ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. SIDEWALK – NIGHT
Lizzie, MIRANDA, GORDO, MATT and LANNY are walking down the street. Lizzie is dressed in her Princess costume, Miranda is dressed as a 'sexy' Witch, Gordo as a Monk with Matt and Lanny as a Skeleton and Pirate respectfully. Matt and Lanny have full trick-or-treat bags.
LIZZIE
(to Miranda and Gordo)
Thanks again guys for coming with me. I don't know how I would have made it through the night without you.
MIRANDA
Hey, no problem. What are friends for?
GORDO
Besides, I haven't been trick-or-treating in years. Look at all this loot!
Reveal Gordo's own trick-or-treat bag—he's been joining in on the festivities.
LIZZIE
(laughing)
I don't think the idea was for you to go trick-or-treating Gordo!
GORDO
Are you kidding me? Free candy! Free! Slap on a costume, ring a doorbell, and ba-boom! You're rolling in the sweet stuff. I love Halloween.
The girls shake their heads as they walk down the street.
LIZZIE
(to Matt)
It's getting pretty late Matt. We'd better head home.
Matt consults with Lanny (who is silent as always)
MATT
Lanny wants to know if we can go to just one more house. Pleeeease?
LIZZIE
(resigned)
Okay, one more house. But that's it.
MATT
Cool.
ANGLE ON NEXT HOUSE
It's a creepy run down prototypical 'Haunted House'
MIRANDA
Eww. Creepy.
GORDO
I guess they went all out.
The gang walks up onto the porch and to the front door.—CONTINUOUS
Matt rings the doorbell—nothing happens.
Lizzie is starting to get a little creeped out.
LIZZIE
Um, it looks like no one's home. Let's go Matt.
But Matt is determined to get that 'one last house' and the subsequent candy it would provide.
MATT
Maybe the doorbell doesn't work.
He starts knocking on the door when it swings eerily open to everyone's surprise.
MATT
Hello. Anybody home?
Matt and Lanny wander inside to find the occupants.
LIZZIE
Matt! Get out of there!
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE
The boys wander further inside.
CUT TO:
EXT. FRONT PORCH – SAME TIME
LIZZIE
Matt!
GORDO
Who leaves their door unlocked at night? On Halloween?
LIZZIE
Ugh!
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – SAME TIME
Lizzie goes inside to retrieve Matt and Lanny who are still just ambling around. Gordo and Miranda follow.
LIZZIE
Come on Matt, let's go!
She grabs his arm. As they all turn to leave, the front door slams shut on them—startling them all.
MIRANDA
That can't be good…
Gordo walks to the door.
GORDO
Let's get out of here.
He turns the doorknob—the door won't open. It's locked somehow.
GORDO (CON'T)
(puzzled)
It's locked.
MIRANDA
Locked? Locked? How can it be locked?
GORDO
I don't know.
LIZZIE
Maybe it's just stuck or something. Let's see if we can find the backdoor before whoever lives here finds us in their house.
Matt looks at all the cobwebs and dust covering the place.
MATT
I don't think anybody lives here.
GORDO
Sure they do—they just got into the spirit of things, that's all.
LIZZIE
Come on.
Lizzie leads them farther into the house.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – DILAPIDATED KITCHEN – CONTINUOUS
MIRANDA
These people must really be into Halloween Gordo. They even decorated the kitchen…
GORDO
So they're eccentric. That still doesn't make this place a 'haunted' house.
A mysterious rattling sound begins.
MIRANDA
Maybe not, but that sure might!
GORDO
It's probably just the pipes.
LIZZIE
Gordo's right, we're getting scared for nothing. Let's find a way out of here fast.
Matt stumbles across a door.
MATT
Hey, I think I found the backdoor!
He opens the door.
ANGLE ON – A trophy room full of mounted animal heads. Lions, tigers, bears, oh my!
MATT
Argggggh!
They all come rushing to Matt.
LIZZIE
What is it?
MATT
It's a chamber of horrors!
GORDO
So they're into taxidermy…
Miranda isn't convinced.
MIRANDA
Right.
LIZZIE
Let's keep looking.
