Elsinore Manor 032322 - Chris Hicks

Elsinore Manor

written by

Chris Hicks

Green Draft
03/22/2022
writechriswrite@gmail.com
EXT. HIGH-RISE APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
Midtown Manhattan. Morning.
Traffic pulses on the busy street. A cab pulls up in front of
a luxury high-rise apartment building.
The door of the cab opens as ELSIE (27) steps onto the curb.
Christian Dior sunglasses. Burgundy turtleneck sweatshirt
dress. Black leather jacket with matching over the knee
boots. Long curly blonde hair.
Elsie strides with purpose in her high heeled boots up to the

lobby door of the apartment building.
She is very pregnant.
With her small frame, some might mistakenly refer to Elsie as
delicate or fragile, but she is neither.
At the entrance to the building, the DOORMAN opens the door
but doesn't address her.
If anything, he's pretending to not notice who she is.
ELSIE
Donald, how's your wife? Is she
doing better?
The Doorman acts as though he didn't hear her. No matter,
she's already inside, didn't wait for a response.
INT. HIGH-RISE APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

Elsie removes her sunglasses. She waves and smiles to the
Front Desk ATTENDANT as she passes.
The Attendant doubletakes, returns her greeting with a
befuddled half wave.
She walks to the elevator, pressing the UP button.
The elevator door opens. Two RESIDENTS step out. As they walk
by they look back at Elsie, whispering to one another.
Another RESIDENT approaches the elevator. When he sees her in
it, he opts to wait for the next one.
The elevator door closes.
2.
INT. ELEVATOR - DAY

Elsie presses the button for the 37th floor.
Her phone VIBRATES in her pocket. She takes it out. Caller ID
tag - Mom.
She answers. We only hear Elsie's side of the conversation.
ELSIE
Hey Mom!
(pause)
In the city, why?
(pause)
To see Daniel, I'm headed up to the
apartment to surprise him.
Elsie's smile fades as she listens, watching the elevator
numbers go up.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Henry's in school, we'll be back at
the manor before it's time to pick
him up.
(pause)
You heard me correctly. 'We.'
Daniel and I.
(pause)
No, you said we should distance
ourselves from him. He's still my
husband, Mom.
The Elevator CHIMES, 37th floor.

ELSIE (CONT'D)
I'm almost to the apartment, we can
talk about this later.
(pause)
He will be staying with his wife
and son tonight.
(pause)
I don't care if it is your house!
Elsie angrily hangs up the phone and pockets it.
She looks at her reflection in the mirrored walls of the
elevator. She turns her angry frown into a put on smile,
holding it.
It looks almost genuine.
3.
INT. HALL - DAY

The elevator doors open. Elsie steps out into the hallway.
As she approaches her door, she sees an envelop wedged behind
the handle of her door.
She opens it, finding a notice from the Condo Management
Board. Her eyes narrow as she reads.
A few key phrases stick out - forced sale, objectionable
conduct, negative publicity, morality clause, default on
common charges, majority tenant shareholder vote.
She shoves the notice into her pocket. Cracks form in her
reforged smile.
INT. CONDO FOYER - DAY

Elsie enters the foyer of a luxury condominium. Ebony wood
flooring throughout the spacious open floorplan. Floor to
ceiling windows provide a gorgeous view of the city skyline.
From the foyer, she can hear the sound of RUNNING WATER in
the Shower of the master bathroom.
Her smile widens, playful, more genuine.
ELSIE
There you are.
INT. CONDO KITCHEN - DAY

Elsie's heels CLACK on the wood flooring as she walks along
the long granite countertop of the immaculate Chef's kitchen.
Across the counter are a handful of newspapers with
sensationalized headlines:
- Financial Wunderkind Ponzi Scheme!
- Inside Scoop on the Millennial Madoff!
- Myers Posts Bail; But Where's the Money???
With each headline is a picture of a SMILING MAN, late 20s
with a slicked back undercut of black hair, dressed like a
Wall Street powerbroker. The next generation of old money.
Elsie opens the refrigerator. A photo magnet of Elsie holding
a newborn baby is on the fridge door.
4.
Beside her in the photo, the SMILING MAN from the newspaper.
This is her husband, DANIEL.
She pulls a bottle of beer from the fridge and opens it. Her
heels CLACK against the floor as she carries it back into the
Master Bedroom.
INT. CONDO MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

Elsie enters, finding the bedroom a mess. Dirty clothes piled
on the bed and thrown across the floor. No one has slept in
that bed for a while.
The water in the shower is louder now, coming from behind the
bathroom door.
Elsie looks herself over again in the mirror above the
dresser. She fixes a smudge on her lipstick and straightens
her dress.
She pushes her breasts together to accentuate her cleavage
and gives herself a wink, then heads to the bathroom door.
She grips the bathroom door handle.
ELSIE
I heard the two things a man wants
most after getting out of jail are
a beer and a blowj-
INT. CONDO MASTER BATHROOM - DAY

Elsie's eyes go wide with terror.
The beer bottle falls from her fingertips. It shatters across
the bathroom floor.
In front of her, Daniel hangs from a belt wrapped around his
neck, fastened to the pipe of the shower head.
Face blue. Tongue swollen. Eyes bulging. Neck bent in a
grotesque, unnatural manner.
A stepstool lays on its side in the shower basin. He's fully
dressed in his Wall Street Powerbroker suit down to his hand
buffed calfskin Canali Oxfords.
ELSIE
No, no no no no NO!!!
Water from the showerhead cascades over his body. He lazily
spins back and forth, pushed by the force of the water.
5.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
DANIEL! OH MY GOD, NO! DANIEL!
Elsie collapses to the ground, overwrought with grief and
shock. Sobs overtake her as tears flow from her eyes. Her
hands clutch her swollen stomach.
She throws her head back as she SCREAMS, high pitched,
piercing, sadness giving over to rage.
A SHRIEK.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
EXT. ELSINORE MANOR - DAY

We are far from the city, out in the country. Heavy clouds
hang in the distance as a storm front moves in.
A cobblestone roundabout in front of a two story brick
country manorhouse. A detached two car garage sits at three
o'clock on the circle.
The stone porch leads to an ornate front door set between
two granite pillars.
A metal plaque attached to the left pillar reads - ELSINORE
MANOR EST. 1904.
Despite its age, the lighting, windows and doors are updated,
giving the manor a modern look without detracting from its
rustic appeal.
EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

A split rail wooden fence separates an empty horse pasture
from a winding country road.
A WHITE CARGO VAN crawls up the lane in the distance,
cresting the hill that leads to the house.
It pulls to the side of the road alongside the fence.
INT. WHITE CARGO VAN - DAY

The engine WHINES and RATTLES as the van idles on the side of
the road. The driver (LEON, 40s, tall, barrel chested,
glasses), puts the van in park.
6.
Leon picks up a pair of binoculars from between the front

seats and hands them to CALEB (19, lanky) in the front
passenger seat.
Both are dressed in grey work jumpsuits like auto mechanics
or linesmen for the cable company. The patches over their
shirt pockets are embroidered with their names.
The resemblance shows they share the same family tree but not
the same household. Uncle and nephew.
Leon points to the house.
LEON
That's the place. Check it out.
Caleb holds up the binoculars.
BINOCULAR VIEW
No lights are visible inside the house, only the reflection
of the morning sun against the polarized windows.
From this distance, the house looks empty.
Caleb lowers the binoculars and passes them back to Leon, who
uses them to look over the property.
CALEB
How did you find out about this
place?
LEON
Buddy of mine did a job here to
patch a roof leak. Said there's a
bunch of antiques inside that could
fetch a pretty penny, but the pièce
de résistance is in the study.
CALEB
What's in there?
Leon smacks his hand against the dash.
LEON
Huge fucking wall safe. We're
talking gangster, straight up Al
Capone shit.
CALEB
A safe?
Leon grins, waggling his eyebrows.
7.
LEON
Yeah.
Caleb LAUGHS. Leon joins in.
CALEB
You think you can crack a safe?
Leon's laughter comes to a halt, realizing the joke was on
him. His lip curls into a sneer as Caleb LAUGHS.
He WALLOPS Caleb up side the head, stopping his laughter.
Caleb cowers down in his seat, rubbing the spot where Leon
smacked him.
LEON
Fuckin' smart guy, maybe I should
ditch you like everyone else in
your useless fucking life. You
should be grateful that I'm cutting
you in on this. This is a rare
opportunity. A big Goddamn score.
CALEB
You're right. Sorry.
Leon points to the back of the manor.
LEON
There's an access road along the
rear, we'll park down there, come
up from the back and take a look
inside.
CALEB
During the day? What if someone
sees us?
LEON
There's no one there to see us.
House is empty.
Leon puts the van in reverse and turns around.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

Sunlight shines through the slats of the blinds, creating a
false impression of warmth on a crisp fall day.
The wooden floors look cold in the sprawling master bedroom.
Like the exterior, the interior has been modernized but
maintains its classic charm.
8.
The room, though equipped with matching nightstands, dresser

and armoire, is surprisingly sparse and empty, lacking a
lived in look.
A tangle of sheets and comforter pile on an impressive king
sized bed.
The nightstand on the left is empty. The nightstand on the
right holds a cellphone, a cigarette lighter, an empty wine
glass, and a wine bottle, also empty.
The room is quiet, but as we move closer, muted SOBS emerge
from the folds of the thick goose down comforter on the bed.
A pair of slippers wait on the wooden floor below.
A KNOCK on the heavy bedroom door, hollow and high pitched,
made by a tiny fist.
HENRY (O.S.)
Mommy?
The sobs under the comforter stop.
An arm flails the pile of linens away, revealing Elsie in a
matching grey silk pajama set. Her eyes are red and swollen.
She SNIFFS, wiping her tears away as the brightness of the
room meets her eyes.
Although she just woke up, she looks like she could use
another eight hours of sleep.
ELSIE
Henry?
She sits up on the side of the massive bed. Her feet dangle
off the side, a long drop to the slippers waiting below.
The knob on the heavy door RATTLES.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
The door's locked, monkey. One sec,
Mommy's coming.
She slides down onto the floor. Her lip shivers as her toes
confirm that the floor is indeed that cold.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
(sotto)
Fuck that's cold.
She pops on her slippers and walks to the dresser, leaning
into the mirror.
9.
She is no longer pregnant.

Elsie looks herself over, gingerly feeling around her puffy
eyes. She wipes the tears away and forces a smile.
It's as good as it's gonna get.
Behind her, the doorknob RATTLES again. Her lips pull thin,
as does her patience.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Henry, I'm coming.
She eyes two prescription pill bottles on the dresser. She
opens one and shakes out a small white pill. She pops it and
chases it with a swig from a water bottle.
She tugs her robe from the hook on the wall as another meek
KNOCK hits the door followed by a RATTLE of the doorknob.
What little patience she had is gone.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
I said I'm coming!
Elsie stomps to the door, pulling on her robe and tying the
sash aggressively.
She unlocks the door with a loud metallic CLICK, throwing it
open, primed and ready to yell at her son.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALL - DAY

But the hall outside is empty.
Elsie paces down the hall at an "annoyed mom" speed.
As she passes the open bathroom door, Daniel's body hangs
from the shower pipe.
She stops, double takes.
Nothing. There's nothing there. Just a shower.
She takes a deep breath and continues past the double set of
stairs to Henry's room.
INT. HENRY'S ROOM - DAY

When she opens the door, the room appears empty.
10.
A small twin bed with monster truck pillow shams and

comforter positioned under the window. Beside it is a
nightstand. A dresser and toy chest sit on opposite walls.
A large cartoon play rug of city streets sits at the foot of
the bed. A few cars and trucks sit off to the side of it.
No sign of Henry, but she hears a RUSTLING NOISE coming from
underneath his bed.
Elsie lets out an exasperated SIGH.
ELSIE
I'm too tired to play this game,
Henry, get out here right now!
Tiny hands appear under the foot of the bed. HENRY (6,
monster truck pajamas) crawls out onto the rug.
His messy blonde curls matching his mother's ringlet for
ringlet. He looks ready to cry.
Elsie's irritation melts away. She lowers herself down to the
floor, kneeling on the play rug.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Sweetie, what's wrong?
HENRY
This house is scary. I don't like
it here.
Elsie pats his head, hugging him close to her.
ELSIE
It's just an old house. It makes a
lot of noises you're not used to.
You may not remember it but we
stayed here when you were a baby.
HENRY
Really?
Elsie runs her fingers through his hair as she talks.
ELSIE
Yep.
HENRY
Was Daddy here with us too?
The question catches Elsie off guard.
11.
ELSIE
Yes. Daddy was here then. And as
long as we keep him in our hearts,
he'll always be with us.
As Elsie looks at Henry, Daniel's legs swing into view behind
him, as if he's hanging from the ceiling of the bedroom.
Elsie closes her eyes. When she opens them, he's gone.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Want to hear something interesting?
This house and I, we both have the
same name.
Henry scrunches his nose as he processes the information.
HENRY
You're named after a house?
ELSIE
My great-great-grandfather named
this house Elsinore Manor after his
wife, Elsie. The house and I were
both named after her. It can't be
creepy if it's got my name, can it?
Henry shakes his head, no, then lays his head on Elsie's lap.
HENRY
I miss the apartment. I miss Daddy.
Daniel appears again to Elsie, hanging from the ceiling of
Henry's room. A slow methodic drip falls from the tip of his
expensive shoe.
A LOW RUMBLE grows in Elsie's mind as she watches the drips
fall, echoing against the wooden floor.
She looks up as Daniel spins around, his face almost in view-
HENRY (CONT'D)
Mommy?
The rumble stops. Daniel is gone.
Elsie looks down and brushes Henry's blonde locks from his
eyes, kissing his forehead.
ELSIE
I miss him too sweetie.
(idea)
(MORE)
12.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Why don't we go to the kitchen and
I'll make you chocolate chip
pancakes for breakfast?
HENRY
It's too late for breakfast.
Elsie looks at Henry's nightstand where the truck shaped
clock shows the time. 12:15.
She furrows her brow as a look of confusion crosses her face.
Is it really that late?
She shakes it off. No matter. The reassuring smile returns to
her face. A strong front.
ELSIE
It's never too late for breakfast.
Come on, let's go.

