GHOSTWRITER'S RETURN – PART TWO

Opening scene: Jackie, Max, Gina, and Linda are staring at Max's laptop, which reads Where are my children? Where are you Dynamite Dude Jamal?

Jackie: Wait a minute. That's my father's name.

Max: Jamal?

Jackie: Yeah. Maybe this is something of his…and it got moved to your computer.

Linda: But…that was just a hardware chip. It shouldn't have a program on it.

Gina: (to Jackie) Well…why don't you ask your dad if he recognizes it?

Jackie nods and goes up the stairs.

Jackie: (calling upstairs) Dad! Can you come here a minute?

Jamal: What is it?

Jackie: We just have a question. Please?

The kids turn to the stairs as Jackie's father comes downstairs.

Jamal: What is it, Jackie?

Jackie: Well…Linda moved a chip from your old computer into Max's.

Linda: And now the laptop is acting…weird.

Jamal looks at the laptop and sees nothing wrong with it.

Jamal: Um…how is it acting weird?

Max: There was a message on it. It said…Help Help Help Help. Where are the children. Are they all right?

Jamal raises his eyebrows and stumbles back as he looks at the computer.

Jamal: It said…that?

Gina: Yes. But then it changed to this.

Jamal goes over to the laptop, but still sees nothing.

Jamal: (whispering) Is that you?

Max: Um…what is it?

Jamal: Erm…I'm not seeing anything written here. What did you say was on it?

Max: It's right there. It says Where are my children? Where are you Dynamite Dude Jamal?

Jackie: That's why we thought…maybe it's something of yours.

Jamal nods and rubs his chin.

Jamal: (muttering) My children. They can see him…but I can't.

Jackie: Dad?

Jamal: (smiles) Well…I don't see anything. But uh…why don't you try writing on it? It'll clear up, I sure.

Linda: Write on it?

Jamal: Writing clears up a magnitude of problems.

The kids all look at each other as Jamal goes up the stairs. As he goes up, he sighs and shakes his head.

Jamal: (whispering) He's back. I can't see him…but he's back.

Jackie gives a shrug and turns back to the others.

Jackie: I guess we can try writing on it.

Max: (sitting down) Well…okay. (typing) Who are you?

A white circle appears and writes back.

Screen: My friends call me Ghostwriter.

Max: (pushes his chair back) Woah!

Jackie: It worked!

Gina: Way to go, Max.

Linda: Ghostwriter?

Max: (sliding chair back) Yeah. It's not a virus. My laptop is possessed!

Linda: Oh great. You don't need me. You need an exorcist!

Max: I might. But…maybe if we're polite…(typing) Why are you in my computer?

Screen: I'm not sure. I feel lost.

Jackie: Oh. Well…let's tell him where he is.

Max: (typing) You're in Jackie's basement in Brooklyn.

Screen: I'm still in Brooklyn? Who is Jackie?

Jackie raises her eyebrows as Max gets up.

Max: You should introduce yourself…I guess.

Jackie nervously sits down.

Jackie: (typing) I'm Jackie Jenkins. This is my house.

Screen: Jenkins? Are you related to Jamal?

Jackie: (raises her eyebrows and types) Yes. I'm his daughter.

Screen: Jamal has a daughter? How long have I been asleep?

Jackie: Oh! It seems…he knew my dad.

Gina: But…your dad didn't see anything.

Max: But…he also knew that we should write to it. Maybe he could see Ghostwriter…before.

Linda: Before…what?

Jackie gasps.

Jackie: The storm!

Jackie gets up and paces the room.

Jackie: Dad said that electrical storm…made his friend disappear. What if that friend…was this?

Gina: You mean…Ghostwriter?

Max: (snaps fingers) Hey yeah. The storm fried the computer…and this ghost thing…was trapped inside!

Linda: But he got out when I moved the chip!

Jackie: But…if he was my dad's friend…why couldn't Dad see him?

They all look at each other and back at the computer. Max narrows his eyes and sits down.

Max: (typing) Jackie's father couldn't see you.

Screen: I could tell. I think it passed to his daughter, so now SHE sees me instead of him!

Jackie: Oh!

Max: (typing) But why can WE see you?

Screen: What are your names?

Max: (typing) I'm Max Frazier. With me are Gina Torres and Linda

Max looks at Linda who crosses her arms.

Linda: Mitchell. Linda Mitchell.

Max: (typing) Linda Mitchell. We all see you too.

Screen: Frazier? That was Lenni's name.

Max: (sighs and types) Yes. Lenni Frazier is my mother.

Screen: She was my friend too. I also allowed Craig Mitchell to see me at one time, but only briefly.

Linda: Hey! That's my dad!

Gina: Only…briefly?

Linda: I guess. Dad said he lived here in Brooklyn when he was in eighth grade…but only for a couple of weeks before he moved back to Long Island. But he did know Jackie's dad at that time.

Max: So it seems…our parents could see Ghostwriter…when they were kids.

