DEAD OF THE NIGHT
by
Lanny Maude
FADE IN:
It's a quiet day at a quiet little house in a quiet older
neighborhood. It's all very neat and tidy.
EXT. HOUSE, BACK YARD CONTINUOUS
The yard is gorgeous. The small lawn is lush and green. There
is a wide variety of flowers in various beds around the yard.
The fences are high enough to lend everything a cozy, private
feel.
The back door opens and out comes ANGELA SIMMONS. She's in
pretty good shape for being in her fifties. She's followed by
JANICE COSTELLO, who is somewhere between her late twenties and
early thirties.
ANGELA
It's been a wonderful place to live, but
with Bobby gone...
She pauses a moment before continuing.
ANGELA
You know, I always called him Bobby. Can
you imagine being nearly 60 and being called
Bobby?
JANICE
He probably loved it.
ANGELA
With Bobby gone, there's no reason to put
off moving in with our daughter. She's been
asking for years. She could really use the
help now with a baby of her own on the way.
She looks across the yard. The look on her face is that of
pleasant memories.
JANICE
You've done a fantastic job of keeping it in
shape, Mrs. Simmons.
ANGELA
Please, it's Angela. I have someone come by
to do the lawns, but I still do the
gardening myself.
Janice walks to a bed of roses and sniffs a few of the different
varieties.
JANICE
These roses smell heavenly.
Angela indicates another area of flowers across the yard.
ANGELA
My favorite is the jasmine.
Janice walks over to sample the jasmine's fragrance. Angela
follows behind. Janice takes a sniff of the flowers then looks
at Angela.
JANICE
Oh... that's fantastic.
Angela smiles.
ANGELA
I know.
JANICE
I hope I can keep everything as nice as you
have.
Angela pats Janice on the hand.
ANGELA
I'm sure you will.
PETER BECK sticks his head out of the back door. He's a realtor
who is trying to look the part of a realtor, even though he
doesn't feel very comfortable about it.
PETER
The paperwork is all ready for you, ladies.
Janice gives Angela an "after you" gesture.
ANGELA
Thank you, dear.
She and Janice head for the door. Peter watches only long
enough to make sure the pair is headed back to the house before
ducking back inside himself. He doesn't really care for the
outdoors.
INT. HOUSE, KITCHEN CONTINUOUS
It's a cozy kitchen. Of course that's a nice way to say it's
small, but everything is clean and tidy and within reach. Peter
is standing by the table where there is a stack of papers.
Angela and Janice enter and close the door.
PETER
Just a few more signatures and it's all
done.
He indicates for the ladies to have a seat. The ladies arrange
themselves in front of the papers.
PETER
Okay Ms. Costello... we'll start with your
parts.
He hands her a pen and starts flipping pages.
IN THE LIVING ROOM CONTINUOUS
The living room is like everything else about the house: small
and tidy.
PETER (O.S.)
I need a signature here...
There's a brief pause then the sound of flipping pages.
PETER (O.S.)
...and here...
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
It's a new day and there's a moving van in front of Angela's
house.
INT. HOUSE, LIVING ROOM DAY
The living room looks the same as it did the other day.
MATCH FADE TO:
LATER
The living room (now it's Janice's living room) is empty of
furniture.
MATCH FADE TO:
LATER
The living room has been sparsely re-populated with new
furniture. There are also moving boxes scattered around the
place.
EXT. HOUSE DAY
It's late afternoon as Janice drives up the street and pulls her
car into her driveway. She's dressed comfortably because she's
been moving.
She climbs out of the car then moves around to the passenger
side to extract a box of junk. She carries the box to the front
door and lets herself into the house.
INT. HOUSE CONTINUOUS
Janice kicks the door closed and sets down the box. She weaves
her way around the other boxes so she can crash on the couch.
She looks up at the wall behind the couch and sees a nail.
JANICE
That's perfect.
She rises and hunts for the right box.
She eventually finds what she's looking for. She pulls
something out of a box and tears off the protective wrapping.
Once she hangs it on the wall, it's seen to be a genealogy
needlepoint with the names as a tree.
ZOOM IN on the needlepoint.
MATCH CUT TO:
LATER
CU of the needlepoint.
ZOOM OUT to reveal the room as Janice enjoys her housewarming
party. A bunch of PEOPLE are milling around. Some are holding
small plates of munchies. Some are holding drinks.
Janice and TARA are standing in front of the needlepoint,
looking at it.
TARA
Where are you?
Janice points to a small branch on the end.