As they leave Henry's room, Elsie's eyes stop on the room
across the hall. The room is empty except for a single piece
of furniture. A large wooden crib.
The mobile of stuffed animals hangs over it, motionless.
Elsie's hand runs over her stomach.
HENRY
Mommy?
Elsie's mouth twitches. Cracks form in her smile as the
thoughts winnow into her brain.
She squeezes her eyes shut as a low RUMBLING SOUND grows.
Her eyes pop open. The rumbling stops. Elsie shakes her head
- no, we're done with that.
She takes a deep reassuring breath and her smile returns,
bright and bubbly. She looks down at Henry, tussling his
messy mop of hair.
ELSIE
Do you want bananas in your
pancakes or just chocolate chips?
HENRY
Chocolate chips.
13.
ELSIE
No bananas? I was certain a little
monkey like you would want bananas.
Henry GIGGLES.
HENRY
Ew!
ELSIE
But you're my little monkey!
She tickles him, making monkey sounds. Henry GIGGLES and runs
away as she chases after him with tickle hands.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Come back here you little monkey!
Echo of laughter and monkey noises as Elsie chases Henry down
the hall.
INT. KITCHEN - DAY

A cast iron skillet SIZZLES on a gas stove in a galley style
kitchen. All the appliances are updated, as are the cabinets.
Modern, but with a rustic design.
Pancake batter oozes from a mixing bowl down onto the hot
skillet. As the circle spreads to the edges, Elsie drops in
chocolate chips in the form of a smiley face.
She HUMS to herself as she watches the surface of the pancake
bubble, waiting for the right moment to flip.
The flame from the burner licks the sides of the pan, up to
the angle of the handle which juts towards Elsie. She grips
the handle to turn it but recoils from the heat.
ELSIE
Ah!
She shakes her fingers, flexing them as she opens and closes
her fist.
As the pain dissipates, she looks at the handle, then to her
wrist, contemplating.
Elsie's lips pull thin against her teeth as she presses her
exposed wrist against the handle.
Her arm twitches as the pain shoots up her arm the second her
skin touches the metal.
14.
Despite the pain, she holds her arm there, lips quivering as
she endures it.
She grits her teeth, bearing it for as long as she can take.
As she does, images flash quickly through her mind:
- Daniel hanging in the shower.
- Elsie in tears on an examination table, clutching her
stomach as the DOCTOR listens to it with a stethoscope. The
Doctor wears a somber face as she shakes her head, no.
- Henry crying in a black suit as he holds Elsie's hand at
the funeral.
As the images cycle, a RUMBLING SOUND grows in Elsie's mind.
When she can no longer take it, she pulls her arm away. The
RUMBLING stops.
She stares intently at her wrist as a red welt raises. She
grits her teeth, breathing through them.
The pain is tangible. Not only does she feel it, she sees it.
It can be quantified. Rationalized.
Unlike her emotional pain.
As her breathing calms, Elsie slides up the sleeve on her
robe. Her inner arm is lined with similar burns, looking more
recent and less healed the closer they are to her wrist.
In the cast iron skillet, tendrils of black smoke curl up
from the burning pancake.
She grabs the spatula and flips it. A sinister black smile
of burnt chocolate stares back at her from the pan.
The pancake is charred beyond saving. She grips the handle
with a towel and dumps the burnt cake into the trash.
Elsie pours another round of batter into the skillet, this
time arranging the chocolate chips so the mouth of the face
is in the shape of an O.
Elsie mimes the 'O' face, then smiles in amusement.
She HUMS a tune as the pan SIZZLES.
15.
INT. FOYER - DAY

A domed glass ceiling illuminates the foyer. A massive
chandelier hangs from the center of the dome made from deer
and elk antlers with taper candle light fixtures.
The dual staircases wind down from the second floor landing.
Doors to the Study and Living room are on opposite sides of
the Foyer.
Between the staircases is the hallway to the kitchen and
dining room, where Elsie appears with a plate of pancakes.
ELSIE
I've got pancakes, where's my
little monkey?
The door of the Study is open. As she approaches, she hears
the TELEVISION on in the room.
INT. STUDY - DAY

Elsie hurries into the room, scanning for Henry.
ELSIE
Henry?
All of the furniture has been covered with drop cloths.
The only exposed furniture is a massive wall bookcase with an
opening for a flat screen television. It's tuned to the
weather channel. The forecast calls for rain.
In the wall next to the bookcase is a built in, antique wall
safe. Gangster. Straight up Al Capone shit.
Henry is nowhere to be found.
Behind her, a light shines through the louvered doors of the
closet opposite the television wall.
Elsie turns the television off with the remote on the table.
She peeks in through the louvered slats of the closet door.
Henry is inside, sprawled on the floor, coloring by the light
of a single bulb.
On his paper he's drawn blonde stick figure depictions of
Elsie and him. They smile and hold hands as they stand in
front of a pentagon shaped drawing of a house.
16.
In the upper corner of the drawing above the house are two
more stick people, a man and a baby with black hair. They are
dressed in long robes with halos and angel wings.
Like his drawing of Elsie and him, both have exaggerated
smiles drawn in black crayon.
The smiles on their faces all look similar to the one from
the burnt pancake.
Elsie opens the accordion style doors. Henry doesn't look up,
continues working on his drawing.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
You're not supposed to be in here,
young man.
He stays at his drawing and responds to his mother in a dry,
'matter of fact' tone.
HENRY
Couldn't find cartoons so I decided
to color instead.
ELSIE
You know the rules. This room isn't
for cartoons or playing.
Henry doesn't look up as he keeps focus on his drawing.
HENRY
Why?
Elsie twitches, her anger growing. She regains a pleasant
look on her face, trying not to lose her temper.
ELSIE
Because it isn't, that's why. Look
around, does this look like a room
for children?
HENRY
It's just a room.
ELSIE
Henry.
Henry continues drawing, unbothered.
Elsie's smile drops as angry mom-face takes over.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Henry, Mommy is talking to you.
17.
Henry switches crayons, continuing his drawing.

In front of him, Elsie teems with anger. She stomps her
slippered feet, reaching down and lifting him off the ground
by his shoulder.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
HENRY! You will answer me when I'm
talking to you or you will get a
spanking!
She spins him around by the arm. He looks up at her,
frightened. His bottom lip juts out, quivering in fear.
HENRY
I'm sorry, Mommy.
Elsie's hardened demeanor melts.
Her face shifts, looking as guilty as she feels for snapping
at him. She quickly bottles it up behind a smile, brushing
the curls from her son's face.
ELSIE
The pancakes are getting cold,
monkey. Come on.
Henry reaches down for his picture. He hands it to Elsie.
HENRY
Do you like my drawing?
ELSIE
Of course I do. I know just where
to put it.
She takes his hand and leads him out of the room, passing in
front of a window looking out into the barren pasture.
Elsie closes the study door behind them as they leave,
turning off the light.
Returning to the window, Leon pokes into the window frame. He
cups his hands and peers inside.
Caleb hops up beside him and does the same.
EXT. STUDY WINDOW - DAY

Leon and Caleb tight against the window as they look inside
the study. Leon elbows Caleb in the shoulder, gesturing to
the safe in the wall.
18.
LEON
What I tell ya?
CALEB
What makes you so sure there's
anything inside that safe?
LEON
The husband was a financial
advisor, ran some investment scam
that bilked some New York
millennial brats out of twelve
million dollars. Feds were about to
put him away when he punched his
own ticket.
CALEB
So?
LEON
So? The money was never recovered.
I'm thinking it's right there.
On 'there,' Leon taps his finger against the glass, pointing
to the safe.
LEON (CONT'D)
House belongs to his wife's family
so the Feds probably didn't think
to check it. Might not be the whole
twelve mil, but there's something
in there, I guaran-fucking-tee it.
Caleb cups his hands and peers inside, checking out the room.
The room is dark. Drop cloths hang over the furniture. The
louvered doors to closet next the window is closed.
Everything about the room gives off the vibe that the house
is vacant.
CALEB
You're sure you can get that open?
LEON
Of course! I bust combination locks
all the time, just gotta listen to
the tumblers.
CALEB
A wall safe is a little more
complicated than a Masterlock.
19.
LEON
I can get in open, you don't have
to worry about that.
CALEB
I'll try to grab a blowtorch, just
in case.
LEON
Knock yourself out.
The SOUND of a car on the road out front catches Leon and
Caleb's ear. They share a look before stepping back, away
from the window.
LEON (CONT'D)
We'll come back when it's dark, do
this proper.
Caleb nods and follows Leon as he heads around the back of
the house towards the treeline.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

Elsie and Henry eat their pancakes at the lavish dining room
table. It has place settings for eight, but only two are
currently set with silverware, plates and glasses.
ELSIE
How's your pancakes?
HENRY
Good, Mommy, thank you.
Elsie runs her fingers through her son's hair and smiles.
ELSIE
You're welcome, sweetie.
A rattly old doorbell CHIMES. Elsie nervously looks to Henry,
then to the door.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Stay here.
HENRY
Who is it, Mommy?
ELSIE
Just stay here, okay monkey?
HENRY
Okay.
20.
Elsie puts on her smile, squeezing his hand for reassurance

as she heads out of the dining room.
INT. FOYER - DAY

Elsie re-cinches the sash of her robe as she walks to the
front door.
At the door she leans to the side, looking through the
frosted glass panels alongside the door to see who's outside.
We're unable to make out the face, but the uniform and hat
are indicative of someone in law enforcement.
Elsie firmly sets her smile in place before she unbolts the
door and opens it.
INT./EXT. FRONT PORCH - DAY

Out front, SHERIFF PAULIN (60) has a genial, grandfatherly
look to him. He shifts his weight from foot to foot as he
waits anxiously outside.
As the door opens, Sheriff Paulin smiles warmly down at Elsie
as he removes his hat.
ELSIE
Sheriff Paulin?
SHERIFF PAULIN
Ms. Elsie! It's good to see you.
How you doing?
ELSIE
I'm getting by.
SHERIFF PAULIN
And Henry, he's okay?
ELSIE
He's fine. What's this about?
Sheriff Paulin shifts his weight side to side, uneasy with
the conversation.
SHERIFF PAULIN
We received a call from the school.
Elsie's smile slips as her protective mother mode kicks in.
21.
ELSIE
He lost his father, you can't
expect a kid to bounce back quickly
from something like that.
SHERIFF PAULIN
The state allows five excused
absences for a death in the family.
Henry's been out two months.
ELSIE
You didn't hear how his teachers
talked to me when I was there.
Henry doesn't deserve to be treated
different because of something his
father did, and neither do I. I'll
do home schooling if I have to, but
I am not sending him back.
The Sheriff nods.
SHERIFF PAULIN
That's your choice, just get him
caught up.
ELSIE
I will.
The Sheriff notices the burn on her wrist.
SHERIFF PAULIN
That looks nasty.
Elsie looks down and sees the mark exposed. She slides her
sleeve down to cover it.
ELSIE
Burned myself making pancakes.
SHERIFF PAULIN
Accident, huh?
The probing question is met with a piercing look from Elsie.
ELSIE
Anything else you needed?
The Sheriff shifts his weight, more uneasiness.
SHERIFF PAULIN
Look, Elsie, I can't imagine what
you're going through. First your
husband, and then with, with the-
22.
His demeanor shows that he does not want to talk about any of
this, but he presses on.
SHERIFF PAULIN (CONT'D)
Just, with all you've been through,
I had to tell you this in person.
ELSIE
Tell me what?
SHERIFF PAULIN
Feds will be on your doorstep
tomorrow morning with a warrant to
search this place.
The words hit Elsie like a gut punch.
ELSIE
What? How?
SHERIFF PAULIN
They came up empty at Daniel's
office and your apartment in the
city. They're turning their
investigation to you.
Elsie looks blindsided by the news.
ELSIE
Me?
Sheriff Paulin nods.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
My parents' attorney, could they
maybe file a motion or something to
stop this? I've told them
everything, I wasn't involved!
Sheriff Paulin shakes his head, no.
SHERIFF PAULIN
There's no avoiding it. They'll be
here first thing tomorrow, press
too I suspect, considering how high
profile the case is. It's gonna be
a circus.
Elsie stares absently as the Sheriff speaks, her mind
grappling with this unexpected development.
I shouldn't even be telling you
this, but, well, with everything-
23.
Daniel's dangling body appears behind the Sheriff's shoulder,

spinning listlessly, as if hanging from nothing.
As Elsie stares up at Daniel, the RUMBLING SOUND grows in her
ears, drowning out the Sheriff talking until-
Elsie?
The rumbling stops at the mention of her name. Daniel is
gone. Elsie tries to smile but can't pull that face on.
ELSIE
I'm fine. It's fine.
SHERIFF PAULIN
Call your parents' lawyer when they
get here. Cooperate, but don't
answer questions or sign any papers
without a lawyer present. You'll
make it through just fine.
Elsie stays silent, offering only a tight-lipped nod.
The Sheriff nods back, donning his hat.
Henry appears on Elsie's hip, hugging his mother's leg.
Sheriff Paulin smiles to him.
Henry! You are the spitting image
of your mama when she was your age.
Henry smiles shyly but doesn't speak.
She used to hit me up for candies
every time I came to visit. Matter
of fact-
The Sheriff pats his pockets as if he can't find anything,
then reaches behind Henry's ear and produces a peppermint.
Henry grins.
Elsie remains tightlipped.
Henry reaches for the candy then pulls his hand back, looking
up at his mother for approval.
ELSIE
You can have it after you finish
eating, okay?
24.
Henry nods, balling the candy up in his fist.

