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THE SHADOW OF HER SMILE
by
Cindy L. Keller
FADE IN:
EXT SUBURBS - AUTUMN - DAY
A burst of wind plucks a shivering leaf from a tree, and
wisps it into a pile of its dead
Darkness covers the top of the screen. It melts down the
screen until the entire screen is black.
EXT SUBURBAN STREET - DUSK
A quiet street with a sprinkling of older homes.
The wind catches falling leaves, and tumbles them down the
road.
EXT SUBURBAN STREET - CURB - CONTINUOUS
One leaf rolls to a stop at a tennis-shoed foot.
The foot belong to JAYNE, 16. She pulls the leaf from her
shoelace, holds it up into the wind, and lets it fly away.
ELIZABETH, 17 sits next to Jayne. She nervously rocks back
and forth with her arms around her knees.
ELIZABETH
You can say what you want.
Even mock me, but I know
these things are real. I've
seen them.
Elizabeth searches Jayne's face for a hint of belief.
Jayne is poker faced.
ELIZABETH
Jayne, you gotta believe me.
There's no one else I can
turn to. No one else I can
trust.
2.
JAYNE
Elizabeth how can you be
so sure? I mean I want to
believe but...
Elizabeth regains her composure.
ELIZABETH
It all started when I bought
that Ouija board.
Jayne's
face shrivels. It's like she just took an unexpected hit to
her face.
JAYNE
What started?
Elizabeth quits rocking. She pulls her knees closer to her
body.
ELIZABETH
The shadows...
FLASHBACK
Elizabeth LAUGHING uncontrollably.
END FLASHBACK
EXT SUBURBAN STREET - BACK TO JAYNE AND ELIZABETH
Elizabeth's nervousness disappears. The calm that has taken
over her is an eerie calm.
ELIZABETH
They're in the shadows.
Jayne scoots two feet away from her on the curb.
Elizabeth looks down, then stares blankly off in the
distance.
ELIZABETH
They are the shadows... And
they've been following me.
3.
The wind blows Elizabeth's hair into her face.
Elizabeth sits still.
FLASHBACK
Elizabeth surrounded by darkness. Alone. Scared.
END FLASHBACK
EXT SUBURBAN STREET - BACK TO JAYNE AND ELIZABETH
JAYNE
What? Wait a minute.
Jayne grabs Elizabeth's arm, gives it a shake. It pulls
Elizabeth from her trance
JAYNE
Who's in the shadows? Who's
shadow? -- Your shadow?
Elizabeth pulls her hair back, reveals her frightened face.
A gust of wind HOWLS and blows it back again.
ELIZABETH
Evil! Evil is in the shadows.
And it's not my shadow. It's
a dark shadow.
(pointing)
I've seen it dart around
on the wall in my room. I've
seen it run along side of my
own shadow at night. And the
feeling of it's presence...
That's what scares me the
most. It's a heavy feeling --
Elizabeth looks to Jayne.
ELIZABETH
-- Like it's crowding me. --
Wearing me down.
Jayne's eyes open wide. She begins to LAUGH uncontrollably.
Elizabeth looks confused.
4.
Jayne smiles at Elizabeth. Elizabeth readily returns her
smile.
JAYNE
That was good! You almost
had me!
Elizabeth seems surprised, yet inquisitive.
ELIZABETH
What? Shoot! What gave me
away?
Jayne smiles as she mimics Elizabeth's zigzagged hand
gestures, then pokes Elizabeth in her shoulder. Jayne
LAUGHS.
JAYNE
The running part. Imagine
you, running! I better go in.
My mom will be yelling for me
any minute. She knows I have
that Algebra exam tomorrow.
Jayne stands. She reaches a hand out to Elizabeth and gives
her a gentle tug up.
JAYNE
See ya' in the morning.
Elizabeth straightens her clothing.
ELIZABETH
(musically)
Sweet dreams.
EXT ELIZABETH'S FRONT LAWN - EARLY EVENING
The suns slant lights pockets of fog.
Night falls.
Elizabeth strolls through her front lawn.
ELIZABETH
Hmmm...
5.
Elizabeth shrugs her shoulders. She takes a deep BREATH,
and slowly forces it out between her lips.
She begins to sing and nods her head in time with her song.
ELIZABETH
(singing)
When the magic was risin, she
caught the full moon lyin.
Midnight's chime mocks a
saddened soul.
Elizabeth looks up.
EXT NIGHT SKY
The moon is almost full.
EXT ELIZABETH'S FRONT YARD - NIGHT
A lit porch light on the house next door. Jayne goes
inside. The porch light goes black
INT ELIZABETH'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Light from the TELEVISION fills the room.
