Act 1 (pt.1)
****Return from commercial break****
The opening screen is black, except for scrolled writing that says: "Six hours earlier…"
Suddenly, there's a flash of white noise, as if SOMEONE has changed the channel.
***The time is now 1:35 p.m. It's a beautiful sunny day in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Someone is operating a video camera, and we quickly learn from the voice, that it's Lan.
Lan is videotaping a picnic in a large yard, overlooking a large, beautiful pond. The
picnic Group is small, but animated. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. First,
Lan zooms in on Jason,. He
is flirting from a distance, with a young, skinny, attractive blonde. His goofy winking and
kissing expressions, make the girl smile, but she plays hard to get, by not going over to
him. Lan then pans over to two men talking, sharing a laugh. One of them, is Derek
Barnes, whom she unconsciously focuses the camera on the most. His mouth forms into a wide, Cheshire
Cat-like grin. Seeing that smile makes Lan smile in spite of herself, because, everybody
KNOWS Lan has been silently pining for Derek for ever. Her smile fades away.
"if only Derek knew how I felt about him" she thought to herself.
She adjusts the angle to include Derek's friend, Nathan Adler. Nathan, was Blonde, wore
glasses, and had chiseled features. He was wearing a crème-colored flannel over a grey
Long-sleeved shirt. Nathan was in the middle of a funny story.
"So I told Amy…baby PLEASE come with me to the port-a-john…I don't want to go by
Myself, it's too dark. So she finally goes with me and I get her to open up the door FIRST!"
Derek smiles and nods, waiting for the punch line.
"The minute she does this" continues Nathan, "My friend Bob, JUMPS out of the port-a-john WEARING A WOLF MASK!"
Lan and Derek both laugh heartily, not realizing that Nathan's wife, AMY, is standing right behind him, listening. Nathan continues.
"Man, the screams that came out of that woman…GOD that was hilarious! Thought I was gonna wet myself!"
Suddenly, Nathan lets out a girlish shriek, as Amy empties a cup full of ice down inside Nathan's shirt. Everybody's laughing now. As Derek and Lan continue laughing, Nathan shoots Amy a look, and she shoots back with a playful sneer. Nathan and Amy embrace, kiss, and remain arm in arm.
"Well" says Amy, "now that THAT'S over with, Nate honey, why don't you ask Derek and his friends where their things are."
Derek looks confused. "Our things? What are you talking about?"
"Your suitcases, dummy" responds Nathan, "DON'T tell me you guys got a hotel room".
Derek and Lan exchange looks. Lan shrugs. "Well…kind of" answers Derek.
Nathan shakes his head. "Well you know what" he says, "You and Lan are gonna go to your hotel right now, and Check out! You guys are staying with Amy and me this week".
Derek's expression was wide-eyed disbelief. Nathan continued…
"For chrys-sakes, Derek. You, me, and Adam go way back. He wouldn't want any less. Besides…it'll give me a chance to tell you guys ALL about my paranormal research, PLUS that mental hospital I'm gonna take you to see later on in the week".
"Mental Hospital?" asked Lan.
"Yea!" beamed Derek, "Nate promised he'd take us on a ghost-hunting trip to Massachusetts State Hospital. It's rumored to be one of the most haunted [and scariest] places in the US".
"It's no rumor Derek, Massachusetts State Hospital is as haunted -as it IS notorious".
Lan switches off the camera as she and Derek become engrossed in the history of the hopital.
"It was built in the late 1800s. It has a long history of abuse, negligence, suicides, torture, murders; the place was finally investigated and subsequently shut down after one of the nurses disappeared. It was discovered through the investigation, that one of the patients murdered her and hid her somewhere in the hospital".
Derek and Lan stood silently for a long moment, until Derek cracked another Cheshire Cat smile.
"Dude…we have GOT to see this hospital!"
Nathan returned Derek's smile as he hugged his wife, Amy.
"We will Derek, we will…just be patient. I have to assemble the team before we do ANYTHING."
Just then, Jason runs up to Derek with a serious facial expression and slaps a hand on Derek's shoulder.
"Derek…you are NOT going to believe who's here…"
"Who" asked Derek.
"Gunter Mahlberg".
Derek is stunned. But then his eyes widen in anger and disbelief, when hearing the name of their half-pint rival.
"WHAT?" Derek regains his composure, "How, why…I…where IS that little creep?"
"Hey man, relax. It's all good" replies Jason with a cool smile, "I got him right where we've always wanted him".
Jason holds out his left hand, revealing a grilled shrimp (the size of a golf ball) impaled on a fork. Everybody doubles over with laughter.
Later on in the afternoon…
Derek is driving their rented jeep, with Lan in the passenger seat. Lan couldn't help staring at Derek. He was so gorgeous with his dark hair, and grey knit sweater. But suddenly, Derek looked at her. Perhaps sensing that she was staring at him.
"Are you okay" asked Derek.
"uh…yea, I'm fine" quipped Lan, who fidgeted nervously in her seat. "I really like your friend, Nathan. It was nice of him to invite us up here".
Derek smiled. He knew Lan liked him. Truth be told, he liked her too. She looked so cute with her hair done up in pigtail braids; and the smell of her new perfume, was intoxicating.
"Yea it was. I actually met Nathan through Adam. They both met at some paranormal research lecture at Adam's college, and they became good friends. Adam and Chloe would stay up here with Nathan and Amy, on weekends and go camping and fishing".
"Sounds really nice" replied Lan. "It's too bad Chloe couldn't make the trip with us".
Derek shrugged. He didn't really have much to say about that. It was then that Lan suddenly became aware of their surroundings.
"Hey Derek, this isn't the way to town".
"You're right it's not" smiled Derek.
"Then where are we going" asked Lan, then suddenly realized the answer. "Oh Derek, no!"
"Oh yes" nodded Derek, "haunted hospital, here we come!"
The rented jeep continues speeding down the road and out of sight.
**** END OF ACT I pt.1****