Time for the next screenplay!
I started this a while back. It’s been sitting on my laptop gathering virtual dust. Time to take it out, shake it off, and get to writing!
This is the first run through of the first scene. I’ve got a lot of writing (and rewriting) to do, but it’s a good starting point.
ESTABLISHING SHOT
Peaceful night in an affluent suburb. Stars shine brightly in cloudless sky.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
A queen-sized bed, with all the normal furniture, in spacious room. Clock on bedside table provides only light as it glows 3:17 am.
A man and a woman form bumps under covers, like parallel mountain ranges.
All is peaceful and quiet, except for symphony of CRICKETS CHIRPING outside open window.
Loud snore from man shatters the peace.
Woman, disturbed by snore, turns over. As she does so she slaps her hand on man’s face, who is sleeping on his back. Without waking he pulls her hand to his chest and lightly holds her hand.
Woman remains still for several seconds, then pulls her hand away to flip to her other side. Man rolls on his side, facing opposite direction. Woman rolls to her back. All signs to her not sleeping well.
MADELINE, a semi-transparent figure of a woman in early 1900s garb, floats into room and stops at the foot of bed. Woman turns again in bed. Ghost tries to adjust blankets, but only manages to pull them off the bottom of bed.
Woman continues to move about, restless.
Madeline gently places a hand on woman’s leg.
MADELINE
Sleep, child.
This calms woman and she settles into a deeper sleep.
Ghost watches for several beats. Moves to stand beside woman. Brushes top of woman’s hair with ghostly fingers. Woman smiles in her sleep. Madeline smiles sweetly.
Madeline floats around foot of bed, moves to stand on man’s side. Watches him sleep for several beats. Smiles kindly down at him. His forehead crinkles with worry in his sleep. She brushes her ghostly fingers across the crinkles.
MADELINE
All will be well.
Man’s eyes pop open. He sees ghost hovering over him. His eyes widen in terror.
MADELINE
Sleep.
Madeline reaches for man’s forehead. But he’s awake. He yells in terror and jumps to his wife’s side of the bed. He continues yelling as wife wakes.
Woman sits up, groggy.
WOMAN
What’s wrong? I just-
Her eyes are drawn to Madeline like a magnet. Her mouth opens and screams of terror pour out.
Madeline smiles at the two like they’re children playing in the mud. Naughty, but cute.
Madeline fades away. Man and woman grab each other and squeeze tight as their yells turn to sobs.