Creative Spirit with Screenplay Read online

  Anna fights for a final breath, then her eyes close. She is dead.

  CUT TO:

  INT. MASTER BEDROOM

  Mason locks the door.

  CRIS

  Will that keep ghosts out?

  MASON

  Maybe the statue.

  CRIS

  Statue? I don’t think I like this.

  Mason turns and sees that the portrait of Korban is leaning against the wall. He runs to it, smashes it, and shoves it into the fireplace. It burns, and Korban groans in agony.

  MASON

  Burn, you bastard.

  Something pounds on the door.

  STATUE (O.S.)

  I'll eat your dreams, sculptor.

  Mason runs to the window, opens it, and looks up. Looks down, doesn't like the heights.

  MASON

  Come on.

  CRIS

  Where are we going?

  MASON

  Party time.

  They climb out the window as the door begins to splinter.

  CUT TO:

  EXT. SIDE OF THE MANOR

  Mason looks down at the dizzying ground below. He grabs the edge of the cornice and pulls himself up, then closes his eyes and helps Cris up.

  Miss Mamie's voice comes from the widow's walk.

  MISS MAMIE (O.S.)

  Now there's only me, Ephram.

  CUT TO:

  EXT. WIDOW'S WALK

  Mason and Cris climb over the railing. Mason sees Anna lying on the planks. He runs to her and feels for her pulse.

  MASON

  Anna!

  CRIS

  Is she—

  MASON

  Anna, are you all right? Please be all right.

  MISS MAMIE

  She's never been better.

  Anna’s calm face, then...

  FADE TO:

  INT. MANOR

  ANNA'S SPIRIT falls through the manor, swirling, she is aware but confused. She finds herself in the BASEMENT. Out of the darkness steps Rachel's Ghost, glowing with a strange light. When the ghosts speak, their voices are distorted.

  ANNA

  Where am I?

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  You're home.

  ANNA

  No. I was up on the widow's walk, I couldn't breathe.

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  You're one of us now. You finally belong.

  Rachel's Ghost holds out her hand. Anna looks at it, then reaches out her own hand. The TWO HANDS mingle, merge.

  ANNA

  Are you really me?

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  I had to lose you so Korban wouldn't have you. But he won anyway.

  ANNA

  No. He doesn't own me.

  More strange GHOSTS emerge from the darkness, including the Girl Ghost.

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  He owns all of us now. Forever.

  CUT TO:

  EXT. WIDOW'S WALK

  Sylva and Miss Mamie stand triumphantly over Anna. The statue carrying the bust rises through the trap door, walks over and stands above Mason.

  Cris retreats to the railing to join Paul and Adam. The dead Abramovs play on. Paul reaches into his mouth and pulls out some black dirt.

  As Korban SPEAKS, his voice alternates between coming from the statue and the bust.

  SYLVA

  (to Korban)

  I told you I'd fetch her over.

  STATUE

  And you've always kept your promises.

  MASON

  (to the statue)

  You sorry dead son of a bitch.

  STATUE

  Come now, sculptor. What was she to you? Nothing but warm, useless flesh.

  Miss Mamie holds up her lantern to see the statue. Mason hugs Anna's body.

  MISS MAMIE

  You're beautiful, Ephram.

  STATUE

  Unfinished. But I think I can convince the sculptor to flesh me out.

  SYLVA

  The spell's about done, Ephram.

  STATUE

  Lovely to see you again, Sylva.

  SYLVA

  It hurt me so, having to kill you.

  STATUE

  It was the only way for us to have forever.

  MISS MAMIE

  No. You promised me.

  STATUE

  You hideous cow. How could anyone ever love such as you?

  MISS MAMIE

  The two of us, you said. And my beauty...

  The statue LAUGHS, a wooden, ugly sound. Miss Mamie's face begins to age and sag.

  STATUE

  Beauty was never yours. It was mine to give and take.

  CUT TO:

  INT. BASEMENT

  The ghosts gather close around Anna.

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  He burns us, Anna. He haunts us and feeds off our pain.

  ANNA

  What are you afraid of?

  GIRL GHOST

  The bad man puts us in the tunnels.

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  Korban knows what scares us most.

  ANNA

  What can I do? I'm dead, too.