ELSIE (CONT'D)
What do you say?
HENRY
(very quietly)
Thank you.
SHERIFF PAULIN
You're welcome little man.
Elsie takes Henry's free hand and shuffles him behind her,
then puts on her smile.
ELSIE
Thank you, I do appreciate you
looking out for me like this.
SHERIFF PAULIN
You two take care, and remember
what I said about tomorrow.
The sky overhead RUMBLES with thunder as a bank of grey
clouds roll in. Sheriff Paulin gives the sky a cursory look.
Looks like a bad one coming. Call
me if you need anything, you hear?
Elsie nods, then steps back to close the door.
The Sheriff gives the door one last look before heading down
the steps back towards his cruiser.
INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Elsie picks up her phone from the kitchen counter and dials a
number from her contacts. The phone TRILLS, accompanied by
the low RUMBLING NOISE in her ears.
VOICEMAIL (V.O.)
You have reached the number for-
She ends the call and switches to text message. The contact
name reads MOM. On the phone screen, it shows that Elsie has
sent a series of messages to her mother, but no replies.
She sends another.
ELSIE (TEXT)
Call me, please. It's URGENT.
25.
She hits SEND and pockets her phone.

Elsie leans over the sink, where the cast iron skillet sits
in the wash basin. She presses her palm against the flat
cooking surface, waiting for the pain. But the pan is cool.
Elsie picks it up, gripping the handle like a baseball bat.
She SLAMS the pan against the cabinet beside the sink.
Her anger and frustration far past its boiling point as she
SCREAMS, slamming the pan into the door over and over. It
drops from its hinges, reducing it to splinters.
Elsie drops the pan. Tears drip down her rage twisted face as
she searches for another outlet for her rage.
Her eyes land on a stack of plates inside the now busted open
cabinet. She snatched them from the shelf, lifts them over
her head and throws them down onto the floor with a CRASH!

Henry sits at the table in front of his plate of half eaten
pancakes as his mother throws a tantrum in the kitchen.
He slides his chair back and runs out of the room.
INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Hands shaking, Elsie grips her hair as she SOBS, sliding down
to the floor. She closes her eyes, ugly crying amongst the
mess of broken dishes and cabinet debris.
Elsie takes a slow deep breath through her nose, exhaling
through her mouth. A second breath follows, not as deep, not
as slow.
Her breath shallows. Panic fills her eyes. The sound around
her dissipates, replaced by the RAPID BEATING of her heart.
She hyperventilates, in the full grip of a panic attack. Her
eyes dart side to side, searching for escape.
Her hands tremble. She looks down at them, as if she's unsure
what to do with them.
Elsie's eyes land on the cabinet above the stove. She darts
over and opens it, rifling her fingers over bottles of
medications, vitamins, and supplements.
26.
They spill out of the cabinet all over the kitchen floor. She
manages to find a bottle of Clonazepam among the over the
counter cough medications and children's chewables.
The instructions on the side of the bottle read: TAKE TWO
TABLETS AT ONSET OF PANIC ATTACK
She shakily spins the cap off and drops two pills into palm,
popping them into her mouth. She heads to the sink and fills
a tumbler of water and drinks, washing them down.
Her breathing slows, as does the sound of her RAPID HEART
BEAT. Sound returns as the grips of the panic attack lessen.
Elsie refills the tumbler, taking a long drink. Another deep
breath and slow exhale as she finds her center.

Elsie returns to the dining room. Hers and Henry's plates are
still on the table, but Henry is gone.
ELSIE
Henry?
INT. FOYER - CONTINUOUS

Elsie crosses the foyer over to the study where she found
Henry coloring earlier.
INT. STUDY - DAY

Elsie makes a beeline for the closet. The door is open as she
left it, no Henry, but his crayons and drawing pad are gone.
INT. FOYER - DAY

Elsie crosses the foyer to the Living Room, entering.
ELSIE (O.S.)
Henry, you are making Mommy very
angry right now!
The door to the coat closet by the front door opens.
Henry peeks out. He quickly pulls it closed as Elsie re-
emerges from the Living Room, heading up the stairs in a fast
walk as her frustration grows.
27.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Henry! Answer me!
After she's up the stairs, Henry opens the coat closet door
again, peeking behind the door.
Upstairs, a door opens and is quickly slammed as Elsie's
search for Henry continues.
ELSIE (O.S.) (CONT'D)
HENRY! Stop hiding and come out
right this instant!
Another door opens and slams upstairs.
ELSIE (O.S.) (CONT'D)
You are going to be in big trouble
when I find you, mister!
Henry pulls the coat closet door shut, returning to his
hiding spot.
Upstairs, Elsie crosses the landing as she heads to her
bedroom. The Master Bedroom door opens but doesn't slam.
The coat closet door opens again.

Henry stands outside of the Master Bedroom. He leans his head
inside the door.

Inside, his mother is laying on her bed covered in a tangle
of blankets. She snores softly.
He pulls the door shut.
EXT. TRAILER PARK HOME - DAY

The white panel van pulls up in front of a small mobile home
trailer. The outside is well maintained, but still a trailer.
A beat up pickup truck is parked out front.
The passenger door of the van opens and Caleb hops out.
LEON
I'll be back at nine to pick you
up. Be ready!
28.
Caleb nods, waving as the van drives off. He watches until

Leon turns onto the next street.
Walking to the entrance of the trailer, Caleb pulls out his
phone and dials.
The line TRILLS in his ear as he opens the door.
INT. CALEB'S TRAILER - DAY

A ratty couch, small television. A bed on the floor. About
what you'd expect the home of a 19-year-old to look like.
A WOMAN'S VOICE picks up on the other end of the phone. Her
voice is suspicious, indifferent.
CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)
Who's this?
CALEB
Mom? It's Caleb.
Pause.
CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)
Hi.
CALEB
Hey.
(pause)
Remember how we talked about me
coming down to Texas to see you?
CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)
You know... I don't think that is
such a good id-
CALEB
I've got money.
An uncomfortable, long pause.
CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)
How much?
CALEB
A lot. I will, at least. I don't
have a fixed number, but I will
after this job tonight.
Her voice shifts from indifferent to dripping with honey.
29.
CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)

Honey, I'd love for you to come
down to see me.
CALEB
Really?
CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)
It's been too long, sweetheart.
Caleb smiles.
CALEB
I'll call you after the job, let
you know how much I have and when
I'll be down.
CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)
You're such a good boy looking out
for me.
CALEB
I'll talk to you later. Love you.
Uncomfortable pause.
CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)
I love you too, sweetheart.
She hangs up.
Caleb smiles, pumping his fist a little.

Elsie sits up in bed with a start.
She's disoriented, a little panicked.
She checks her phone. No calls or messages from her parents,
but the time is what really startles her.
She squints in disbelief. Is it really that late?
ELSIE
Henry?
She jumps up from bed.

Elsie hurries down the hall.
30.
ELSIE
Henry? Henry?
INT. HENRY'S ROOM - DAY

On the floor, Henry drives his truck across his city streets
play rug.
The door swings open. Elsie stands in the doorway, looking
down at him.
ELSIE
Henry, didn't you hear me calling
your name?
He doesn't look up.
HENRY
Yeah.
ELSIE
Why didn't you answer me?
Henry shrugs.
HENRY
I made you another drawing.
He motions to the drawing, another stick figure family of
himself and his mother with two angels looking down from the
upper corner of the page.
HENRY (CONT'D)
Do you like it?
Elsie's eyes move from the drawing to the open door of the
nursery across the hall, to the crib. Her lips pinch thin as
she closes her eyes and takes a calming breath.
ELSIE
That's enough playing for now.
You've got schoolwork to do.
Henry makes a FART NOISE with his mouth as he pushes his toy
truck around the rug.
He GIGGLES. Elsie's patience wears thin.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
You think that's funny, do you?
Henry nods. He rolls his truck into the side of Elsie's
slipper, making a BOOSH! explosion sound with his mouth.
31.
Elsie kicks the truck away from his hand and stomps it under
her heel. The plastic CRACKS and one of the wheels pops off.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
That's what happens when little
boys don't listen. Why don't you
listen to me, Henry? Why did you
make me do that?
Henry's lip quivers. He CRIES.
Above him, Elsie's face shows her inner turmoil as she
grapples with the guilt of overreacting.
She drops down to the rug, hugging him. At first Henry
resists, but she pulls him closer until he hugs her back.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
I'm sorry, I'm so sorry sweetie.
Mommy has had a really bad day, you
didn't deserve that. But I need you
to listen to me, okay?
Henry nods, wiping the back of his arm across his nose.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
If you fall too far behind in
school they'll take you away from
me. You don't want that do you? To
be taken from Mommy?
Henry SNIFFS, shakes his head, mussing his hair. Elsie uses
her fingers to tuck it behind his ear.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
No one's going to take you from me.
Never. You're mommy's precious
little monkey.
Elsie takes his hand and leads him from the room.
EXT. TRAILER PARK HOME - EVENING

Caleb stands outside of his trailer, waiting for Leon. He is
dressed in black sweatpants, hoodie, and black basketball
shoes. A backpack sits on the ground beside him.
He takes out his phone and types out a text to his Mom. The
screen history shows he's sent numerous messages to her with
no replies.
32.
CALEB (TEXT)
Headed to do the job, will let u
know how much money I have soon.
SEND.
He watches the screen, waiting for a reply.
Three dots appear as she types out her message, then nothing.
Headlights wash over him as the van approaches. It stops
beside him.
The window rolls down as Leon leans over to yell at him.
LEON
Hey fucklenuts! You ready to do
this?
A BOOP! notification on Caleb's phone.
He opens it and finds a reply back from his Mom.
CALEB'S MOM (TEXT)
Caleb grins, nodding.

CALEB
Yeah, let's do this.
He slings his backpack over his shoulder and opens the van's
passenger door.
INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

Elsie sweeps the last of the mess from the dishes into a dust
pan. She dumps it into the bin at the end of the counter.
INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING

A couch and two winged arm chairs flank a long wooden coffee
table in front of a massive fireplace.
Henry kneels at the coffee table with a tablet of notebook
paper in front of him. On it, he writes the lowercase letter
'A' over and over.
Elsie enters as Henry finishes the page. He flips to the
next, switching to uppercase letter A's.
33.
Elsie pats his head, leaning down to kiss it.

ELSIE
Go slow.
Elsie takes a seat on one of the winged chairs on the side of
the coffee table. In front of her is a tube of glue and the
broken pieces of Henry's truck.
She glues the broken pieces back together and pops the wheel
back on with a SNAP!
It's a little lopsided, but it rolls.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
I fixed it!
She rolls it down the table towards him. It curves to the
left and rolls off the table, but remains in one piece.
Henry grins.
On the coffee table, Elsie's cellphone VIBRATES. The screen
shows an incoming FaceTime request from MOM.
Elsie her phone from the table as she gets up from the floor.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Keep going, Mommy has to take this.
Elsie exits the Living Room, leaving Henry alone to do his
school work.
INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

Elsie pulls the kitchen door shut and swipes to answer.
On her phone screen are her MOM (60s) and DAD (60s). Both are
dressed business formal sitting on a white couch. A lavish
painting hangs on the wall behind them.
MOM (PHONE)
Hey sweetheart.
DAD (PHONE)
How are you pumpkin?
ELSIE
Not so great. I called because
Sheriff Paulson was here earlier.
34.
DAD (PHONE)
We know, dear. We talked to him a
little while ago ourselves.
MOM (PHONE)
Why hasn't Henry been going to
school, El?
Elsie's face shows disbelief, shock.
ELSIE
Is he keeping tabs on me for you?
DAD (PHONE)
You've been through a lot. We asked
him to check in on you is all.
ELSIE
Could've checked on us yourself.
This is your house, remember?
A pause as her parents share a look.
MOM (PHONE)
Your father has been dealing with
the fallout from the scandal.
DAD (PHONE)
We've lost three big accounts, long
time customers, too.
ELSIE
Really? I lost my husband and my
baby, do you think I give a fuck
about your customers?
HENRY (O.S.)
Mommy?
Elsie sees Henry standing at the door to the Kitchen. She
quickly puts on a smile.
ELSIE
Hey monkey. Grandma and Grandpa are
on the phone, you wanna say hi?
She spins the phone around so he can see them. Her parents
wave and smile at him.
MOM (PHONE)
My gosh, you're getting so big!
DAD (PHONE)
Hey slugger!
35.
Henry smiles shyly back at them but doesn't speak.

