THE PARTY HOUSE Written by Ronald Fordham 276 Sharber Road Bainbridge, Georgia 229-400-5262 rhonnief@yahoo.com
EXT. HOUSE-EVENING A young couple, and, walk through the yard of an abandoned house. The abandoned house sits isolated and alone in the area. Most of the windows in the house are shattered while a torn screen door covers the front door of the place. The porch looms in the front of the house. Victor smiles at Carmen. Do you think that we can have the party here? I don't know. Maybe we can. We have to find a place by next week. I m sure that we ll find a house to have it. Victor looks toward the abandoned house for a few moments before he smiles at Carmen. Carmen smiles. (CONT D) I've never scouted abandoned houses for party locations. I'm new at all this too. Carmen looks at the house as Victor and she walk onto the front porch of the building. (CONT D) This place looks pretty isolated. I don't think we'll get any complaints from neighbors. Victor stops in front of the front door and knocks on it. Carmen smiles at him. (CONT D) I don't think anyone's going to answer. Victor smiles as he looks through a window that is near the front door. Yeah. No one's lived here for years.
2. Victor looks through the window and sees a remote hallway in the house. Cobwebs cover the interior of the building. He looks at Carmen. (CONT D) Looks about as safe as possible. Victor grabs the doorknob of the front door and turns it. The door is unlocked. Victor opens the front door and Carmen and he then walk inside. INT. HALLWAY-EVENING Victor and Carmen walk into the hallway of the house. The front door loudly CLOSES behind them as they walk into the hallway. Victor knocks away some of the cobwebs that are tangled on him. Several dressers are in the hallway and they are all covered in cobwebs. An old portrait of an elderly man and a young woman is also on one of the walls in the hallway. I guess when we have the party we can just drink and chill in the hallway. Carmen smiles as they continue to walk further into the hallway. A decrepit stairway and a closed door are on the left side of the hallway. Carmen looks at the stairway that is nearby. I wonder what's up the stairs. Victor looks at the old, strange stairway. I don't think I want to know. Carmen smiles at Victor. You're too scared. Victor smiles at Carmen. Carmen laughs. Not really. When we have the party we can go up there to fuck if you want.
3. I'd like to go somewhere more romantic. Suddenly a faint, repetitive CHORD from a piano is heard being played. What the fuck? The CHORD sounds like it is being played from a piano upstairs. Victor and Carmen look toward the stairway. It's from upstairs. Victor quickly walks toward the stairway. He takes one step on the stairs before the CHORD abruptly stops being played. Victor nervously turns and looks at Carmen. It stopped. That was weird. Victor starts to walk toward the front door of the house. (CONT D) Victor, where are you going? We got to look through the rest of the house. Victor stops in the hallway and looks at Carmen. Are you crazy? Let's get the Hell out of here. Someone could be upstairs. It might've just been a rat stepping on the piano. That didn't sound like a fucking rat. Victor walks toward the front door, stops in front of it, and looks at Carmen. (CONT D) Let's just get out of here, Carmen.
4. Suddenly the front door of the house slowly opens. Victor takes a few steps back away from the open doorway. A teenage girl,, stands behind the open doorway. Whoa. (CONT D) Millie nervously looks at Victor and Carmen as she walks into the hallway. Why are you two in here? I'm sorry. We thought that no one lived here. Millie nods her head toward the family portrait on the wall. She is the young woman in the portrait. My grandfather and I live here. We're really sorry. We're just trying to find a place to have my friend's birthday party. Millie stops in front of Victor and Carmen. Millie smiles. (CONT D) She's turning eighteen and we're just looking to find a place that's isolated so that we don't get complaints from neighbors. I turned eighteen today. Oh. Happy Birthday then. Thank you. Millie looks toward the family portrait for a few moments before she looks at Victor and Carmen. (CONT D) I'm afraid you came to the wrong place to have a birthday party though. (MORE)
5. Victor smiles. (CONT D) My grandfather's very strict. He'd probably kill me now if he knew that you two were in here. We're really sorry. I was just telling Carmen that we needed to leave. Victor nods his head toward the stairs. (CONT D) I think we heard your grandfather anyway. He must be a piano player. Millie inquisitively looks at Victor for a few moments before she smiles. Yeah. He's upstairs. I don t think he was playing the piano though. Millie looks toward the stairs for a few moments before she looks at Victor and Carmen. Millie smiles. (CONT D) It might ve been the rats that get in here sometimes. It could ve been a ghost maybe. You might be right. Suddenly the family portrait falls to the floor which startles Victor and Carmen. Millie picks up the family portrait. (CONT D) Well, you guys are already here. You can stay for supper and we can celebrate my birthday if you want. We appreciate it but we really got to get going. We didn't mean to interrupt you like this.
