Short screenplay from the Done Deal Halloween contest,
Oct 2003
Untitled
FADE IN:
INT. ENTRANCE HALL - NIGHT
A flash of lightning reveals an ax-wielding suit of armor on
guard duty, doorways to left and right, a stairway, paintings
on the walls.
THUNDER explodes overhead. A second later the front doors
SLAM open and four wet, bedraggled teens stumble in. They
wrestle to close the wind- and rain-lashed doors behind them.
Then they turn and examine their surroundings.
SARAH, blonde and pretty, tee shirt and jeans, pops gum.
She clicks a light switch on and off. Nothing happens.
SARAH
Man, you have got to be kidding me.
Who owns this place?
DANNY
Nobody owns it.
DANNY is a cool rebel, kinda like his namesake in GREASE.
He wipes water off his leather jacket then runs his comb
through his hair, styling it.
CHRISTINA
Someone must own it.
CHRISTINA is cheerleader material. She wears a skimpy black
dress under a Letterman jacket. She wraps her arms around
herself, shivering with the cold.
DANNY
It's been abandoned for years. Nobody
ever comes here. Except me when I'm
horny.
He grins and pulls Sarah close. She kisses him, long and
hard. Christina wrinkles her nose and looks away. She runs
her finger over the suit of armor. Eeew, dusty.
The fourth member of the group is JOHN A. The bookworm, the
geek, whatever you want to call him. Always gets an "A" in
every subject. He wipes his glasses dry and puts them on.
JOHN A.
Just because it's abandoned, that
doesn't mean no one owns it.
Everything is owned by someone.
DANNY
You gonna be a lawyer, Hartman?
JOHN A.
I'm going to medical school.
DANNY
Maybe if I break your legs, you'll
get there a lot faster.
CHRISTINA
Maybe if you'd remembered to put gas
in your dad's car, we wouldn't be
having this conversation.
DANNY
Hey. I offered you guys a ride into
town. You didn't have to come.
CHRISTINA
Sarah offered us a ride. She didn't
tell us you'd be driving.
SARAH
Come on guys. The gauge said we had
enough gas.
CHRISTINA
Sure it did.
John A. climbs the stairs.
DANNY
Where the hell are you going?
JOHN A.
It's okay if I look around, isn't
it?
DANNY
The john's at the other end of the
landing.
JOHN A.
I'm not looking for the john, thank
you.
Christina heads for one of the doorways.
DANNY
And where the hell are you going?
CHRISTINA
I'm freezing to death standing here.
She exits.
DANNY
She's freezing to death.
SARAH
I'm not.
Sarah ditches her gum. She and Danny kiss passionately.
INT. UPSTAIRS LANDING - NIGHT
John A. looks down the darkened hallway. Ominous.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Furniture's covered with sheets. Christina walks to the
windows and looks out. A lightning flash reveals a garden
filled with bushes, trees and shadows.
INT. ENTRANCE HALL - NIGHT
Sarah draws back from Danny.
SARAH
You didn't mean it, did you?
DANNY
What?
SARAH
When you said you come here when
you're horny?
DANNY
I was just kidding.
They start kissing again.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
John A. walks along the hallway. He opens a couple of doors.
Looks into the darkened rooms.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Christina looks around. She lifts a sheet, looks at the
chair beneath. It's one of those high-backed, carved, stuffed
period pieces you find at auctions.
A lightning flash reveals a MAN standing outside. Christina
doesn't know he's watching her. He appears to be wearing a
big hat like a Mexican sombrero that makes his shadowed head
seem huge.
INT. ENTRANCE HALL - NIGHT
Sarah draws back from Danny.
DANNY
What?
SARAH
How come you know where the john is?
DANNY
Me and my buds used to hang out here
when we started drinking beer, you
know?
SARAH
Oh.
They start kissing again.
INT. TOILET - NIGHT
John A. pushes the door open. He looks back down the hallway,
making sure no one's there. He moves to stand at the toilet
bowl, puts the seat up. Unzips and has a long, satisfying
pee. He sighs with pleasure.
CHRISTINA (O.S.)
I thought you weren't looking for
the john?
In a panic, John A. fumbles to close up. Splish splash.
JOHN A.
What the hell do you think you're
doing?
Christina leans against the door frame, arms folded.
CHRISTINA
Watching you take a pee.
JOHN A.
What are you, some kind of pervert?
CHRISTINA
Don't flatter yourself. So how'd
you end up with these losers?
JOHN A.
Sarah's in my social studies class.
She's okay.
CHRISTINA
If you like the brain-damaged type.
John A. grabs the chain and pulls. Nothing happens.
JOHN A.
Dammit.
CHRISTINA
Aren't you going to wash your hands?
He goes to the sink, turns the taps. Nothing comes out.
CHRISTINA
I guess they turned off the water.
JOHN A.
You're just determined to embarrass
me, aren't you?
CHRISTINA
We passed a bus stop before The Fonz
ran out of gas. What say you and me
make a run for it?
JOHN A.
You missing a hot date?
CHRISTINA
Yes I am. You?
JOHN A.
I'm cold and I'm wet. I just want
to go home and take a hot shower.
CHRISTINA
Who's the lucky girl?
JOHN A.
Nobody you know.
CHRISTINA
She can't mean much to you if you're
going to stand her up.
JOHN A.
I'll see her some other time.
CHRISTINA
So you're staying here?
JOHN A.
Until the rain goes off, yeah.
Christina stares at him for a moment. Then she turns and
walks away.