ELSIE
Monkey, go work on your letters,
I'll be in after I'm done talking
with Grandma and Grandpa, okay?
Henry nods. He waves goodbye as he heads back through the
Dining Room door.
MOM (PHONE)
We love you!
Once he's gone, her Dad speaks.
DAD (PHONE)
Doesn't talk much, does he?
ELSIE
He's been through a traumatic
experience. Also you never visit so
he barely knows you.
Dad's face twists with irritation, but Mom puts her hand on
his arm, a calming reminder. He lets it go.
DAD (PHONE)
Look, El, we need to talk about
what's going to happen tomorrow.
ELSIE
Sheriff Paulin already told me. He
said they're coming out to search
the house.
MOM (PHONE)
That's not all of it.
ELSIE
What else is there?
Pause.
DAD (PHONE)
You're going to be taken into
custody.
ELSIE
What?!? How?
DAD (PHONE)
The Feds are under a lot pressure
to make an arrest in this case.
(MORE)
36.
DAD (PHONE) (CONT'D)
You and Daniel filed joint tax
returns, so they've got you on some
trumped up tax charge. It's a show
for the media, Elsie. The charges
don't have teeth.
ELSIE
But I wasn't involved!
MOM (PHONE)
We know, honey. We know.
DAD (PHONE)
Our lawyer has worked up a plea
deal. Considering all that you've
been through, the judge will
recommend a psychological
evaluation at a state hospital. One
to two months, that's it. No jail,
no criminal record.
Elsie's mouth hangs open in disbelief.
ELSIE
You did this, didn't you? You
offered me up to take the fall.
Her Dad leans forward and puts his elbows on his knees.
DAD (PHONE)
We all have a part to play to fix
this mess. Unless of course, you
know where the money is.
Mom and Dad both lean in, waiting for Elsie's reply.
Elsie SCOFFS in disbelief.
ELSIE
I wasn't involved! How many times
do I have to say that?
DAD (PHONE)
Okay, sweetie. Okay.
ELSIE
And what about Henry?
DAD (PHONE)
Henry?
ELSIE
What happens to him while I'm in
the hospital?
37.
Her Mom and Dad share a look of surprise, as if they didn't

plan for that.
MOM (PHONE)
He'll stay with us, of course.
Her Mom forces a smile.
Elsie tries to hold a stoic face, but under the surface a
pressure cooker of emotions is ready to explode.
DAD (PHONE)
This is the only way it all goes
away. We will take care of you, El.
Elsie doesn't respond. Her mouth twitches slightly as the
pressure begin to crack the surface.
MOM (PHONE)
El? Say something, please.
A deep exhale. Elsie forces an artificial, uneasy smile.
ELSIE
If that's what you think is best.
Her parents smile, sharing an unmistakable look of relief.
DAD (PHONE)
We'll be there first thing
tomorrow. This is almost over, just
have to hang in there a little
longer pumpkin.
ELSIE
(nodding)
Yeah.
(then)
I have to go check on Henry.
Elsie hangs up, doesn't wait for a goodbye.
INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING

Elsie enters, finding Henry still working at his letters.
Henry has moved on to lowercase letter B's. His pencil
scratches into the page, the line down, then a circle.
Elsie walks around the table. Sits down in the chair.
Another line down, another circle.
38.
Daniel's body dangles over Henry as he kneels beside the

table, spinning lazily above him.
Elsie stares up at Daniel as the RUMBLING grows in her ears.
Henry looks up from his notebook to his mother. He looks up,
following her eyeline but sees nothing.
HENRY
Mommy?
The RUMBLING stops.
Elsie's eyes move back to Henry. She forces a smile, not even
close to genuine.
She gets up from her chair and closes Henry's notebook.
ELSIE
That's enough schoolwork for today.
Go on, go play.
Elsie exits, leaving Henry behind.
EXT. LAKESIDE DRIVE - NIGHT

The white van pulls to the side of the access road along the
back of the Elsinore Manor property.
The headlights cut out as the engine stops.
INT. WHITE CARGO VAN - NIGHT

Leon throws the van into park. He's dressed head to toe in
black clothing - hoodie, slacks and black boots.
Caleb is equally dressed in black. He looks up at the house
through the trees, pointing at the lights of the manor.
CALEB
Why are all the lights on?
LEON
Probably on a timer. Don't worry,
no one's there.
Leon exits the van. Caleb gives the house another look then
follows after him.
39.
INT. HENRY'S ROOM - NIGHT

Henry on the ground playing with his trucks on the play rug.
He pushes the one that Elsie repaired down the city streets.
The wheel pops off again, rolling out of his open bedroom
door into the hall.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALL - NIGHT

Henry chases after the wheel as it rolls down the hallway.
As he bends down to pick it up, he hears SOBBING coming from
behind the Master Bedroom door.
Henry walks to the door and puts his ear against it.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Elsie in bed, her back against the headboard propped up on
some pillows. She SOBS, her face streaked with tears.
The lighter from the nightstand is in her hand. She flicks
it, the flame sparks to life in front of her eyes. A LOW
RUMBLE grows in the background.
She passes her fingertip through the flame, quickly at first,
then slower.
On the final, slow pass she pulls her finger quickly from the
flame, sucking her teeth as she shakes it.
She sparks the lighter again, holding it sideways so the
flame heats the metal guard. She watches it burn, making sure
the metal is nice and hot.
She releases the lever and jams the heated metal guard
against her forearm. It makes a small SIZZLE as it comes in
contact with her skin.
She lets out a small YELP of pain but grits her teeth,
grinding the lighter into her arm. The RUMBLE grows louder.
In front of her, Daniel's body swings lazily back and forth,
a steady drip of water from his shoes.
DRIP DRIP DRIP DRIP
Elsie stares intently up at him as she takes the pain. The
RUMBLING NOISE gets louder, drowning out all other sounds.
40.
She SCREAMS, not in pain, but in rage. It's barely audible

over the RUMBLING SOUND that fills her mind.

Henry runs into his room and scurries under his bed to hide.
INT./EXT. WHITE CARGO VAN - NIGHT

Leon walks around and opens the sliding door. He removes a
duffel bag from the rear of the van and tosses it to Caleb.
As he goes to lift the backpack, he stops, curious by the
weight of it.
LEON
What the fuck is in this thing?
Leon unzips the backpack, finding a propane torch.
LEON (CONT'D)
You making Crème brûlée?
CALEB
For the safe, just in case.
Leon yanks the duffel bag from Caleb's hands and swings the
backpack to him.
LEON
You wanna bring it, your ass is
carrying it.
Caleb puts straps of the backpack over his shoulders and
follows Leon as they head off towards the house.

The door to Henry's room opens.
Elsie is in the hall, dressed in a flowing white nightgown.
ELSIE
Henry?
His small head appears out from under the bed.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Bath time, monkey. If you get the
water started I'll make hot cocoa,
does that sound good?
41.
Henry nods.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
That's my good sweet boy.
We here the RUMBLING in her mind - an unrelenting cacophony
she can no longer quiet. It buzzes in her brain like an angry
ball of bees.
Elsie smiles at him, but it's distant, vacant.
She walks away from the door, leaving Henry alone.
EXT. MANOR HOUSE - NIGHT

A FLASH of lightning cuts across the night sky, silhouetting
two dark figures creeping towards the house.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

The window near the louvered closet. Two shadowy figures
approach. Leon pops up first, followed by Caleb.
Leon pulls the screen from the window and slides a thin metal
tool up between the bottom sash and the check rail.
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Elsie HUMS to herself as she stirs a pan of hot chocolate on
the stove. In her mind, the UNRELENTING RUMBLE continues.
Tendrils of steam rise from the pot as she brings the wooden
spoon to her mouth, tasting it. Mmmm so good.
She continues stirring.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

After a few wiggles of the metal tool, Leon manages to pop
the window latch and lift the sash.
He pulls himself up through the window, spilling out onto the
floor of the Study with a solid THUD.

Elsie looks up from the stove.
42.
ELSIE
Henry?
She moves towards the kitchen door.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Leon helps Caleb through the window. His entry is faster than
his larger companion. As he pulls his foot over the window
sill, his sneaker SQUEAKS against the hardwood floors.
LEON
You wore sneakers to do a job?
He speaks in a loud whisper. Caleb responds in suit.
CALEB
They're the only black shoes I own.
What does it matter, the place is
empty, right?
Leon GROANS and pushes a bag into Caleb's chest.
LEON
Start bagging shit while I get to
work on the safe.
Caleb nods.
As they step away from the window, a small red light blinks
from the security sensor on the sash.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Elsie steps out into the Foyer under the upstairs landing.
ELSIE
Henry? Are you down here?
She walks slowly toward the Study door.
She puts her hand on the Study door, gripping the doorknob to
turn it when-
A FLASH OF LIGHTNING illuminates the foyer dome, followed
quickly by a CRASH OF THUNDER.
Elsie jumps. Startled.
HENRY
Mommy?
43.
Elsie turns and sees Henry on the upstairs landing. She steps
away from the Study door and talks up to him from the Foyer.
ELSIE
There you are. Did you get your
bath started?
Henry nods.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
I'll be up soon with the hot
chocolate. Don't forget the bubbles
for your bath, monkey!
Elsie gives one last glance towards the Study before heading
back under the stairs to the Kitchen.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Leon stands in front of the wall safe. He rubs his hands
together and grins.
LEON
I'm gonna make you my bitch.
He puts the headset of the stethoscope to his ears and slides
the diaphragm against the door of the safe near the dial. He
spins the dial as the tumblers click in his ears.
Caleb SCOFFS as he slides the dropcloth off of one of the
cabinets. He grabs the knickknacks underneath and bags them.

Elsie lowers the heat on the burner as the edges of the hot
chocolate BUBBLE around the pan.
She adds a dash of vanilla extract and stirs.
We hold on her face as it shifts to a scowl. We hear the PLOP
PLOP PLOP of Elsie adding something else to the pan, but we
don't see what it is.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Leon continues his safecracking, trying the handle. It CLUNKS
softly, not budging. He spins the dial again and starts over.
Across the room, Caleb opens the doors on an armoire. Inside
are small figurines, fragile. He holds one out towards Leon.
44.
CALEB
Think these are expensive?
Leon swats his hand at Caleb, don't bother me.
Caleb shrugs and puts the glass figurine back on the shelf.

Elsie pours the hot chocolate into two oversized mugs on a
metal serving tray. She places a small bowl of mini
marshmallows beside them.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Caleb stands in front of the louvered closet doors. He opens
them and pulls the chain, turning on the light.
On the floor in the closet is a stack of boxes. He opens the
top box, finding children's toys - plastic trucks, a small
tugboat, and a yellow rubber duck with a sailor's hat.
Caleb picks up one of the trucks. One of the wheels is
missing. The plastic body is cracked, held together by thick
yellowed ribbons of glue.

Elsie looks at the tray, satisfied with the presentation.
ELSIE
Perfect.
As she picks it up, we see a prescription pill bottle laying
on its side on the counter.
The cap is off. The bottle is empty.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Beads of sweat drip down the tip of Leon's nose as he
concentrates, turning the dial ever so carefully when-
Caleb taps him on the shoulder, startling him.
LEON
What? I'm busy.
45.
CALEB
This room is tapped out. I'm gonna
check the rest of the house.
LEON
Good, your distractions are
breaking my focus.
CALEB
(sotto)
Yeah, that's why it isn't open yet.
Leon SNEARS at Caleb, then goes back to the dial. Caleb taps
him on the shoulder one more time, setting his backpack on
the table beside him.
He unzips it, revealing the butane torch.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Plan B.
Caleb gives him a mocking salute, then exits the study.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Caleb steps into the Foyer. He glances towards the Kitchen,
then to the Living Room door.
He crosses the foyer to the living room, entering and pulling
the door shut behind him.
A beat after the door closes, the kitchen door opens as Elsie
exits, walking carefully up the stairs with her tray.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Caleb wanders around the Living Room. The bookcases are full
of books and a few small knicknacks, but nothing really
catches his eye.
He pulls a book from the shelf. It's titled "Coping with
Loss." He thumbs through it then puts it back on the shelf.
The only thing that catches his eye is a huge flat screen
television on the mantle above the fireplace.
He unhooks the cables and power cords to take it down but
reconsiders, shaking his head.
CALEB
That won't fit through the window.
46.
He steps back from the fireplace, gives the room one last
look before exiting.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Caleb exits the Living Room and heads under the stairs
towards the Kitchen and Dining Room.
As he walks under the upstairs landing, the bathroom door
quietly pulls shut above him.
INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

Henry sits in a tub full of bubbles. Water sloshes against
the rim of the tub as he plays with a yellow rubber duck and
a toy tugboat.
Elsie kneels beside the tub, her arm dangling in the water.
ELSIE
Mommy loves you. You know that,
don't you Monkey?
Henry nods, but doesn't look up from his toys.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
You want to stay with Mommy, don't
you sweetie?
HENRY
Uh-huh.
Elsie smiles.
ELSIE
That's what Mommy wants too.
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Caleb walks around the dining room table set with eight place
settings. He takes the silverware from each setting and
shoves them into his bag.
He runs his finger down one of the plates, picking up a thin
layer of dust.