6. Millie puts the family portrait on a dresser in the hallway. Victor smiles. No, it's fine. I get lonely out here sometimes. I bet. Carmen looks at Victor in annoyance as Millie smiles. Millie smiles. Yeah. Times have been tough. It's not easy taking care of him. Hell, I can barely take care of a pet much less my granddad. I insist that you both stay for supper though. (CONT D) We can have a birthday party later. Carmen looks at Victor for a few moments before she looks at Millie. We appreciate it. We really do have to get going though. Suddenly glass from a window near the front door SHATTERS and falls to the floor. Millie looks toward the window that has shattered. I really got to clean this place up. Millie looks at Victor and Carmen. (CONT D) I'll show you guys the kitchen. We really have to
7. Millie suddenly walks past Victor and Carmen and starts walking down the hallway. The open front door suddenly closes again. Victor fearfully looks toward the closed front door. Millie looks at Victor and Carmen. By the way, my name's Millie. The back of the shirt that Millie wears is covered in blood. Carmen nervously looks at Victor before they both start following Millie. Blood loudly DRIPS from the shirt that Millie wears and splashes on the floor in the hallway. Millie, are you hurt? Millie stops and looks at Victor and Carmen. She nervously looks at them for a few moments before she smiles. Oh. You guys must see my shirt. I got hurt really bad the last time I wore this. I'm alright now. Victor nervously nods his head as he looks at Millie. That's cool. We re both glad that you re alright now. I was wondering what your names are though? I'm Carmen. I'm Victor. We both go to the high school nearby. Millie smiles at Victor and Carmen as she walks toward the closed door on the left side of the hallway. I do too. Are you sure that you're alright? Yeah. I m fine.
8. Millie opens the door and walks into the kitchen. Carmen and Victor follow her into the kitchen. INT. KITCHEN-EVENING The kitchen is sparse with a lone kitchen table that stands in the room with several chairs around it while a stove is nearby. Several pots are on the stove. A lone window is in the room and the sun setting can be seen through the window. Cobwebs cover the table and chairs. Victor looks at Carmen as they stop in front of the kitchen table. Millie stops in front of the stove and starts to stir what is in one of the pots. Millie smiles. You guys have a really interesting place here. I know. I got to clean it up. Blood drips from the shirt that Millie wears and falls to the floor. It loudly SPLASHES on the floor of the kitchen. We really can't stay for supper. Millie finishes stirring what is in one of the pots and looks toward Victor and Carmen. Millie smiles. My birthday's today. I just turned eighteen. You two have to stay here with me. (CONT D) I was hoping that you would both stay and celebrate with me. My grandfather never lets me celebrate. He's old and mean. Victor looks at Carmen. (CONT D) He's crazy too. I think that he's lost his mind. Victor looks at Millie.
