Corruption of the Journal

Screenplay by: 
Roque Caston Jr.

Plot Synopsis

   	John is beginning to live a life of horror. For these many years, his favorite genre in the world is horror. In school, whatever he hears and sees, he writes it down in his journals. One of the people that encouraged him into getting interested in horror is his best friend Lloyd. 

	John have written a lot for these past many years. In his room, he has a box of over 100 journals. John is now going to face those things he has written in his journals. One day, he bumped into this black hooded man while heading home. He apologizes to the black hooded man and walked away, not knowing that he made a big mistake that is going to mess up his life.

   	Day by day from now on, John is facing this curse. Every piece of horror he has written in his journal becomes real.

Int. Classroom. Afternoon

John, 16 years old, wearing blue jeans, and a blue silk shirt is currently writing in his journal. All the students were doing their own things while ignoring the teacher. John was thinking about what happened today.

John
Now what happened today. I remember that is was so stupid.

Lloyd, 16 years old, John’s friend, wearing leather clothes, pops out a few seconds later. John is freaked out and turns around and sees Eric.

Lloyd
What up?

John gets a little mad at Lloyd.

John
Lloyd, how many types did I tell you not to sneak up on mw like that?

Lloyd
Sorry, I just like doing that.

John looks at Lloyd like he is crazy.

John
Yeah. Whatever.

Lloyd
Alright. I’m sorry.

John
I know. I’m just playing.

Lloyd
Oh. Ok. So what you doing?

John
Writing in my journal. That teacher have been talking time and time again, I got way bored. I like he and everything, but dang I wish he was gone.

Lloyd looks at the teacher, and notices that he is still talking. He started to get to him in just a few seconds.

Lloyd
You got that right. I was ready to take out my mace.

John looks at Lloyd.

John
Don’t tell me you brought mace.

Lloyd looks at John likes he can’t believe that John just told him that.

Lloyd
What?

John
Do you remember the last time you brought mace?

Lloyd
Look John. Just because I accidentally sprayed a student doesn’t mean I don’t know how to use it now.

John
It was the principle.

Lloyd looks like he isn’t listening.

Lloyd
Whatever.

Lloyd looks down at John’s journal, and sees his journal. Lloyd is reading the words and it he seems to know what he was writing.

Lloyd
So you’re writing about today?

John
Not exactly. I am writing the things I’ve seen and heard, but here is the good part. They are all written in horror version.

Lloyd
Whoa. Sounds scary.

John
I know. Take for example the teacher. Did you see when she was trying to wake up those students. I wrote that she killed those students by opening their heads wide open.

Lloyd looks at the teacher, and notices that he is still trying to wake the students up.

Lloyd
Yeah. He is still trying to wake him up.

John
Well, in my journal, I wrote that the teacher tried to wake them up by cutting their heads open with a chainsaw.

Lloyd is disgusted.

Lloyd
Now that is just scary.

John
Why thank you. That is what I call a painful punishment

Lloyd
What?

John
You I know. I don’t get it either.

John looks at his watch and the bells ring.

John
Oh good. I have been waiting for this day to end.

Lloyd
Me too. I have been dying for this day to end.

John
Alright. Enough with the horror jokes.

Lloyd
Heh, it’s fun.

John
You crazy. So we have nothing else to do.

Lloyd
Yeah. Wanna go get something to eat.

John
Cool.

John and Lloyd leave the school, and head to the corner store.

Ext. Corner Store. Afternoon.

John and Lloyd just got their cups of lemonade from a restaurant. They walk out of the restaurant and are heading home.

John
Seriously, I think you should hook up with Janet.

Lloyd
You got to be kidding me.

John
No, I’m not kidding.

Lloyd
Then you must have fallen and broke your skull, leaving a big hole in it if you think I am going to hook up with Janet.

John begins to drink his lemonade.

Lloyd 
She is a one-day dater.

John spit’s the lemonade out of his mouth. He looks at Lloyd like he is crazy.

John
What?

Lloyd
A one-day dater.

John
Ok now you must be crazy if you think that.