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  You're his blood. He needed you to come back so he could call in the fire.

  ANNA

  You mean "Go out frost, come in fire?" I heard Sylva say that.

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  It's an old mountain spell, only said backwards.

  ANNA

  You want me to believe in magic?

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  Believe what you believe. My mother taught me that.

  ANNA

  Your mother's on his side.

  RACHEL'S GHOST

  He's still weak. We have to hurry.

  The ghosts hold hands. Rachel's Ghost leads the ghosts in chanting the spell, then Anna joins in.

  GHOSTS

  Go out fire, come in frost. Go out fire, come in frost. Go out fire, come in frost.

  The ghosts merge into one entity, and are absorbed inside Anna. She glows with power.

  CUT TO:

  EXT. WIDOW'S WALK

  The statue wobbles slightly. Mason looks at the lantern that Miss Mamie is holding. Miss Mamie is aging, fading badly. Ransom’s Ghost, George’s Ghost, Lilith, the Abramovs, the cook, and Paul gather around the statue.

  STATUE

  Say the spell, Sylva.

  SYLVA

  Give me my years back first. Make me young.

  STATUE

  Call in the fire for me, and you can have them.

  MISS MAMIE

  (to Korban, gasping)

  I sacrificed everything...for you.

  SYLVA

  You don't even know what sacrifice is. I'm the one mixed his grave dirt with yarrow and bloodroot and lizard powder. I wrapped it in the bloody burial gown of my own daughter. I'm the one that spelled Ephram up from the dead. And I'm the one that gets to be young forever.

  STATUE

  (to Sylva)

  Say it...

  SYLVA

  Make me young.

  Sylva's wrinkles begin to fade, as if she is stealing Miss Mamie's youth.

  SYLVA

  Go out frost, come in fire.

  Miss Mamie screams as she dries to a desiccated corpse, then to dust which blows away. Mason grabs the lantern she was holding.

  CUT TO:

  INT. SPENCE'S ROOM

  Spence at the typewriter. The portrait of Korban is melting. Spence types: "Go out frost, come in fire."

  SYLVA (V.O.)

  Go out frost, come in fire.

  CUT TO:

  EXT. WIDOW'S WALK

  Sylva gazes lovingly at the statue.

  STATUE

  (to Mason)

  Worship this dream you have made.

  The glowing ANNA-GHOST coalition rises through the roof behind the statue. Lilith sees it and tries to become the smoke again. Anna inhales her.

  SYLVA

  Look out, Ephram!

  Mason looks from Anna's body to the ghost coali
tion.

  MASON

  Anna? Is that you?

  ANNA

  We're the fuel. Burn him.

  The statue turns. The Anna-ghost coalition merges with the statue and the bust.

  SYLVA

  (rushing)

  Go out frost, come in—

  Mason slams the lantern against the statue. The flame leaps over the statue and the bust, burning the fuel of the ghosts. Korban screams.

  The FLAMES rise twenty feet above the statue, impossibly high. The statue tries to run, but is blind. Smoke pours from the chimneys in huge puffs. The widow's walk is beginning to catch fire around the statue.

  Mason drags Anna's body away from the fire.

  Anna coughs and opens her eyes.

  MASON

  Anna!

  ANNA

  (weak)

  I think I like this side better.

  The flames spread wider. The Abramovs slump in their chairs as their instruments burn. Paul, Ransom’s Ghost, and George’s Ghost fade into the fire. Ransom’s Ghost waves at Mason before he disappears.

  Cris and Adam run for the trap door and escape. Sylva's shawl catches fire.

  MASON

  We're cut off.

  ANNA

  (sitting up)

  Over the rail. Maybe we can reach those branches.

  Mason looks to the ground sixty feet below and gets dizzy. Anna stands and steadies him.

  ANNA

  Oh, I forgot. You're afraid of heights.

  MASON

  I'm more afraid of dying.

  ANNA

  You ought to be. It really sucks.

  They climb over the railing. Anna catches a tree branch, pulls herself over. She reaches back and grabs Mason's hand.

  ANNA (CONT'D)

  Keep your eyes closed.

  MASON

  I'll just pretend I'm dreaming.