Elsie stands up and steps over the side of the tub, sliding
down into the water in her nightgown.
47.
Henry GIGGLES, snorting with laughter.

HENRY
Mommy's all wet!
Elsie dunks her head under water, coming up with a mound of
bubbles in her hair. Henry GIGGLES.
ELSIE
Do you like my hair?
Henry nods, still giggling.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
I did it special just for you. I
think you need something special as
well for our bubble bath hot
chocolate tea party. How about, a
top hat?
Elsie mounds a pile of bubbles on top of Henry's head.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
There's my little gentleman.
The mound of bubbles teeters on Henry's head as he Giggles.
Elsie grins back at him.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Leon carefully, carefully turns the dial.
In his stethoscope, he hears the PING of what he assumes are
tumblers falling into place.
He gives the handle a firm tug. Locked.
LEON
Fuck!
Leon yanks the stethoscope off and throws it against the safe
in frustration.
He looks back at the torch, contemplating. Instead, he picks
up his stethoscope for another try.

Elsie looks down at the tray next to the tub.
A moment of indecision flashes on her face, but is replaced
by a smile.
48.
ELSIE
How about a nice big cup of hot
chocolate, Gentleman Monkey?
Henry nods. His top hat of bubbles slides off his head.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Caleb exits the Dining Room and heads up the stairs to the
upstairs hall.

Elsie picks up the two oversized mugs of hot chocolate. She
carefully hands one to Henry and keeps the other for herself.
Her face flashes serious again.
ELSIE
You have to drink it all, okay?
Henry nods.
Elsie smiles, lifting her cup to her lips.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
My sweet, perfect boy. We'll drink
at the same time, okay?
Henry nods and lifts his mug, using both hands.
As he's about to drink-
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Wait!
Henry lowers the mug. Elsie reaches outside of the tub,
grabbing a handful of marshmallows from the bowl on the tray.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
I almost forgot the marshmallows.
She adds a few to Henry's mug and then some to her own.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
That's better. Now on the count of
three, we both drink, okay?
Henry nods, raising his mug.
49.

Caleb walks down the upstairs hall. As he nears the closed
bathroom door, he hears what sounds like WATER SLOSHING and a
muffled female voice.
Caleb's face goes white as a sheet.

Elsie holds her cup to her mouth.
ELSIE
One.
Elsie sticks her tongue into her mug. One of the marshmallows
sticks to it and she pulls it into her mouth like a frog.
Henry GIGGLES. He tries to do the same but he can't seem to
make one stick on his tongue.

Caleb slowly approaches the bathroom, dropping to his knees
to peer under the door. All he sees are the clawed feet of
the tub. He puts his ear to the door - nothing.

Elsie's hand shakes as she holds her mug.
ELSIE
Two.
Her smile fades, turning to a scowl.
Behind Henry, Daniel's legs and feet swing into view.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
Three.
Elsie tips her mug to her mouth and Henry does the same.

Caleb grips the handle to the bathroom door, turning the
knob, pushing it open. He steps inside to find-
50.

An empty bathroom.
The tub is bone dry.
No bubbles.
No Elsie or Henry.
Caleb shrugs, shaking his head.
CALEB
Must be hearing things.
He looks around the bathroom, opening cabinets, checking the
linen closet, finding nothing of value.
Next to the tub is the teapot and two cups on a silver
serving tray. The cups and teapot are empty. Caleb sets the
cups and teapot aside and slips the tray into his bag.
As he turns away from the tub, a shadow falls over him. He
hears the sound of WATER CASCADING off a person standing up
in a tub.
His face again goes white as a sheet.
He turns to find a waterlogged Elsie, her white nightgown
clinging against her body.
Her blonde hair has turned green. Her skin is mottled grey
and ashy. Lips a dark blue/black. Eyes milky white.
Her lips pull back as she SCREAMS, exposing her mildew
stained teeth.
ELSIE
YOU WON'T TAKE HIM FROM ME! YOU'LL
NEVER TAKE HIM FROM ME!
Caleb backpedals into the hallway, SCREAMING in terror as
Elsie chases after him.

Caleb scrambles backwards into the hall away from Elsie. He
SLAMS against the wall.
He holds his hands up in defense as Elsie stomps towards him.
ELSIE
GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!
51.
Just as she reaches him, Elsie's body disappears, turning

into a mist of water that douses Caleb's head and arms.
Caleb frantically cranes his neck searching for her,
bewildered by both her appearance and sudden disappearance.
CALEB
Oh fuck. Oh fuck!
Caleb can't get to his feet fast enough. He runs down the
stairs, making a beeline for the Study.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Caleb throws open the study door and runs to Leon at the
safe. Leon pounds his fist against the safe as Caleb reaches
him, yanking the stethoscope from his ears.
LEON
What the fuck, I almost had it!
He did not almost have it.
CALEB
We have to get the fuck out of
here, now! We have to go! Fuck the
safe, fuck this house, let's
fucking get out of here!
LEON
Easy! What happened?
CALEB
There was a dead woman in the tub!
A ghost, a fucking ghost!
Leon grins.
LEON
No shit? You saw her? For real?
Caleb is taken aback by Leon's non-reaction.
CALEB
You knew about her?
LEON
How'd you think I knew this place
would be empty?
Caleb opens his mouth to question Leon further. Before he can
get a word out, police lights flash through the front windows
of the study.
52.
Leon and Caleb's eyes go wide.

CALEB
Let's get the fuck out of here!
LEON
There's no time. Hide!
Leon grabs the backpack with the torch and thrusts it at
Caleb, shoving him towards the louvered closet.
Leon re-covers the drop cloths over the furniture. He gives
the room one last glance before joining Caleb in the closet.
INT. CLOSET - NIGHT

Leon pulls the doors shut and yanks the pull chain on the
light as they hunker down in the darkness.
CALEB
(loud whispering)
What the fuck did you get me into
you fucking piece of-
Caleb stops as they hear the front door open. He shakes with
uneasy energy. Leon elbows him to be still.
Leon leans forward, peering between the slats as FOOTSTEPS
ring out from the Foyer, approaching the Study.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Sheriff Paulin enters, accompanied by a DEPUTY (20s, female).
Although the lights are on, both have their flashlights on as
they enter the room.
The Sheriff now sports a white goatee. His hair is also much
whiter than it was when he visited the house before.
SHERIFF PAULIN
Alarm company said it was one of
the windows in here.
The deputy shines her light around the room, starting at the
front and then stopping at the window next to the closet.
DEPUTY
That one.
She walks over to the window and slams it shut, locking it.
53.
DEPUTY (CONT'D)
Want me to sweep the rest of the
house?
Sheriff Paulin shakes his head, turning off his flashlight.
SHERIFF PAULIN
No need. It was probably Ms. Elsie.
DEPUTY
Elsie Myers? But she's-
SHERIFF PAULIN
Dead, her and her little boy.
Almost three years now.
DEPUTY
You're saying her ghost did this?
SHERIFF PAULIN
They put her body in the ground,
but her spirit never left the
house. Probably the storm has her
riled up, she gets restless when
the weather turns.
INT. CLOSET - NIGHT

Caleb sits back against the wall of the closet. He slowly
turns his head as something move towards him in the darkness.
IT'S HENRY. His hair is damp and his skin mottled grey with
blue lips.
Henry puts a finger to his lips, shushing Caleb.
They lock eyes for a moment. Caleb is TERRIFIED. His eyes are
wide with fear, body trembling, the hair on the back of his
neck standing at attention.
Henry pulls away from Caleb and disappears into the shadows.
In his petrified state, Caleb eeks out a low croak from his
throat. Leon quickly turns and cups his hand over Caleb's
mouth to silence him.
LEON
(mouthing silently)
Shut the fuck up.
54.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Sheriff Paulin paces around the study, checking that the rest
of the windows are all locked and shut tight.
DEPUTY
You were the last person to see
them alive, weren't you?
Sheriff Paulin nods.
SHERIFF PAULIN
Identified their bodies the next
day too. Couldn't put her parents
through that.
DEPUTY
Can't believe they kept this place.
SHERIFF PAULIN
House has been in their family for
over a century. But it's Ms.
Elsie's house now. We shouldn't
stay too long, she doesn't like
unannounced visitors.
The Deputy has an uneasy look.
DEPUTY
What do we tell the alarm company?
SHERIFF PAULIN
Same thing I tell them every other
time this happens. False alarm.
The Deputy nods and heads back to the Foyer.
The Sheriff hangs back, tipping his hat.
Sorry to disturb you, Ms. Elsie.
You and Henry have a nice rest of
your evening.
Sheriff Paulin reaches into his pocket and pulls out a
peppermint. He leaves it on the table by the closet.
Sheriff Paulin exits the Study. His FOOTSTEPS echo through
the Foyer until they reach the front door.
After the door shuts, Leon and Caleb exit the closet and
creep to the front window. They watch in silence as the
Sheriff's cruiser pulls away.
55.
Caleb zips up his backpack with the torch and throws it over
his shoulder.
CALEB
Let's get the fuck out of here.
LEON
You kidding? They won't be back, we
got all night now to ransack the
place. We're taking everything,
including whatever is in that
goddamn safe.
Caleb ponders for a moment, then shakes his head.
CALEB
This is fucked, man, this is
fucked. How did you know there was
a fucking ghost here?
LEON
Told you, a buddy of mine did a job
here. The housekeeper told him all
about the ghost, said it's the
daughter of the owners. She offed
herself and her son in the bathroom
upstairs.
CALEB
That's where I saw her.
Caleb's expression goes to a blank, unfocused gaze as he
remembers his encounter.
Leon shakes his head and LAUGHS.
LEON
Jesus, she really scared the piss
out of you, didn't she?
CALEB
You didn't think it was important
to share with me that there might
be a fucking ghost here?
LEON
I figured it was bullshit. Besides,
the housekeeper said if you see her
to just stay calm. Most she'll do
is make a racket and disappear. She
can't hurt you. She's a fucking
ghost! So if she shows up again,
ignore her.
56.
CALEB
What about the kid?
LEON
What kid?
CALEB
Her... fucking kid! He was in the
closet just now with us!
LEON
Didn't say nothing about no kid.
(shrugs)
Fuck it, ignore him too, I guess.
Caleb SCOFFS.
CALEB
Ignore them? You didn't see them!
Both of them almost gave me a
fucking heart attack!
A WAILING SHRIEK echoes through the house.
Caleb's eyes go wide as saucers.
A look of fear flashes on Leon's face, but he quickly regains
his composure and shrugs, posturing for Caleb.
LEON
What? No big deal.
CALEB
Fuck you, Leon. I'm done, I'm out
of here. I didn't sign up for some
stupid fucking ghost hunt!
Caleb heads towards the window, but stops when he hears the
sound of a GUN COCKING behind him.
He spins back around to see Leon holding a gun, pointing it
directly at him. A sinister grin curls on Leon's face.
LEON
We finish the fucking job. It's too
big a score to walk away. Now, you
keep filling that bag with valuable
shit while I open the safe.
CALEB
You're never gonna fucking crack
it! Cut the fucker with the torch,
grab the money and let's beat it!
57.
This time Leon SCOFFS.

LEON
You can't cut it with a torch,
stupid, you'll burn everything
inside. Look.
Leon gestures to the door of the safe. In the center of the
dial is a keyhole.
LEON (CONT'D)
The safe has a master key, must be
hidden somewhere in the house. We
can empty this place of anything
else of value while we search for
it. Come on.
Leon uncocks the gun and tucks it into the back of his pants,
motioning Caleb to follow as he exits the Study.
Caleb gives an apprehensive look to the window as he
contemplates escape.
Lighting flashes through the window, followed by the rattle
of thunder and the patter of rain against the glass.
As Caleb considers the window exit, the light in the closet
clicks on by itself. The candy on the table is gone.
Inside the closet, Henry is on his hands and knees playing
with the broken truck from the box.
A puddle of water spreads from underneath the closet doors.
Spooked, Caleb clamors after Leon into the Foyer.
When he leaves, the closet light turns off on its own as
another crash of lightning flashes.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Caleb exits the Study hastily, backing into Leon as he
admires the chandelier and domed glass ceiling above. Rain
pelts the glass, causing an eerie echo in the Foyer.
LEON
Watch yourself, dipshit!
CALEB
The kid was in there again, hiding
in the closet.
58.
LEON
How fucking adorable!
(then)
Check the upstairs while I look
around down here.
Another WAILING SHRIEK rattles the house, shaking the
chandelier above them.
Leon motions Caleb to the stairs. Caleb subtly shakes his
head, no.
Leon pushes Caleb towards the hallway under the stairs
leading to the kitchen.
LEON (CONT'D)
Get moving you fucking pussy. This
is gonna take twice as long now if
we can't split up.