MS STARK (Elizabeth's 35 year old mother) sits in a chair
with an afghan draped over her legs. A bowl of popcorn
balances in her lap.
Elizabeth enters, closes the DOOR.
Ms Stark focuses on her.
MS STARK
You're in early. Eight thirty
and you're already in. How
come?
Ms Stark reaches to the end table, and clicks on a lamp.
A telephone, a half-full ashtray, cigarettes, and a glass
of soda on the table.
6.
ELIZABETH
Jayne has an Algebra exam
tomorrow.
Elizabeth goes to the phone, checks the caller ID.
MS STARK
What about you? Do you have
any exams tomorrow?
Her mother looks very tired.
Elizabeth focuses on the television.
ELIZABETH
No, too early yet. We've
only been back from summer
break for two weeks.
MS STARK
It's never too early to
start preparing for your
future. You only have one
more year before graduation.
Elizabeth turns to face her mother.
Ms Stark looks concerned.
Elizabeth gives her a hug.
MS STARK
I worry about you.
Elizabeth nods her head in agreement.
ELIZABETH
I know, Mom.
Elizabeth smiles. She turns from her mother.
ELIZABETH
I think I'll go prepare
for my bath.
Ms Stark effortlessly swats at Elizabeth's backside.
Elizabeth avoids her mother's hand.
7.
A bigger smile erupts on Elizabeth's face.
MS STARK
Brat!
Ms Stark smiles.
INT ELIZABETH'S HOUSE - HALLWAY
Elizabeth moves to the linen closet. She takes a towel.
INT ELIZABETH'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS
Elizabeth sets her towel on the side of the bathtub, and
closes the DOOR.
Elizabeth adds bubble bath under running WATER in the tub.
Bubbles appear, and grow.
Elizabeth reaches into the tub. She etches figure eights
into the bubbled water.
ELIZABETH
Bubble, bubble, toil and
trouble.
Elizabeth is in deep thought as she stands. She catches her
reflection in the mirror, and turns toward it.
Elizabeth's fingertips gently trace the dark circles under
her eyes.
MS STARK (OS)
Lizzie, Hon! Don't forget
to take your medication
before you go to bed.
Elizabeth rolls her eyes.
ELIZABETH
Okay, Mom!
Elizabeth
turns the water off.
Her clothes drop at her feet.
8.
She tests the water with her toe, then steps into the tub.
Elizabeth lies back in the tub.
ELIZABETH (VO)
Why should anyone believe me?
Her toes wiggle in the bubbly water.
ELIZABETH (VO)
If anyone was going to
believe me, I thought it
would have been Jayne.
Elizabeth scoops some of the bubbles into her arms, and
piles them up close around her neck
An idea light across her face.
INT ELIZABETH'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Elizabeth, freshly bathed, in her robe. She peeks into the
living room and finds her mother still curled up in the
chair watching T.V.
ELIZABETH
I think I'll go to my room
and do some reading before
bed.
Ms Stark glances at her.
MS STARK
Okay, sweetie. I'll see you
in the morning.
INT HOUSE - ELIZABETH'S ROOM - NIGHT
Elizabeth sits on her bed with a Ouija board in her lap.
She takes a deep BREATH, and closes her eyes.
ELIZABETH
What should I do?
9.
The planchette is still.
Elizabeth opens her eyes. She looks down to the Ouija board
and frowns.
Elizabeth closes her eyes again.
ELIZABETH
What do they want?
The planchette moves beneath Elizabeth's fingers.
Elizabeth's eyes jolts open. She looks to the board.
The planchette moves from letter to letter... Y - O - U.
ELIZABETH
Me! Why do they want me?
This time the piece moves swiftly beneath Elizabeth's
hands. Elizabeth watches attentively. The oracle pauses at
many letters before it stops.
ELIZABETH
You opened a portal?
Elizabeth pushes the board off of her lap. She collects the
game pieces and puts them inside it's box.
Elizabeth opens her closet door and tosses the game on the
shelf. She closes the door, and backs away.
Elizabeth climbs on top of her bed. She begins rocking back
and forth. Elizabeth's eyes dart around her room.
VOICE (OS)
(whispering)
Elizabeth. Elizabeth.
Muffled O.S. LAUGHTER.
The closet door. Closer to the closet door.
The bedroom door CREAKS open. Elizabeth jumps.
An arm extends into the room, holding out a glass of water.
It's Ms Stark.
10.
MS STARK
Did you take your pill yet?