  Anna pulls Mason to safety. They move down the branch, then Sylva comes to the railing. Anna reaches a hand to her.

  The fire is growing, the entire manor is burning, with smoke pouring from the windows.

  SYLVA

  I loved your Momma, but I loved Ephram more.

  ANNA

  Give me your hand.

  SYLVA

  I reckon we'll be together till the end of time after all. Only on his side, not mine.

  Sylva walks into the fire.

  Mason and Anna climb down the tree as the manor burns.

  CUT TO:

  INT. SPENCE'S ROOM

  Spence types the final line of his manuscript: "Go out frost, come in fire." Beneath that, he types "The End."

  He sniffs. Smoke. He looks up and the portrait bursts into flames.

  Spence's chair falls over backwards, he knocks his manuscript to the floor. He tries to collect the pages, but the flames spread too fast. He runs to the door, sobbing, clutching a few burnt pages.

  CUT TO:

  EXT. MANOR LAWN

  Mason and Anna join Cris on the lawn. Adam and Bridget are at the edge of the forest, watching the manor burn.

  Mason puts his arm around Anna.

  MASON

  Is he gone?

  ANNA

  He fed on dreams, but he lived in the walls. There's no one left to free him.

  Spence stumbles out the front door, his hair singed. He reaches safety and kneels on the grass, looking up at the flames rising into the night sky.

  FADE TO:

  INT. MANOR LAWN-MORNING

  The manor is a heap of ashes, still smoking. Anna and Mason stand by the horse pasture. Mason has a bandage around his head.

  The barn lies in ruins, the carriages and hayrake twisted and broken. Adam and Bridget walk in from the road.

  BRIDGET

  The bridge is gone.

  ANNA

  Korban took it all with him. Everything that was his.

  BRIDGET

  We heard some sirens. Maybe somebody from town saw the smoke.

  MASON

  The bridge was the only way in.

  ANNA

  Sylva told me there's an old trail down the side of the mountain. I can take a horse to the river and make it into town.

  MASON

  Need some company?

  ANNA

  I'm more experienced with horses. It'll be faster if I go alone. But you can help me find a saddle.

  They start digging through the barn rubble. The horses are curious and come to watch.

  CUT TO:

  EXT. MANOR LAWN

  Spence, crawling, grabs at pieces of ash as they float down. His face is smudged with charcoal. Bridget stands over him.

  BRIDGET

  You damned idiot, why don't you move away from the heat?

  SPENCE

  Word?

  BRIDGET

  You should be glad that crap got burned. It would have killed your career, if you still had one.

  Spence holds up a small piece of ash.

  SPENCE

  (pathetic)

  Ephram. What are the words?

  BRIDGET

  You said your favorite words were "The End." They sound pretty good to me, too.

  She walks away from him.

  Spence’s face changes, eyes spark red embers.

  SPENCE

  (to himself, in Korban’s voice)

  It never ends.

  CUT TO:

  EXT. MANOR LAWN

  Anna is mounted on horseback. Cris, Adam, and Paul stand by the rubble. Mason approaches Anna.

  MASON

  What happened here? I mean, what are we going to tell them?

  ANNA

  I've got a theory, but a theory is about as useful as a match in hell.

  MASON

  You were dead.

  ANNA

  (nods)

  Yeah. Did you miss me?

  MASON

  What was it like? To. . . you know.

  Anna looks back at the smoke, then down. On the ground she sees the bouquet of flowers. Now they are alive, vibrant with color.

  ANNA

  Somebody once told me it's just like being alive, only worse.

  Mason picks up the flowers and gives them to Anna.

  MASON

  See you soon?

  Anna gives him her half-smile.

  ANNA

  If you promise not to carve anything bigger than life for a while.

  Anna rides the horse into the woods toward the rocky edge of the mountain and the world.

  FADE TO BLACK

  Table of Contents

  CAST LIST:

  Mason Jackson, sculptor

  Anna Galloway, paranormal researcher

  Ephram Korban, evil indeed industrialist

  Sylva Hartley, old witchwoman

  William Roth, photographer

  Miss Mamie, hostess

  Jefferson Spence, pompous writer

  Bridget, arm candy

  Cris, artist

  George’s Ghost, handyman

  Table of Contents

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