Firstdraft noedits

THE UNFORESEEN

Written by: Ben Capshaw Story by: Ben Capshaw Victor Anguiano Hayden Houk

Based on true events.

406 Hardy Drive Edmond, OK 73013 405-431-8446

EXT. HOUSE - AFTERNOON Mother, HELEN, and father, BARRY, arrive to their potential new home in an old station wagon, impressed by the beauty and size of the old place. A long, forested drive leads them to the front. A pond sits to the east, the house faces south.

Leaves cover the ground, it’s early summer. The place is unkept, yet beautiful. They look up at the awesome structure as they park.

HELEN This. Is. A. Steal, honey.

BARRY Well, we’ll check it out first.

There’s always a catch.

A female real estate agent steps off of the porch and waves excitedly. They park and get out of the car, inspecting the place happily yet skeptically. They’re greeted by the real estate agent.

AGENT Hello there! You must be the CAMPBELL’S. She shakes their hands eagerly and speaks quickly, hardly giving either of them a chance to get a word out.

AGENT (CONT’D) Come! Come! You must see this house. It’s truly magnificent. And, as you probably know, very inexpensive compared to homes in this area. It’s twice the size at half the cost!

She takes them into the house, pointing at features of the house and turning to the CAMPBELL’S as she leads them through it. First through a grand, empty entryway with a staircase leading to the second story, then left, to a living room area with a single rocking chair in the corner. She is suspiciously eager, but a sharp saleswoman.

AGENT (CONT’D) It was built in the early 1600s, but has been renovated several times. Most recently in the 50s, except for the kitchen. 3 stories.

Basement. Attic. Hardwood throughout. Exquisitely stained might I add. Some furniture left from the last residents. They were a mess...

(MORE)

2.

AGENT (CONT’D) It’s fit for a family like yours.

You have children, no? Come!

Into the kitchen. White cabinets and dark, beautiful granite lined the counter-tops and island. The older tile on the floor didn’t quite match. But it looked great nonetheless.

AGENT (CONT’D) (an extra big smile) This room needed a touch-up after the last residents. I think it’s beautiful.

BARRY hardly opens up a single cabinet before the woman is out another door, beckoning them. He and HELEN look at each other with a slight look of puzzled judgement on their faces.

INT. - ENTRYWAY - AFTERNOON AGENT So? Are you sold?

BARRY What’s your name?

All three turn their heads as a SOUND is heard from what seems to be the attic.

AGENT Ah! The air conditioning. Yes. That’s fairly new too. You won’t need any window units, another plus. Unfortunately though, the floors tend to creak quite a bit, as you might have been able to tell. But really, it’s a magnificent residence.

BARRY So what’s the catch?

The agent looks at them gravely. She looks down, nervously, then back up into BARRY’S eyes. She swallows and speaks with a pit in her stomach.

AGENT There was a mass murder here. A suicide in every room. The last family, including the extended family... 12 people.

Helen and Barry look heart-stricken.

3.

AGENT (CONT’D) (with a giggle) Only kidding! There was a death here, unfortunately. Merely by accident. A teenage girl. Not sure exactly how she died. That being said though, I’m not sure there is a catch, sir. Usually situations like these warrant low prices because of “hauntings.” But no such case here. Not a sign of it. So to answer your question... catch?

Superstition.

FADE OUT. EXT. HOUSE - MORNING A station wagon full of luggage and kids - TOM, the oldest, 18, MEGAN, three years younger, and ALEX, five - arrive at their newly purchased house with dog BAXTER. A moving truck follows.

TOM How the fuck did you pull this off, dad?

HELEN Tommy! Is that necessary?

BARRY You usually don’t take deals that are too good to be true. Unless they’re true. Welcome home.

MEGAN It’s kinda creepy. Is there wifi?

TOM Every house is creepy. Stop texting, get out.

BARRY opens the trunk and the movers open the back of the truck.

EXT. ENTRYWAY - LATE MORNING ALEX and BAXTER stand right outside the front door. Half the luggage has been moved into the house and they still haven’t gone inside.

4.

MEGAN Move, ALEX. What are you doing?

MEGAN nudges ALEX and walks by with a box. BARRY walks by MEGAN to ALEX. BARRY What’s wrong, honey?

ALEX (anxiously) Nothing.

BAXTER whimpers and lays down.

BARRY There’s nothing to be afraid of.

What’s wrong?

ALEX clutches her doll tightly.

ALEX I don’t know.

BARRY Well come inside. New is nothing to be scared of.

BARRY walks away, and ALEX hustles into the house, facing her fear of the threshold. BAXTER though, stays on the porch.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT It’s raining hard. The family is crammed in the living room.

Furniture is scattered, boxes are half-empty. BARRY, HELEN and ALEX look through a photo album. TOM rummages through another box. MEGAN texts.

TOM walks over to the window.

TOM BAXTER is still laying on the porch.

TOM opens the door and calls BAXTER inside. He walks into the house and quickly plants himself next to MEGAN, who gives him some attention.

Thunder strikes and glass breaks in the kitchen. The family jumps. BARRY looks angry and hops up.

5.

BARRY You guys want to be careful where you put stuff?

He cleans up the mess in the kitchen and comes back into the room.

BARRY (CONT’D) This house really moves.

Track out to a shot of the front of the house as the thunderstorm continues.

CUT TO: INT. TOM’S ROOM - THE NEXT DAY TOM’S alarm clock sounds. 8:00 a.m. He jumps out of bed and is out the door for a run, headphones blaring. There’s a trail to the side of the lake going who-knows-where, behind the house and into the trees.

TOM gets nearly half of a mile before noticing a metal shed, aged and rusted, to his left in a clearing. He slows down.

TOM ... The fuck?

He approaches at a jog, slows, and continues reluctantly.

There’s a padlock. He pulls on the doors to test the strength of the lock. Now he pulls harder. The lock doesn’t break but the screws on the hinge come loose.

Movement comes from the bushes. TOM jerks his head to the right in surprise. Just a deer.

He continues - pulls the door all the way open to let some light into the old thing. A few empty shelves line the sides.

Spots of light hit the ground from holes in the ceiling. The floor is wet from the previous night.

A few logs are hidden in the near right corner. Nothing unexpected. An old tool box with a few completely rusted tools. A rake. Nothing more, except for a towel covering two square objects.

TOM removes the rag. Light hits the rear object - a locked black box. This lock doesn’t budge. The other object isn’t clearly visible. TOM picks it up and takes it outside into the light. A wooden music box.

TOM looks at it curiously, closes the doors of the shed, and walks back in the direction the house.

6.

INT. MEGAN’S ROOM - LATE MORNING MEGAN sits on her bed and finishes a text on her phone, throws the phone down and sits up. She lets out an annoyed deep breath.

MEGAN (to herself) How am I supposed to make friends in the middle of the summer in this house?

She walks out of her room and down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. On a table sits a music box she hadn’t seen before. She picks it up curiously and takes it into the kitchen with her. She sets it on the countertop as she unloads food from the fridge.

HELEN enters.

HELEN What’s that?

MEGAN (annoyed) I don’t know. I found it sitting on a table.

HELEN (agitated) Well sorry. What are you going to do with it?

MEGAN I don’t know mom! I just found it.

HELEN rolls her eyes and leaves the room.

MEGAN takes the box and a sandwich back up to her room, shuts the door and sits back on her bed. She inspects the box, takes a bite of her sandwich, then sets the sandwich down on her bedside table. She looks at the music box. The wood is smooth and shiny, but obviously aged, with an elegant design of weaving lines and leaves on the top.

MEGAN opens the box slowly. The hollow inside is covered with glass. Golden gears take up the space within. The opened lid has a mirror on it. The glass is old and splotchy. MEGAN squints and looks at it more closely. She can almost make out a pair of closed, wrinkled eyes. But she isn’t sure exactly what she is seeing. She cranks the knob to start the music.

BARRY (O.S.) MEGAN! Come downstairs!

7.

MEGAN drops the music box, rolls her eyes and leaves her room. The music box plays a beautiful sound. But it’s left open, now with a pair of mustard yellow eyes staring from the mirror.

CUT TO: INT. BASEMENT - AFTERNOON An extreme close up of the eyes stare up. CLARENCE HOBBS has woken up. From his perspective, he looks at his hands, front and back, confused. He sits up from the dusty couch. He’s in the basement of his home, but it looks different than when he fell asleep. There’s new furniture.

A rustling from the corner startles him. There’s a man, BARRY, rummaging through a box. CLARENCE stand and steps back, shifting the couch slightly.

BARRY whips around, looks for a moment, then gets back to whatever he is looking for. CLARENCE moves toward BARRY slowly. He steps to BARRY’S left side, and leans in very near his face.

BARRY (surprised) God, it’s cold.

BARRY turns and looks directly at CLARENCE, but doesn’t react. He looks puzzled and slightly creeped out.

BARRY (CONT’D) Why is it so cold?

CLARENCE watches as BARRY heads upstairs, apparently to fix the problem.

CLARENCE stands in front of a full-body mirror leaning against the wall, but sees only the room behind him. He leans closer until his head hits the thing. Nothing. No reflection.

He looks behind him, back at the mirror, behind him again, and at the mirror again. He isn’t in it.

After a few seconds... poof! He appears. He scares himself, not only because he watched himself materialize out of thin air, but also because he doesn’t recognize who he sees.

CLARENCE touches his face. His eyes are yellow, his face gray. His wrinkles are more exaggerated than he remembers, like bags of skin under bags. He’s slightly overweight, but that’s not new. Overall, he’s scary. Frightening really.

8.

He’s wearing what he last remembers - overalls, a yellow button-down that unfortunately accentuates his eyes and cowboy boots that he doesn’t particularly like.

He disappears once more, then reappears. He’s scared and puzzled at the same time.

BARRY starts down the stairs. His feet are seen, then he turns and yells up.

BARRY (CONT’D) Ya know you’re really not helping me out here, honey!

As BARRY comes down the stairs CLARENCE turns slowly, he has a blank look on his face, it’s rather horrifying. BARRY watches the stairs as he comes down, turns, and sees a glimpse of CLARENCE right as he disappears again.

BARRY has a look of sheer “what the hell did I just see” on his face, but shakes it off and continues into the basement.

INT. KITCHEN - AFTERNOON TOM sits on the kitchen countertop typing on his phone. He hears a glass move to his side, he glances with a look of concern, then gets back to scrolling.

CLARENCE is testing his invisibility while inspecting the new aspects of his old house. He walks through hallways and rooms, invisible, picking up things and putting them back down. He’s gentle, and rather confused.

INT. DEN - AFTERNOON MEGAN sits in a chair on her phone. A book is next to her.

She hears footsteps coming from the hallway. Boots. She freezes, looks up, and stares.

The suspense builds as the footsteps get closer, then stop.

MEGAN (scared) Who’s there..? TOM? Nothing.

A few moments pass, then two more steps are heard, quieter this time.

9.

MEGAN stands and cautiously walks to the doorway. She pokes her head and looks left, nothing.

A cold breeze hits her neck. Goose bumps immediately form. As if half paralyzed, with breath held, she cranes her head right. Nothing.

She lets out a relieved breath and returns to her seat.

CLARENCE, now visible, stand as still as he can, holding his breath.

TOM walks from where CLARENCE was last. He forms a disgusted look.

TOM MEGAN, what the fuck is that smell?

MEGAN looks up and shrugs.

TOM (CONT’D) Seriously, who died? God. MEGAN I don’t smell anything.

TOM (still disgusted but joking) Well start watching what you eat.

This is gross.

TOM walks out the front door. CLARENCE’S boots are seen.

CUT TO: INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY Now upstairs, CLARENCE passes a bathroom, where he notices his reflection. He steps back to look at himself again. He gives a creepy, dumbfounded look.

ALEX (O.S.) (happily) Hello!

CLARENCE jumps and turns in the direction he came from. ALEX stands and smiles up.

CLARENCE (relucantly) H..hello.

10.

CLARENCE’S voice is low and shrill. It has a demonic echo, but that doesn’t seem to phase her.

ALEX Who are you?

CLARENCE I’m, uh, CLARENCE. What is your name?

ALEX I’m ALEX CAMPBELL! CLARENCE (now more comfortable) Well, it’s lovely to make your acquaintance Ms. CAMPBELL. CLARENCE gives a happy, awkward bow and a polite, yellowtoothed smile.

ALEX (giggles) ALEX (CONT’D) Do you want to play?

CLARENCE gives a shrug and smile.

Why not?

CLARENCE CUT TO:

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - AFTERNOON HELEN climbs the stairs, laundry in her arms. Giggling is heard from ALEX’S room.

As HELEN passes by, she sees a ball roll toward ALEX, as if from nowhere. She stops. ALEX turns.

Hi mommy.

ALEX

HELEN (concerned and skeptical) ALEX, what are you doing?

ALEX Playing with CLARENCE.

11.

HELEN (playing along) Who is CLARENCE? ALEX My friend! He lives here.

ALEX points to CLARENCE. CLARENCE is calm, as if he doesn’t realize her mother might be worried ALEX is playing with an apparition.

HELEN There’s nobody there honey.

CLARENCE is puzzled. The girl can see him but the mother can’t.

ALEX Yes there is! Watch.

ALEX pushes the ball to CLARENCE. It rolls to a stop just in front of him. He’s still.

ALEX (CONT’D) Roll it back! C’mon!

CLARENCE remains still. Then he starts to reach for the ball.

HELEN Okay honey. Keep playing with CLARENCE! HELEN walks away. ALEX looks at CLARENCE angrily.

ALEX You’re no fun!

She storms off, and CLARENCE remains seated, ball in hand.

CLARENCE (to himself) What is going on?

He gets up, heads downstairs, sits in a rocking chair in the corner, rocks for a moment, then disappears. The chair continues to rock.

FADE OUT. INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT The CAMPBELL’S laugh heartily at the dinner table.

12.

BARRY And then she died the next year...

Everyone stops laughing awkwardly. HELEN breaks the ice HELEN Alright, well I think dessert is in order.

She gets up and walks to the fridge. BAXTER is on the ground, chewing on a bone. He’s far more comfortable in the house than he was the previous night.

HELEN (CONT’D) BARRY, where did BAXTER get that bone?

BARRY I don’t know. TOM? TOM Noooo idea.

HELEN I’ve never seen him even have a bone like that.

BAXTER suddenly jolts up and barks aggresively at HELEN. HELEN (CONT’D) Stop that! No! Stop it!

But BAXTER continues. He growls angrily then takes a slow step.

HELEN moves to her right, frightened, but BAXTER’S gaze doesn’t follow her. It stays forward.

He takes a few more steps, growling, eyes looking up with hatred in them. There’s a sense of unexplained wrongness in the room. What could he be looking at?

