Spencer 1928 is the working title, although I’m getting closer to a real title.
Emma and her friends play a practical joke on Edwin and his friends, who are camping out.
EXT. BACKYARD – NIGHT
Other than the CRACKLE of the glowing remnants of the FIRE, all is silent at the camp. The empty cardboard box that once held the birthday cake smolders near the fire, ready to burst into flame at any moment.
Emma, Betty, and Mildred tiptoe into camp dressed in white with powder on their faces and in their hair. Emma peeks into Edwin’s tent and smiles. Betty and Mildred check the other three tents. All three girls give a thumbs up.
Emma and Mildred quietly cover each tent with a blanket-sized piece of gauzy material and Betty tacks the material to the ground.
As Betty places the last tack the CARDBOARD BOX POPS as it bursts into flames directly behind her. Startled, she squeals and twirls around.
Mildred sprints from the trees and tosses the burning box onto the campfire. She glares at Betty and puts her finger to her lips.
Betty rolls her eyes and shrugs. She grabs a bucket from behind a tent and pours half of the water in it on the smoldering FIRE, causing it to SIZZLE. She jams the half-full bucket in the fire pit.
Emma joins them. Betty mouths the word READY. Both Emma and Mildred nod. Betty grabs another bucket, this one near the trees, and empties the contents, two small, brick-like objects, into the bucket of water. Immediately after they PLOP into the WATER a fog rolls out of the bucket and spreads across the ground.
Betty grins. Emma and Mildred gleefully nod in response.
The three girls pull out more of the gauzy material, drape it over their heads, and position themselves around what was once the campfire. Mildred nods, Emma gives several hard yanks on a rope.
A cacophony of CLANGS and BANGS assault the silence. In three of the tents figures spring through the openings, only to get caught in the gauze. They struggle to rip through.
Once free they see the terrifying sight of three ghosts cavorting in a deadly mist. The three figures run, yelling from the yard.
The girls break into laughter. Emma catches sight of Edwin’s tent and stops.
MILDRED
Did you see them?
Emma stares at Edwin’s tent.
BETTY
Big, tough David yelled like a baby.
Emma rushes to Edwin’s tent and touches the gauze, which is exactly where she placed it.
MILDRED
Wonder if they’ll tell anyone this story?
EMMA
Betty. Mildred. Come here.
Emma’s serious face wipes the smiles off of the two girls’ faces. They join Emma at Edwin’s tent. She points at the gauze.
EMMA
Did he sleep through this?
Betty and Mildred shrug. Emma rips the gauze down and sticks her head inside the tent. Betty and Mildred follow suit.
EMMA
Where’s my brother?