"Haunted"
by: Austin Bean
October 8th, 2014
Derek shines a flash-light around a dark room, looking in corners cautiously.
Another man, Steven, stands in the corner with a high tech looking recorder and ear phones.
DEREK
Hello? Is anyone there? If you are, can you please respond?
(no response)
Can you reach out to me? What would you like to say?
(no response)
Okay... how bout this? I’ll ask questions, and you knock twice for yes. Once for no.
(no response)
Are you the spirit of the old General?
(no response)
Are you the one who keeps terrorizing the residents of this house?
(no response)
[to Steven] