In honor of finishing the Aliens vs Ghosts screenplay yesterday, here’s the first scene.
ESTABLISHING SHOT
Peaceful night in an affluent suburb. Stars shine brightly in a cloudless sky.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
A spacious, well-appointed bedroom.
A clock on a bedside table provides faint light as it glows 3:16 am.
The two people under the blankets give the illusion of parallel mountain ranges.
All is peaceful and quiet, except for a symphony of CRICKETS CHIRPING outside an open window.
A loud snore shatters the peace, silencing the crickets.
Possibly disturbed by the snore, the bump on the right, HATTIE, mid-40s, long, straight, brown hair, turns over. As she does so she slaps her hand on her husband’s face, who is the bump on the left and sleeping on his back.
He is NATHAN, also mid-40s, bearded and balding. Still asleep, he pulls her hand to his chest and lightly holds it.
Hattie remains still for several beats before she pulls her hand away to flip to her other side.
Nathan rolls to his side to face the opposite direction.
Hattie, continuing this dance of restlessness, rolls to her back.
The clock now glows 3:17.
CRICKETS resume CHIRPING.
MILDRED, a semi-transparent aviator from the 1920s, floats into the room and stops at the foot of the bed.
Hattie turns again in the bed.
Mildred tries to adjust the blankets, but instead pulls them off the bottom of the bed.
Mildred watches Hattie sleep, her face decorated by nostalgia.
Hattie twists again restlessly.
Mildred gently places a hand on Hattie’s leg.
MILDRED – Sleep.
Hattie melts into relaxation.
Mildred watches for several beats before she moves to stand beside Hattie. She brushes the top of Hattie’s hair with her ghostly fingers.
Hattie smiles in her sleep.
Mildred smiles happily in response.
MILDRED – Attagirl, Harriet. Good dreams make for a good life.
Mildred gazes down at Hattie for several beats. Sighs.
MILDRED – You’re the spit and image of my mother.
Mildred shrugs.
MILDRED – Except for the hair. Mother had glorious curls while your hair is…
Mildred picks up a strand of straight hair and lets it drop.
Nathan mumbles in his sleep, drawing Mildred’s eyes.
MILDRED – Ah, yes. Your fella.
Mildred floats around the foot of the bed, moves to stand on Nathan’s side. Studies his face.
MILDRED – Never noticed how much you look like Uncle Fred.
Watches Nathan sleep for several beats. Bends down to look closely at his nose.
MILDRED – Maybe it’s the schnozzle.
Turns her focus to his beard.
MILDRED – Beard’s a mess, though.
Nods, stands up to smile kindly down at him.
MILDRED – Uncle Fred was a good husband to Aunt Verity. And a good father to Samantha
and Jonathan and…
Mildred eyes glaze over as she thinks. Shakes it off.
MILDRED – All my cousins. Ten of them, I think.
Nathan’s forehead crinkles with worry in his sleep. Mildred brushes her ghostly fingers across the crinkles.
MILDRED – Don’t worry. You’re hitting on all eight.
Nathan’s eyes pop open. As he sees the ghost his eyes widen in terror.
MILDRED – Don’t go off the deep end now, just close those peepers.
Mildred reaches again for Nathan’s forehead. But he’s awake and horrified to see a ghost reaching for him.
He yells in terror and jumps over his wife.
Mildred jerks her hand away.
MILDRED – Don’t be a sap.
He continues yelling as Hattie wakes.
MILDRED – Applesauce!
Hattie sits up, groggy.
HATTIE – What’s wrong? Why are you-
Nathan points at the ghost.
Hattie turns to look where Nathan is pointing and her eyes are drawn to Mildred like a magnet. Her mouth opens and screams of terror pour out.
MILDRED – Hooey!
Mildred, disgusted, grimaces, shakes her head, fades away.
Nathan and Hattie grab each other and squeeze tight as their yells turn into sobs.