ELIZABETH
I was just about to.
Ms Stark goes to Elizabeth.
MS STARK
Good! That way we know that
you'll get a good night's
sleep.
Elizabeth takes a pill from the bottle on her nightstand.
She pops it in her mouth, and takes the water from her
mother.
Ms Stark kisses Elizabeth on top of her head. She takes the
half-empty glass from her
Ms Stark pauses at the door. She flips the light switch
off.
Elizabeth springs for the switch so quickly that it
startles Ms Stark.
ELIZABETH
Could I leave it on just a
little longer?
Ms Stark nods her head. She slowly closes the door.
INT ELIZABETH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Elizabeth is sleeping.
EXT FRONT LAWN - NIGHT - ELIZABETH'S DREAM
A distant, DARK FIGURE, blacker than the night, leaps the
width of the lawn in SLOW MOTION
INT ELIZABETH'S LIVING ROOM - SAME
Moonlight is a shimmering spotlight on Elizabeth. She sits
in a wooden chair, stares out the picture window.
11.
Ms Stark stands behind her. Her hands rest on the top rail
of the chair.
INTERCUT DARK FIGURE/ELIZABETH
The dark figure runs across the lawn, this time coming a
few feet closer, then darts behind a tree.
Elizabeth stiffens in the chair as she watches outside.
She doesn't believe what she is seeing.
The dark figure zigzags its way closer...
like it's connecting dot-to-dots...
pausing behind trees in the yard.
Elizabeth scoots to the edge of her chair.
The dark figure slips behind a tree that is right outside
the window.
Elizabeth waits...
O.S CRASH.
Elizabeth's jaw drops.
A large jagged hole in the windowpane.
Elizabeth eyes the window.
A DEMON HEAD, ten times the size of her own, bursts through
the hole in the window.
The horned head dangles in mid-air just inches in front of
her.
Elizabeth is breathless, she knows she is staring into the
eye of the storm.
The
Demon never loses eye contact. He tilts his head
and smiles at her.
12.
INT ELIZABETH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT - BACK TO REALITY
Elizabeth jolts up in bed.
Her forehead is drenched with perspiration.
EXT SUBURBS - AFTERNOON
Jayne and Elizabeth stroll down the sidewalk. Their arms
are full of school books.
ELIZABETH
So, how do you think you
did on your test?
JAYNE
I think I did alright.
ELIZABETH
Do you want to come over my
house when we get home?
There's something I want
you to see.
JAYNE
Sure.
INT ELIZABETH'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - LATE AFTERNOON
Jayne stands outside. She KNOCKS on the screen door.
JAYNE
Liz!
ELIZABETH (OS)
Come on in!
Jayne enters the house.
INT ELIZABETH'S BEDROOM - DAY
Elizabeth puts a music CDs in it's case.
13.
JAYNE (OS)
So, what's up?
Jayne sits down on the bed. Elizabeth moves to the bed and
sits next to her. Elizabeth is cautious, unsure of her
words.
ELIZABETH
I know this might sound crazy,
but remember yesterday when
we were sitting on the curb?
JAYNE
Yeah.
Elizabeth stares Jayne in the face.
ELIZABETH
The story I was telling you?
Jayne smiles.
JAYNE
Yeah, that was pretty good.
You had me going for a minute.
Elizabeth face shows no emotion. She turns away.
ELIZABETH
It was all true.
Jayne studies Elizabeth. Elizabeth is expressionless.
JAYNE
What?
Elizabeth takes a deep BREATH. She focuses on one spot as
she speaks.
ELIZABETH
It all started like this...
MONTAGE
-- Elizabeth's bedroom - Elizabeth sits on the floor.
The Ouija board is on her lap. Shadows move across
the walls.
14.
-- A dark, vacant street - Elizabeth is running
from two shadows that follow her.
-- Elizabeth's dream - The demon head dangling in
front of her.
INT ELIZABETH'S ROOM - DAY - BACK TO SCENE
JAYNE
Tell me you're joking.
ELIZABETH
I'm not joking.
Jayne eyes her friend again.
ELIZABETH
Seriously, I am not joking.
Jayne scans Elizabeth's room.
Framed posters of fantasy art hang on the wall.
Crystals hang in the window by a nylon cord.
A pill bottle on Elizabeth's dresser, "Valium 10 mg."
JAYNE
Are you sure?
Elizabeth turns Jayne's face away from the pill bottle to
face her. Elizabeth's eyes are full of panic.
ELIZABETH
You gotta' believe me!
JAYNE
Just making sure.
