HUMPHRY UNDER THE BED ZACK AKERS

Transcription

1 HUMPHRY UNDER THE BED By ZACK AKERS (C) 2017 This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

2 OVER BLACK FADE IN: (O.S.)... And the young farmhand returned home and lived out the rest of his life a hero. The end. INT. S ROOM - NIGHT The room is small and tidy. Stuffed animals galore. At least fifty of them. Mostly white unicorns. And lots of pink. Walls, bed spread, even a pink rug. Typical little girls room., late 20 s, a t-shirt and pajama pants, sits on the small bed. He looks down at, about 7, in pink pajamas. They smile at each other. I liked it. Robert s smile grows wider. Good. Wrote it myself. Really? Really, really. He bends down and kisses her on the forehead. Goodnight, munchie. Robert reaches over to the nightstand and switches on a unicorn nightlight. He stands, moves to the open bedroom door, turns and switches off the ceiling light. The unicorn nightlight casts pink light shapes on the far wall. Shapes of unicorns, go figure. Kat yawns.

3 2. What about Humphry? You gonna tell Humphry goodnight? Robert frowns, puzzled. Kat smiles. Who s Humphry? Humphry is the man under my bed. He tells me scary stories. She rolls over and closes her eyes. (CONT) Goodnight, daddy. Robert hesitates, confused. He leaves, closes the door behind him. CUT TO: INT. S ROOM - NIGHT Robert lays on his side in his large queen bed. MUFFLED VOICES (O.S.). Two of them, one much deeper than the other. Like an adult talking to a child. Robert rolls over to his back, faces the ceiling. Eyes open. He listens, frowns. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Robert silently sneaks out of his room and creeps up to the door at the other end of the hall. The VOICES (O.S.) continue back and forth, still inaudible. Carefully, Robert presses his ear up to the door. Listens. The VOICES (O.S.) become barely audible. Quiet! It s coming, dumplin!

4 3. A long silence. (O.S.) Nuh huh, silly. Daddy s asleep. Promise. Cross your heart? (O.S.) Cross my heart. Hope to die? (O.S.) I told you, Humphry. Stop talking like that. I don t like it. INT. S ROOM Robert storms in and switches on the ceiling light. Kat sits in her bed. Alone. Robert moves to the closet and opens it. Empty. He walks over to Kat. Kat, who were you just talking to? He drops to the floor and looks under the bed. Nothing. Humphry. Robert gives Kat a stern look. Kat. No games. But I m not- Enough. He moves back to the door and flips off the ceiling light.

5 4. (CONT) It s time for bed. Go to sleep. Good night. He leaves and closes the door behind him. Kat sits still, alone in the dark room. It s quiet. HEAVY BREATHING (O.S.). Mister Humphry? Are you mad? The HEAVY BREATHING turns into a GROWL. INT. S ROOM Robert enters his room and gets into bed. He turns to his side and closes his eyes. Long pause. The silence is broken by S SCREAM (O.S.). Robert jumps out of bed, trips over his feet and falls hard on his face. He quickly hops back up and runs into the INT. HALLWAY He dashes down the hallway, reaches Kat s bedroom door, practically kicks it open. Kat!? INT. S ROOM Robert flips on the ceiling light. Horror spreads across his face. Kat is dragged under her bed. Tears stream down her cheeks. DADDY! Robert dives for her, but just misses her. Kat disappears into the darkness under her bed.

6 5.!? He stares into the blackness under the bed, sweat beads up on his brow. (faint) She s mine now... Robert clinches his fists. The horror on his face turns to anger. He moves under the bed and pulls himself into the darkness. INT. OTHERWORLD - CORRIDOR It dark. An orange light flickers further down the corridor, reveals stone walls and a brick floor. Like a dungeon corridor. Robert steps out of the darkness. Kat? Sweetie? Please... Just make a noise so daddy can find you... Kat? He walks towards the orange light further down the corridor. (echoing) It must leave now... The dumplin is mine! Robert s brow furrows as he pick up his pace. You give me my daughter back! He reaches the source of the light, a lit torch held in an iron sconce. Illuminated on the stone wall, next to the torch, is a unicorn drawn in blood. Robert looks at the drawing with disgust. What the hell? S SCREAMS (O.S.) echo down the corridor.

7 6. Robert removes the torch from the sconce and runs down the corridor. Hold on Kat, I m comin! INT. OTHERWORLD - DUNGEON CELL Robert steps into the dingy room, which is divided in half by a rusty iron gate. Kat? Are you in here? Please say something... Kat WHIMPERS (O.S.). Robert perks up, steps closer to the iron bars. Kat!? Two small hands reach out from the other side of the iron bars and grab Robert. It s Kat, tears welled up in her eyes. Daddy! Robert drops the torch and puts his arms through the bars, hugs his daughter tight. It s okay, sweetie. Daddy s here. I m not gonna let anything happen to you. I swear... You gotta hurry, daddy! He ll be back soon! He lets her go and steps back, looks over the gate. It s a sliding gate. Alright. Step back, sweetie. I have to get you out of there. He moves to the end of the gate, grabs it, and PULLS HARD. The gate CREAKS. Robert strains as he uses all of his strength.

8 7. Kat looks into the darkness behind her, then back to Robert. He s coming! He s coming! The gate CREAKS more, starts to give. HURRY! (CONT) Robert GRUNTS as the gate finally pulls open. Kat runs through the opening and embraces her father. Robert picks her up, bends down and grabs the torch. Let s get outta here. Kat buries her face into his shoulder. Robert runs back into the INT. OTHERWORLD - CORRIDOR Robert, with Kat held against his side, runs down the long corridor. Almost there, sweetie. Almost there. They move past the bloody drawing of the unicorn. Humphry SCREAMS (O.S.). The scream echos down the corridor, as if it chases Robert and Kat. GIVE ME BACK MY DUMPLIN! Robert dares to look back, is horrified by what he sees. At the far end of the corridor, just visible in the darkness stands a thin, pale man. Naked, his bones seem to jut from his skin. Long, greasy black hair obscures his face. It s HUMPHRY. HUMPHRY GIVE HER BACK! Robert squeezes Kat tighter.

9 8. FUCK YOU! Humphry gets down on all fours and quickly spider crawls after the two. He SCREAMS. Robert puts Kat down and pushes her forward. Kat, RUN! Kat runs into the darkness of the corridor. Robert turns and readies the torch like a baseball bat. Humphry closes in fast. Almost on him. Robert clinches the torch tight. Stay away from my daughter you son of a bitch! Humphry jumps at him. Robert swings the torch HARD. BAM! Embers fly as the torch smashes across Humphry s face. CUT TO: INT. S ROOM Kat sits against the far wall, her eyes locked on her bed. She sniffles. All is quiet. Come on, daddy... Please... SLOW ZOOM into the darkness under the bed. CRAWLS OUT OF THE DARKNESS. Kat runs to him and jumps into his arms. She SOBS. He holds her tight.

10 9. It s okay, munchie. He won t ever get you again. I promise. He turns and looks to the darkness under the bed. FADE TO: BLACK HEAVY BREATHING is heard. Slowly, it turns to an ANGRY GROWL. The end.