HELEN jumps next to BAXTER and pokes her head behind him, looking for anything that could cause this reaction.

BARRY Honey, what is it?

HELEN I wish I could tell you baby.

Tension is high. BAXTER barks again, and a table is bumped in the hallway.

13.

HELEN (CONT’D) Who’s there?!

BAXTER sprints to the hallway, and then left to the screen door, barking. But then he stops, and just looks out, confused.

HELEN flips on a light as she follows BAXTER to the door. She too looks, for a moment, then closes the other door and locks it.

HELEN (CONT’D) C’mon buddy.

MEGAN (O.S.) What was it, mom?

HELEN shakes her head as she reenters.

HELEN No idea. The door didn’t close. I didn’t see anyone. But keep them locked.

TOM Well what the fuck moved the table in the hallway?

HELEN TOMMY! I... I don’t know...

ALEX (excitedly) Maybe it was CLARENCE! BARRY Who’s CLARENCE? HELEN It’s her imaginary friend.

He’s real!

ALEX

TOM Well where is he?

ALEX I don’t know. Not here. I think he is scared of mommy. You don’t think he is real.

MEGAN Sounds like a ghost to me.

14.

TOM Or a demon.

The two laugh.

BARRY Don’t scare your sister.

TOM (sarcastically) Well it’s probably a nice demon.

ALEX (upset) Stop it, TOMMY! HELEN You know what, maybe we just shouldn’t have dessert.

No!

BARRY AND ALEX

The other three laugh.

FADE OUT. INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT The ugly pair of yellow eyes jolt open again. Then blink a few times. It’s 4 a.m. and CLARENCE has woken up.

He climbs the stairs slowly and makes his way to the kitchen.

The water is running in the faucet.

CLARENCE (under his breath, agitated) ...leaving the water on all night.

He shuts it off, turns and walks toward the door to the living room.

He hears water running again.

He whips back around, as quickly as the old-timer can. Nobody in sight.

CLARENCE (CONT’D) (quietly) What is..?

Back to the faucet. Off. And back around.

15.

Yet again, the water turns on.

This time, CLARENCE opens up the cabinet to look underneath.

He twists the shut-off valves.

Finally, he is back around again. And once more, the water turns on. CLARENCE turns back and shuts it off angrily. He opens up the cabinet to find the water still shut off, yet it’s running.

He turns the valves back on, then shuts the water off from the faucet. He stares, cross-armed.

A door creaks open in the other room. CLARENCE turns curiously.

Footsteps come from the living room. Slowly. Dress shoes one step every two seconds. Click. Click. Click. Until the footsteps seem so close whatever is making them is in the room.

Then a voice comes from the side of CLARENCE. A girl’s with an echo, like two voices.

SAM You look a lot like me.

CLARENCE looks left.

CLARENCE Who’s there?

A line of knocking runs along the countertop. CLARENCE turns with it but sees nothing.

SAM (taunting) Can’t you see me?

CLARENCE (stuttering) N..no.

Now a rush of wind a whisper in his ear.

SAM I’m right... here!

CLARENCE turns to see a hideous face. A girl in a white gown, brown hair frizzy, eyes so brown they look black, smiling earto-ear with yellow teeth.

She laughs a spine-chilling witches laugh for many seconds.

16.

But slowly it turns into a girl’s laugh. A really hard, girly laugh. She’s laughing at CLARENCE, who by now is backed up to the corner of the counter.

SAM (CONT’D) (comfortably and confidently) Hahaha. How could you not see me?

She smiles at CLARENCE, somewhat charmingly, for a hideous ghost.

CLARENCE (scared) Who in the world are you?

SAM (bluntly and sarcastically) SAM. I’m a new hire. Very little experience haunting but I have a lot of ambition and I work really really hard.

What..?

CLARENCE

SAM Okay. I’ll spell it out. I-A-M-A-GH-O-S-T-J-UCLARENCE Stop! Don’t disrespect me.

SAM S-T-L-I-K-E CLARENECE turns, starting to leave, fed up with this girl.

SAM (CONT’D) Okay, okay, sir. Sit down. I’m SAM. The chair pulls out from under the table by itself.

CLARENCE How did you do that?

SAM What do you mean?

Her chair pulls out now, and she sits in it. She motions for CLARENCE to sit down. He obliges.

17.

Really?

SAM (CONT’D)

CLARENCE How did the chair do that? Who are you?

SAM (skeptical of CLARENCE’S questions) I’m SAM. I moved the chair. You can too..?

CLARENCE No I can’t.

SAM Well I don’t have it all down yet either but c’mon. You must be really new at this. I figure you’ve been around for a while.

CLARENCE I don’t have time for your games, young lady.

SAM Do you know who I am? What I am?

What you are?

CLARENCE looks at her confused, like he is reaching for an answer.

SAM (CONT’D) You’re a ghost! I’m a ghost! An apparition. We died here!

O... oh.

CLARENCE

SAM When did you “wake up?”

CLARENCE It’s, uh, been about a day.

SAM I guess old geezers can’t learn new tricks.

SAM turns her head and looks around.

SAM (CONT’D) Grab that salt shaker.

18.

CLARENCE starts to get up, unsatisfied with this girl.

SAM (CONT’D) No no no. Sit down and grab the salt shaker.

CLARENCE I don’t kn...

SAM ...Think! Just feel it. C’mon.

You’re a fucking ghost, grow some sixth sense.

CLARENCE (incredulous) Do you know who...?

SAM ...I’m talking to? A slow old man who is the same age as me, as far as I’m concerned.

CLARENCE stares at SAM. SAM (CONT’D) (moving on) Grab the salt.

CLARENCE focuses hard on the salt. The shaker doesn’t move for a few seconds, but then it begins to wobble. It shifts an inch, and then shoots right to CLARENCE, hitting him hard on the head and breaking on the table, scattering salt.

Dah!

CLARENCE

CLARENCE rubs his forehead, but stops as he notices grains of salt begin to rise.

SAM You’re almost a natural.

SAM has a sandwich open, and drops the salt right onto it.

SAM (CONT’D) This is for you.

In her other hand, she holds a baseball mit, which she hands CLARENCE. SAM (CONT’D) Maybe tape it to your head, if you’re not gonna use your hands.

(MORE)

19.

SAM (CONT’D) Or use your powers. Or just place the salt in front of you. Or float to the salt. Or don’t do what I tell you to do, you’re my elder, anyway.

SAM gets up, pushes in her chair, and starts to leave.

CLARENCE Where are you going?

SAM Gonna go get some inspiration for some pranks. Search the web, watch some TV. The people here will be real nervous when they see the channels changing and nobody touching the remote. Gotta keep it subtle at first. Haven’t you seen the movies?

She grabs a clock and fixes it so it reads 4:20.

SAM floats up, aiming for the ceiling and hits her head on it.

SAM (CONT’D) Fuckin... I still haven’t figured out going through walls and stuff.

I wonder if that’s even a real ghostly quality. Let me know if you figure it out, uh... What’s your name again?

CLARENCE CLARENCE HOBBS. SAM Well, Mr. Bobs, see ya around.

SAM floats away, and does a somersault through the air as she leaves the room.

INT. MEGAN’S ROOM - NIGHT The door is shown and the sound of winding gears comes from inside the room.

Inside the room, the music box begins to play, but it doesn’t stop. MEGAN tosses and turns until she wakes up. Groggily, she slaps the music box to no avail.

20.

Eventually she sits up in bed and examines it. Still, it plays. She gets up and leaves the room.

Downstairs for water, she can hear the channels changing rather quickly on the TV in the living room.

Eyes peeled, frightened, MEGAN cautiously makes her way down the hallway and beside the room. The TV continues to switch channels until it goes fuzzy.

MEGAN approaches the TV remote to turn it off, but before she touches it, the TV turns itself off.

She does a 360 of the room, but sees nothing. The only sound is her own breath, which can now be seen because the temperature has had a sudden shift.

A rocking chair rocks near the door. MEGAN whips toward it to see nothing. Now BAXTER’S whimpering is heard from the other side of the wall. She calms, thinking that somehow BAXTER has caused all of this.

MEGAN BAXTER. It’s okay baby.

She round the corner to see that BAXTER isn’t there, but the whimpering continues. MEGAN is in shock, breath held. She is right on top of the whimpering. It could come form nowhere else but directly in front of her.

It stops. And now only the light sound of breathing can be heard. But it isn’t MEGAN’S. MEGAN look utterly petrified. A tear rolls down her cheek.

She is too scared to move. Seconds pass, as MEGAN will not find out with whom the breathing resides.

Psst.

SAM

MEGAN sprints as fast as she can, without looking back, up to her room, slams the door and leaps into and under her sheets, fully covered.

The only sound left is the music box, which slowly winds to a stop... and the faint sound of crying.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS - NIGHT SAM is laughing hysterically.

21.

INT. UPSTAIRS - NIGHT The family has woken up. BARRY and HELEN both run out of their room. TOM comes from his room, faster, with a baseball bat.

BARRY What the fuck is going on?!

They sprint down the stairs.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS - NIGHT SAM notices the footsteps, stops laughing, and gives a smug, cocky look. She walks to the stairs and takes a step back to watch.

INT. STAIRS - NIGHT TOM sprints down the stairs, but slows as he reaches the bottom, looking around for whoever was laughing. Bat in swinging position, he turns left and right, stepping slowly.

We see that there is nothing around, no movement. But it’s tense and spooky.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS - NIGHT SAM continues to look cocky as TOM looks away from her. But as he turns toward her, her expression changes to a look of love at first sight.

Her heart races as she wants to reach out and introduce herself. She is completely starstruck.

Back to TOM’S perspective: TOM Who is there?? Come on, bitch!

Don’t get scared now.

SAM’S perspective: TOM’S yelling is muffled by her awe.

TOM’s perspective: TOM (CONT’D) (under his breath) Fuckin’...

22.

He moves to another room. BARRY and HELEN split up to look as well. ALEX and MEGAN remain upstairs, looking down.

After checking most everywhere, the three meet back at the foot of the stairs.

HELEN (dumbfounded) We all heard that.

BARRY runs upstairs to comfort the girls.

BARRY Are you girls okay?

He notices them both crying. Notably MEGAN, who he is surprised by.

BARRY (CONT’D) (to MEGAN) What happened?

MEGAN The music box played... and... and I got up for w..water.

BARRY It’s okay. It’s okay now.

MEGAN I heard BAXTER whimper. A... and I went to see and he wasn’t there.

Then s...s...s...someone said something.

BARRY Who!? What?

MEGAN (Crying slows) I don’t... Nobody. I don’t know daddy.

BARRY hugs them both and looks down at HELEN for some kind of clue. She shrugs, concerned.

BARRY There’s nobody here. We checked.

You can sleep with us tonight.

BARRY ushers them into the master. TOM remains downstairs, looking around, angry, concerned and confused all at the same time.

23.

TOM (under breath) Fuckin’ ghost shit.

He looks out the window, gives the room one last glance, and heads back upstairs, bat thumping on the steps as he walks.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS - NIGHT SAM’S longing gaze is interrupted by CLARENCE’S entrance.

CLARENCE What are you doing?

SAM Having some fun. Don’t you have a newspaper to read?

CLARENCE Why did you do that?

SAM Terrance. What don’t you get? I want to have fun. I am a ghost. I can’t go to an amusement park. I can’t get a job. I don’t know what goes on outside this house. This is what I’m gonna do.

CLARENCE CLARENCE. And okay. Well... How do you do what you do?

SAM What does that mean?

CLARENCE You can float and control when you are and are not seen.

SAM I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.

Here. Sit down.

CLARENCE walks into the dining room to sit down. He sits, and sees SAM floating in the air in front of him as if she is sitting in an invisible suspended chair.

SAM (CONT’D) Try to lift yourself. Just aim for the ceiling and try to raise up.

CLARENCE focuses hard for a moment, then lets out a fart.

24.

SAM stares at him. Then her annoyed look turns to a laugh.

CLARENCE joins in.

SAM (CONT’D) (composing herself) Don’t, uhh... focus too hard. You can practice yourself. I’m going to do something else.

She begins to walk away.

CLARENCE Wait. I could help you do those pranks.

She turns back and gives him a half ready-to-puke, half amused face.

SAM (shrugging) Alright. See ya later.

CLARENCE sits with a content look.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY The doorbell rings. BARRY hops up from reading to get it, but nobody is at the door.

He looks around, puzzled, closes it and goes back to reading.

But again, the doorbell rings.

He looks around... nobody. He closes the door, turns once more, and before he can step the doorbell rings again.

He’s quick to open the door to no one.

BARRY closes the door again and waits. A few seconds later, another ring, and BARRY swings the door open. Nobody.

He looks everywhere, surveying closely. He closes the door slowly, but keeps his hand on the knob.

Tension builds as he waits for another ring. A few long seconds... and before there is a ring, BARRY pulls the door, hard. He looks really peeved.

A man is ready to knock, and is very surprised to see BARRY open the door so forcefully. A Mormon. His counterpart steps up the stairs behind him, waving with a bright smile.

25.

MORMON 2 Hello, sir! Do you have a few minutes to talk about...

BARRY Where the hell did you come from?

How did you do that?

MORMON We just... rode bikes?

CUT TO: INT. BASEMENT - DAY CLARENCE opens up the doors from the outside and enters. He chuckles.

SAM, hanging upside down with a cloak like a vampire, turns around to see CLARENCE. SAM FERRIS, you don’t have to open the door. Just go through it.

CLARENCE (ignoring SAM) I’ve successfully pranked BARRY. SAM Was that you ringing the doorbell?

CLARENCE grins proudly.

SAM tilts her head back, looking down, and breaths a long sigh.

SAM (CONT’D) Can you teach an old man any tricks? How old are you anyway?

Err, how old were you?

CLARENCE Well. I died in 1959. I think I was 70 then. So that makes me...

106.

SAM (definitely)

115...

CLARENCE

26.

SAM Uhh. Yeah. Anyway, ding-dong ditching isn’t really scary.

CLARENCE We used to ring the doorbell and run as kids.

SAM Okay... C’mon. I’ll show you how to be scary.

They trek up the stairs, and past BARRY who is speaking with the Mormons.

BARRY Well... I guess I’ll take one for each of us. Five.

And then up the second story.

SAM Okay. Let’s start basic. Can you control your visibility yet?

Sometimes.

CLARENCE

SAM Okay. Well you can be invisible but also weighted. So you can walk around and be heard.

CLARENCE How do you do that?

SAM (annoyed) You just... feel it. I don’t know.

But you could also be slightly transparent, if you want to be seen. That’s definitely more scary.

SAM’s opacity changes from invisible to solid to invisible.

Watch.