Elizabeth rolls her eyes. She begins rocking back and
forth. Her eyes begin to quiver as they quickly scan the
room.
ELIZABETH
Just because I can't sleep at
night doesn't mean that I'm
a nut case. I'm fine.
15.
JAYNE
You don't appear to be fine.
Elizabeth quits rocking. She pulls her hair back from her
face with trembling hands.
ELIZABETH
That's because you don't
believe me!
Jayne looks to the floor, then to Elizabeth again.
JAYNE
Have you told anyone else?
Elizabeth has a puzzled look on her face.
ELIZABETH
You think I'm crazy?
Jayne quickly changes the subject.
JAYNE
A Ouija board, huh? Could I
have a look at it? I've
never seen one before.
Elizabeth doesn't appear to be as nervous now.
ELIZABETH
I guess.
Elizabeth retrieves the game from her closet. She takes it
to the bed, and opens the box.
JAYNE
How does it work?
Elizabeth takes the planchette out of the box.
ELIZABETH
You press your fingertips
ever-so-gently on the ends,
and it will spell things out
to answer your question.
JAYNE
Can we?
16.
Elizabeth shrugs. She turns toward Jayne.
ELIZABETH
Sit Indian style.
Jayne pulls her legs up on the bed.
Elizabeth positions the board equally in their laps. She
sets the planchette in the center of the board.
ELIZABETH
Now, just barely touch it
and ask your question.
They place their fingertips on the planchette.
ELIZABETH
Go ahead. Ask a question.
JAYNE
Okay. What color are my eyes?
ELIZABETH
Ugh...
They both look down at the board.
The planchette moves across the board. It stops on the
letter B. It moves again then stops on O. The planchette
glides in a circle on the board and settles on the O again.
JAYNE
Boo! You moved it.
ELIZABETH
I did not. Just forget it. I
should'da known better.
Elizabeth puts the game into the box.
Elizabeth throws the game inside the closet, on the floor,
and closes the door.
Elizabeth sits next to Jayne.
ELIZABETH
I didn't move it.
17.
JAYNE
It's just a stupid game.
Elizabeth turns away from Jayne. The girls sit silently on
the bed.
O.S SQUEALING and SNORTING of angry pigs shatter the
silence.
The closet door shakes violently. The SQUEALING noise is
coming from behind the door
The frightened girls look at each other.
The bedroom light flashes on, off, on, off, like a
strobe light.
Their eyes look up to the light.
The light bulb CRACKLES above them as it flashes on and
off.
The bed bounces. The girls hold on to the bed as they are
bounced to and fro. They SCREAM.
Ms Stark enters the room.
The bed settles with a THUMP.
The strobe effect ceases. The light remains on.
The O.S. SQUEALING noise continues.
MS STARK
What's going on in here?
Elizabeth eyes move from her mother, to the closet door.
Ms Stark inches her way to the closet. She swings the door
open.
The O.S. SQUEALING is LOUDER.
INT ELIZABETH'S ROOM - CLOSET - CONTINUOUS
The Ouija box bounces on the floor.
18.
The box thrashes itself against the walls of the closet.
MS STARK
Oh, Hell no!
Ms Stark reaches into the closet.
Ms Stark backs away from the closet.
The game box in her hand flops about like a newly caught
fish.
Ms Stark looks at the terrified girls as she moves past
them.
INT ELIZABETH'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY
Ms Stark clenches the SQUEALING and convulsing box with two
hands.
The girls huddle together, and follow behind her.
INT HOUSE - BACK DOOR - DAY
Ms Stark kicks the door open.
EXT ELIZABETH'S HOUSE - BACK YARD - CONTINUOUS
A privacy fence borders the yard. A metal burning barrel,
centered of the yard.
Ms Stark stands before the barrel.
MS STARK
Elizabeth, get the gas can!
Ms Stark drops the SQUEALING game box into the metal
barrel.
The two girls rush up behind Ms. Stark. Elizabeth has the
gas can. She passes it to her mother.
Ms Stark pours gas into the barrel. She takes matches from
her pocket, lights one, and throws it in the can.
19.
Fire shoots up. They back away from the barrel.
The SQUEALING ECHOES off into the distance.
There is SILENCE.
Ms Stark moves to the barrel and looks inside. She nods.
Ms Stark wraps an arm around each girl. They turn away from
the barrel.
MS STARK
No one needs to know about
this, but someone has a lot
of explaining to do.
EXT ELIZABETH'S FRONT YARD - NIGHT
The yard is dark, but calm. Dim light from O.S. porches and
streetlights.
Elizabeth leans back on a tree.