CUT TO:
Montage of the gang searching all over downstairs—behind tables, under couches, anywhere there might be a way out.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – MAIN ROOM – SHORT TIME LATER
GORDO
Okay, we've searched the entire first floor—not a way out in sight. Not even a window large enough to fit through. What now?
LIZZIE
I guess we try upstairs. Maybe there's an open window or something.
MIRANDA
I'd settle for a phone. Anybody seen one yet?
LIZZIE
It must be upstairs.
She leads the group up the stairs.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – STAIRWELL
The stairs creak ominously as the kids go up them.
MIRANDA
I don't like this…
GORDO
There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of.
MATT
Except maybe ghouls!
Lanny nods in agreement.
LIZZIE
Matt! There are no ghouls here, all right?
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – SECOND FLOOR LANDING
The gang find themselves in the middle of a long hallway that turns at both ends. All along the way are various doors.
MIRANDA
That's a lot of doors.
ANIMATED LIZZIE
Great. At this rate we'll be here all night.
GORDO
Let's split up. We've a better chance of finding a way out.
LIZZIE
Good idea. Matt, Lanny, you're with me. Miranda, you and Gordo look around.
Lanny pulls at Matt and 'tells' him something.
MATT
Lanny's not so sure we should split up.
LIZZIE
It'll be fine. Come on.
Lizzie, Matt, and Lanny take off down the hall in one direction with Gordo and Miranda going in the other.
CUT TO:
INT. NANA AND GRANDPA CHUCK'S HOUSE - KITCHEN
Jo is busy making some chicken soup for Nana while SAM is cutting some vegetables.
SAM
You think the kids are okay?
JO
They're fine Sam. There are plenty of people out on the streets tonight. Relax.
SAM
I guess you're right.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – HALLWAY
Lizzie, Matt, and Lanny are standing outside a door. Lizzie has her hand on the doorknob, braced to turn it, while Matt and Lanny look on.
LIZZIE
(under breath to self)
It's not like there're actually monsters here.
She opens the door to reveal—a dusty bedroom. She lets out a breath relieved.
LIZZIE
See? I told you there was nothing to be scared of.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE - BEDROOM
She leads them into the room. She then spies a window at the far end.
LIZZIE
Oh look! A window!
She rushes over to see if it will open when a pair of yellow eyes appear out of the dark on the other side of the pane.
LIZZIE
Ahhhhhh!
Matt and Lanny (though silently in his case) scream as well.
They all rush out of the room.
ANGLE ON – The pair of eyes at the window. They blink rapidly, and when their owner shifts to catch the moonlight it is revealed to be an ordinary owl.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – A LARGE WALK IN STORAGE ROOM– SAME TIME
Gordo and Miranda are walking around inside. There is a bunch of old junk. Broken furniture, old rugs, that sort of thing.
MIRANDA
I don't see a phone Gordo.
GORDO
Here's one.
Picks up an old broken phone.
MIRANDA
I meant one that works!
GORDO
Well, let's keep looking.
They rummage around some more when a shuffling sound begins.
MIRANDA
Um, is that you Gordo?
GORDO
No. I thought it was you.
MIRANDA
Me? How can it be me? I'm standing still!
GORDO
Well, so am I.
MIRANDA
So, if it isn't you and it isn't me…
GORDO
Maybe it's just some mice.
MIRANDA
Mice? You think there might be mice up here?
GORDO
It is—
Gordo is interrupted by a crashing sound—we see some piled up junk fall to the floor a little behind Miranda.
Miranda and Gordo jump.
MIRANDA
Don't tell me that was mice Gordo!
GORDO
It's just some junk that fell. This stuff is stacked up all over the place, waiting to fall over. It's not a big deal.
MIRANDA
Not a big deal? Not a big deal? You weren't the one just about clobbered Gordo. I'd say that it's a big deal!
GORDO
You're making something out of nothing. Let's just find something we can use to get out of here. Okay?
They start digging through the stuff again.
P.O.V. Shift – We are suddenly looking at Miranda and Gordo through a pair of eyes belonging to someone or something hidden amongst the clutter.
MIRANDA
I still don't like this.