SAM (CONT’D)

She walks into ALEX’s room, who is playing with her doll.

ALEX looks around when she hears creaking. Then she turns all the way around.

ALEX Hi CLARENCE!

27.

He gives a genuine, yellow smile from behind SAM. CLARENCE Hello, dear.

SAM looks at CLARENCE, then back to ALEX, confused.

MEGAN walks by and looks in the room.

MEGAN Stop talking to yourself, ALEX. ALEX It’s CLARENCE. MEGAN looks at her with concern and confusion, then just walks off.

SAM is dumbfounded now, and takes CLARENCE by the arm to head back downstairs.

ALEX (CONT’D) What are you doing?

CLARENCE (quietly) Uhh.. Just leaving.

Come play!

ALEX

MEGAN (V.O.) Shut up ALEX! CUT TO: INT. BASEMENT - DAY SAM Were you visible?

CLARENCE I don’t think so.

SAM How did that girl see you?

CLARENCE I... uh, don’t really know.

TOM shuffles down the stairs.

28.

Shh!

SAM

They both disappear.

TOM moves some boxes around in a corner. SAM and CLARENCE are now visible to the audience.

CLARENCE (whispering) We could scare him!

SAM (angry whisper) No! Don’t move.

TOM whips around and stares intensely at SAM and CLARENCE. They’re no longer visible.

TOM turns his head slowly and surveys the room. He walks forward, very slowly, to where SAM and CLARENCE had been.

A bird crows then hits the window hard, scaring the shit out of TOM. He settles, gets back to the box, grabs a bag then pulls out what’s inside. A bong. He puts it back in and hustles to the stairs. Then he stops.

He looks hard around the room once more... and unsatisfied, heads back up the stairs.

Now visible, SAM, love-stricken once more, turns to see CLARENCE staring at her.

SAM (CONT’D) So... yeah. Scary. Umm...

She gathers herself.

INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT T.V. playing horror movie, SAM and CLARENCE watch.

SAM See. You have to build up suspense.

CLARENCE Slam doors?

SAM Yeah... maybe after you bait them.

Ya know?

29.

CLARENCE You could even just talk to them.

SAM Well, I guess. Just... stick to making noises. Don’t, like, small talk.

CLARENCE I don’t know if I really get it.

SAM Look. Anything scares people. You could tap on the wall. Turn music on. Just fucking walk around.

They’ll shit themselves. It’s hilarious.

CLARENCE I don’t know if I would be any good.

SAM Hey buddy, just be yourself.

SAM pats him on the back sarcastically.

CLARENCE smiles back.

SAM (CONT’D) And let me stick to the creative stuff.

SAM turns to CLARENCE who has dozed off. She then turns to the camera, gives a sigh of aggravation and leaves the frame.

INT. BASEMENT - MOMENTS LATER SAM CLARENCE. CLARENCE. Wake up.

CLARENCE snorts and jolts awake.

CLARENCE *Unintelligible* What. What?

SAM CLARENCE, why are you sleeping?

CLARENCE I just rest up.

30.

SAM What? You’re a ghost. You’re dead.

What do you need to sleep for? Do you even get tired? Or do you just sleep? Plus, you didn’t start being actively ghostly until a few days ago. You’ve been like, actually dead for decades.

I don’t...

CLARENCE

SAM ...You know what, I don’t care what you do. But if you want to help me, it’s best you turn all the clocks to 4:20 like I’ve been doing every morning. I saw it in a movie.

SAM walks up the stairs, leaving CLARENCE looking dumbfounded.

EXT. SIDE OF HOUSE - DAY CLARENCE is aimlessly walking around. He looks at the house, the plants. BAXTER barks a few times at CLARENCE, off screen, startling him. CLARENCE turns to BAXTER, scared.

BAXTER has a toy in his mouth. He drops it, smiles, then barks again. CLARENCE is happy to play.

CLARENCE throws the toy and plays with BAXTER for some time.

CUT TO: INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS ALEX hears BAXTER barking and runs outside to play with him.

As she opens the door, she hears BAXTER yelp in pain.

ALEX (worried) BAXTER! EXT. SIDE OF HOUSE - CONTINUOUS BAXTER can’t find the toy that CLARENCE most recently threw.

He looks confused, but eager to keep playing.

31.

CLARENCE picks up a stick on the ground and throws it to BAXTER. But he doesn’t know his own strength - the stick darts into BAXTER, prompting a yelp.

BAXTER!

ALEX (O.S.)

He’s bleeding on the ground, whimpering.

CLARENCE looks at his hands in horror. He hears ALEX coming and runs off.

ALEX rounds the corner and screams.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS BARRY puts down the Book of Mormon and runs outside, where he is met by his wife, a crying ALEX and a dead BAXTER. Oh my god.

BARRY

He comforts them.

INT. BASEMENT CLARENCE has his hands on his head, he’s damn near hyperventilating. He’s in shock.

SAM comes down the stairs with a picture frame in hand. She is surprised by CLARENCE and seemingly embarrassed, so she throws the frame upstairs.

SAM It’s okay CLARENCE. Things could be worse. You could be dead.

I... I...

CLARENCE

SAM Okay, seriously.

CLARENCE The dog’s... dead.

SAM Did you kill the dog??

CLARENCE nods, scared.

32.

SAM (CONT’D) Well don’t fucking cry, first off.

Now we can have our own dog. Right?

CLARENCE This isn’t funny.

SAM That’s offensive. How did you kill it?

CLARENCE (calming) We were playing fetch. We lost the toy. Instead of finding it, I threw a stick. It just. It went faster than it should have.

SAM Sounds... supernatural.

CLARENCE gives her an aggressive, impatient glare.

CLARENCE I don’t understand.

SAM Here, CLARENCE, sit down. Now... you’re going to go through a lot of changes as you’re reaching ghosthood. You get uglier, stronger sometimes, maybe you won’t be seen, maybe you will. You could maybe even have a growth spurt... if you so choose. It’s just mostly about controlling it all. You might be cold, you might smell bad, I don’t know everything. But really... just remember: get over it and don’t kill a goddamn dog. We don’t want to hurt these people. Control yourself.

She gives him a right slap on the cheek, grins, then shoots up into the ceiling.

CLARENCE sighs to himself.

Okay.

CLARENCE

33.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS TOM finds a picture of himself, glass shattered, on the floor by the stairs of the basement. He looks at it, confused.

ALEX is sobbing in the background, her parents comforting her.

TOM approaches them.

TOM What’s going on?

ALEX (screaming through tears) BAXTER’S dead!

BARRY looks up at TOM with a mix of fear and knowing, as if they need to do something about the situation. He notices the frame in TOM’s hand.

BARRY What’s that?

TOM shows BARRY. TOM I found it on the floor over there.

BARRY (to ALEX and HELEN) Do you two know about this?

ALEX shakes her head, continues to cry.

HELEN No. That was in our room.

MEGAN (O.S.) ALEX, what are you crying about?

TOM Come here MEGAN. What?

MEGAN

TOM holds the picture out to MEGAN. What?

MEGAN (CONT’D)

TOM You didn’t do this?

34.

No?

MEGAN

A door closes from the basement. The whole family makes eye contact. ALEX screams and cries harder.

Shh!

TOM

It’s still now. Only light sobs from ALEX. TOM swallows. He takes slow steps to the basement and looks down.

Nothing to be seen. It’s still.

TOM runs down the stairs. The camera stays with the family, who are watching for something.

After some moments, BARRY decides to take action. He walks quickly toward the basement and is spooked when TOM pops back out of the door.

Nothing.

TOM (CONT’D)

He’s on the move.

HELEN What are you doing?

TOM I have an idea. You guys stay there. I’ll be back in a few minutes.

He grabs keys and is out the door before anyone can say anything else. ALEX cries harder again.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE shuts the door to the basement after having gone outside again. His hands are on his head, grieving in disbelief.

He hears footsteps and freezes.

TOM comes down the stairs. He stops at the foot. He takes a few steps forward, he doesn’t see CLARENCE. He looks around but shakes his head in frustration because there’s nothing to be found.

35.

A few cautious steps later and he notices it’s cold. He clutches his arms softly. A light bulb seems to light in his head, and determined, he springs up the stairs.

CLARENCE lets out a sigh. He paces for a few moments, not knowing what to do.

The door to the front door is heard closing. ALEX lets out a wail off screen.

Then, CLARENCE too has a premonition. He goes up the stairs as fast as his old legs will let him. He exits the basement and sees the family. His foot lets out a creak in the floor.

Only MEGAN hears it.

MEGAN What was that?

She looks in CLARENCE’s direction but sees nothing.

BARRY What was what?

MEGAN ignores her dad, gets up slowly and peaks around the corner. Nothing.

MEGAN I don’t know.

Now CLARENCE is to the stairs. He walks up and looks in the room. Finally he finds SAM beginning to write something on the mirror in red paint.

CLARENCE (sternly whispers) STOP.

Why?

SAM (a little taken aback)

CLARENCE This family lives here. They bought a nice house, they moved into it.

They deserve to live in peace.

SAM We live here too. I’d rather be alone. I’ll scare you off after them.

She continues to write. CLARENCE grabs her arm.

36.

CLARENCE If you were them, would you want to be scared?

SAM closes her eyes, flares her nostrils, then looks at CLARENCE like he is an idiot.

CLARENCE (CONT’D) They will get more frightened. Then move out. They’ll be scared for their lives. Then someone else will move in. The process restarts, over and over.

SAM Okay. Then it will be new every time. More fun for me.

CLARENCE You’ll get bored. You can’t keep getting rid of people. You’re going to have to live with it.

SAM I don’t really care.

CLARENCE What about what might happen to you?

What?

SAM

CLARENCE What if they call a priest? What if they get someone here to get rid of you?

SAM I do not care.

She shakes his hand off and continues writing.

CLARENCE leaves down the stairs angry.

SAM gives a slight grin, then stops writing. She looks lost in thought.

After a moment, she starts to clean up what she started.

37.

INT. FRONT DOOR - MOMENTS LATER TOM comes back inside, box in hand, and drops the keys on a table.

He drops the box in front of the family.

MEGAN A Ouija board HELEN What’s that?

TOM It’s how you communicate with the dead. How else are we going to know if there’s something... paranormal that’s doing this?

MEGAN That’s too scary.

TOM We’re not gonna do it in the middle of the night, MEGAN. We’ll do it right now. I think there’s something down there. But it’s the broad daylight.

BARRY Okay. Honey?

HELEN If you trust it.

C’mon.

TOM

He leads them downstairs. Helen, nestling ALEX and BARRY follow.

MEGAN I’m staying here. You guys are... no way.

She stays for a minute then looks around. In the least cheesy way possible, she decides to follow, scared.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS BARRY stands up from the couch as he hears the family approaching. He backs into a corner.

38.

TOM sets the board on the floor. He and BARRY get on their knees around it.

MEGAN.

TOM

He gestures. She reluctantly sits. HELEN holds ALEX as they watch from above.

TOM (CONT’D) Okay. So everyone put a finger on this. Very lightly. Don’t move it.

You let the... entity do that for you. Don’t be scared.

BARRY (slightly scared) Okay.

TOM It will spell out what we ask. Or say yes or no.

The light streaming from the window goes away. A cloud has rolled in.

They all notice, look at each other, and ready themselves for a moment. CLARENCE watches.

TOM (CONT’D) Is there anyone here with us?

A long pause. Nothing moves.

SAM comes down the stairs quietly. She notices what is going on.

Anyone?

TOM (CONT’D)

More silence.

CLARENCE looks at SAM, expecting her to pull a prank. She walks toward them, but then around the group, to CLARENCE. He gives a slight grin.

Thunder strikes. The house moves. Everyone jumps, even SAM and CLARENCE. ALEX burrows her head into her mother.

OH KAY!

MEGAN

BARRY’s hand is shaking.

39.

TOM It’s just the weather. Okay?

ALEX Mommy I want to go upstairs.

HELEN and ALEX exit.

TOM Is there a presence in this room?

Please reveal yourself.

The piece begins to move.

MEGAN Are you doing that?

No.

BARRY

It lands near a letter, but not directly on it.

SAM and CLARENCE look at each other, confused.

TOM Are you telling us your name? My name is THOMAS. You can call me TOM. Or TOMMY. They wait for some time, but nothing happens. They look at one another. TOM gives a smile.

TOM (CONT’D) I don’t feel anything. I think we’re good. Just... coincidences.

BARRY lets out his breath.

Good!

Yeah.

BARRY MEGAN

Rain begins to fall. They notice, then exit.

Thank you.

CLARENCE

SAM (stubbornly) Yeah.

40.

CLARENCE Just don’t try to scare them.

SAM I get it grandpa. I’ll occupy my time some other way.

CLARENCE We just live with them. Normally and inconspicuously.

INT. ALEX’S ROOM - AFTERNOON - 3 days later ALEX and CLARENCE have a tea party.

ALEX CLARENCE, why do you never change clothes?

CLARENCE These don’t get dirty. I don’t have a spare anyway.

ALEX Oh. Okay. My mom won’t let me wear clothes more than one day.

CLARENCE She should be more frugal. It’s not all bad to wear clothes again.

Don’t be wasteful.

ALEX Okay, CLARENCE. CLARENCE sits back in his chair, frowns and crosses his arms.

ALEX (CONT’D) Thank you for playing with me! What do you like to play?

CLARENCE You’re a sweet girl. I don’t do much playing. I like to work.

ALEX grabs a tablet from her bed.

CLARENCE (CONT’D) What is that?

ALEX It’s my tablet. Here.

41.

She hands it to him. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands.

He hands it back to her with a frown.

CLARENCE I don’t understand.

She happily begins to play on it.

CLARENCE (CONT’D) Do you want to try what I like?

ALEX Umm.. Okay.

She smiles at him and puts the tablet down. He sits up from his chair.

Come.

CLARENCE

INT. BASEMENT - MOMENTS LATER SAM lays, bored. She gets up to look through boxes. After she picks up and puts down a few things, she finds a phone.

SAM Same one I had.

She turns it on.

No way.

SAM (CONT’D)

The sounds of an axe chopping wood comes from outside. She looks out the window to ALEX trying to chop wood and CLARENCE instructing her.

SAM look bewildered and disappears. She reappears next to CLARENCE. OH m...

CLARENCE

SAM What the hell are you doing?

CLARENCE This is what I was doing at her age.

42.

ALEX (to SAM) Hi. What’s your name?

Go away.

SAM

SAM motions for ALEX to run off. ALEX pouts and runs to the other side of the house, axe still in hand.

SAM (CONT’D) (to CLARENCE, pissed) No. You don’t give a five-year-old an axe. That’s not even funny to me. Well.

She gives a slight grin.