Leon enters with Caleb right on his heels, not giving him any
chance of separating from him.
Leon heads to the kitchen island and opens drawers, searching
for anything of value. He finds and bags more silverware, but
no key or other valuables.
He angrily motions to Caleb.
LEON
Don't just stand there, help! Check
the pantry.
Caleb nods, uneasy.
He steps in front of the pantry door, pulling it open.
Inside, he sees Henry. Henry looks up at him with wide eyes,
putting a finger to his lips.
CALEB
Fuck!
Caleb slams the door shut, backing away until he runs into
the counter.
LEON
What?
He points to the door.
59.
CALEB
The kid! The kid is in there.
Leon stomps around the counter, irritated. He pushes Caleb
out of the way as he heads to the pantry door.
LEON
Jee-zuss H. Christ.
Caleb shrinks away as Leon opens the door.
Empty. The shelves are bare besides a few cleaning chemicals.
Caleb sidles over, pointing down to the wet child sized
footprints on the floor.
CALEB
He was right fucking there!
LEON
Poor kid, your ugly mug must've
scared him off.
Leon grins as he runs his hand down the side of Caleb's face.
Caleb pulls away, annoyed.
LEON (CONT'D)
Nothing else here. Come on, let's
keep looking.
Leon heads to the door as Caleb follows, watching the pantry.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Leon emerges from the hallway with Caleb behind him. He
motions to the door to the Living Room.
LEON
What's in there?
CALEB
Living room. Couch, couple chairs,
television, some bookcases. I
tossed it pretty good, not really
any good hiding places for a key.
Leon narrows his eyes, scanning for bullshit. Not detecting
any, he nods, motioning to the stairs.
LEON
Upstairs it is, then. You first.
60.
Caleb nods, realizing his initial relief of skipping the

Living Room was only a pyrrhic victory.

Caleb steps onto the landing of the upstairs hall. Leon
follows a few steps behind.
As they walk towards Henry's room, Leon's shoe slides in the
puddle of water outside of the bathroom.
He gestures to it.
LEON
This where you saw her before?
Caleb nods.
Beside them, the bathroom door SLAMS SHUT. The rest of the
doors in the hall follow, SLAMMING in domino effect.
They SLAM open and closed multiple times before stopping,
leaving them in eerie silence.
Caleb is spooked but Leon is less impressed.
LEON (CONT'D)
That all you got?
A strike of LIGHTNING crackles like ozone. As the thunder
BOOMS, the lights flicker, then go out completely.
CALEB
Fuck, fuck-fuck-fuck fuck!
LEON
Dude, chill! That wasn't even her,
it was the fucking storm.
Leon pulls a flashlight from his pocket and shines it down
the hall towards the Master Bedroom.
At the end of the hall, Elsie appears in the beam of Leon's
flashlight. Her lip is curled up into a snarl.
ELSIE
GET OUT!
She lets out a terrible high pitched SHRIEK, flying down the
hall towards Caleb and Leon.
Caleb covers his ears and cowers. Leon's face shows fear, but
he holds his ground.
61.
When Elsie reaches them, she disappears the same way she did
with Caleb, turning into a mist of water that douses Leon's
face and clothes.
Leon exhales, blowing a spray of water from his lips.
His eyes go wide with excitement. He is EXHILARATED! Instead
of striking fear, Leon is amped up by the encounter.
LEON
God damn, did you see that? Fuckin'
bitch flew right at me. That the
same thing she did to you?
Leon looks down at Caleb cowering on his knees.
CALEB
Yeah.
LEON
Holy fuck what a rush! I've got
goosebumps, whew! Fucking-A man!
(to Caleb)
Do you believe me now? We've seen
all her tricks, she's harmless! Can
we split up now?
Caleb stands up, looking a little less shaken after Leon's
experience standing his ground. He nods.
CALEB
Yeah, let's split up.
Leon gestures to the nursery and Henry's room.
LEON
You take these two, I'll take the
ones at the other end of the hall.
Leon wipes his hand over his face and flings the water at
Caleb. He CHUCKLES as Caleb mops himself off with his sleeve.
LEON (CONT'D)
Didn't I tell you I could make any
women wet? Don't even matter if
she's a fucking ghost.
Leon SHIVERS and CHUCKLES again, letting out a WOO! of
excitement as he heads to the master bedroom.
Caleb steps with less confidence towards the Nursery.
CALEB
What if I see the kid again?
62.
LEON
I don't fucking know, swap stories
about who had the worse mother? Or
maybe stop worrying about the God
damn spooks and find what we're
looking for! Sooner we find it, the
sooner we're gone.
Caleb nods, taking out his phone to use as a flashlight. He
takes a deep breath and enters.
INT. NURSERY - NIGHT

The nursery is dark and empty except for a lone crib in the
center of the room.
Caleb shines his phone light around the room, casting shadows
of the mobile animals against the back wall.
As he steps towards the closet, the mobile over the crib
CLICKS as it starts to spin, playing a music box tune.
CALEB
Fuck this.
Caleb hurries to the door and pulls it shut from the outside.
Once he's gone, the mobile stops moving and falls silent.

Leon opens the door to the Utility Closet. Washer, dryer,
some cleaning supplies, nothing worth stealing.
At the other end of the Hall, Caleb exits the Nursery,
pulling the door closed behind him.
As he turns to face Henry's room, he finds the door slightly
ajar as Henry peeks out from behind the door.
Caleb JUMPS, startling Henry. Henry disappears in the shadows
behind the door.
Caleb casts an uneasy glance up the hall to Leon, who
gestures him to keep moving with a flick of his wrist.
Caleb steps towards Henry's door, pushing it open.

Leon throws open the master bedroom door.
63.
The wooden floors creak as he steps inside. He casts his

flashlight around him as he surveys the room.
A thin layer of dust coats the furniture. The end tables by
the bed are clear of the pill and wine bottles. In their
place, a Bible.
Leon picks up the Bible, holding it upside down as he fans
through the pages. Empty. He tosses it aside.
Thunder rumbles through the house as the storm rages outside.
Behind him, the Bedroom door moves silently by itself,
closing with a heavy CLICK.

As he steps inside, Caleb walks over the large play rug.
Tucked along the foot of Henry's bed are a row of trucks
parked against the edge of the rug.
CALEB
(sotto)
He's just a kid. Just a scared
little kid. He can't hurt you.
Caleb slowly drops to his knee on the carpet.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Hey, little man. You like trucks?
Caleb reaches for a small plastic dump truck. He places it on
the main road of the rug.
CALEB (CONT'D)
I had a rug like this when I was
young. I think every kid had one,
it's like a requirement growing up.
Caleb waits in silence for an answer. The creak of the house
against the wind and rain outside is the only response.
CALEB (CONT'D)
My Mom took off when I was twelve.
She's in Texas living with some
guy. Not my Dad, never met him.
Caleb stops talking and listens.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Lived with my Grandparents until
they died a couple years back.
(MORE)
64.
CALEB (CONT'D)
I've been on my own since, doing
jobs with my uncle to earn enough
cash so I can go down and see her.
He slowly drives the plastic dump truck down Main Street.
CALEB (CONT'D)
I always thought I got a raw deal
growing up without a Mom but I
guess there's no guarantee it
would've been better if she stuck
around. Your Mom stuck around, that
didn't work out too well for you.
Another pause. The only sound is the rattle of the wind and
rain against the window.
CALEB (CONT'D)
I always liked dump trucks. You can
fill them up with rocks or gravel,
drive it around and dump it
somewhere else.
Caleb turns the dump truck down a different road, driving it
around the rug town.
CALEB (CONT'D)
You ever do that? That's some fun
shit there.
Caleb drives his dump truck along the city streets until it
crashes crashes into a plastic tow truck in the grips of
Henry's tiny blue fingers.
Caleb recoils initially in fear, but settles when Henry looks
at him and smiles.
He nudges Caleb's truck with his own.
Other than his mottled skin, blue lips and green hair, Henry
has the bright eyes and smile of a little boy.
Henry GIGGLES as he rams his truck into Caleb's, pushing it
back towards Caleb's hand.
Caleb's hand shakes as he reaches for his truck, swerving
around Henry's truck and speeding down another street as
Henry chases. Caleb smiles uneasily.
CALEB (CONT'D)
(sotto)
Guess I'm doing this. Playing
trucks with a ghost.
65.

Leon scans his flashlight around the master bedroom. As the
light beam moves over the bed, a mound of sheets writhes
accompanied by the sound of LOW SOBS.
The sight leaves Leon unnerved, but undeterred.
He opens the nightstand next to the mass on the bed, tossing
the contents of the drawers onto the floor.
On the bed, the sobbing builds into a long mournful wail.
Leon ignores it as he moves to the other nightstand.
He empties the drawers onto the bed pocketing a wristwatch
and a few small bits of jewelry he finds in there.
The wail grows louder, rattling the furniture.
LEON
Quiet you soggy bitch! Can't hear
myself think with that bullshit.
The wailing quiets down to gentle sobs.
LEON (CONT'D)
That's more like it.
Leon moves to the double closet doors on the other side of
the room. He opens the doors.
The clothes racks are empty, but stacks of shoeboxes line the
back wall of the closet.
Leon opens the boxes, dumping them on the floor. Mostly paper
records and the occasional pair of shoes.
In the mirror over the dresser, the shape of a woman rises
from the bed covered in bedsheets.
Her crying gets louder again, growing to a LOW WAIL.
Leon's frustration grows. Partially from the racket coming
from Elsie's ghost, but mostly for the lack of valuables and
inability to locate the master key.
He turns to the bed and pulls the blanket from her body,
revealing nothing underneath.
The crying stops, all is quiet.
LEON (CONT'D)
Bout fuckin' time. Christ.
66.
As he turns away from the bed, Elsie lunges at him from

inside the closet.
ELSIE
GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!
Leon jumps, startled by her sudden appearance. She disappears
like before, coating him in a wet mist.
LEON
You murdering cunt! Where's the
goddamn key to that fucking safe?
The closet doors SLAM shut. Leon rips them back open.
LEON (CONT'D)
I'm going to find it. You're not
gonna stop me!
A loud SHRIEK rattles the bedroom.

The door to Henry's bedroom rattles on its hinges to Elsie's
shriek. Both Caleb and Henry look to the doorway in fear.
CALEB
That your mom? She sounds pissed.
When Caleb looks back, Henry is gone.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Kid? Where'd you go buddy?
Caleb shines his light around the room searching for Henry.
A tiny hand reaches from underneath the bed. It tugs on
Caleb's pantleg.
Caleb kneels down and finds Henry laying prone under the bed.
A puddle of water leaches out of his pajamas onto the floor.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Are you hiding?
Henry nods.
He curls his finger, beckoning Caleb to join him.
CALEB (CONT'D)
You want me to hide too?
Henry nods.
67.
A worried look spreads over Caleb's face.

CALEB (CONT'D)
Fuuuuuuuck.
Caleb drops to his stomach and slides under the bed.

Leon slams the closet doors shut. He eyes the dresser across
from the bed.
He pulls the drawers one by one from the dresser, emptying
their contents onto the floor.
Only clothes. No valuables. No key.
LEON
Where is it? Where's the key?
As Leon stands up from searching, Elsie is IN the mirror,
staring back at him with milky eyes.
ELSIE
GET OUT!
Leon initially recoils, then gathers himself.
He punches the glass, creating a spiderweb of cracks through
the mirror.
Elsie is no longer there.
LEON
I'm not leaving 'til I get what's
in that safe! You hear me?
An ear piercing SHRIEK rattles through the room, but Elsie
does not materialize.

Under the bed, Caleb and Henry listen to Leon and Elsie's
tussle in the Master Bedroom.
Caleb looks to Henry, seeing the worry on his young face.
CALEB
Are you and your mom both stuck
here in the house?
Henry shakes his head, no.
68.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Why don't you leave?
Another loud SHRIEK rattles the floorboards. Henry points to
the door.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Is she keeping you here?
A pause, then Henry shakes his head. No.
CALEB (CONT'D)
I don't understand.
Another SHRIEK followed by a LOUD CRASH. Henry points to the
door again.
Caleb's face shows confusion.
CALEB (CONT'D)
I'm sorry, I don't know what you
mean, kid.
Disappointment spreads over Henry's face.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Are you afraid of her?
Pause. Henry nods.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Should I be afraid of her?
Henry nods slowly for emphasis.
Fear spreads on Caleb's face.
CALEB (CONT'D)
I gotta get out of here.

Finished with the dresser, Leon moves to the chest of
drawers.
As he pulls the top drawer open, an unseen force rips it from
his fingers and SLAM it shut.
LEON
It's in this one, isn't it?
Leon tugs on the drawer. Every time he gets it moving, the
drawer pulls away from him, slamming shut.
69.
He puts his foot on the chest for leverage as he gives it a

hard tug.
The drawer pops free, smacking him in the nose as he tumbles
backwards onto the floor. Leon touches his fingertips to his
nose, revealing a trickle of blood.
LEON (CONT'D)
Agh! You fucking bitch!
Leon sits up and rifles through the contents of the drawer.
He finds some clothes, a couple paper receipts, but that's
it. No key. No valuables.
He gets back to his feet, lifting the drawer over his head
and SLAMMING it to the ground. It shatters at his feet.
Leon rips the next drawer from the chest, rifles through it,
and SMASHES it in the same manner as the first.
LEON (CONT'D)
Is this why you're still here?
Protecting the money like some
fucking dragon guarding a treasure?
Is that your punishment for killing
yourself and your little brat?
Leon continues down the chest, yanking the drawers free and
busting them against the floor. They are all empty.
LEON (CONT'D)
Once I'm done here, I'm gonna take
all this broken wood and start a
fire before I go. What do you think
of that?
Leon looks over the room. All of the drawers are tossed.
Closet checked. There's nowhere left to check.
He sneers as he heads to the door.
LEON (CONT'D)
Caleb! Bust up that crib, we're
going to need some more kindling.
Elsie materializes behind Leon.
She SHRIEKS as she throws Leon through the heavy master
bedroom door with enough force to shatter it to splinters.
70.

Leon flies down the hall, tumbling past both sets of stairs
on the landing.
He sits up on his hands and knees, dazed. His face is
bloodied with scrapes and cuts.
At the other end of the hall, Elsie stands in the shattered
doorway of the Master Bedroom.
She SHRIEKS.
Leon's eyes show fear. Real fear.
Elsie stalks towards him, blocking his path to the stairs.
His exit blocked, Leon scrambles backwards, crab walking as
fast as he can.
He slips on the water outside of the bathroom, falling
backwards on his ass.
Leon slips and stumbles again as he tries to get up.
He looks up to see Elsie moving closer, almost upon him. As
he scrambles, his hand brushes against the butt of his gun in
the back of his pants.
He pulls the pistol from the waistband and aims at Elsie.
She stops, tilting her head.
LEON
Eat lead, bitch!
Leon squeezes the trigger, firing.
The bullet passes through Elsie's head as if she isn't there.
She's completely unharmed and unfazed.
Stunned, Leon fires again, over and over as Elsie walks
towards him. But just like before, each bullet passes
straight through her, doing no damage.
Leon fires one last time. A small spray of water erupts from
her midsection as the bullet passes through.
Leon turns to run, frightened out of his wits. In his
panicked state he's unable to get his feet under him.
Elsie continues her steady pursuit, leaving a trail of wet
footprints on the hardwood floors.
71.
LEON (CONT'D)
No! No please! Please! I'm sorry!
I'll leave, I promise!
Leon stumbles one last time on the floor outside of Henry's
room. He locks eyes with Caleb under the bed.
Leon's face is a mask of panic and fear.
Elsie grabs Leon's ankle and throws him with ease down the
hall towards the stairs. He lands with a CRASH against the
upstairs landing.
Leon doesn't get up. He crumples against the floor, sobbing.
His face is a bloodied mess.
He lifts his hands up defensively as Elsie walks towards him.
As she looms over him, Leon puts his palms together, begging
for mercy.
LEON (CONT'D)
Please, I beg you! I'm sorry! I'm
so sorry! They said you couldn't
hurt me.
(sobs)
They said you couldn't hurt me!
Lightning flashes behind Elsie in the glass dome of the
foyer.
She picks Leon up by his neck, raising him off the ground
until he's dangling from her grip like a ragdoll.
Choking, Leon claws at her hand but can't break her grip.
She turns around and throws Leon off the upstairs landing,
but he doesn't fall far.
Instead of hitting the ground, Leon is impaled on the antlers
of the chandelier.
The antlers drive through his back, skewering him through his
chest, shoulder, and abdomen.
The chandelier sweeps from side to side. The chain CREAKS as
it sways from the additional weight, but does not fall.
Leon clutches at the antler sticking out below his collarbone
as blood gurgles from his mouth.
Elsie turns away from him and slowly walks down the hall
towards the Master Bedroom. She steps through the shattered
doorway and disappears.
72.
All of the remaining doors in the house SLAM SHUT in unison.

Caleb shudders in fright under the bed. He looks over to find
Henry gone; a wet outline remains on the floor.
Caleb pulls himself out from under the bed, being as quiet as
he can.
The storm has died down outside, leaving the house eerily
quiet and still. Oppressing silence.
The only sound is the hushed breathing of Caleb as he sneaks
to the bedroom door.
He twists the doorknob slowly so it doesn't make a sound,
then slowly pulls the door towards him.
When the door is about four inches open, the hinge CREAKS.
CALEB
(mouthing)
Fuck.
Caleb waits, listening for any sounds in the house. The only
sound is his rapid, shallow breathing.
He releases the doorknob and grabs the edge of the door,
giving it a hard pull towards him.
This time, hinge remains silent.
Caleb silently slips around the door into the-

He looks into the Master Bedroom through the darkness at the
other end of the hall. The room is still, no sign of her.
The oppressing silence continues as he picks his way down the
hall, carefully avoiding debris from the Master bedroom door.
He steps gingerly along the edge of the hall near the
baseboard to minimize sound from the hardwood floors.
Caleb jumps from one side of the hall to the other, avoiding
the puddle in front of the bathroom.
When his foot lands, his shoe SQUEAKS.
He freezes.
73.
Waits. Holds his breath.

Looks to the Master Bedroom.
Nothing. No movements or sound.
He exhales softly and resumes his careful steps until he
reaches the Upstairs Landing.
Illuminated in the moonlight through the domed glass ceiling
is Leon's body impaled on the chandelier.
Emotions swell in Caleb at the sight of his dead uncle.
CALEB
(softly)
Fuck. Oh fuck.
As Caleb stares down at him, LEON'S EYES OPEN.
Caleb JUMPS, startled.
CALEB (CONT'D)
(whispers)
Leon?
Blood gurgles from Leon's mouth, followed by a weak, wet
COUGH. His hand shakes as he reaches out to Caleb, MOANING in
pain as he shifts his weight on the chandelier.
The chandelier sways and CREAKS on its chain.
Caleb puts his finger to his mouth, shushing Leon.
CALEB (CONT'D)
She'll hear you!
Leon is beyond reason. He MOANS in agony, coughing up blood.
His movements cause the chandelier to sway and CREAK.
Elsie's SHRIEK rattles the Upstairs Landing with enough force
to ruffle Caleb's hair.
Caleb stumble-runs as fast as he can down the stairs.
On the chandelier, Leon's breathing falls silent as his arm
drops lifelessly.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Caleb sprints to the front door.
74.
Before he can reach it, Elsie materializes in front of him,

blocking his path.
She SHRIEKS.
Caleb pivots mid-sprint and runs to the open Living Room
door. It SLAMS in his face.
He tries the handle. Locked.
He runs towards the Study. As he reaches it, the door SLAMS
in his face again.
Tries the handle. Locked.
He turns toward the hallway to the Kitchen, but Elsie is
already there, blocking his path.
Caleb stumbles backwards in surprise, falling to the floor.
As he lands, he hears the metallic PLINK of the butane torch
in his backpack as he falls to the floor.
Caleb yanks the backpack off of his shoulders and fumbles
with the zipper, pulling it open.
As Elsie approaches, he pulls out the torch, opening the
valve.
He presses the igniter with a CLICK! but it fails to light.
He tries again. CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!
When Elsie is almost on him, the torch ignites with a FOOSH!
Elsie STOPS. Her eyes fixate on the blue flame of the torch.
She tilts her head, narrowing her eyes as if the fire has
sparked a long forgotten memory.
Caleb rises to his feet, holding the torch defensively in
front of him as he circles away from her.
Elsie follows closely, fixated on the flame.
CALEB
Stay back. Let me leave, okay?
Elsie reaches her fingers towards the flame on the torch.
Caleb thrusts it towards her, trying to push her back.
Instead, she grabs his wrist with lightning quick reflexes.
75.
Caleb's face contorts as he struggles against Elsie's grip.

She extends her opposite arm, putting her forearm in the path
of the flame. She closes her eyes.
Steam rises from her wrist as she waits for the pain. When it
doesn't come, she opens her eyes in bewilderment.
A WHIMPER of pain escapes Caleb's mouth as the bones in his
wrist CRACKLE in her tightening grip.
The torch falls from his grasp, CLUNKING against the hardwood
floor. Elsie releases Caleb, still focused on the torch.
As she scurries after the torch, Caleb takes the only
available exit to him and enters the hallway under the stairs
to the Kitchen and Dining Room.
Elsie picks up the torch, but the flame was extinguished when
Caleb released the trigger.
She SHRIEKS in anger, throwing it at Caleb, just missing him
as he ducks into the Kitchen.

Caleb slams the door behind him, holding his fractured wrist
against his chest. He frantically searching for an exit.
The window over the sink, too small.
At the other end of the Kitchen is a door locked with a
safety chain.
As he heads to it, the pantry door flies opens behind him.
Henry is once again hiding there. He motions frantically for
Caleb to join him.
A brief moment of indecision from Caleb, looking from the
potential exit to the pantry.
Another SHRIEK from Elsie as she closes in on the Kitchen.
Caleb chooses to hide, entering the pantry and pulling the
door shut.
INT. PANTRY - NIGHT

Caleb watches the kitchen through the louvered slats of the
pantry door.
The excitement over, the manor again falls silent.
76.
The kitchen door CREAKS open.

On the floor, WET FOOTPRINTS materialize. They track around
the kitchen island and stop in front of the pantry.
Caleb pulls back, holding his breath. His eyes widen.
The wet track of footsteps move on from the pantry and head
back towards the door.
The door swings open as the footsteps exit.
Caleb EXHALES in relief, then looks to Henry. His little face
still wears a mask of concern.
Realization spreads on Caleb's face.
CALEB
She's looking for you, isn't she?
Henry nods, slowly.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Is that why you stay? You keep her
here, trapped in the house.
Henry nods again. His face is so sad and pitiful.
Caleb shakes his head.
CALEB (CONT'D)
I'm sorry, kid.
Caleb checks the kitchen again through he slats of the door.
Still quiet.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

The grandfather clock in the Foyer CHIMES. The hands are at
midnight. Everything is still.

The CHIMES echo down the vacant hall. The chandelier sways
ever so slightly.

Trucks sit on the play rug. The CHIMES continue.
77.

The room is empty, no sign of Elsie. The grandfather clock
echoes its twelfth and final CHIME.
INT. PANTRY/KITCHEN - NIGHT

The grandfather clock falls silent. The manor is dead quiet.
Caleb peers between the slats of the pantry door.
CALEB
(whispering)
Kid, can you help me get out of-
When he looks to Henry, Caleb realizes he's alone. Henry once
again has disappeared.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Right.
Caleb quietly opens the pantry door, easing himself out into
the kitchen.
He steps around the wet footprints as he heads towards what
he hopes is a back door.
Caleb slowly, carefully slides the security chain free. It
makes a small PLINK! as the metal buckle knocks against the
door, but in the silence it feels as loud as a car crash.
Caleb unlocks and slowly pulls the door open. His hopes are
shattered when instead of an exit he finds a utility room.
Inside is a water softener, water heater, furnace and some
more cleaning chemicals marked Keep Out of Reach of Children.
He steps back from the door, leaving it open as he heads back
to the Kitchen door.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Caleb exits from the hallway under the stairs.
The penetrating silence continues. It's unsettling how quiet
it is.
A soft DRIP DRIP DRIP breaks the silence. Caleb searches for
the sound, finding a spreading puddle of blood on the Foyer
floor below Leon's impaled body on the chandelier.
He glances up at Leon as the chandelier silently sways above.
78.
DRIP DRIP DRIP DRIP

The dripping blood rings much louder than it should due to
the stillness of the rest of the Manor.
It echoes against the wood paneled walls of the Foyer, the
sound expanding to fill the emptiness.
Caleb looks first at the front door, contemplating exit.
DRIP DRIP DRIP DRIP
He changes his mind, turns his attention to the Study door.
A slight nod. Go out the way we came in.
DRIP DRIP DRIP DRIP
Silently walking to the door.
A soft click of STATIC as he grabs the handle, gingerly
testing it.
DRIP DRIP DRIP DRIP
It turns easily in his hand.
As he pushes the door open-
A LOUD CRASH AS ELSIE BURSTS THROUGH THE STUDY DOOR.
The sound rushes back, sudden and loud, as if the Manor
finally exhaled after holding its breath.
She SHRIEKS as she lifts Caleb up off the ground and tosses
him effortlessly across the Foyer.
Caleb flies through the air, CRASHING through the door to the
Living Room.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Caleb's body SLAMS through the door, tumbling over the chair
and landing with a CRASH on the coffee table.
Dizzy, disoriented, Caleb's face twists in agony as he
struggles to breathe with the wind knocked out of him.
As he tries to catch his breath, he sees Elsie pacing across
the Foyer, heading straight towards him.
Caleb scrambles on his hands and knees as he goes for the
window of the Living Room as he tries to escape.
79.
He struggles with his broken wrist to undo the latch. Before

he can get it open, Elsie has him.
Elsie grabs Caleb by his backpack and tosses him backwards
through the busted Living Room door.
INT. FOYER - NIGHT

Caleb lands with a solid thud directly under the chandelier.
He WHEEZES, coughing as a trickle of blood appears in the
corner of his mouth.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the door to the coat
closet by the front door move.
Henry peeks out, hiding inside.
CALEB COUGHS up blood, clearing his throat.
CALEB
Kid,
(cough cough)
help me!
The coat closet door pulls shut as Henry hides.
Before Caleb can ask for help again, Elsie picks him up by
the neck and lifts him into the air, dangling in her grip.
The look on her face is cold and sinister.
Caleb pries at her fingers, trying to pull them open, but her
fingers are too strong.
Caleb pounds his fist against her wrist as he chokes, unable
to break her grasp on him.
The coat closet door opens again. Henry appears, his face a
conflicted mixture of sadness and fear.
Caleb reaches out to Henry as he uses his last breath to
utter one final plea.
CALEB (CONT'D)
Please.
Below him, Elsie's face shows no emotion.
Caleb's arms flail helplessly, unable to free himself.
HENRY (O.S.)
MOMMY! NO!
80.
Elsie's head snaps to the front door.