P.O.V. Shift – Back to normal
We see Miranda and Gordo looking amongst the junk still. Miranda moves aside a crate only to reveal two yellow eyes staring at her. Miranda jumps back screaming.
MIRANDA
Ahhhhhhh!
GORDO
Wha—
The rest of the sentence is choked off as he sees the eyes. Miranda grabs him and they both run from the room.
ANGLE ON: the pair of eyes and the pile of junk. It stops shaking and out jumps a cat.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – SECOND STORY LANDING
The two groups, running from their separate 'terrors' all converge.
MIRANDA
(frantic)
I really don't want to be here any more!
MATT
I'm with her!
Lanny nods emphatically.
GORDO
Okay, obviously the 'let's split up' plan didn't work.
MIRANDA
You think?
GORDO
So how about we all stick together and go door by door? It's slower but…
MIRANDA
But nothing! Let's do it.
The kids huddle together and approach a door at random.
ANIMATED LIZZIE
Why do I suddenly feel like Alice in Wonderlaaaaaaaaand!
Animated Lizzie opens a door only to be pulled into a swirling vortex.
Gordo opens the door and they all go inside.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – OLD AVIARY
The place is a shambles. Old broken, half rusted cages, old feed containers, a few stuffed and mounted birds, newspaper/sawdust litter the floor.
GORDO
Well, at least this isn't scary.
LIZZIE
No, just gross.
MATT
Ewww!
Matt picks up an old dusty stuffed vulture.
MIRANDA
I don't see anything in here that can help us. Let's try another room.
GORDO
(pointing upward)
Wait, there's a skylight. If we could just reach it…
LIZZIE
Hello, none of us can fly Gordo.
GORDO
Maybe if we piled some stuff on top of each other…
MIRANDA
I don't know Gordo, it's pretty high up there.
GORDO
It's either that or continue to poke around this place all night.
MIRANDA
(beat)
What are we waiting for?
CUT TO:
SHORT MUSCIAL MONTAGE:
The kids are collecting and piling up the various junk in the room to end up making a makeshift platform to stand on.
End of Montage
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – OLD AVIARY
Once finished, they all crane their necks upwards to see their handy work.
GORDO
So, who's first?
MIRANDA
What do you mean? It was your idea!
GORDO
You crazy? I'm not testing that thing!
MIRANDA
Don't look at me!
MATT
Lanny and I'll pass.
LIZZIE
Fine. I guess I'll do it.
GORDO
Way to be McGuire! Good luck.
MIRANDA
(worried)
Be careful.
ANIMATED LIZZIE
Yeah, yeah. Send blondie to do all the dangerous stuff. Some friends.
Lizzie hesitantly climbs onto the visibly wobbly pile of the debris and slowly makes her way to the top.
CLOSE ON: Lizzie as she strains to reach the skylight.
She is able to just reach it and manages to push it open.
LIZZIE
I've got it open.
GORDO
I knew she could do it.
Lizzie reaches out and grabs the still and manages to leverage herself partly out onto the roof.
CUT TO:
EXT. SIDEWALK – NIGHT
We see two kids coming off of a night of trick-or-treating. One is holding a balloon that is made after the likeness of a ghost. While walking, the balloon gets away from the kid and floats off.
CUT TO:
EXT. HAUNTED HOUSE – ROOF
Lizzie is looking around the roof when the ghost-balloon, caught by the wind, meets her face to face.
LIZZIE
Arggggggghhhh!
In her terror she steps back, which shifts the entire unsteady platform upon which she stands. Wheeling her arms, she falls down along with the platform itself, and in doing so burying the entire group.
CUT TO:
INT. HAUNTED HOUSE – OLD AVIARY
We then see the kids slowly rise out of the wreckage, none the worse for the wear, but dusty, dirty, etc.
MIRANDA
Great plan Gordo.
GORDO
Yeah, well… What happened Lizzie?
LIZZIE
I—I saw—I saw… something.
GORDO
What?
LIZZIE
Let's—let's just find another way out.
GORDO
Fine. Lead the way.
ANIMATED LIZZIE
Trying to find our way out of an old haunted house is not how I envisioned spending my Halloween.
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT ONE