John finish drinking his lemonade and throws it in the trash.

Lloyd
Seriously.

John
No you’re not serious. You are joking. 

Lloyd
No I am really serious.

Lloyd throws away his lemonade and stops at a hotdog stand while still looking at Lloyd.

John
One hotdog please?

Lloyd
Every time Janet dates someone they break up the next day.

John
That’s normal for most people that are hard to date.

John gives Lloyd his hotdog.

Lloyd
The guys even agree. Every time they hook up with Janet they at first think things are going to be ok. Then around the same night, Janet breaks up with them by calling them on the phone.

John thinks about that and feels a tiny bit surprised.

John
Whoa. That’s harsh. I sure don’t want to be with someone like that.

After passing a newspaper stand, John accidentally bumps into this black hooded man that was standing next to the newspaper stand, and accidentally dropped his newspaper.

John
Oh I’m so sorry.

John picks up the newspaper, and gives it to him.

John
Here, you dropped this.

The black hooded grabs the newspaper and looks the other way.

John
Are you alright?

 The black hooded man doesn’t reply.

John
All right. See ya.

While waking away, the black hooded man breathes real hard as if he caught a heart attack or something.
Black Hooded Man
You really made a mistake. Now you will pay the price.

Ext. School Hallway. The Next Day. Early Morning.

John and Lloyd are going inside school and walking up the stairs.

Lloyd
If I get bored, I swear I will do exactly what you just wrote last night.

John laughs a little bit while still walking.

John
Come on Lloyd. You are not going to take a gun out of your backpack and kill every person in the entire school.

Lloyd
Yes I will. You think I can’t do it?

John
Nope. I know you do crazy things, but not that crazy.

Lloyd
Oh please. Its not like we are going to see stuff like dead bodies in the hallway.

John and Lloyd get into the hallway and sees dead bodies, and blood was flowing all over the floor.

Lloyd
What in the devil’s name.

John
Who in the world did this?

They look up and they see Christian, John’s ex- girlfriend of 11 months, wearing a pink dress that is now being covered in blood, carrying with a bat covered in blood, and also have blood all over her red dress.

Christian
Hello boys.

Lloyd 
Christian, you did this?

Christian
Yes I did and it was delicious. Now it’s your turn. I said I kill the anonymous people before the ex-boyfriend. Their turn is done permanently, and now it’s your turn.

Lloyd
Christian, you don’t want to do this.

Christian
Too late. You are going to pay for breaking up with me.

Lloyd
That was 11 months ago.

Christian
11 months without you is like forever. Now it is time for you to be dead forever.

Christian raises her bat and starts chasing John and Lloyd.

Int. Bottom Floor. Close to Afternoon.

John and Lloyd are still being chased by Christian. They run into this room that is below the hallway where they met Christian.

Christian
Open the door you cowards.

Lloyd
No way.

John
You had to date someone like her. A murderer.

Lloyd
Heh I didn’t know that she was a complete maniac. Maybe I should have known after she gave us a one-way trip ticket to the land of hell.

John
Yeah, she reminds me of the horror version of her in my journal.

John is freaked out and looks into his bag. He sees that his journal is not there.

John
My journal isn’t here.

Lloyd
Who cares? We got to deal with her now.

John then unexpectedly receives a phone call.

John
Hello?

???
Having fun.

John
You did this.

???
That is what you get for bumping into me like that.

John is freaked out. He knew who was on the phone.

John
You’re the black hooded man.

The Black Hooded Guy
Correct, we have a winner. Your award is you living forever is the world of your journals.

John
What?

The Black Hooded Guy
I know all about your journals. You have hundreds of them. Now one by one or two by two, they will become real and hunt you down. Have a horrific life.

The phone lost connection. John hangs up the phone.

John
I don’t believe it.

Lloyd feels like he can’t hold the door forever.

Lloyd
John, if we don’t do something, we will be the next to bodies on that floor. You dig!

John
I know.

Lloyd
What’s wrong?

John feels like he can’t tell Lloyd.

John
Nothing. Lloyd, listen. We have to get to my house.

Lloyd is confused for a split second.