Henry has emerged from his hiding spot in the coat closet and
stands at the entryway.
Behind him, the front door hangs open.
The rage in Elsie's face is replaced by a look of disbelief.
She releases Caleb from her grip and turns to Henry.
ELSIE
Monkey? Is that you? I've been
looking everywhere for you.
Caleb falls to the floor, gasping for air as he clutches at
his throat.
Elsie looks down at Caleb then back to Henry.
She smiles, holding out her arms to embrace him.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
My baby.
As she takes a step towards him, Henry steps backwards
towards the open door.
Her smile fades, replaced by panic.
She throws her hand up.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
HENRY STOP!
A tear falls from Henry's eye, mingling with the water
dripping from his damp hair.
He takes another step backwards towards the door.
Elsie drops to her knees, pleading, reaching towards him.
ELSIE (CONT'D)
HENRY PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME!
Henry looks from Elsie to Caleb.
Caleb COUGHS and draws in a raspy breath.
Henry smiles, then crosses the threshold, exiting the Manor.
Elsie lunges toward him, but stops at the threshold as
Henry's body is engulfed in brilliant white light. She
recoils from the brightness.
81.
From his spot on the ground, Caleb shields his eyes.

When the light diminishes, Henry's appearance has changed.
His skin has regained its youthful hue. His lips are pink and
vibrant. His green hair back to glowing blonde ringlets, no
longer damp. His pajamas no longer soggy.
Elsie looks at him, confused. A black tear slips from her
milky white eye.
Henry smiles at her.
HENRY
It's okay, Mommy. It doesn't hurt.
Nothing hurts anymore.
With that, Henry disappears, vanishing on the front step.
Elsie's face shifts from panic to agony. Henry is gone.
The LOW RUMBLE sound returns. It GROWS, filling the Manor
with an ANGRY CACOPHONY of SOUND.
Caleb cups his hands over his ears.
ELSIE
NO!
She throws her head back and CRIES OUT a long mournful wail.
Her sobs grows more aggressive, more angry.
Elsie SHRIEKS, disappearing in a massive pulse of energy that
knocks Caleb backwards onto the floor.
As the energy pulse pushes upwards, the glass dome of the
foyer SHATTERS, causing the chandelier to break free.
Caleb dives out of the way as it CRASHES to the floor, just
barely getting out of the way.
The Manor falls quiet again, although the quiet is a bit
louder as the wind whips in through the shattered dome.
The wooden floor where Elsie was kneeling is charred with
black scorch marks.
Caleb leans against the wall of the Foyer by the kitchen,
holding his broken wrist to his injured side.
The front door swings freely open, but a mess of glass and
chandelier debris blocks his path.
82.
Caleb eases himself up onto his feet, shaky. He limps in the

direction of the Study door.
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

Caleb heads towards the Study window, the same one he and
Leon entered through earlier that night.
He pops the latches with his good arm, then WINCES in pain as
he struggles to open the sash. It opens with a THUD.
As he lowers his head through the open window, the safe's
dial SPINS RAPIDLY on its own behind him.
Caleb pulls his head back inside. He turns his attention
towards the safe, watching.
The dial WHIRRS, spinning with great speed, stopping on a
number with a CLICK.
It spins back with great speed the opposite direction,
blurring the numbers until it stops, CLICK!
Forward again rapidly - CLICK!
Back a final spin - CLICK!
Caleb JUMPS as the safe's hand wheel spins on its own,
stopping with a CLUNK!
The door to the safe swings freely open.
Caleb looks back at the open window, then slowly turns his
head towards the safe.
A BUZZ of a notification from his phone in his pocket.
He pulls out his phone.
A text message. Mom.
CALEB'S MOM (TEXT)
Did you get the money?
He looks back to the safe. It's wide open, waiting.
Caleb looks back and forth - the safe to the window.
He pockets his phone. He chooses the safe.
He limps towards the safe until he stands directly in front
of it. He pulls the door open and leans inside.
83.
Inside the safe is a single legal envelop held shut with a

metal clasp. It's not very thick, but something is inside.
Caleb tilts his head, curious.
He reaches in and picks it up, looking it over. No writing on
either side.
He opens the metal clasp and slides his hand inside, pulling
out a stack of papers.
As he rifles through the unseen contents, his face shows a
mix of curiosity and confusion.
Caleb SCOFFS.
CALEB
That's it?
He slides the pages back into the envelop & refastens.
Beside him, the safe door CREAKS on its hinges.
Before Caleb can react, the door SLAMS into his body,
CRACKING his ribs.
He lets out a WHIMPER, all he can muster through the pain and
the wind knocked out of him.
WHEEZING, Caleb slides down the wall, his face grimaced with
pain until he's on the floor propped up against the wall.
The door SLAMS again, this time into Caleb's head. It
connects with a bone crushing CRUNCH.
The envelop slips from his grasp, falling to the floor.
Caleb slides the rest of the way down, leaving a trail of
blood on the wall. His eyes are open, glassy as he collapses
on his side.
A halo of blood forms around his head.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:

Frost covers the ground as the sun peeks over the horizon.
The cobblestone circle in front of the Manor is filled with
the FLASHING LIGHTS of emergency vehicles.
84.
INT. FOYER - DAY

CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS flurry about, assessing the scene.
Background chatter, but no discernible dialogue.
A sheet drapes over Leon's body which has been removed from
the chandelier. The CORONER kneels nearby, dictating notes
into a voice recorder.
Sheriff Paulin enters through the front door, removing his
hat. He makes eye contact with the Deputy from the previous
night, giving her a nod.
The Deputy's eyes are full of disbelief.
INT. STUDY - DAY

Sheriff Paulin steps around a pair of PARAMEDICS as they
raise a gurney with a zippered bag containing Caleb's body.
The Sheriff pauses as he notices the open window, the same
one from the night before. He shakes his head.
The safe hangs open on the wall. Sheriff Paulin approaches,
noticing the yellow envelope on the floor nearby.
He kneels, donning a pair of blue examination gloves before
picking it up.
He opens it and fans out the contents, finally showing us the
valuable contents locked away in the safe:
Henry's drawings.
EXT. ELSINORE MANOR - LATER

The sun hangs higher in the sky. The only places still
touched by frost are washed in shadows.
Yellow Crime Scene Tape surrounds the perimeter of the Manor.
The activity in front has diminished. Many of the emergency
vehicles have left.
Sheriff Paulin walks down the porch to his cruiser parked in
the cobblestone circle. One last look at the Manor before
opening the door.
85.
INT. SHERIFF'S CRUISER - DAY

The Sheriff slides into the driver's seat, tossing the yellow
envelop from inside his jacket onto the passenger seat.

The Sheriff's Cruiser drives up the lane. The DEPUTY at the
perimeter waves him through, lifting the tape.

The Sheriff pulls out his mobile phone and dials, putting it
to his ear. We only hear his side of the conversation.
After a few rings, the person picks up on the other end.
SHERIFF PAULIN
Just wanted to give you a heads up
since it'll hit the news this
afternoon. I just left the manor,
we found two men dead in an
apparent robbery attempt.
(pause)
It's pretty bad, I'll send you
photos of the damage.
Pause, listens as the person on the other end talks.
A trickle of condensation forms on the rearview mirror.
Nothing the insurance won't cover.
(heh)
I found some drawings in that old
safe in the study; look like they
were Henry's. I got them with me, I
can send them to you if you want.
Another pause.
The rear-view mirror fogs over. Condensation drips down the
support bracket.
That's fine. I'll get them in the
mail for you. I'll call back if I
hear anything else.
The Sheriff hangs up his phone and pockets it.
86.
He glances up curiously, noticing the rear-view mirror has

fogged over. Odd.
He runs his fingertips across it, clearing the fog.
When he does, he sees Elsie in the back seat. She looks back
at him with her milky white eyes.
EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

The brake lights illuminate as the Sheriff's cruiser skids to
a stop.

Sheriff Paulin spins around.
The backseat is empty. Elsie is nowhere to be found.
INT. HIGHRISE APARTMENT OFFICE - DAY

Elsie's Dad sits at an ornate desk in an office with his cell
phone to his ear.
His clothes and the decorations in his office all point to a
lavish, rich lifestyle. This is Old Money.
He hangs up his phone, setting it on his desk.
INT. HIGHRISE APARTMENT BEDROOM - DAY

Elsie's Mom sits in front of her vanity mirror putting her
earrings in as her husband enters the room.
MOM
Who was that on the phone, dear?
DAD
Sheriff Paulin. There was a break
in at the manor last night. Two men
are dead.
Mom stops what she's doing and turns to him.
MOM
That's awful! What happened?
Dad shrugs.
87.
DAD
They're still figuring that out.
She shakes her head and returns to her earrings.
MOM
We'll be lucky if their families
don't try to sue us.
Dad nods, agreeingly.
DAD
Paulin said they got into the safe,
found some of Henry's old drawings.
He's going to send them over.
MOM
Maybe it's finally time to sell.
That place has been nothing but a
pain and a financial burden.
DAD
What about...?
His eyes widen.
Mom shakes her head and LAUGHS dismissively.
MOM
Don't tell me you still believe
that nonsense ghost story? That
housekeeper just wanted more money.
Mom stands and heads to the bathroom door.
When she opens the door, she finds Elsie standing barefoot on
the tile, blocking her path.
Before her mother can scream, Elsie picks her up and throws
her against the bedroom wall. Her mother's body crumples like
a rag doll and falls to the floor.
Dad stands up, confused at first then his eyes go wide with
horror when he sees Elsie emerge from the bathroom.
He backs away as she moves towards him.
Elsie SHRIEKS as we-
SLAM TO BLACK.

Elsinore Manor 032322 - Chris Hicks

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Elsinore Manor 032322 - Chris Hicks

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Elsie strides with purpose in her high heeled boots up to the

INT. HIGH-RISE APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

INT. ELEVATOR - DAY

The Elevator CHIMES, 37th floor.

INT. HALL - DAY

INT. CONDO FOYER - DAY

INT. CONDO KITCHEN - DAY

INT. CONDO MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

INT. CONDO MASTER BATHROOM - DAY

EXT. ELSINORE MANOR - DAY

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

INT. WHITE CARGO VAN - DAY

Leon picks up a pair of binoculars from between the front

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

The room, though equipped with matching nightstands, dresser

She is no longer pregnant.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL - DAY

INT. HENRY'S ROOM - DAY

A small twin bed with monster truck pillow shams and

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL - DAY

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

INT. FOYER - DAY

INT. STUDY - DAY

Henry switches crayons, continuing his drawing.

EXT. STUDY WINDOW - DAY

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

Elsie puts on her smile, squeezing his hand for reassurance

INT. FOYER - DAY

INT./EXT. FRONT PORCH - DAY

Daniel's dangling body appears behind the Sheriff's shoulder,

Henry nods, balling the candy up in his fist.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

She hits SEND and pockets her phone.

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

INT. FOYER - CONTINUOUS

INT. STUDY - DAY

INT. FOYER - DAY

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL - DAY

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

EXT. TRAILER PARK HOME - DAY

Caleb nods, waving as the van drives off. He watches until

INT. CALEB'S TRAILER - DAY

CALEB'S MOM (PHONE)

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL - DAY

INT. HENRY'S ROOM - DAY

EXT. TRAILER PARK HOME - EVENING

Caleb grins, nodding.

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING

Elsie pats his head, leaning down to kiss it.

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

Henry smiles shyly back at them but doesn't speak.

Her Mom and Dad share a look of surprise, as if they didn't

INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING

Daniel's body dangles over Henry as he kneels beside the

EXT. LAKESIDE DRIVE - NIGHT

INT. WHITE CARGO VAN - NIGHT

INT. HENRY'S ROOM - NIGHT

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL - NIGHT

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT