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The Dark Room "(Short)"
by Shaun Rothman & Cindy Veron (shaunrothman@yahoo.ca)

Rated: R   Genre: Drama   User Review: ***1/2
A family's dark past begins to haunt them.


This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved. This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.



THE DARK ROOM "(SHORT)"

FADE IN:

INT. BED ROOM - DAY
                                                            
Johnny, late teens (wearing shorts and a t-shirt) is awaken
by the sound of his ALARM CLOCK as it reads: 9:00AM.
                                                            
He reaches over and turns it off, his face still buried in
the pillow.
                                                            
He sits up and stretches.
                                                            
Johnny gets up off the bed and walks toward the door.
                                                            
 
INT. STAIR CASE - DAY
                                                            
Johnny walking down the hall past his mother's room.
                                                            
He hustles down the stairs and into the kitchen.
                                                            
 
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
                                                            
Johnny walks into the kitchen. He grabs a bowl from the
cupboard and some milk from the fridge.
                                                            
He starts to poor his cereal and is startled. He drops the
milk carton and it begins to spill everywhere.

TONIA, mid thirties, sitting at the kitchen table in a bath
rob, hair dripping, facing the opposite way of him. She
looks lost and confused.
                                                            
Tonia is staring straight ahead and looks unaware of her
surroundings.
                                                            
Johnny grabbing some paper towel and soaking up the milk.
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
Whats the matter with you?
                                                            
                       TONIA
      (staring straight
       ahead)
My room is always the darkest.
                                                            
The light in the kitchen flickers a few times.
                                                            

2.

                       JOHNNY
      (giggling)
Mom, seriously you gotta stop
staying up all night watching six
feet under? Your starting to creep
me out.
                                                            
Tonia doesn't move and continues to stare into nothingness.
                                                            
Johnny approaches her and gives her a kiss on the cheek.
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
You look like you could use a few
more hours of sleep.
                                                            
Johnny grabs a muffin off the table and walks out of the
kitchen.
                                                            
 
INT. FOYIER - DAY
                                                            
Johnny walks to the bottom of the stairs and looks up toward
his mother's bedroom.
                                                            
He climbs up each stair slowly and then hesitates before
hitting the last step. He stares at the door handle which is
moving by itself.
                                                            
                       TONIA (O.S.)
      (screaming)
Johnny!
                                                            
Johhny gets startled and drops his muffin down the stairs.
                                                            
A shot of him mom staring straight ahead.
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
      (heading back down
       the stairs)
My God mom! You don't want me to
have breakfast do...
                                                            
Just as he hits the bottom of the stairs he notices his mom
shaking uncontrolably. She looks over at a picture on the
end table.
                                                            
A picture of their family on an end table. There is Johnny,
Tonia, Lisa, and a father like figure in the picture.
                                                            
We cut to a shot of Johnny as he looks toward the picture.

The framed family picture on the end table however the
father is not in the photo.
                                                            

3.

                       JOHNNY
      (grabbing her by
       the shoulders)
Mom are you ok? Whats wrong?
                                                            
                       TONIA
      (crying)
Don't go in that room.
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
      (looking up toward
       the room)
Mom that's ridiculous. What the
hell is in the room.
                                                            
He takes one look at his mother and then darts up the
stairs. He looks toward the room as if he feels like
somebody is watching him.
                                                            
                       TONIA (O.S.)
Please don't.
                                                            
Johnny places his hand on the door handle and begins to turn
it slowly. The door CREEKS as Johnny slowly opens it.
                                                            
A loud SMASH startles him again and he closes the door and
runs back down stairs.
                                                            
 
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
                                                            
Johnny frantically searches around the kitchen.
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
      (loudly)
Mom!
                                                            
he leaves the kitchen.
                                                            
 
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
                                                            
Johnny runs into the living room and looks around for his
mother. He starts to hear WHISPERS of his name from all
sides of the room.
                                                            
He stands in the middle of the room and the lights begin to
flicker again. He begins spinning his body as he looks
around the room. A SCREAM is heard.
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
      (fear in his voice)
Mom where are you?
                                                            

4.

Johnny runs out of the living room.
                                                            
 
INT. FOYIER - DAY
                                                            
Johnny bolts up the stairs and glances at the family photo.
Half way up he stops. He slowly walks down the stairs and up
to the picture. He picks it up.

The picture now has Tonia, Himself, Lisa and what looks to
be shadow type figure of a man.

                                                            
Lots of BANGING and SMASHING is heard from upstairs.
                                                            
                       TONIA
      (screaming)
Please stop. Stop it.
                                                            
Johnny runs full force up the stairs and smashes into the
door.
                                                            
He firmly grabs the knob and trys to turn it. But he can't
get it open. He starts kicking and punching the door with
all of his force.
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
      (puncing and
       kicking)
Mom open the door.
(beat)
Mom open this fucking door right
now.
                                                            
The DOOR BELL rings.
                                                            
Johnny's head quickly turns and he looks at the front door
at the bottom of the stairs.
                                                            
He runs down the stairs and hesitates before opeing the
door.
                                                            
His hand grasps the door knob and he quickly swings it open.
                                                            
Johnny's face turns white as a ghost as he stares straight
ahead.
                                                            
Tonia and Lisa (his sister) are standing there some grocery
bags in hand.
                                                            

5.

                       TONIA
      (handing him the
       bags.)
Well don't just stare at me. Give
me a hand.
                                                            
                       LISA
      (handing him more
       bags)
Takes these you moron. What the
hell is wrong with you?
                                                            
They head back outside toward the drive way.
                                                            
Johnny drops the bags on the floor and runs back up the
stairs.
                                                            
He takes a deep breathe, grabs the door handle.
                                                            
In one seemless shot the camera pans down and Tonia and Lisa
walk back in with more bags. They both look upstairs.
                                                            
Johnny barges into the room and the door slams behind him.
                                                            
                       TONIA
      (yelling)
Your just going to leave the bags
on the floor.
                                                            
Johnny turns the door handle and enters the room.
                                                            
 
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
                                                            
Tonia and Lisa bring all the bags into the kitchen and start
emptying them. Tonia opens a can of coke, takes a sip and
then gets starteld dropping it all over the floor.
                                                            
Lisa is startled too.
                                                            
Johnny is sitting at the kitchen table with an empty look on
his face.
                                                            
                       LISA
      (to tonia)
Mom how did he get in here?
                                                            
                       TONIA
      (to Johnny)
Sweety how did you get in this
kitchen? I just saw you go into my
bedroom.
                                                            

6.

He continues to stare straight ahead.
                                                            
Tonia gets a little closer.
                                                            
                       TONIA
Johnny, what's the matter?
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
My room is always the darkest.
                                                            
They both look at him in shock.
                                                            
Lisa grabs the last muffin off the table.
                                                            
                       LISA
      (leaving the room)
I'm going to go see what's wrong
in his room.
                                                            
Tonia stares at Johnny with concern and confusion.
                                                            
The lights flicker again.
                                                            
The camera follows Lisa as she walks out of the kitchen. She
starts to head up the stairs.
                                                            
                       JOHNNY
      (screaming)
Don't go in there.
                                                            
Lisa is startled and drops the muffin on the stairs.
                                                            
Johnny looks toward the picture on the end table and his dad
is in the photo.

Lisa looks at the photo and the dad is not in it.

Lisa runs up the stairs.

Her hand grasps the door handle.
                                                            
SCEEN GOES TO BLACK AND LOUD SCREAM IS HEARD.
                                                            


THE END


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From Brian Marquardt Date 12/21/2007 ***1/2
Pretty good, but sort of confusing. Needs some closure/explanation

From Anthony Date 6/19/2007 ***1/2
Good story, very suspenseful and if executed correctly could be vary scary. you got a good thing going maybe you can stretch it out a little to give some closure and make the story a little more clearer. Keep it going and i would love to hear what you think about my screenplay as well! http://www.scriptbuddy.com/community/?p=4291531122&t=&pg=4

From Mike Hancho Date 4/3/2007 ****
nice job, wish i could watch it instead of nreading it though.

From Starlette Merkson Date 4/3/2007 ***1/2
it was suspensful, I would like to see this situation resolved though.

From S.M. Krause Date 4/1/2007 ***
Nice suspense. Grammar and spelling could use some work. Overall, good ideas.


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