do you both swear?
Both girls nod.
SARAH
Yeah.
JESSICA
Watch we'll barely touch the pointer.
Jessica and Sarah pull their hands away until their fingertips are barely touching the board.
JESSICA
Clown! What do you want us to do?
CLOSE UP ON BOARD: The pointer continues to slowly SCRAPE across the board. This time it spells out the word, 'D-I-E'.
Emily JUMPS out of her seat, knocking her chair to the floor.
EMILY
Oh God! This can't be happening!
Jessica and Sarah watch Emily's hysterics for a moment, then both burst into laughter. Realization of the ruse dawns on her.
SARAH
Scaredy cat!
JESSICA
You should see your face!
(imitating Emily)
Oh God! This can't be happening!
EMILY
Jerks! I knew it was a joke...
JESSICA
Right, whatever. You were so scared.
Jessica and Sarah give other a high five. Sarah's eyes catch the clock on the wall.
ANGLE ON THE CLOCK: It reads 11:35. Jessica stops laughing.
JESSICA
Shit!
Emily and SARAH look at the clock.
SARAH
What?
JESSICA
I was supposed to meet Dan twenty minutes ago, he's going to
be pissed.
SARAH
Ooh! I bet he's going to punish you!
JESSICA
Shut up.
SARAH
(imitating Dan)
C'mere girl. You've been bad.
SARAH mimes like she licks her hand then slaps at an imaginary butt in front of her, gyrating her hips like she's humping it.
JESSICA
Whatever. We don't do that.
SARAH
Whatever you say. Later dude.
EMILY
Bye Jessica.
JESSICA
Bye.
Jessica heads for the door but we don't follow her. We hear the door OPEN, then CLOSE and Jessica is gone. Emily turns her attention to the board.
EMILY
You don't really think it works do you?
SARAH
Of course not. You worried about clowns Em?
Emily shakes her head.
EMILY
No, well, not really. I just don't like thinking about
people like that.
SARAH walks toward the stairs.
SARAH
Don't worry about it, kid was probably just freaked out and
lied.
EMILY
Yeah, you're right.
SARAH
I'm going to take a shower before bed.
SARAH trots down the stairs out of view leaving Emily in the dining room.
Emily reaches into SARAH's backpack and pulls the manila folder out. She takes the sketch of the Clown out and looks it over again.
EMILY
Stupid clowns.
She puts everything back and leaves the room.
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, BATHROOM- NIGHT
Sarah turns the shower on and looks at herself in the mirror.
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, EMILY'S ROOM- NIGHT
The sound of a SHOWER running on the other side of the house.
Emily turns the lights off and steps across her room to the bed.
A night light casts a deep blue across the room and Emily gets into bed, pulling the covers up over herself.
CLOSE ON EMILY as she closes her eyes.
The sound of the shower fades away and it becomes deathly quiet for a moment. Somewhere else in the house we HEAR something we can't quite make out, a bump in the night.
Emily opens her eyes and props herself on an elbow to look towards her door.
EMILY
Stupid stories... I better not have a nightmare.
Emily plops back down and turns towards the wall directly behind her bed.
She moves around until she is comfortable then stops moving.
It is still quiet, but something has changed. We see Emily's bed in full view now and move towards the floor.
From underneath the bed we hear a SCRAPING sound, then a RUSTLING as a large, veiny WHITE HAND emerges from the sheets, setting down on the floor as if it is straining to pull itself from nothingness.
Once again Emily opens her eyes, but this time she does not move. She tries to breathe as quietly as possible as the sounds continue from below her bed.
A DARK FIGURE has now pulled itself from under the bed and we hear LABORED BREATH from behind Emily.
She doesn't move, fear has paralyzed her. She continues to watch her wall as a shadow begins to rise. The night light on the opposite wall casts the SHADOW of a man against Emily's wall, but we still cannot see the man with the white hand swathed in darkness. The figure hulks over Emily's bed.
CLOSE UP on WHITE HAND. We see the gleam of a bulky butcher knife in the blue light. Emily watches the shadow as the arm slowly rises. She turns, only the beginning of a SCREAM escaping her lips as the arm swings down--
CUT TO:
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, BATHROOM- NIGHT
Sarah is out of the shower now. She is wearing an oversized t-shirt and is working on blow-drying her hair.
We hear a SCREAM echo from Emily's room and Sarah freezes.
She turns the blow-dryer off and sets it down, opening the door to the bathroom.
INT. MENDLE HOUSE, HALLWAY- NIGHT
Sarah steps out of the bathroom slowly, flipping the light switch in the hallway on. The floorboards CREAK as she ever so slowly makes her way to Emily's room.
The walk is long, the sounds of the night amplified.
From outside we hear a muffled cry and a THUMP.
SARAH
Emily?
Reaching the door SARAH stops, holding her hand over the handle- it's shaking.
Her breathing is loud and we can almost hear her heart beat. As her hand closes in on the handle something SMASHES against the door from the other side. The force is so strong the door CRACKS and SPLINTERS from the outside.
Sarah YELPS and wheels back, losing her footing and landing on her back. CLOSE ON SARAH as we hear an insidious LAUGH from inside the room. Sarah sits up and moves back a foot or so as the handle to the door begins to slowly turn.
ANGLE ON SARAH as we HEAR the door open. She looks terrified and raises her hands, SCREAMING.
_______________________________________________________
If the format looks funky, sorry.
Anyways, what do you guys think?