Lloyd
What?
John turns around.

John
Let’s just say there is something about your journals that is related to this.

Lloyd
Your journals! How is your

John silences Lloyd.

John
I’ll explain it to you later. Now come on. We’ll sneak through the back door.

John runs to the back door while Lloyd gets off the door and starts to cover the door wit trash cans and chairs in the corner.

Lloyd
That outta hold ya.

The glass breaks and Christian’s head is hanging out of the hole.

Christian
Here’s Johnny.

Lloyd
Girl you crazy.

Int. Swimming Room. Afternoon.

Lloyd runs away and he and John end up in the swimming area. They found more chairs and covered that door as well.

John
We should be safe here for now. Judging by her rage, she will be here soon enough.

Lloyd is beginning to be a little scared about all of this. He is breathing really hard and his legs are clicking a bit. John looks at Lloyd and notices Lloyd’s behaviors.

John
You alright Lloyd.

Lloyd tries to not let his behavior get to him.

Lloyd
Not really.

John
I see it’s getting to you.

Lloyd
Oh you think?

Lloyd grabs John by the shirt.

John
Lloyd, calm down. Don’t you think I’m scared too.

Lloyd let go of John’s shirt.

Lloyd
I just hope things don’t get any worse.

Lloyd looks in that direction and is so freaked out.

Lloyd
Oh my god

The swimming pool is red, and dead bodies are floating at the top of the water. Their bodies are wide open, you can see the bones in their bodies.

John
I think I’m gonna hurl.

Lloyd
Me too. Let’s just get out of here.

The door that they covered was moving a little bit. Not only, but John and Lloyd can hear Christian yelling on the other side of the door. She sounds like she is toying with them.

Christian
Oh Lloyd, where are you my little sweetie pie. You can’t hide from me. You know I’m an expert when we play hide and seek.

Her voice turn from a happy voice to a mad voice slowly.

Christian
So come on out and die like a man.

Christian continues to try and knock the door down.

Lloyd
She is really crazy.

John
Let’s just go.

John goes up and another door that leads to the stairway, and John and Lloyd head downstairs.

Int. Stairway. Afternoon.

John and Lloyd are heading downstairs. Lloyd is talking to John while heading down the stairs.

Lloyd
Ok John. Can you now tell me what is going on?

John
Ok. Do you remember the black hooded guy I bumped into the other day.

Lloyd
Yes, but what does he have to do with this?

John 
Well somehow, he know about my journals, and made them become real.

Lloyd is in total shock.

Lloyd
I can’t believe it.

John stops running for a spilt second.

John
There are these other journals I have back a the house. If we can hurry, we can get them before the black hooded man does.

Lloyd
I hear you. I don’t want to deal with this again.

John continues to walk downstairs. They made it to the first floor and are slowly walking in the hallway.

John
Be careful. Who knows what is about to happen next.

Lloyd
If it is worst than that pool of blood, I will kill you.

John looks at Lloyd’s head, and out of nowhere, John sees a spider crawling all over Lloyd’s head.

John
Lloyd

John is saying Lloyd’s name continuously in this freaked out and mumbling voice.

Lloyd
John, John, John, slow down. What are you trying to say?

John takes a deep breath and yells out.
John
There is a spider on your head.

Lloyd
A spider. You must be seeing things. There is no spider on my head.

The spider’s legs come down and Lloyd can see it in his eyes and Lloyd is now feeling so freaked out.

Lloyd
Oh my god. There is a spider on my head. Get this spider off my head.

The spider gets up on his invisible web and climbs to the ceiling. John and Lloyd look at the top of the ceiling, and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was a ceiling that surround by so many deathly spiders. They were crawling around, and some were staring at John and Lloyd. Lloyd looks at John and gives him this angry expression on his face.

Lloyd
You wrote about spiders on the ceiling. What in the world gave you that idea?

John slowly looks from the ceiling to Lloyd.

John
I was looking at spitballs, and that gave me the inspiration since they were falling down a little bit.

Lloyd
This is ridiculous.

John
Now let’s not worry about dieing right now. We have these spiders to deal with right now.

The door behind them is knocked down and John and Lloyd turns around. There was Christian looking very furious, but she is feeling a lot happy.

Christian
There you are.
John and Lloyd turn around.

John
And that. We got to deal with that as well.

Christian licks her mouth, and taste the blood that is in her mouth.

Christian
Well what do you know. I see some fresh meat ready to be eaten.

Lloyd looks at John.

Lloyd
I only got one thing to say right now.

John
And what is that?

Lloyd
Run.

John and Lloyd runs through the hallway while dodging the spiders. Some of the spiders were falling down on their heads and John and Lloyd were trying to get off their head. John looked up ahead, and saw the spiders begin to cover the exit.

John
Lloyd, looks like we have bigger problems.

Lloyd
Oh I see. Why do you think I’m running so fast.

John
Let’s just hurry or we’ll be trapped.

Lloyd turns around and sees Christian.

Christian
You can’t run away from me my precious.
Lloyd turns around.

Lloyd
Hurry.

John and Lloyd are very close to the end. When a tiny portion of the exit isn’t covered by the spiders. John and Lloyd jump ahead. They made it though, and when they made it to the other side, the entire exit was finally covered. Christian is now the only one trapped.

Christian
Oh this great.

Christian looks at the entrance and sees that it is covered with spiders as well.

Christian
Oh come on.

Spiders are slowly walking straight towards Christian. They look like they are hungry, Christian is feeling mad, but mostly frightened.

Christian
Go away. Get away from me you eight legged freaks.

The spiders still walk towards her.

Christian
No, No, NOOOO!!!!

The spiders jump on top of her and kills her.

Ext. John’s house. Night.

It is dark, and John and Lloyd are running to the house.

John
Well, we made it out of there easily.

Lloyd
Easily. Boy you must me drinking. I almost caught a heart attack getting out of that school.

John
Well it was easy to me.

Lloyd
You crazy.

John
Man, let’s just get my journals out of my house.

Lloyd looks ahead and stops. John sees him and stop as well.

John
Uh Lloyd. My house is this way.

Lloyd
I don’t think getting your journal is possible.

John walks up to Lloyd.

John
Why?

Lloyd points up ahead.

Lloyd
That’s why.

John look in the direction that Lloyd is pointing at.

John
Oh my god. My house.

The house is on fire, and the house is burning down to it’s knees.

John
My house is on fire.

John is in total shock.

John
Then if my house, then that means. Oh my god. My journals.

John runs to the house.

Lloyd goes after John. As soon as John is about ten feet away from the house, the entire house falls to the ground.

John stops and feels sad.

John
NOOO!!!

A fireman walks up to John while he is sitting down on the curve.

Fireman
Excuse me.

John looks up at the fireman.

John 
Yes.

Fireman
I’m afraid everything in that house is gone.

John feels freaked out.

John
Gone

Fireman
I’m afraid so. Sorry.

The fireman walks away while Lloyd tries to calm John down.

Lloyd
John. I’m so sorry.

John shows a little sad emotion.

John
I’m sorry too. Well, at least my journals are gone.

Lloyd 
What do you mean?

John
My journals were in that house.

Lloyd
So.

John looks at Lloyd like he is crazy.

John
The box with all my journals inside is burnt down; which means all my journals are all gone.

Lloyd catches on.

Lloyd
Oh yeah. That means.

John
No more horror events.

John’s phone rings again.

John
Hello.

The Black Hooded Man
Don’t count on it.

John is angry.

John
You.

The Black Hooded Man
Yes it’s me. Do you like my fireworks?

John
You did it.

The Black Hooded Man
Yes I did, and guess what I found up in there.

John is feeling freaked out.

John
You got my journals.

The Black Hooded Man
Excellent. You are right.

John
Give them back right now.

The Black Hooded Man
No way. There are so much stuff in here I love. Imagine what they all look like in reality.

John
What?

The Black Hooded Man
Yes. One by one or two by two, you will be facing your own horror events that you wrote. Have a good life of horror.

The Black Hooded Man laughs and hangs up the phone.