JANICE
Right here.
TARA
Wow! You're one of seven?
JANICE
Yeah... all girls, too.
She points to her mother's name on the needlepoint.
JANICE
Mom is the same. I'm the seventh daughter
of a seventh daughter.
TARA
Isn't that supposed to be something special?
JANICE
I've heard that, but I've never known it to
make any difference.
Across the room, BRETT waves at Janice to get her attention.
BRETT
Hey, Janice!
Janice waves back and returns briefly to Tara.
JANICE
Brett's here. I'll talk to you later.
TARA
Okay. See ya.
The girls separate and strike up other conversations. The party
continues; everyone's having a good time.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
INT. KITCHEN DAY
It's a fresh day. Bright sunlight streams in through the
windows.
Janice is standing there with a phone in one hand, and a cup of
coffee in the other.
JANICE
Pick up some of those grapes for me. You
know... like the ones you brought to work on
Friday.
INT. CAR CONTINUOUS
Tara is chatting while driving. At least she's responsible
enough to use a hands-free setup.
TARA
They were perfect, weren't they?
INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION
JANICE
I should keep food like around here all the
time. It'd be better than a lot of the junk
I eat.
TARA
You want me to just swing by on the way
home?
JANICE
That'd be great. If I don't answer the
door, just come around the back. I'm gonna
lay out in the sun a little.
TARA
So, you're doing the life of leisure thing
now.
JANICE
Hey, it's called SUN day for a reason.
TARA
Alright, alright. Hey, I'm at the parking
lot. Gotta go.
JANICE
Okay. Later.
TARA
Bye.
JANICE
Bye.
Janice hangs up and drifts out of the kitchen.
EXT. HOUSE, BACK YARD DAY
It's a beautiful sunny day.
The door opens. Janice comes out wearing a bikini, carrying a
towel and a bottle of lotion. See grabs the outdoor recliner
from the patio and drags it beside one of the flowerbeds. She
adjusts it to lay flat then spreads the towel on it.
With her bare feet in the grass, she leans over to smell one of
the roses. The expression on her face says it couldn't get any
better than this. She sits on the recliner and rubs the tanning
lotion all over then she shifts around to lie on her stomach.
After a short time, she looks around at the fences. Secure in
her privacy, she unknots her bikini top for a better tan.
LATER
Janice is lying on her back. Her bikini top is scrunched up and
resting across her breasts for minimum coverage and maximum
tanning. Her eyes are closed, and the way her head rolls to the
side, it's obvious that she's just fallen asleep.
As her muscles relax, her hand falls from the recliner and lands
in the dirt at the edge of the flowerbed. Electricity jumps
between her hand and the dirt.
SERIES OF SHOTS
1) A lightning FLASH.
2) A fiftyish MAN surrounded by darkness.
3) A lightning FLASH.
EXT. HOUSE, BACK YARD CONTINUOUS
Janice is startled awake.
TARA (O.S.)
Janice?
Tara comes around the corner of the house. She's carrying a
grocery bag.
Janice looks at her with a startled expression.
TARA
Hey, It's just me.
She moves closer. Janice finally puts it together in her head.
JANICE
Tara...
TARA
You okay?
JANICE
Yeah. I guess I just fell asleep for a
minute.
Tara gestures toward the house.
TARA
Come on. I got your stuff.
JANICE
Okay.
She gets up, careful not to lose her top.
TARA
Going for that all-over tan, huh?
Janice slaps her arm playfully.
JANICE
Shut up!
They head for the house.
TARA
I got you some of that jalapeρo cheese. You
know... the little cubes...
JANICE
Oh, yeah. I like that.
They disappear into the house.
In the flowerbed, where Janice's hand hit the soil, thin
tendrils of mist rise from the ground.
INT. HOUSE, BATHROOM NIGHT
The room is lit by candlelight. Janice is taking some time to
relax and unwind by soaking in the bathtub with her favorite
bubble bath.
If she were to look through the open door to the bedroom, she
might notice the tendrils of mist creeping across the floor in
the bedroom.
She reaches for her towel without seeing the mist.
IN THE BEDROOM NIGHT
The mist is gone. Janice walks into the bedroom wearing her
towel. She pulls some pajamas out of a drawer.
LATER
Janice is asleep in the bed.
IN THE BEDROOM, DREAM SEQUENCE - NIGHT
Janice stirs and opens her eyes. She is startled to see a man
sitting in the chair at the other end of the room. He looks
like the same man from the lightning dream in the garden.
BACK TO REALITY - NIGHT
Janice wakes suddenly and sits up in the bed. She looks at the
chair, which is empty. She's a bit rattled, but she realizes
that it was only a dream.
JANICE
Get a hold of yourself, kiddo. It was just
a dream.
She settles into bed to try to get back to sleep.
IN THE KITCHEN DAY
There are still some packing boxes scattered around. Janice is
on the phone again.
JANICE
No, I'm trying to get the last of the boxes
out of the garage. I want everything where
it's supposed to be. I should be able to
finish it today.
INT. APARTMENT CONTINUOUS
Tara is sitting on the sofa. She's preparing for her morning
exercise. She's putting on her running shoes. The rest of her
clothing is appropriate for a jog.
And she's using that hands-free thing with her phone.
TARA
You don't want to wait too long without
exercising. It'll make it tough to get back
into it.
INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION
JANICE
Hey, I had a dream last night.
TARA
Was it about Brett?
JANICE
Not that kind of dream. No, I dreamt there
was someone in my room. A man I'd never
seen before.
TARA
Sounds like that kind of dream to me.
JANICE
No! Listen! He was sitting in the room,
watching me.
TARA
What? Did he have his hand down his pants,
or something?
JANICE
Will you be serious!
TARA
Okay... okay. Sorry.
JANICE
It was so vivid. I had to convince myself
that it wasn't real.
TARA
What happened? What'd he do?
JANICE
Nothing. He just sat there.
TARA
I think you're getting worked up over
nothing. It's probably just getting used to
the new house.
JANICE
You're right. Things always seem strange in
a new house.
TARA
Yeah. Hey, you wanna do something tonight?
JANICE
No. I only have one more day to get this
mess in order.
TARA
Your loss.
She's finally ready for her morning run.
TARA
Well, it's time to hit the road.
JANICE
I'll see you tomorrow at work.
TARA
Bye.
JANICE
Bye.
She hangs up the phone then turns to survey the organizing job
that's facing her.
IN THE BEDROOM NIGHT
Janice is sleeping again. The tendrils of mist are creeping in
across the floor.
IN THE BEDROOM, DREAM SEQUENCE - NIGHT
The man is now standing at the foot of her bed. Janice opens
her eyes and sees him there. Her dream-scream...
BACK TO REALITY - NIGHT
...wakes her and turns into a real scream as she bolts upright
in bed. But when she looks, nothing.
She flops back down into bed. She thinks she must be going
crazy.
JANICE
What is going on here?
IN THE BATHROOM - NIGHT
The light comes on and in comes Janice. She splashes cold water
on her face then looks at herself in the mirror.
JANICE
What is wrong with you?
IN THE KITCHEN DAY
The kitchen looks much neater now. Everything has finally been
put in its place.
Janice is dialing the phone.
INT. OFFICE CONTINUOUS
Tara is sitting at a desk. Her clothing is business-
conservative.
She answers her phone when it rings.
TARA
Anderson Associates, this is Tara. How may
I help you?
INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION
JANICE
Hey, Tara. It's me.
TARA
Hey, Janice. What's up? You coming in?
JANICE
No. I need to take a day.
TARA
Something wrong?
JANICE
I'm not feeling well. I didn't get much
sleep last night.
TARA
Brett keep you up too late last night?
JANICE
No, I didn't see him last night.
TARA
Or did you keep Brett up too late?
JANICE
Oh, come on. Get serious.
TARA
Sorry. You got a real problem.
JANICE
Yeah...
She's quiet for a few seconds.
JANICE
I don't know what to do.
TARA
What's the matter?
JANICE
I keep dreaming that there's this guy in my
room.
TARA
Well, what's wrong with that? Does he
attack you?
JANICE
I guess not. He's just there.
TARA
Does he say anything?
JANICE
No. He just sits there and looks at me.
It's upsetting. I'm afraid to go to sleep.
TARA
Maybe you should just tell him to leave you
alone.
JANICE
What do you mean? Talk to him?
TARA
Sure. Why not?
JANICE
That's silly.
TARA
It may be silly, but so's losing sleep over
a dream.
JANICE
Well... I'll think about it.
TARA
You do that. Meantime, I gotta get back to
work.
JANICE
Okay. Hey, call me this afternoon, alright?
TARA
Sure. I'll talk to you later. Bye.
JANICE
Bye.
She hangs up the phone and sighs. She looks around, unsure what
to do next.
IN THE BEDROOM - NIGHT
Janice is sleeping again. The tendrils of mist are creeping
across the floor.
IN THE BEDROOM, DREAM SEQUENCE - NIGHT
The man is standing at the foot of her bed. She opens her eyes
and sees him there. They just look at each other.
JANICE
What do you want?
He doesn't reply, but he walks over to the door to the hallway.
They look at each other again. She throws back the covers and
swings her feet to the floor. There is no mist.
JANICE
Who are you?
He backs out of the door while maintaining eye contact with her.
She slowly gets out of bed and moves to the door.
IN THE HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
He continues to back down the hallway. Once he sees that she is
following, he turns around and keeps walking. She follows him
down the hallway.
IN THE BEDROOM, BACK TO REALITY - NIGHT
Janice is sleeping in the bed. The floor is covered in mist.
Tendrils of the mist are reaching up the side of the bed,
caressing Janice.
EXT. BACK YARD, DREAM SEQUENCE - NIGHT
The man emerges through the closed back door and walks into the
yard. The door opens and Janice follows him. He stops at a
flowerbed. She stops as well. He turns to face her and they
both just stand there a moment, looking at each other.
JANICE
What?
He points to the ground at the base of a rose bush. The roses
are blood red.
JANICE
What do you want? What are you trying to
tell me?
He emphasizes his pointing. Janice looks, but there's nothing
unusual.
JANICE
There's nothing there.
The man walks right up to her. He suddenly claps his hands in
front of her face, which causes her to...
IN THE BEDROOM, BACK TO REALITY - NIGHT
...wake up. She lies there for a short time before sitting up
and looking around the room. Nothing. She gets out of bed and
grabs her robe.
EXT. BACK YARD - NIGHT
The back door opens and Janice steps out of the house carrying a
flashlight. She looks around, nervous, almost as if she were
worried about someone watching her.
See goes to look at the rose bush. It's just as she remembers
from her dream. She looks around it a bit, even scuffs at the
ground with her slipper where the man was pointing.
Finding nothing, she returns to the house.
INT. HOUSE, BEDROOM - NIGHT
Janice enters the room, minus the flashlight. She kicks off her
slippers and sheds her robe so she can crawl back under the
covers.
She tries to go back to sleep.
She tosses and turns.
No luck. Her brain is just too active. She sits up in bed.
EXT. BACK YARD - NIGHT
The back door opens again. There's Janice. But this time,
instead of just a flashlight, she's also carrying a shovel.
She goes to the rose bush and finds a good place to set the
flashlight so that it is pointing at the ground under the bush.
She starts to dig.
After a few shovelfuls, tendrils of mist start to rise from the
hole. She stops digging and crouches down to look in the hole.
When she reaches toward the mist, the mist seems to tentatively
reach for her.
She decides to get more light on the subject. She reaches for
the flashlight, but overbalances in the process. She stops
herself from falling over by bracing her other hand on the
ground. But when her hand hits the ground, electricity, and...
SERIES OF SHOTS
1) A lightning FLASH.
2) The man from Janice's dreams reaching out.
3) A lightning FLASH.
EXT. HOUSE, BACK YARD NIGHT
Janice pulls back from the ground.
JANICE
Stop that!
She reaches for the ground again. This time there's only a mild
crackle of electricity. She clears some dirt out of the hole by
hand until she feels something. She grabs the flashlight and
shins it into the hole.
The light illuminates a partially buried hand.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
EXT. HOUSE DAY
There's a moving van parked in front of the house.
INT. HOUSE, KITCHEN DAY
Janice's stuff is packed up again, boxes scattered around the
room. She's on the phone.
JANICE
He's been positively identified as Robert
Simmons.
INT. OFFICE CONTINUOUS
Tara is at work, but keeping up on the latest news with Janice's
help.
TARA
You mean her husband? The lady you bought
the house from?
INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION
JANICE
Yeah. She even confessed. She also agreed
to work with the bank to straighten out the
house mess.
TARA
It's all so unbelievable.
JANICE
Tell me about it. Talk about failure to
disclose...
EXT. HOUSE DAY
The moving van is gone. Janice's car is sitting in front of the
house now.
The front door opens. Janice leaves the house, carefully
locking the front door. As she walks along the path to her car,
small tendrils of mist reach out toward her ankles as they pass.
She gets in her car and the mist dissipates. She drives away
from her strange adventure without another look.
FADE TO BLACK.
The End
Dead of the Night is © 2007 Lanny Maude