ELIZABETH
Believe me now?
Jayne shivers from a chill.
JAYNE
I never said I didn't
believe you.
ELIZABETH
I know, but that's how I
felt. Jayne please, please
don't tell anyone what
happened. People would say
we're crazy. Promise me.
Jayne hugs Elizabeth.
JAYNE
I promise.
FEMALE VOICE (OS)
Jayne! Time to come in!
20.
Jayne motions into the distance.
JAYNE
My mom. I gotta' go.
ELIZABETH
I'll see you in the morning.
JAYNE
Alright.
EXT SUBURBAN STREET - DAY
A cute LITTLE GIRL is sitting on the curb.
Jayne doesn't know her. She approaches the child.
The little girl is holding something to her eye.
JAYNE
What do you have there?
The little girl swivels around.
LITTLE GIRL
(proudly)
A kaleidoscope! Wanna' see?
JAYNE
Sure.
Jayne takes the kaleidoscope from the child and lifts it to
her eye. She twists the cardboard tube in the sunlight.
A myriad of colored shapes is re-directed.
Jayne smiles.
Suddenly, tiny SPECKS appear on the colors. They start
multiplying like amebas.
Jayne tries to twist the tube, but it appears to be jammed.
She frowns.
BUZZING of angry hornets is heard in the distance.
The black spots begin a spiral dance to the sound.
21.
JAYNE
What the...
A whirlpool starts within the tube -- growing larger with
every whorl. The BUZZING gets steadily LOUDER.
JAYNE (OS)
I can't move my arm!
The swirling swarm turns and grows.
LITTLE GIRL(OS)
(boldly)
Wrong! -- You can't close
your eyes and pretend that you
don't see.
The swarm bound within the kaleidoscope zero in on their
exit... The eyepiece.
The little girl LAUGHS insanely.
The whirling swarm moves closer yet, until... The black
eyepiece SLAPS against Jayne's eye.
Jayne
SCREAMS.
INT JAYNE'S BEDROOM - MORNING
Jayne springs up in bed. Her forehead is drenched with
perspiration.
An O.S. BUZZING noise is heard in the bright room.
Jayne reaches for her alarm clock.
JAYNE(VO)
Just a bad dream!
Prismatic colors dance across the wall.
Jayne smiles.
The morning sun's path is passing through a crystal that
hangs in the window by a nylon cord.
O. S. BUZZING.
22.
Jayne slaps her alarm. It's already off.
The BUZZING is coming from the hornets in her window. They
are building a nest in between the screen and storm.
The telephone on her nightstand RINGS.
Jayne stretches for the receiver.
JAYNE
Hello.
ELIZABETH (VO)
Well, hello there, yourself.
Feel like walkin uptown?
JAYNE
Sure, give me about a half
hour. I'm just gettin up.
ELIZABETH (VO)
Alright, see ya then. Bye.
Jayne hangs up the phone. She gets out of bed.
Jayne searches through clothes in a dresser drawer. She
selects a shirt.
EXT ELIZABETH'S HOUSE - DAY
There is a CRUNCH as Elizabeth steps out onto her front
porch. She looks down. Her jaw drops.
A Ouija game box beneath her foot.
Elizabeth SCREAMS.
Elizabeth jumps off of the porch, and runs. A dark shadow
follows her.
INT JAYNE'S BEDROOM - WINDOW - DAY
The hornet nest has grown in size. It blocks out the sun.
23.
INT JAYNE'S BEDROOM - DAY - CONTINUOUS
Jayne's dressed for the day. She stands in front of a full-
length mirror, and checks her appearance.
Eerie shadows appear on the walls.
VOICES (OS)
(whispering)
Jayne. Jayne.
O. S. muffled WHISPERS, and LAUGHTER.
Jayne turns from the mirror. She scans the room.
Jayne finds the shadows dancing across her wall.
O.S SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
INT JAYNE'S BEDROOM - WINDOW - CONTINUOUS
The hornet's nest covers three-quarters of the window.
Elizabeth is outside, looking in. Her eyes wide with fear.
She SLAPS the window with both hands. A shadow falls down
on top of her. Elizabeth drops out of view.
INT JAYNE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Shadows consume the room.
WHISPERS, and LAUGHTER grows LOUDER.
Jayne drops to the floor. She covers her ears, and begins
rocking back and forth.
FADE OUT.
THE SHADOW OF HER SMILE
Written by
Cindy L. Keller
79 Rose Boulevard
Belleville, MI 48111
(734) 516-3208
skyburg@hotmail.com
WGA #957261
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