SAM (CONT’D) But don’t do that. This isn’t 1850.

CLARENCE looks conflicted on what to say.

Okay.

CLARENCE

He turns and walks off.

INT. FRONT DOOR - MOMENTS LATER HELEN walks by the window at the front of the house. She notices ALEX outside, skipping with an axe in her hand.

She bursts out the door.

HELEN ALEXANDRA! GIVE ME THAT! ALEX drops the axe and looks at her mother, sad that she disappointed her mother.

HELEN (CONT’D) Where did you get that?

ALEX CLARENCE gave me the axe.

She picks up ALEX and clutches her in her arms. She looks around for anyone around, but sees nobody.

43.

HELEN Don’t ever play with that honey.

Don’t ever listen to CLARENCE. Come on. We’ll go inside.

She kneels and picks up the axe with her free hand. She sets it on a table next to the outside of the door as they enter.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - NIGHT HELEN and BARRY sit in bed. BARRY is on his phone, HELEN’s nose in a book, but she evidently isn’t focused on that.

HELEN In the basement the other day.

There wasn’t anything?

BARRY looks confused.

The boxes?

BARRY

HELEN No. When you used the board to talk to spirits.

BARRY Oh. Oh. No. Nothing!

HELEN sighs.

Oh.

HELEN

BARRY I could tell there wasn’t anything, honey.

HELEN Today. ALEX was playing with an axe.

BARRY finally turns his head from his phone, concerned.

HELEN (CONT’D) She that this CLARENCE gave the axe to her.

BARRY You don’t think there’s a hobo living by the pond do you?

44.

HELEN Are you? No. No, of course not. But she always talks about this CLARENCE character. As if he is in the room when I can’t see him. Like they’re friends and he actually speaks to her.

BARRY We all had imaginary friends as kids.

HELEN Sure. But it’s different.

BARRY Well. A dog video can fix anything can’t it. Look at this.

He holds his phone out. HELEN grumbles at him. BARRY sneezes before she takes the phone.

Bless you.

CLARENCE (O.S.)

They both freeze.

INT. UPSTAIRS - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE too freezes, because he realizes what he has done.

He turns around to the open door to see the couple staring at him.

He doesn’t know whether they see him or not. He backs away to the stairs.

TOMMY?

BARRY (O.S.)

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS BARRY looks at HELEN, fearful. She looks back, a mix of fear and almost gloating. He gets up, looks outside the door, then closes it.

On his way back to the bed, he smiles half-hearted.

BARRY Uh. I’m gonna go to bed.

45.

HELEN (stressed) You’re kidding.

He turns off his light.

HELEN is left staring forward with fear in her eyes.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS - MOMENTS LATER CLARENCE sighs with relief. He stands for a moment, taking in what’s around him. He begins to notice things he hadn’t before.

A phone charger. A computer. The plasma-screen TV. In the kitchen he looks closely at the cappuccino maker. He opens the fridge and accidentally shoots water from the dispenser.

He examines the thermostat in another room; electronics everywhere. A toy baby that moves on it’s own.

CLARENCE What in the world?

A noise comes from the other room. He drops the baby.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS TOM and MEGAN both turn the corner, nervous about the toy baby they see moving. TOM approaches and MEGAN follows.

They approach CLARENCE, who quickly backpedals as they get closer. They can’t see him. He trips and falls silently, but knocks the remote, which turns the TV on.

TOM and MEGAN both whip their heads to the sound of, “Billy Mays here!”

CLARENCE, on the ground, closes his eyes and disappears.

TOM and MEGAN look at each other.

MEGAN What was that?

She grabs the remote and turns it off.

It’s silent in the house now.

46.

TOM I don’t know if I trust myself so much now.

He walks toward the other door.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE reappears in the basement. SAM’s reading.

SAM Wow. Good job.

CLARENCE looks surprised. He grins.

CLARENCE I suppose I am learning.

Mhm.

SAM

She flips on the TV. CLARENCE What’s with all of this?

SAM All of what?

CLARENCE The television. The plugs. It doesn’t make any sense.

SAM It’s technology. When did you die again?

CLARENCE I didn’t have any of this.

SAM No, you didn’t. Everything is wireless and touchscreen, gramps.

No, no.

CLARENCE

SAM What do you mean “no?”

CLARENCE You don’t have to plug the television in?

47.

SAM No, you do to the power.

CLARENCE I haven’t seen a radio in this house. We never had a television.

It wasn’t what we wanted.

SAM There aren’t really radios anymore.

Only in cars. And those use satellites most of the time.

CLARENCE Do you plug into those?

What?

SAM

CLARENCE These things are not necessary.

SAM looks at CLARENCE confused and uncomfortable, sort of fed up with the fact that they just had a conversation that didn’t go anywhere.

INT. DINING ROOM - MORNING The family is all eating breakfast together happily. Except HELEN, who looks uncomfortable.

ALEX I want to go to school.

BARRY Another month and you can.

MEGAN You won’t want to for long.

BARRY You’ll like it. You’re not like your sister.

TOMMY notices his mother.

BARRY (CONT’D) I remember going to school when I...

Mom.

TOM

48.

BARRY turns his attention to her. She looks up and raises her eyebrows in acknowledgment.

Hmm? What’s up?

Nothing.

HELEN TOM HELEN

HELEN and TOMMY make strong eye contact. Then he turns back to his dad.

TOM Sorry dad. Keep going.

BARRY No. Well. I better go. I suppose I’ll be early my first day. New job. New home. New future.

He puts his dishes in the sink. Kisses HELEN on the forehead.

See ya.

BARRY (CONT’D)

TOM gets up too.

TOM I’m gonna see what’s around town.

Feel better, mom.

She shakes her head.

INT. TOM’S ROOM - AFTERNOON SAM looks around the room. She has a sweet smile on her face.

She looks at pictures on his wall, at his weights. Even his bong hidden in his closet makes her giggle.

She sets flowers on his bedside table. She moves them around just right, then admires what she has done.

For a moment, she sits on his bed. She looks around some more, as if trying to figure out what to do next. Eventually she gets up to leave. At the door, she looks back once more, then exits.

The flowers, as soon as she leaves, wilt and die.

Day turns to night. A petal falls.

49.

TOM enters the room. He sets a bag down. He goes over to the flowers and picks them up. He’s thoroughly creeped out.

MEGAN!

TOM

MEGAN pokes her head into the room, raising her eyebrows.

TOM (CONT’D) Did you do this?

MEGAN No. I don’t like you enough to even get you dead flowers.

Seriously.

TOM

MEGAN Seriously. No. She dismisses herself.

TOM looks at the flowers with dismay. He sets them back on his table.

SAM watches from the door. She is disappointed in herself.

She notices TOM on his phone, and seems to get an idea.

CLARENCE appears out of nowhere. He scares SAM, who slightly bumps the door. CLARENCE looks giddy.

SAM (whispers) You scared me to death.

TOM notices the door move slightly. He stares for a few moments. There’s tension, as CLARENCE and SAM both try not to make any moves.

TOM gets up now, and slowly walks toward them.

SAM motions that they should disappear, so they do.

TOM’s hard in thought. But he sits back on his bed and lays there, staring up.

A few moments pass before a crash is heard downstairs.

TOM dashes out of his room to find his mother doing the same.

MEGAN (O.S.) What was that?!

50.

HELEN Stay with ALEX, okay?

She gives TOM a knowing look.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS SAM looks at the table she just bumped. All the pictures and fragile items broken.

SAM (angry with herself) Shit.

Footsteps are heard running down the stairs. SAM turns into the basement.

TOM and HELEN find the scene. They both take it in. HELEN kneels and picks a frame up. The glass is cracked in the shape of an upside-down cross.

Oh my.

What?

HELEN TOM

She hands him the frame.

TOM (CONT’D) It’s just cracked mom. We’ll clean it up.

HELEN Do you mind? I’m going to run an errand.

TOM Okay. Sure.

As she exits, BARRY enters.

BARRY Hey hun... What happened here?

HELEN leaves.

BARRY (CONT’D) Where is she going?

TOM I don’t know.

51.

BARRY Is she... angry?

He gestures to the mess.

TOM No. We don’t know how this happened.

TOM examined the upside-down cross-shaped crack for a minute, then flips it the other way so it’s right-side up.

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT HELEN drives. She looks concerned and filled with thought.

She arrives at and enters the library which closes in 30 minutes. It’s 9:30.

She searches the computer for books on the paranormal. She finds stories and events. Some are horrific. Some match her experience.

Eventually she starts to look for records on the house.

LIBRARY ATTENDANT Ma’am. We’re closing.

HELEN nods and gives a fake smile. She lets out a sigh and puts her hands on her face. Then gets up to leave.

EXT. HOUSE - LATER HELEN pulls up to the house. She sees ALEX screaming and running. HELEN sprints inside to help.

But BARRY and TOM are just playing with ALEX. They’re laughing and screaming. HELEN is relieved. She sits down to watch. There’s a sense that everything will be okay.

INT. LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON TOM is watching TV in the living room. He’s on one side of the couch and the camera pans to reveal CLARENCE sitting on the other end of the couch enjoying what’s on as well.

SAM’s in the DINING ROOM. She can see TOM and CLARENCE. She’s tinkering with the phone she found a few days before.

TOM’s phone goes off. A text from an unknown number.

52.

SAM looks to see if he received it.

VIA TEXT: Hi.

SAM

TOM looks puzzled.

TOM Hey. Who’s this?

SAM is happy to get a text back. But she can’t help but have fun with it.

SAM Your secret admirer ;).

TOM Haha. Okayyy do you have a name?

I do.

SAM

TOM And it is..?

Guess.

Amanda?

SAM TOM

TOM (CONT’D) Give me a hint.

SAM I live in your house.

SAM snickers to herself.

TOM looks weirded out.

TOM Dad, quit being weird.

SAM No! It’s not your dad. My name’s SAM. TOM Boy or girl? Do I know you?

53.

SAM I wish you did. I don’t really know how to talk to you.

TOM glances at his phone but doesn’t want to reply.

He watches the TV for a moment, then look at his phone again.

He scrolls to the message that reads “I live in your house.”

TOM Maybe we can meet up some time, SAM. Good to meet you. I don’t really like texting though. I’ll see you later.

SAM looks defeated.

She heads down to the basement and tosses the phone onto the couch.

She grabs a racquet ball and tosses it against the wall. It sounds like it’s hitting in threes.

A crow flies into the window, it falls, dead. SAM looks at it with a grotesque look.

SAM Why does that keep happening?

She catches the ball once more, floats it in the air, does a few tricks with it, then make it invisible.

She is surprised and impressed with herself.

Hmm.

SAM (CONT’D)

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE has fallen asleep. TOM is still watching the TV, but decides to turn it off.

As soon as he does, he hears low breathing. TOM isn’t necessarily scared, he just doesn’t know what it is. He listens closely.

It sounds as if the noise is coming from behind the couch.

TOM is cautious. He stares for a few moments at the couch as suspense builds.

He begins to peak over, but the breathing stops as he finishes his look.

54.

TOM exits, heads upstairs, and CLARENCE lets out a huge snore that wakes himself up.

INT. LIBRARY - AFTERNOON HELEN is looking at more books on the paranormal. This time, demons.

“Infestation. Oppression. Possession,” she reads. She finds different signs of being haunted, the form that spirits and other things can take on, voodoo, magic and secret societies alike.

CUSTOMER You believe in that stuff?

HELEN I... don’t really know.

The woman is middle-aged, unassuming. She shakes her head and thinks of what to say next.

CUSTOMER I would be careful with what you get into. Some of that stuff is really dark.

HELEN Well, I’m not interested. I mean, I’m not wanting to practice.

CUSTOMER Witchcraft? Or demonic... things...

HELEN is starting to feel uncomfortable, but she’s interested in the insight this woman seems to have.

HELEN (assertive) No. Not at all.

Hmm.

CUSTOMER

She goes back to a book she’s reading.

HELEN starts to look back at her text as well, but can’t shake this odd encounter.

HELEN What do you know?

55.

CUSTOMER (without looking from her book) Enough to say not to delve into it.

HELEN shakes her head slightly and goes back to her book again. She doesn’t read, but thinks for some moments.

HELEN (abruptly) I’m scared.

The woman inserts a bookmark and looks HELEN in the eyes.

Of?

CUSTOMER (As if she knows what the response will be)

HELEN I think there is someone or something in our house. We just moved in a few weeks ago. Sometimes we hear things or see things. I read that poltergeists often build up. What they do is inconspicuous at first, but it gets worse. And demons can sometimes be unpredictable.

CUSTOMER And your experience?

HELEN It seems unpredictable. Or maybe inconspicuous. But our dog died.

Things are breaking. We hear noises. I picked up a cracked picture frame and a turned-over cross was there. Does that just happen?

And? And? What else?

CUSTOMER HELEN CUSTOMER

HELEN doesn’t want to say.

56.

CUSTOMER (CONT’D) I find that it takes quite a bit of evidence to convince people anything is actually happening to you. And quite a bit more to have anything... professional done about it.

HELEN isn’t quick to budge.

CUSTOMER (CONT’D) My mother was allegedly pregnant with me when she was possessed. I have this birthmark.

She shows her side, which bears a mark resembling a thick cross, again facing down. It almost doesn’t look like one.

CUSTOMER (CONT’D) She was very Catholic. And, so I didn’t meet her until I was nineteen. Years later I saw a video. There wasn’t much to see.

Just a lot of screaming; gyrating.

It honestly looked like she might have been giving birth to me. This?

She gestures to the mark.

CUSTOMER (CONT’D) Maybe a coincidence. I don’t know either. But. It’s easy to... misinterpret.

HELEN My daughter.

The woman gestures for her to continue.

HELEN (CONT’D) She always talks about some man.

His name is CLARENCE. She talks to him. Apparently he talks to her. He gave her an axe. She was running around with an axe.

Well.

CUSTOMER

HELEN She’s a girly girl. She doesn’t like guns. She doesn’t like axes.

She’s scared of things like that.

57.

The woman nods her head. She tears out a page from her book and writes something down on it with a pen on the table.

CUSTOMER Keep observing.

She hands HELEN the paper, gives a small smile and a nod, and leaves.

HELEN looks at it. It’s a phone number and nothing more.

She watches the woman walk away, folds and pockets the paper, and gives a half-defeated, half-content look.

INT. UPSTAIRS - LATER HELEN walks down the hallway to her room. She passes the bathroom, door closed.

Camera stays with the door. Inside, CLARENCE is sitting on the toilet.

He hums a tune, grabs some toilet paper, and tries to wipe.

He keeps passing through himself with the wad.

CLARENCE Damn tissue paper.

He struggles some more.

Ahhh.

CLARENCE (CONT’D)

He’s got it. But just as he goes for another roll, a knock comes at the door.

He scrambles, pulls up his pants, and then doesn’t know what to do. A knock comes.

Hey.

TOM (O.S.)

CLARENCE tries to go through the wall, but can’t do it.

The door opens. TOM peaks slowly to see if the room is occupied. He smells and a gross look forms on his face.

TOM (CONT’D) Oh my god. It smells like something died in here.

That sparked a wire in CLARENCE’s head. A flashback ensues.

58.

INT. BATHROOM - MORNING - 1959 CLARENCE, looking far less scary than his ghostly state, sits on the toilet in the same way he did previously. He, again, struggles with the toilet paper.

He finishes and begins to stand up. His foot slips on the rug under him, he falls back, bashing his head on the toilet.

The top sounds like it broke and the sound of spraying water ensues. CLARENCE struggles with consciousness. The sound of spraying water morphs to the sound of peeing.

INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE comes out of his daydream and is standing awkwardly close to a urinating TOM. He holds his breath, stays still and tries not to watch as TOM finishes. TOM finishes, opens up the door, and CLARENCE lets out a sigh of relief.

But as he is heading out, TOM remembers he needs to wash his hands. So he does.

He looks himself in the mirror closely, moves his face around a bit, then looks down as he washes his hands.

CLARENCE is about to slip out.

TOM finishes washing and looks up. The face he sees seems to scream as he does. He whips around to see nothing. He’s breathing hard, nervous and petrified. He looks in the mirror again. Just him.

Now from the perspective of the outside of the bathroom, TOM leans up against the wall and slides down to sit on the floor. He’s still breathing hard, trying to calm down.

The camera dollies back to reveal CLARENCE just on the outside of the BATHROOM, leaning on the wall, breathing equally hard, trying to calm down.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT It’s completely dark. MEGAN’s whimpering is heard. A clock ticks. The sound of boots step slowly. The creak of a door opening is heard. The sounds mix together. They get louder.

Then stop.

59.

A lamp illuminates simultaneously. The rocking chair in the corner is lit. It begins to rock back and forth.

MEGAN backpedals and ends up on a couch. She curls up and clutches her legs.

The rocking stops. A light breeze hits the back of MEGAN’s neck.

She slowly turns her head to see nothing.

SAM (O.S.) Do you see me?

MEGAN turns back around, the light by the chair is flickering now.

SAM (O.S.) (CONT’D) I’m over here.

MEGAN turns her head the other way. Nothing is there. But now the rocks again. MEGAN turns once more to see a doll rocking very slowly.

It’s head turns to her.

SAM (O.S.) (CONT’D) Do you see me?

MEGAN stares at the doll and shakes. She can’t move otherwise.

SAM (O.S.) (CONT’D) That’s not me.

A sound like chaos begins. The chair rocks faster. The doll falls out of it. The light by the lamp shatters.

MEGAN screams.

Shattering ensues like a domino effect. It’s a shower of shattering and soon MEGAN’s screams.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - NIGHT BARRY and HELEN wake up to the sound of screaming. They both spring out of bed.

INT. MEGAN’S ROOM - NIGHT BARRY and HELEN bust into MEGAN’s ROOM.

60.

MEGAN continues to scream. But she’s asleep, screaming and thrusting her body this way and that.

BARRY MEGAN! MEGAN! They rush to either side of her. She is flinging her body side to side. They try to hold her down.

HONEY!

HELEN

MEGAN Huh. Stop! I don’t!

She wakes up.

Stop!

MEGAN (CONT’D)

She’s breathing very hard and sweating.

MEGAN (CONT’D) Stop. What?

Dazed and confused, she looks around, blinking fast and trying to understand what’s happening.

BARRY Hey. Hey. It’s okay.

HELEN What’s wrong?

MEGAN I just. I don’t.

BARRY It was just a dream, okay?

MEGAN shakes her head.

HELEN Take deep breaths. In and out slowly.

She gestures for what MEGAN should do.

MEGAN Okay. Okay. I’m fine.

She comes to her senses more now.

61.

You okay?

BARRY

MEGAN Yeah. It was a dream. Okay.

BARRY Do you need anything?

No.

MEGAN

There’s an awkward pause.

Okay.

BARRY

MEGAN You can uh... go.

HELEN Good night.

MEGAN nods her head.

She lays back down and stares up at the ceiling. She keeps her eyes open for the rest of the night.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - THE NEXT DAY BARRY and HELEN are getting ready for the day. HELEN looks shaken up.

HELEN What do you think that was last night?

BARRY What? Was it that bad?

HELEN With MEGAN. BARRY Oh. She had a nightmare.

HELEN Well I know that. But since when does she wake up screaming like that?

62.

BARRY I don’t know. It’s not really something you can control. I used to have a sleep disorder. Maybe she is getting what I had.

HELEN She’s so young. I don’t know.

BARRY It was just a nightmare. It happens all the time. Or, not that often.

But it happens.

BARRY goes into the bathroom to freshen up. HELEN turns from the door and takes her bra off to change into another one.

From the hallway, CLARENCE passes by. He is surprised to see a bare-backed woman, so he goes to shut the door.

HELEN hears the door creak to a close over the sound of running water.

BARRY? Yeah?!

HELEN BARRY

HELEN Did you see that?

No, baby.

BARRY

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAYS - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE is pleased with himself, and heads out of frame.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS HELEN looks uncomfortable.

HELEN BARRY you’re sure there’s nothing in this house?

BARRY Just you, me and the kids.

63.

HELEN But all these things can’t just be coincidences.

BARRY Sure they can. Remember that time I thought I was a hypochondriac?

Little occurrences happen, then you talk yourself into believing it’s something bigger than it is.

Sometimes you just need to stop worrying. Have you read the book I got us?

HELEN BARRY I’m Catholic.

Well...

BARRY

HELEN But you’re right.

BARRY If you keep looking for things, you’ll find them.

He turns the water back on.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER TOM is taking a shower. He washes himself; casual shower.

Steam fills the room.

A silhouette appears in the curtain. A girl’s. She gets closer, very, very slowly.

SAM is outside of the curtain. She has a half-shy, half-very interested look on her face.

TOM doesn’t notice for a moment, but as he finishes washing the shampoo out of his hair, he does.

He freezes.

SAM does too, as she notices he stopped moving. She disappears.

TOM peaks over the curtain. She isn’t there. As he comes back down, the shadow is there again.

He’s scared. But he decides to throw open the curtain.

Nothing.

64.

Back to the shower. Now for the body wash. SAM is more than intrigued, as it’s revealed she is now laying on the ceiling with a creepy smile on her face.

TOM freezes again.

Why? SAM doesn’t know. She looks confused, almost scared that he’ll see her.

He pulls a long hair from his arm. SAM’s. His eyes look up.

She’s cupping her mouth, as not to make a sound.

He lifts his head up and, of course, there is nothing there.

He takes a beat, then shakes his head in frustration as if he doesn’t know if he can believe himself.

INT. MEGAN’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS SAM is on the floor of MEGAN’S ROOM. She’s relieved TOM didn’t see her. A small amount of light gets through the curtains. MEGAN’s still asleep.

SAM notices the music box under MEGAN’s bed.

SAM (surprised and excited) The box! No way.

SAM gets up. She looks around the room. She scoffs at some of the things she sees. But soon she is back to being interested in the box.

She walks over the sleeping MEGAN and kneels down, trying to reach the box. She can’t.

SAM thinks for a moment, then decided to pull the bed away from the wall so she can get to the box.

MEGAN wakes up. The bed is moving. It scoots away from the wall again. She shoots up and looks where SAM was. She’s shaking a little bit.

SAM’s under the bed now.

SAM (CONT’D) (whispering to herself) I guess I didn’t really need to move the bed.

Back to MEGAN, who scans the room. She doesn’t see anything but hears something shift form under the bed.

65.

SAM (CONT’D) (to herself, grimacing) Fucking idiot.

She looks at what she knocked.

MEGAN starts to look under the bed quite slowly. There’s nothing there. But as she rises back up, the door slowly opens.

MEGAN holds her breathe and looks wide-eyed at the door.

MEGAN?

ALEX

ALEX has come in.

ALEX (CONT’D) Mom wants to know if you want breakfast.

Some of the light that got in from a crease in the door gets on SAM, who has evidently moved behind it. MEGAN sees this and looks fearful as ever.

MEGAN Don’t move ALEX.

Why?

ALEX (curiously)

MEGAN’s hand lifts up, shaking, pointing at the door.

MEGAN There’s someone behind the door.

She pulls on her covers.

ALEX Oh! Is it CLARENCE? ALEX quickly comes in and peaks around the door.

No!

MEGAN

MEGAN starts to jump from her bed.

The door slams and the two girls scream at the top of their lungs.

66.

INT. FRONT DOOR - CONTINUOUS BARRY has just closed the door as the screaming begins.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS HELEN hears the screams, drops her spatula and runs up the stairs.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS HELEN tries desperately to open the door, but it’s locked.

TOM comes from his room, half-dressed and gives it a shot.

Move.

TOM

He kicks the door open.

ALEX and MEGAN are both on the floor, holding each other, screaming and crying. TOM flips on the light.

A girl!

MEGAN

HELEN What? What girl?

MEGAN She was by the door. She was in my room!

TOM Mom, there’s something in this fucking house.

HELEN scoops up ALEX and sits by MEGAN. HELEN It’s okay you guys.

MEGAN I’m not sleeping in here! I’m not living in this house!

ALEX just cries. MEGAN’s temper starts to rise.

TOM Mom. We might want to get out of here.

67.

HELEN We’ll talk to your father. Nothing has happened to any of us. It’s all okay.

MEGAN That just happened mom! ALEX didn’t slam the door! We didn’t lock it.

ALEX Stop it!!!!

The other three go silent.

ALEX (CONT’D) CLARENCE wouldn’t hurt us. He is good. He told me.

EXT. SIDE OF HOUSE - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE looks up from chopping wood. He slings an axe over his shoulder. He hears the screaming from the house.

He puts the axe into a piece of wood and heads into the basement.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS SAM is pacing, kind of frantic.

SAM Shit, shit, shit.

CLARENCE enters.

CLARENCE What’s the commotion?

SAM I fucked up man. I really messed with them. We gotta figure something else out.

She pauses for a moment, stops the pacing and giggles a bit.

CLARENCE looks at her as if he wants more of an answer.

SAM (CONT’D) Okay. Yeah. No more of this.

CLARENCE What does that mean?

68.

SAM Okay so I’m upstairs minding my own business. I end up in the girl’s room. I move the bed because I wasn’t thinking. And I slam the door so they don’t see me.

CLARENCE notices the music box.

CLARENCE Is that what you were getting?

Yeah.

SAM

CLARENCE That’s my box from when I was a boy.

SAM I’ve had it since I was born.

CLARENCE Well. I do think you may be right.

Hold on.

SAM

She’s thinking hard.

SAM (CONT’D) I think that’s how we came to be.

From that box.

Oh.

CLARENCE

SAM So maybe that’s how we... un-be. We go back into it. Or destroy it.

Then... poof. We’re dead. Un... dead. Not here any more.

CLARENCE Okay. What do we do?

SAM Well, we’re part of this.

She grabs the box.

69.

SAM (CONT’D) So if we get rid of if, then I would think it gets rid of us. It can’t hurt to try.

CLARENCE nods his head.

CLARENCE Well go ahead.

SAM looks around the room for a moment, locates a hammer, and doesn’t hesitate to smash it into pieces.

Once she finishes, they both look at the thing, beat and shattered, strewn across the floor.

They look at each other.

SAM I don’t think that did anything at all.

MEGAN (O.S.) No mom! No! A door slams in the background and the two watch MEGAN’s feet storm off through the small window.

CLARENCE I don’t think so either.

Fuck.

SAM

CLARENCE Maybe we shouldn’t do things during the day.

SAM What do you mean? Just sit around?

CLARENCE We just become nocturnal.

SAM You’re the only one that sleeps.

CLARENCE Well you can too, if you want. Or just save your activities for the night time.

SAM When they’re asleep.

70.

Right.

CLARENCE

SAM I guess that makes sense.

She sighs.

Whatever.

SAM (CONT’D)

She puts her hand out, makes all of the pieces of the box rise, come together, then throw themselves in the trash.

INT. KITCHEN - AFTERNOON HELEN sits with the card the woman from the library gave her, phone in hand. She looks anxious and nervous.

TOM is opposite her.

TOM Just call, mom. Dad’s not going to fight it.

HELEN It’s not that. I don’t trust this woman.

Well.

TOM

She dials. Many rings... “You have reached the voice mailbox of...”

HELEN Hi. My name is HELEN. We met at the library the other day. We talked about the... text I was reading.

You gave me your phone number, in case anything unnatural happened.

She takes a beat.

HELEN (CONT’D) And it did! So... If you would give me a call back, I would greatly appreciate it.

The line has a call waiting chime now. It’s from the woman.

HELEN of course answers.

71.

Hello?

HELEN (CONT’D)

A mildly southern voice answers.

Yello.

DAVID

HELEN Who’s this?

DAVID.

DAVID

HELEN Hi. This is HELEN CAMPBELL. I... spoke with, well I don’t really know her name.

Ummm...

DAVID

HELEN Do you deal with... the paranormal in any way?

DAVID Who’d you say is calling?

HELEN I’m HELEN CAMPBELL. DAVID (as if he’s writing it down) HELEN CAMPBELL. HELEN I spoke with a woman at the library. She gave me this number.

Are you her husband?

DAVID I must say ma’am I’m not entirely sure who yer talkin’ about.

HELEN Well we talked about issues of the paranormal. She’s white. A tan woman. Dark hair. Medium length.

She didn’t have any particularly distinguishable features, so I’m sorry my description isn’t great.

72.

DAVID Either way, I’m not sure if I can be of service to you.

HELEN Uh, why is that?

DAVID I don’t know where ya live, you don’t know the cost, I don’t even know if I should believe ya.

HELEN Something is haunting my family. A girl.

TOM And an old man.

HELEN At least two of these things are trying to get us to leave our home.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS SAM is hitting a paddle ball and CLARENCE is snoring.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS HELEN They’re breaking things. The clocks would change times. They gave my daughter an axe. They killed our dog and locked my children in a room with them. It’s not just noises and little things. It’s terrible, terrible stuff. I don’t feel safe. I don’t think my children are safe. I don’t...

DAVID (sounding almost tired of hearing her talk) Yeah, sounds pretty scary. Um, I’ll make some calls. Maybe I can be over in the next few days. Get a hotel if ya think ya should. I’ll be callin’ ya. You want to know the fee?

73.

HELEN Okay. No, no. Just come as soon as you can. Please. Thank you so much.

DAVID Uh huh. Buh bye.

He hangs up. HELEN looks at TOM, hopeful.

TOM I guess we’ll wait for dad to get home.

HELEN Yup. Maybe we should all stay in one room for today.

ALEX is playing in the LIVING ROOM, SAM is napping on the couch.

INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING Now all four are in the LIVING ROOM. BARRY pulls up outside.

He enters.

BARRY (surprised and happy) You guys didn’t have to wait up.

MEGAN We want to go to a hotel.

BARRY Don’t be silly.

BARRY.

HELEN

BARRY Nothing happened last night!

MEGAN Dad we got locked in a room with some girl!

TOM I had to bust open the door, dad, You can go look at it. And I saw an old man. Probably the one ALEX keeps talking about. This isn’t fake. Can’t you feel it?

74.

BARRY You can all just sleep in our room tonight. We’re going to live in this home. We aren’t going to let some creepy crawlers make us leave.

HELEN I called some people to come have a look at the house.

BARRY That’s fine. See. It’s fine!

MEGAN I don’t want to stay here.

BARRY Well, we’re staying here.

Mom!

MEGAN

HELEN If your father thinks we’ll be fine then I do too.

MEGAN TOM. You want to leave.

TOM just looks at her. He’s displeased with something.

ALEX It will be fine MEG. TOMMY.

MEGAN

TOM I don’t know. I guess it’ll be fine.

MEGAN scoffs. She looks away in anger.

BARRY If anything really bad happens, then we’ll leave.

MEGAN Like what? ALEX dies.

ALEX whimpers and clutches her mother.

TOM I swear to fucking god MEGAN.

75.

HELEN Don’t, MEGAN. BARRY The people your mother called are coming. Nothing is going to happen to any of us. If anything wanted to hurt us, they would by now. And I don’t think there is even anything in this house.

HELEN (to ALEX) You’re fine, honey.

HELEN looks falsely confident. MEGAN, angry, and TOM conflicted. BARRY is ignorantly bright.

BARRY C’mon. Dinner?

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT HELEN is cleaning up the dishes. Just the sound of water is heard. She finishes, dries a few dishes and puts the last one away.

She looks around cautiously. Takes a breath, turns off the light, then heads upstairs.

The house is quiet and still. The camera goes through the first floor, until the basement door is reached.

It creaks open, very slowly. SAM pokes her head out.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - NIGHT BARRY is snoring. HELEN can’t sleep, nor can TOM or MEGAN, but they all lay still.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS - CONTINUOUS SAM and CLARENCE walk through the house, peaking around corners and making sure nobody is awake.

SAM I guess you were right.

They head upstairs, they notice the doors to the kid’s rooms are open, so they peak inside.

76.

SAM (CONT’D) (whispers) Do you see anyone in here?

No.

CLARENCE

SAM decides to simply turn on the light.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS MEGAN lays on her side and sees the light turn on from under the door. Soon it turns back off. She curls up tighter.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS SAM leaves the room.

SAM Nothing. I guess they’re all in there.

They look at the door to the PARENT’S ROOM. The floor creaks beneath them.

They head back downstairs.

SAM (CONT’D) I guess this is life now.

SAM looks directly to the camera.

SAM (CONT’D) Get it? “Life.” We’re dead. It’s funny.

SAM smiles awkwardly and then gets back to being in the movie.

CLARENCE gives a little bit of a giggle.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT The TV is fuzzy. SAM is hitting it.

SAM Are you fucking kidding me? It’s 2016.

CLARENCE rocks in the chair in the background. He’s reading something.

77.

CLARENCE Try connecting the HDMI. SAM turns around and looks at CLARENCE like he’s an idiot.

SAM First off, how the hell do you know what that is? You didn’t even know what a TV was yesterday. And second, that’s not how this works.

CLARENCE looks embarrassed, then holds up the manual for the TV, which he was reading.

SAM slaps the TV again and the picture comes back.

INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER The two are now playing hangman on a whiteboard. SAM is drawing on the board. Her man is rather well-drawn. It’s kind of gruesome.

C.

CLARENCE

SAM You already guessed C. It’s written write there.

CLARENCE stares for a long time.

INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER CLARENCE is rocking in the chair again, reading a different book.

SAM is dancing foolishly to some music in her headphones.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - LATER SAM and CLARENCE are playing marbles. They play for some time, then one of CLARENCE’s marbles rolls under the door of the PARENTS’S ROOM. CLARENCE and SAM look at each other in dismay.

Go on.

SAM

CLARENCE gives a little pout then floats through the door.

78.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS The room is silent, other than the marble that rolls to a stop. Everyone is sleeping. The creak of weight on the floor is heard. It’s presumably CLARENCE. The marble is picked up, and disappears. A few more steps, then HELEN’s voice is heard.

She’s cold, her blanket has been taken by BARRY. CLARENCE, now visible, notices. He looks sympathetic.

The camera shows only BARRY. His blanket is pulled aggressively. The blanket budges a little. It’s pulled again.

BARRY rolls over.

He wakes up and looks around. He’s a little scared, but goes back to sleep after a slow scan of the room.

CLARENCE, now visible and apparently hiding from BARRY’s sight, continues in his endeavors to warm HELEN. As he pulls the blanket up on her, he accidentally cuts her with his fingernail.

Ow!

CLARENCE (whispers)

He looks at his nail, then the mark he left on her. It’s laughably large.

He gives a sorry look then exits the room.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS He has the same look on his face still.

SAM (noticing) What?

CLARENCE I got the marble.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - MORNING HELEN is in the bathroom. She’s looking at the mark on her arm.

HELEN Honey, do you see this?

79.

BARRY Hmm. Must have scratched yourself or something.

HELEN These looks like claw marks.

Scratched myself?

BARRY Honey. Don’t make every coincidence into something it isn’t.

She kisses her on the forehead and heads downstairs.

HELEN is left looking at the mark some more and feeling hopeless.

INT. STAIRS - CONTINUOUS BARRY heads down the stairs. As he does, SAM prompts CLARENCE into the BASEMENT in the background. BARRY looks one way, then outside. He smiles confidently.

Next he looks to the living room. BARRY gasps and puts his hand over his mouth.

The white board is still there with the gruesome hangman on it. The letters K-I-L-L are the only ones used thus far.

BARRY looks up toward the room upstairs, contemplating what to do. Soon he decides. He takes the board, and moves it down into the basement.

Once down there, BARRY doesn’t notice SAM and CLARENCE move the couch as he turns his back. He turns back around and notices it in a different place than it was before.

He stares at it for a moment. He looks genuinely concerned for once. Not so dopey anymore. He’s scared, swallows, then heads back upstairs.

CLARENCE and SAM never even noticed he was down there.

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY HELEN is reading, but keeps looking at her phone. She’s waiting for something.

She opens up her messages and looks at her message thread to DAVID.

80.

She’s sent a few messages already. “David, let me know when you can come check out the house. - Helen.” “Our address is 405 Lakeview Drive.” “Could you call me please? - Helen.”

She starts to type another message, but decided against it.

Instead, she goes from worried to determined, as she gets up and heads down into the BASEMENT. The BASEMENT is still, but scarier than ever. CLARENCE and SAM can’t be seen; there is a faint breathing sound.

HELEN takes some steps down to get a better view.

Close-ups of CLARENCE shows he is sleeping, and a pan to SAM shows even she is too.

HELEN steps onto the floor and heads over to a box in the corner. She begins to rummage through it.

A huge rush of wind that can be heard through the window makes HELEN jump. She looks around the room for any sign of movement. There’s nothing, so she continues.

She pulls out a tape recorder. It’s old and dusty, so she brushes it off, then sits down with it to make sure it works.

She plays it, and an old song blares from it, breaking the silence. Quickly it’s turns it off.

After the test, it’s back to the box, where she pulls out a few sets of tape. They’re unused in a box, but dusty, too.

Putting it into the player, she presses record then hurries back up the stairs.

The tape rolls.

INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT SAM is listening intently near the door for any sound from outside the basement. It’s 11:30 now.

SAM I think we’re in the clear.

SAM sits at the piano and plays. It’s no song in particular.

But she’s bad.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS HELEN rustles in her sleep. The faint sound of the piano is heard from downstairs.

81.

HELEN’s drowsy, but as soon as she realizes what the sound is, she turns over and tries to wake BARRY. HELEN (whispers) BARRY. BARRY. BARRY. He turns over.

BARRY

Hmm.

HELEN Do you hear that?

BARRY I don’t. No. HELEN The piano is playing.

No.

BARRY (mumbles)

He’s back asleep.

The piano ends with a few ugly notes.

INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER SAM Be more quiet.

SAM and CLARENCE are moving furniture around, clearing space in the middle of the room.

INT. PARENT’S ROOM - LATER HELEN lays awake still. She hears movement and creepy sounds from the house; even what seem to be voices.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS - MORNING CLARENCE and SAM laugh about something until they hear the door opening upstairs.

Oh no.

SAM

82.

She looks at the scene in the LIVING ROOM. It’s a wreck. The furniture is all over the place and even a vase is broken.

Now a few members of the family have audibly exited the PARENT’S ROOM. C’mon.

SAM (CONT’D)

CLARENCE and SAM go to the corner of another room to watch what their reaction will be.

HELEN, BARRY and ALEX come down the stairs.

BARRY Maybe we can give you something so you’ll sleep better.

They reach the bottom of the stairs and see the living room.

It looks as if someone had broken in and trashed the place.

It’s a scary mess.

BARRY...

HELEN

BARRY HELEN... maybe... someone broke in.

HELEN Nobody broke in. Oh my God. ALEX looks at the scene, unphased. BARRY looks as if he is holding back emotion. HELEN sits down on the stairs, she’s close to tears.

HELEN (CONT’D) (exhausted and worried) Just go to work, BARRY. EXT. FRONT PORCH - AFTERNOON HELEN and TOM watch ALEX play in front of the house. MEGAN sits on the opposite side of the porch, rather far away.

TOM Those people haven’t responded?

HELEN No. Not yet.

TOM Hmm. They will. Nothing too bad has happened yet. I guess.

83.

HELEN I wish your father would be more keen to believe us. He doesn’t want to scare your sisters.

TOM Well, ALEX is the only one who isn’t.

HELEN nods her head, looking at ALEX. TOM (CONT’D) What is it you read about at the library?

HELEN (almost reluctantly) Demons. Witchcraft. The paranormal.

Things we should be looking out for. Happenings.

TOM What about the house?

HELEN What do you mean?

TOM Well did you find anything out about the house? Did someone die here?

He looks moderately appalled and starts to pull out his phone.

HELEN (shaking her head) I don’t know.

TOM Give me a second.

He types and scrolls on his phone for a few moments.

TOM (CONT’D) (under his breath) 405 Lakeview...

His body language says that he isn’t finding much.

TOM (CONT’D) They don’t have digital archives.

We need to go back to the library.

84.

He stands up.

C’mon.

TOM (CONT’D)

HELEN too stands.

HELEN Come on girls. We’re going to the library.

ALEX I don’t want to go!

MEGAN (bluntly) Me either.

TOM MEGAN, all you wanted to do was leave the house.

MEGAN Well I’m staying right here.

Me too!

ALEX

ALEX sits where she was.

HELEN (to TOM) I’ll stay here with them.

TOM (fed up) MEGAN can watch ALEX. We’ll be back in no time.

HELEN looks conflicted. She looks at the house for some time, then to MEGAN and ALEX. HELEN Don’t go inside, okay? Do not.

MEGAN You think I would go inside that thing?

HELEN (to TOM) Let’s hurry TOMMY. They get into the car.

85.

INT. BASEMENT - AFTERNOON CLARENCE is having some sort of nightmare. He’s making all sorts of grumbling noises and yells, occasionally.

It wakes SAM up. She drowsily turns to CLARENCE. Stooop!

SAM

But now CLARENCE only mutters things that are indistinguishable.

CLARENCE (mumbling) You stop! He’ll die! AHH!!!

It’s really frightening. SAM looks at him, now awake, disgusted.

CLARENCE (CONT’D) Go!! GO!! He’ll kill!

SAM shakes CLARENCE, who mutters something totally indescribable, then lightly snores again.

SAM looks at CLARENCE with a weird look of concern and confusion, then lays back down too.

INT. LIBRARY - AFTERNOON HELEN and TOM both look through a collection of archives, newspaper clippings and the like.

TOM These go so far back.

They continue to search until HELEN pulls out something obviously of value to them.

She reads frantically.

HELEN A member of one of the last groups to practice witchcraft akin to that of the witches of Salem. Sally Smith. (she slows her speech) She died by drowning herself in the pond, saying she was giving her life to... Wow.

86.

HELEN (CONT’D) Maybe this is the person that the girls saw in their room.

TOM Let me see.

TOM takes the paper and skims it.

TOM (CONT’D) This group was known to sacrifice...

What?

HELEN

TOM Young girls.

HELEN We have to get back to the house.

TOM Just keep searching for a second. I know an old man must have died there.

HELEN nods and they both continue. She looks guilty and scared.

After only a few more seconds, TOM makes the find.

TOM (CONT’D) A report about Jonathan Richardson.

He killed his wife and granddaughter at the house. This was over 60 years ago.

HELEN So, there could others in the house?

TOM I guess so. I don’t know mom.

At that moment, a spark goes off in TOM’s head.

TOM (CONT’D) The music box.

HELEN What music box?

87.

TOM What did you read about objects... when you were researching this stuff.

HELEN Well, entities can live in them, be trapped, or use them to move. It’s no science.

TOM I found this music box. There’s a shed. It’s pretty far back in the forest. And I brought it to the house.

The girls.

HELEN

TOM They won’t go back that far.

HELEN The box doesn’t matter. But we have to go. They’ve been alone too long.

They leave quickly. They don’t pick up the papers they were looking at. TOM knocks them as he leaves, and a paper with CLARENCE’s obituary is revealed.

INT. HOUSE - EVENING MEGAN and ALEX sit on the porch together. A strange truck approaches from the end of the drive.

MEGAN, already paranoid, grabs ALEX by the arm.

C’mon.

MEGAN

They run to the side of the house to hide.

The truck pulls up, parks, and two men get out. They look impressed at the house.

DAVID I needa piss.

DAVID’s counterpart, KYLE, looks at him grossly.

KYLE You don’t really need to say that.

88.

KYLE starts for the back of the truck while DAVID goes for the front door. He knocks a few times, looks in the window, and turns back.

DAVID I guess they’re a bunch of pussies.

KYLE’s unloading cases.

KYLE Yeah... maybe so.

TOM and HELEN speed down the drive, brake quickly and are out of the car in no time.

HELEN looks angry and worried; TOM, worried too. DAVID waves awkwardly, as he sees their reactions.

HELEN Where the hell are they?!

She storms past DAVID up to the house. TOM runs behind the house.

TOM (O.S.) MEGAN!! ALEX!!

HELEN’s about to run inside.

TOMMY!

MEGAN (O.S.)

HELEN turns around quickly and runs to where the voices come from.

DAVID and KYLE look at each other with utter confusion.

On the side of the house, MEGAN and ALEX run to TOM. HELEN soon follows.

TOM What happened?

ALEX A car came so we hid.

HELEN Did they do something to you?

MEGAN No... We just didn’t know who they were.

89.

HELEN turns around to see DAVID walking toward them. HELEN looks like she is about to yell at him, but then she realizes who he is.

DAVID? Yuuuup.

HELEN DAVID

HELEN Oh. Hello! I’m sorry about all this. I’m HELEN. These are my kids.

Hey.

DAVID

They shake hands.

DAVID (CONT’D) That’s KYLE. KYLE waves in the background.

EXT. FRONT DOOR - MOMENTS LATER They’re all at the front door, ready to enter. HELEN has prompted them.

HELEN So, that brings us here.

She’s scared to open the door, but puts a hand on the knob.

INT. ENTRYWAY - CONTINUOUS SAM is finagling with a cross, which evidently had fallen from the wall.

SAM (to herself) Why is this thing so heavy?

She’s struggling to get it on the wall.

From behind her, the front door begins to open, but she doesn’t notice it. The cross is upside down, but she’s trying to flip it to how it was originally.

As the troop walks in, all they see is an upside-down cross.

It’s as if time freezes, because they see it, still for some time, but it twitches slightly. HELEN gasps.

90.

SAM notices the gasp and turns around to see everyone staring at her. She freezes, as she doesn’t know if they can see her.

They can’t.

She looks at them, then at the cross. She realizes what they must see and takes her hand off of it.

Oh, shit.

SAM (CONT’D)

The group still stares at it still. Then it falls, crashing to the ground.

They don’t know what to do. HELEN walks away, lost for words.

DAVID is the first to speak.

DAVID We gotta git that on video.

He prompts KYLE into the house. Then turns to the family to speak.

DAVID (CONT’D) It’s okay. This happens. Stay out here if you want. We’re gonna set our stuff up. Uh, and get ya when we’re done.

TOM I’ll help you.

MEGAN TOMMY stay out here.

HELEN sits on the steps. She’s shaking and almost has a crazy look on her face.

INT. BASEMENT - MOMENTS LATER SAM CLARENCE. CLARENCE. Wake up old man. We need a new game plan.

CLARENCE begins to wake up, but at that moment someone starts into the BASEMENT. Shh.

SAM (CONT’D)

SAM and a half-conscious CLARENCE watch as DAVID enters. He scopes the place out, seemingly scared.

91.

Looking around, he sees the tape recorder HELEN left. He sets up a tripod, a camera, and some other electronics, grabs the recorder, then heads back up the stairs.

CLARENCE Who is that?

SAM They’re here to get rid of us. We didn’t do a very good job of not scaring them. But I have a plan.

Okay.

CLARENCE

SAM So we’ve tried being our normal selves and hiding and everything.

But we need to connect with them.

They know we’re here. We haven’t hurt them. But they think we want to. We have to convince them... that we’re good.

CLARENCE Well, I suppose that can do.

SAM We can just try to talk to them.

Like, have a conversation.

CLARENCE What do we say?

SAM I don’t know. But we just have to be friendly. I think we can get their attention pretty easily at least.

CLARENCE likes the idea, he smiles and nods.

INT. DINING ROOM - EVENING BARRY is inside now with TOM looking at the equipment DAVID and KYLE have set up.

DAVID Ya, if we can catch ‘em with snapshots or video, then we can take ‘er to the church and get someone down here to get rid these pricks.

92.

KYLE The church doesn’t really do anything without outstanding evidence. But from what we saw earlier and from what your wife has described to us, I think it shouldn’t be but a day or two before someone can be here.

BARRY To perform an exorcism?

DAVID Nobody’s possessed. None uh that here. But we hope to get something tonight because we don’t wanna risk nothin’.

BARRY and TOM nod, anxiety in their eyes.

KYLE Sir, do you think you could have HELEN come back in here. We do need to ask her some more questions.

INT. DINING ROOM - LATER They’re all sitting around a recorder, as well as the old one HELEN put in the BASEMENT. DAVID You tellin’ me you’re hearin’ three knocks?

HELEN Yes. Sometimes.

TOM Me too. From the basement mostly.

And other times. Is that bad?

DAVID and KYLE look at each other.

KYLE What about any smells?

YES.

MEGAN AND TOM

MEGAN They’re so gross.

93.

DAVID (to ALEX) And sister, you’ve been talkin’ to a fella?

ALEX CLARENCE! He is good!

DAVID But he gave you an axe, huh?

They continue to talk. KYLE motions for HELEN and BARRY. They go to speak privately.

KYLE We’re worried, and... of course, after what we first say when we opened the door... that you indeed have a... satanic... entity in your house. Which, we’ve dealt with.

Once. And, if it were just an apparition or something we would ask you to leave. BUT... We do ask you’d stay. Family, faith, strength in numbers, it fights these things.

We think it’s best you two know.

But, uh, we’d also like you to listen to what you recorded, assuming you haven’t heard it already.

HELEN No. We haven’t.

They go back to the table. KYLE eyes the tape recorder and nods for DAVID to start it. He does.

It rolls for some moments, then CLARENCE’s voice is heard.

It’s a mumble, indistinguishable. Followed by SAM’s scream.

STOP!!!

SAM (V.O.)

CLARENCE You stop! He’ll die!! AHH!!

CLARENCE (CONT’D) GO! GO! He’ll kill!

More mumbling, then scary breathing. DAVID stops the tape.

TOM I guess that’s the first piece of evidence.

94.

DAVID (to ALEX) Was that yer friend?

ALEX is scared, but she nods in affirmation.

ALEX CLARENCE is nice to me.

TOM gets his mother’s attention, unbeknownst to the everyone else. He mouths something to her.

TOM That’s not who we read about.

Fear has already overcome HELEN. She frowns and looks away without much more of a reaction.

TOM looks conflicted. He interrupts DAVID. TOM (CONT’D) It might not be.

What?

DAVID

TOM We read about who used to live here. Some witches, a long time ago, probably when it was first built. And more recently a man who killed his wife and granddaughter.

I think in the 60s. I mean, a lot of people have died here, so... I don’t know if that means much.

Great.

KYLE

DAVID Means we got more of a change uh evidence.

KYLE But um, as I was telling your parents, kids, you all need to stay here until we fix this. And try to be as happy as you can. That’s the best way to get rid of any bad things.

MEGAN puts her head down. She doesn’t fight. TOM nods. ALEX clutches her father.

95.

What else?

BARRY

DAVID Anything else ya ‘aven’t told us?

HELEN No. No sir I don’t think so.

DAVID Then we wait.

Everyone is their own version of scared. But it’s apparent they’re trying to be ready for what seems like a finale to the haunting they’ve been through.

KYLE And really, there’s nothing to worry about. As soon as we have evidence, we can all be out of here.

He goes to turn on a lamp; it’s getting dark quickly.

The wind blows hard outside, but there’s an eerie stillness inside. Everyone is apprehensive.

INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT The clock ticks. It’s ten now. Nothing yet has happened.

Everyone sits still, almost bored.

TOM is in the kitchen washing his hands. He looks out the window and squints. He sees what seems to be a silhouette in the distance, but it’s impossible to tell.

The basement door creaks open. Everyone’s attention turns to it.

The sound of echoing whispers are heard. It sound like many quiet voices not actually saying anything.

To the audience it’s revealed that SAM and CLARENCE are whispering to each other.

SAM How do we start? They all know we are in the room.

CLARENCE We don’t want to be obvious, do we?

96.

Why not?

SAM

CLARENCE They may want to leave immediately.

SAM Maybe we should lock everything so they can’t leave.

Okay.

CLARENCE

They nervously ready themselves.

The whispering stops, then a camera snaps a photo.

Then, one by one, every door and window locks throughout the house. Every head follows the sound of the locks.

TOM swallows in the kitchen. He hears a whisper.

Hi.

SAM (O.S.)

TOM starts breathing heavily. He’s stunned.

SAM is staring at TOM, but he can’t see her.

TOM.

SAM (CONT’D)

TOM looks around for the source of the voice, but sees nothing.

SAM looks compassionate. She’s upset he can’t see her. She can see her own hands because she holds them out in front of her to check.

TOM’s expression turns to stern. He’s trying to be brave.

TOM What the hell do you want from me?

SAM doesn’t know how to respond.

INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS DAVID grabs his video camera to begin recording and stands up after hearing TOM. BARRY does too.

97.

BARRY TOMMY? What’s that?

HELEN is noticeably strange. She seems demented almost. She doesn't move.

DAVID walks into the other room wielding his camera. TOMMY is backing into a corner, talking to nobody.

TOM Who is that??

He sounds crazy.

SAM doesn’t know what to do. She sees DAVID coming in, and looks back and forth at them. She doesn’t want to scare TOM. SAM (a little louder) I’m okay!

But to them it sound like a muffled, two-voiced sound.

CLARENCE!

ALEX (O.S.)

DAVID swings to see what’s happening in the other room. ALEX is looking up at a six-foot eye level. She’s not as happy as usual because she no longer trusts CLARENCE like she did before.

CLARENCE speaks to her, but only she can hear and see him.

CLARENCE I want you to know I’m not trying to hurt you.

Hurt us?

ALEX

Everyone looks horrified looking on.

CLARENCE No! No, never!

ALEX CLARENCE they tell me you are bad.

CLARENCE No. I’m a good guy. Let’s play.

ALEX is reluctant.

98.

ALEX Well, okay.

CLARENCE approaches ALEX, smiling. As soon as he is near picking her up, for a split second, he appears to everyone else.

To them he looks evil, about to grab ALEX and take her away.

They gasp, and CLARENCE disappears.

KYLE and BARRY both fling their chairs back.

ALEX goes flying in the air. CLARENCE is throwing her up in good fun, but to everyone else he is attacking her. She’s suspended in the air for some moments, and then thrown higher. She’s squealing, it’s either joy or fear.

BARRY Put her down!!

ALEX is suspended once more.

BARRY looks beyond worried. KYLE watches fearfully, ready to help.

HELEN watches blank-faced, MEGAN’s in the corner, fearing for her life.

Now!!

BARRY (CONT’D)

ALEX is put down. CLARENCE retreats to the other room. His face says he is sorry. As he goes behind a wall, he’s visible to them again, but he looks like he is viciously smiling.

Now behind the wall, CLARENCE is mad at himself because he knows he is blowing it.

DAVID turns back to TOM, who is now gone.

DAVID Where’s yer boy?

TOMMY?!

BARRY

The house is silent for some moments. They’re listening for any sound of TOM. After listening, BARRY turns to HELEN, who looks a combination of sick and uncaring.

Honey...

BARRY (CONT’D)

99.

She stares straight ahead.

BARRY (CONT’D) Honey, what’s wrong?

Still, she doesn’t move. BARRY edges closer to her, reaching his hand out to touch her arm.

Just before he does, she whips her head to him. Her eyes appear soulless. She keeps the same expression she had.

BARRY backs away slightly.

KYLE (as if she wouldn’t be able to understand him) Hey! What do you feel like? Can you speak?

HELEN just shakes her head. She looks angry.

BARRY What do we...

A huge crash is heard from UPSTAIRS. It takes no time for everyone to sprint up there, including MEGAN, who looks at her mom before climbing the stairs. She doesn’t know what she is looking at.

INT. TOM’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS TOM’s armoire has fallen. He’s in the corner, panting and looking around, confused and scared.

SAM (O.S.) Please TOM. He doesn’t react, but continues to clutch the wall.

BARRY busts open the door and stands there, looking at TOM. DAVID is behind him with the CAMERA. TOM looks at them, fear-stricken to the core. He turns back to the room.

DAVID steps past BARRY so he can get a view of the entire room. As soon as he does, the camera is pushed by some invisible force.

TOM turns his head up and screams. SAM jumps from the corner of the ceiling of the room to TOM, tackling him.

She sounds like she is screaming, but it’s not understood.

100.

As we get a close-up of her, the audience understands what she is saying to him.

SAM (CONT’D) Just love me! Love me! I’m not bad at all.

TOM shoves SAM off of him, against the wall. He runs out the door. SAM looks up at them, sinisterly. She gets up and comes toward them, but they slam the door before she gets to them.

The door is closed and the sound of SAM slamming up against it is heard. She bangs on the door multiple times.

Back inside the room, SAM bangs on the door some more. She is angry with herself.

SAM (CONT’D) No, no, no! Fuck!... Damn it...

The door bangs as they run down the stairs. The sound of SAM’s screams hurries them along.

Back downstairs, TOM collapses against the wall on the floor.

He’s shaking, obviously petrified, but tries to man up with some grimaces.

KYLE What happened, TOM. How did you get in there?

TOM looks freezing by how much he is shaking. He clenches his fists. Then looks to the table.

TOM Where’s mom?

She’s no longer sitting at the table, but standing arched over the kitchen sink. She too is shaking and seems to be clawing the countertop.

DAVID BARRY. Approach her carefully.

KYLE... grab a cross.

They move in.

BARRY Honey... Honey.

She’s not responding -- merely hitting the countertop and making sounds that seem like groaning or growling.

101.

He gets nearer and eventually next to her. She’s grimacing menacingly. It’s as if she is fighting what’s inside her.

DAVID notices the scratch marks on her arm.

DAVID What’s that mark?

BARRY She got it in the night.

DAVID Oh god. Kyle!

KYLE enters quickly from behind DAVID. TOM is holding ALEX and hugging MEGAN. KYLE goes to the other side of BARRY. HELEN turns her head slightly to look at KYLE from the corner of her eyes. She seems to get angrier. She eyes the cross.

BARRY HELEN, what’s wrong?

He puts a hand on her shoulder. She throws an aggressive shoulder, then looks back at KYLE. No! No!!!

HELEN

She screams.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE and SAM argue about something.

SAM No! We have to...

They both look up, concerned, as they hear HELEN screaming.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Dad!

TOM

A cross falls that was on the wall of the kitchen. It’s heavy, thus crashes hard to the floor.

HELEN?

BARRY

102.

HELEN (demented) What!?

She turns and glares hatred at BARRY. A close-up shows the nail on the wall bent from the weight of the cross.

BARRY doesn’t know what to do. KYLE starts to come in closer, cross outstretched.

HELEN spins and grabs KYLE by the arm. She twists his arm almost a full 180 degrees. His cross is now, of course, upside down.

He yells in pain and falls back.

HELEN screams again. She grabs a knife and swings at BARRY and misses. TOM runs in but HELEN is quick. She’s out of the KITCHEN and into the BASEMENT. She slams the door as she’s chased.

BARRY and TOM try door with no success.

Move.

TOM

TOM kicks the door, but it’s heavy. He does a few more times.

No such luck.

DAVID puts down his camera and steps into the other room with no haste.

He dials a number.

DAVID C’mon. Answer, answer.

He’s stricken with fear. KYLE is trying to comfort the two girls.

KYLE You’ll be fine. Your mom will be fine.

DAVID gets an answer.

DAVID Getchyer ass over here. We need a goddamn exorcism. Please fuckin’ hurry.

He hangs up.

103.

DAVID (CONT’D) You boys get that door?!

No!

TOM

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE and SAM are looking down at show HELEN is putting on in front of them. CLARENCE is horrified and SAM has a “whatthe-fuck-is-wrong-with-this-bitch” face.

HELEN is screaming and carving the knife into the concrete.

CLARENCE We need to help her.

SAM I don’t know. I think we’ve done enough damage.

HELEN sits back on the wall and points the knife to her neck, shaking violently, screaming and now crying.

Help me!

HELEN

She wails, then screams with her mouth closed in a huge fit of rage.

SAM I think that’s your cue.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS DAVID comes at the door with a crowbar.

DAVID Move outta the way.

He swings at the handle until it breaks. As soon as he breaks it, he runs for his camera.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE and HELEN wrestle for the knife. TOM and BARRY come down the stairs. All they see is HELEN seem to throw the knife at them. It misses and sticks hard into the wall next to them.

HELEN starts for them, angry.

104.

SAM (to herself) Are you serious?

She holds her hand out as if she is casting a spell.

HELEN drops to the ground and screams. Her back arches up and her head and feet stay on the ground.

SAM (CONT’D) Nope, nope, nope.

SAM drops back.

BARRY HELEN, it’s okay!

He jumps on HELEN who is angrily crying and screaming. He hugs her and she fights it.

HELEN No! No! No! Help me!!!

SAM (to CLARENCE) This woman is insane.

BARRY Listen to me baby. Listen to me.

CLARENCE (to SAM) Perhaps she needs to be controlled.

Maybe we can talk to them through her.

SAM You’re saying you want to actually possess her?

CLARENCE Perhaps you could. I fear I wouldn’t have enough control.

She continues to wail over their conversation.

TOM Mom. Listen to dad! Fight it!

SAM I don’t know how to do that.

CLARENCE She may hurt herself or her family.

105.

SAM I guess. Okay.

SAM hesitates.

SAM (CONT’D) Here it goes.

Still, she hesitates. HELEN screams shrilly.

HELEN!!!

BARRY

SAM I got this.

SAM.

CLARENCE

SAM takes a step and disappears into HELEN’s body. HELEN is pushed back by the force. Her face turns from red and screaming to deer-in-the-headlights.

Mom?

TOM

She says nothing.

INT. HELEN’S BODY - CONTINUOUS It’s pitch black. The sound of TOM’s voice is heard slightly.

Mom?

TOM

The sound of a heart beating is heard. HELEN’s lungs breath in and out.

It’s dark.

SAM

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS HELEN speaks, this time as if she has two voices.

It’s dark.

HELEN

Then she mutters something too low to understand.

106.

BARRY What? What’s dark? Talk to me HELEN. INT. HELEN’S BODY - CONTINUOUS SAM whispers to herself because she realizes what is going on.

SAM Holy shit. I don’t know what to do.

HELEN’s grumbles are lightly heard, but not distinguishable.

SAM clicks a lighter that is floating in midair (that she somehow has) to take a look around. HELEN’s heart is beating in front of her face. She can see her ribs and other organs.

From SAM’s perspective, we can tell she is moving up in the body. We go through HELEN’s throat, then for a moment we can see out through a small opening in her mouth. Part of TOM’s face is shown.

Then, to the eyes. SAM can see out of them clearly.

Lighter still lit, SAM watches herself try to lift her right arm, but she can’t. BARRY is hugging HELEN tight.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS HELEN gives a bit of a struggle, but she still remains out of it.

BARRY Shh. Shh...

DAVID We’re going to have to have an exorcism.

INT. HELEN’S BODY - CONTINUOUS No!

SAM

INT. HELEN’S BODY - CONTINUOUS HELEN roars a terrible sound.

107.

No!

HELEN

DAVID Settle her down, BARRY. I have to go to the car. KYLE, keep them safe. TOM, you too.

He takes off up the stairs.

HELEN Where is she?!

INT. HELEN’S BODY - CONTINUOUS SAM I didn’t do that..!

SAM tries to throw up her hands in reaction but again is stopped by BARRY. INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS HELEN struggles and yells too.

Get out!!

HELEN

MEGAN grabs ALEX and they leave the BASEMENT. TOM runs after them.

Kids!

BARRY

KYLE They’ll be fine, BARRY. Talk to her. You have to connect with her.

BARRY Honey, listen to me. Can you hear me?

Yes.

HELEN

BARRY Talk to me. What’s going on?

HELEN I am not your wife.

108.

BARRY Yes. You are. You have to remember who you are.

HELEN (angrily) Listen.

INT. HELEN’S BODY - CONTINUOUS SAM (desperately) I’m controlling your wife to show you...

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS HELEN ...that we are...

KYLE BARRY, keep talking to her.

HELEN I’m not what you think!

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS MEGAN is aggressively rummaging through the kitchen drawers.

ALEX is clutching the music box for comfort. TOM is pacing, thinking, aggravated.

SAM pulls a gun from a drawer. Her hands shake as she finagles with it.

TOM MEGAN, what the fuck are you doing?

MEGAN That’s not mom, TOM. I’m scared!

TOM Dad has mom. You don’t need that.

ALEX is frightened. She runs out of the room.

ALEX!

TOM (CONT’D)

MEGAN starts to follow. TOM stops her.

109.

INT. ENTRYWAY - CONTINUOUS ALEX sits by the door to the basement. She hears some yelling. She’s crying, and begins to wind the music box.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS HELEN You don’t under...

She stops talking because of the sound of the music box.

The box.

HELEN (CONT’D)

HELEN pushes BARRY back like it’s nothing. He hits his head, knocked out.

KYLE turns up the stairs as HELEN sprints for him. ALEX can see what’s happening and runs off. KYLE slams the door on HELEN. CLARENCE What the hell are you doing?

HELEN The box. We have to show them the box so they can understand. The girl has it.

HELEN screams in pain.

HELEN (CONT’D) She’s fighting me. But I got it. We need to get the girl.

CLARENCE nods.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS TOM MEGAN... you really need to get rid of...

TOM coughs hard, it’s a gross, guttural sound.

MEGAN What the fuck was that TOMMY? She points the gun at TOM.

110.

INT. ENTRYWAY - CONTINUOUS KYLE slams the door, ALEX runs off one way, MEGAN is pointing a gun at TOM in the other direction.

KYLE freezes, back to the door. He doesn’t know which way to turn. We can hear ALEX exit the back door.

DAVID hurries into the house with a case.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS SAM hears the slam of the door. She turns and fires without thinking.

DAVID goes down. SAM’s frozen, realizing what she has done.

TOM and KYLE don’t move either.

INT. ENTRYWAY - CONTINUOUS HELEN scratches at the door. KYLE reacts and pushes back as she tries to get through.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS TOM jumps at MEGAN to get the gun. She fires, but misses.

INT. ENTRYWAY - CONTINUOUS KYLE drops down to the floor as the gun fires. HELEN creates splinters a huge section of the door from banging on it. We see CLARENCE sneak away in one direction in the background.

HELEN makes the hole bigger. KYLE finally scoots quickly away from the door and HELEN kicks the door open.

She arises and turns toward the wrestling kids.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS As HELEN approaches the KITCHEN, past KYLE, MEGAN manages to free her hand for a shot toward her. She misses.

HELEN spins around and runs out the back door.

KYLE quickly follows.

111.

EXT. FOREST - CONTINUOUS ALEX runs in the brush, hardly seeing where she can go. The sound of the door slamming and then slamming again is heard far off.

In the distance KYLE yells.

HELEN!

KYLE

ALEX runs as fast as she can. She trips and falls. HELEN sounds as if she is gaining quickly.

ALEX.

CLARENCE

ALEX gets up slowly and looks for CLARENCE. She spots him in the trees. She clutches the box.

CLARENCE (CONT’D) ALEX you need to hide.

ALEX shakes her head no. HELEN can be heard closing in.

ALEX!

CLARENCE (CONT’D)

ALEX begins to cry. She sits in the grass.

CLARENCE steps out of the brush.

HELEN runs up and stops in front of them. CLARENCE blocks ALEX from her.

HELEN Get the box, CLARENCE. CLARENCE We need to let them go, SAM. HELEN I’m not SAM! HELEN twitches and cringes.

HELEN (CONT’D) Just get the box and we can show them.

She starts to walk toward them. She yells and cringes more.

KYLE appears in the background. He has a pocket knife that he pulls from his pants and readies.

112.

HELEN (CONT’D) Give me the box!

KYLE lunges at HELEN but is shot from behind. He falls.

BARRY wields a rifle.

ALEX runs away, farther into the woods, crying.

HELEN falls as SAM leaves her body. BARRY grabs her for a moment, then runs after ALEX after a moment of contemplation.

SAM and CLARENCE look at HELEN for a moment, then at each other.

SAM I’m sorry CLARENCE. CLARENCE walks back toward the house. He looks rather morbid.

CLARENCE I don’t know what we could have done better.

SAM starts to follow, then she stops and thinks.

SAM (skeptically) Really?

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS TOM hides behind the couch, bloody. He has a knife next to him.

TOM I’m not fucking demented, MEGAN! MEGAN stands in the doorway. She doesn’t say anything. Her hand and is shaking, gun at held at her side. She’s sweating and bleeding too.

There’s silence. TOM holds his breath. MEGAN stands, shaking and thinking hard.

The back door creaks open. SAM whips around and points the gun at nothing. The door closes, but there is nobody there.

Footsteps are heard walking down the hallway.

MEGAN follows the noise with her eyes and head. TOM sits still, listening intently.

113.

The footsteps begin up the stairs and then to the upstairs hallway. MEGAN looks up.

TOM peaks his head over the couch. He sees MEGAN is preoccupied with the noise. Her hand shakes more.

TOM closes his eyes for a moment as if praying, then take the leap.

MEGAN sees TOM from the corner of her eyes and raises the gun.

EXT. FOREST - CONTINUOUS ALEX trips and falls as she runs. BARRY is gaining.

BARRY Honey! Please! It’s okay!

BARRY hears multiple gunshots as he gets close to ALEX. He stops and looks back toward the direction of the house.

No...

BARRY (CONT’D)

EXT. UPSTAIRS - CONTINUOUS CLARENCE and SAM step onto the balcony and shut the door.

They sit for a moment.

SAM I think we can only just let this situation resolve itself. Then go from there.

The same gun shots come raining from downstairs.

CLARENCE and SAM both have the same “ignore what is going on” face. They grimace.

SAM (CONT’D) Then go from there...

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS A man and wife walking their dog with head lights strapped on hear the shots too. They’re at the bottom of the drive. They look at each other -- the wife pulls out a cell phone and dials three numbers.

114.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS MEGAN drops the gun, drops to her knees, and screams at the top of her lungs. She punches the glass on a piece of furniture. Her hand bleeds, but it doesn’t make her screaming any different.

MEGAN No, no, fuck!!! Kill me!!!

She hits herself on the head with the gun. She walks, shaking and screaming, through the house, then sprints up the stairs.

EXT. FOREST - CONTINUOUS BARRY carries ALEX and the gun. He jogs back to where HELEN last was, but she isn’t there any longer.

He pauses, not knowing what to do.

Daddy.

ALEX

ALEX points.

HELEN is in the distance, stumbling toward the pond.

HELEN!

BARRY

She doesn’t react. BARRY starts for her. He gets to the pond and HELEN is looking down at the water. She takes a step in.

BARRY (CONT’D) HELEN. HELEN..?

She looks up but not back. She still looks demented, but it’s different. Her eyes are red and she looks aged.

HELEN Give me my daughter.

Her voice is deeper and hoarse but it no longer sounds like she has two voices.

BARRY How do you feel?

HELEN Give me my daughter!

She turns around.

115.

BARRY Just come inside. Please.

HELEN Don’t be stupid. Don’t be stupid.

She steps toward them. BARRY steps back.

For a moment they wait, then HELEN lunges at them. She knocks ALEX out of her BARRY’s hand. They all three fall into the water. BARRY hits his head on a tree. He’s knocked out.

FADE TO: EXT. WATER - LATER BARRY slowly comes to consciousness. He sits up and looks around. Not too much time seems to have passed.

He looks at the moonlight reflecting on the water. He sees something in the water but he can’t make out exactly what it is.

Hair.

BARRY is utterly shocked. He stares, unbelieving. He dryheaves a few times, then, out of disbelief, jumps into the water and screams for his wife and daughter. But they’ve floated away by now.

BARRY jolts into awareness a second later. He sprints to the house and throws the door open. It’s a mess. He sees DAVID’s body at the other end of the hall. There’s blood splattered throughout the hallway.

He goes in a different direction, toward the LIVING ROOM. He examines the hallway, and as he reaches the doorway, doesn't notice the feet dangling in mid-air.

When he does, he looks up in horror. The audience doesn’t see what he is looking at, but MEGAN’s shoes tell the story.

His mouth stays open. He can’t think. A buzzing rings in his ears. He’s dizzy.

Finally, he looks down. It’s TOM sprawled on the floor.

This time BARRY doesn’t dry-heave, but leans over and throws up all over the floor.

As he leans back up, he picks up the bloody gun. His ears are still ringing. He stares at the gun.

116.

Red and blue flash in the window. BARRY starts to move in slow motion.

The police kick in the door to see BARRY, standing next to his dead children with a gun in hand.

EXT. HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER From birds eye, the camera moves into the sky to get the whole scene. An ambulance pulls into the driveway. Police dogs search the backyard and head into the forest. Two people float in the lake. KYLE’s body can be seen being investigated. BARRY is being shoved into a car.

EXT. BALCONY - LATER SAM and CLARENCE look at the police cars in the driveway.

They both look at each other with confusion and worry. They exit the balcony and head for the upstairs hallway.

The scene is horrific.

MEGAN’s head is close to their feet, swinging slightly. TOM is on the ground, as is DAVID, near the door. Policemen and women are everywhere.

Neither of them move or know what to say. They both just stare at the scene, look at each other, then look back at the scene, jaws dropped.

FADE TO BLACK.