Jackie: But now they can't see him anymore…as it's passed on to us.

Gina: So did he know my parents too? Victor and Gaby Torres?

Max: (typing) Did you know Victor and Gaby Torres?

Screen: I knew Gaby Fernandez and her brother Alex.

Gina: A ha! He knew my mother. And Uncle Alex!

Jackie: So uh…your cousin Carlo's dad?

Gina: Yeah. (blinks) I wonder if Carlo…could see him too?

Max: (typing) That was Gina's mother and her uncle.

Gina: I gotta call Carlo and tell him about this.

Linda: He might not believe you.

Gina: Maybe I should show him.

Jackie: Does Ghostwriter live in the laptop though?

Max: I dunno. But if he does (closes laptop) he's coming home with me. (turns to Linda) Do I uh…owe you anything for fixing it?

Linda: This one's on the house…seeing as I gave it a supernatural presence of some kind. Sorry about that.

Max: No problem. I mean…if this thing knew my mother…maybe he knows who my dad is.

CUT TO: Torres Hardware. A woman with red hair gets off the phone and is looking teary eyed. A stocky man with black hair goes over to her.

Man: You all right, Gaby?

Gaby: I'm fine, Victor. It's just…I got some wonderful news from Jamal.

Victor: What was it?

Gaby: Well he uh…he found out about an old friend that we thought was gone.

Victor: It wasn't Rob, was it?

Gaby: Oh no…no. Another friend. You didn't know him.

Victor: I see. Well I'm glad you got some good news.

Gaby: Thanks.

Victor goes into the back room as Gina comes in.

Gina: Hi Mom.

Gaby: Hi Gina. Did uh…you have a good time with Jackie?

Gina: Yeah. Linda got Max's computer fixed…I think.

Gaby: You think?

Gina: Yeah. We uh…think it might still have a virus or something…but he's going to see if he can still work on it.

Gaby nods as Gina goes to her room.

CUT TO: Gina's bedroom. Gina sighs and pulls down the curtain, as two small twin boys are climbing on a bunk bed. Gaby comes in with a box and also sighs.

Gaby: Quincy! Alejandro! Get into bed and stop jumping around.

Twins: Awwww.

Gaby shakes her head and brings the box over to Gina's side of the room.

Gina: I really wish I could have my own room.

Gaby: I thought the same thing when I had to share this room with Alex. And he was just one obnoxious boy.

Gina smiles and notices the box.

Gina: What's that?

Gaby: Oh it's a little something I made in fifth grade. I thought you could use it.

She puts the box down and Gina sees it's full of words, as well as a bunch of pens on lanyards.

Gina: What's this?

Gaby: I called it a word nest. I would fill it with words for inspiration…depending on what was needed at the time.

Gina: Cool. What are all these pens?

Gaby: Well…my friends and I…used to wear these. But we uh…put them all here when a friend of ours…disappeared.

Gina raises her eyebrows as her mother smiles and kisses her forehead.

Gaby: Goodnight.

Gina: Goodnight Mom.

Gaby leaves and Gina nods. She takes one of the pens and puts it around her neck.

Gina: So…she knows? But…can you write to him this way too?

Gina bites her lip and writes with the pen in a notebook.

Gina: (writing) Are you there, Ghostwriter?

A ball of light appears and Gina gasps.

GW: Hi Gina! Looks like you found my word nest.

Gina: (writing) My mother brought it in. I suppose she made it for you.

GW: Yes. I was quite close to your mother. And the others.

Gina: (nods and writes) Were our parents the only ones?

GW: No. Once I went back in time and wrote to Frank, Catherine, and Lucy, who were children in 1928. But then I returned to the others in 1993.

Gina: (writing) Wow. It's now 2019.

GW: Astounding! I have been asleep a long time! I knew Frank had died, so I presume Catherine and Lucy are also gone by now.

Gina: (writing) I guess so. But the children from 1993 would still be here like my mother. They just can't see you anymore.

GW: Yes. Jamal, Lenni, Alex, Gaby, Tina, Craig, Rob, Hector, Casey, Becky and Sam.

Gina nods and copies down the list. She then notices something and writes to Ghostwriter.

Gina: (writing) My uncle Alex is married to my Aunt Tina. Her maiden name was Nguyen.

GW: Ah. I wondered if that would happen. Alex always had a sweet spot for Tina.

Gina nods and looks at the list again before writing back.

Gina: (writing) I don't know the rest on the list though.

GW: Rob was a writer who moved away to Australia. Hector was a friend of Alex's who needed help with writing. Casey was a cousin of Jamal's that liked to tell jokes and riddles. Becky and Sam were friends that Jamal met in London and helped solve a case there.

Gina: (raises an eyebrow and writes) Solve a case?

GW: Yes. I would help my children solve mysteries.

Gina gives a nod and then grins.

Gina: (writing) Could you help us solve a mystery too?

GW: Of course. What mystery do you have?

Gina: (nods and writes) The mystery of who Max's father is.