9. I guess we can stay awhile. Suddenly a repetitive CHORD from a piano is heard being played. The CHORD sounds like it is being played from upstairs. Millie smiles. That must be from my party. Who all s here? Yeah. Where's everyone at? They're all upstairs. We'll eat then we'll go join them. Victor and I really have to go, Millie. Victor and Carmen start to walk toward the open doorway. The CHORD continues to be repetitively played. Millie angrily looks at Victor and Carmen. You two aren't getting out of here. We got to go. Stay here goddammit. Millie throws one of the pots from the stove to the floor. Blood splatters from the pot and onto the floor. Victor and Carmen fearfully stop and look at Millie. We really have got to go, Millie. It was nice meeting you here. Millie points toward the seats at the kitchen table. Sit at the table. Victor and Carmen start to walk through the doorway. Millie quickly opens a drawer in the kitchen and grabs a pistol from the drawer. She aims the pistol at Victor and Carmen.
10. (CONT D) I said sit at the table. Victor and Carmen stop and look at Millie. Fuck. Alright Millie. Victor and Carmen sit in the chairs at the kitchen table. The seats are covered in cobwebs. Tears start to come down from Millie's eyes. The piano CHORD then stops being played. I just want to celebrate my birthday. I can't ever celebrate my birthday. He won t ever let me celebrate my birthday. We can celebrate your birthday, Millie. We'll stay. The blood on my shirt was from my birthday. Millie aims the pistol at Victor. (CONT D) That's what happened to me on my birthday. Millie SHOOTS Victor in the chest several times. Blood splatters Carmen who screams and stands up from the table. The deceased Victor's head lands on the table, his blood stains the table and cobwebs on the table. Millie looks toward Carmen. (CONT D) It's my eighteenth birthday. Victor. Carmen quickly turns and runs out of the kitchen while Millie looks at her. The repetitive piano CHORD starts to be played.
11. INT. HALLWAY-EVENING Carmen fearfully runs through the hallway and toward the front door. She stops in front of the front door and grabs the doorknob. She turns it. The door is locked. Carmen angrily hits the front door. Fuck. Carmen looks upstairs where the piano CHORD sounds like it is being played from. She then runs up the stairs, her footsteps loudly CREAKING on the steps. INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY-EVENING Carmen runs onto the upstairs hallway and sees an open bedroom doorway on her left. She goes into the room while the CHORD continues to be played. INT. BEDROOM-EVENING Carmen screams as she walks into the room. On the bed in the center of the room is the corpse of 'S GRANDFATHER who is rotted and decayed. Old, dry blood stains the bed that he is on while the piano chord continues to be PLAYED. Carmen covers her nose as the stench from the corpse permeates the room. Who's playing that fucking piano in here? Please help me. Suddenly the whispered voice of Millie is heard. (O.S.) You saw what he did to me on my birthday. He shot me. Carmen fearfully looks around the bedroom and does not see Millie. (O.S.) (CONT D) He killed me then he killed himself on my eighteenth birthday. Carmen looks at the corpse of Millie's Grandfather for a few moments before she runs out of the room.
12. INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY-EVENING Carmen runs into the upstairs hallway and stops outside Millie's Grandfather's room. The piano CHORD continues to be played. (O.S.) I still want you to be at my party. Carmen fearfully looks around the upstairs area. She does not see Millie in the area. Suddenly a door on the left side of the upstairs area opens and makes a loud creaking NOISE as it opens. Carmen nervously walks toward the open doorway. Is someone in there? Carmen screams as she walks through the doorway. INT. LIVING ROOM-NIGHT Carmen screams as she walks into the living room. A window in the back of the room reveals the darkness of the night. In the room are several tables that have drinks and food on them while a piano sits in the corner of the room. The tables and piano are covered in blood and cobwebs. The corpse of Victor is playing the piano while blood DRIPS from him to the piano keys and on the floor. He does not look at Carmen as he continues to play the same CHORD. Millie stands in the center of the room and she is covered in blood. She holds the pistol and looks at Carmen. Victor. You made it to my birthday party, Carmen. All of you made it tonight. Carmen turns around and starts to run toward the open doorway that leads to the upstairs area. She screams as she sees the corpse of Millie's Grandfather who stands in the open doorway and looks at Carmen. He smiles at her as dark, dry blood oozes from his mouth. Carmen slowly slumps to the floor and closes her eyes as she realizes her fate.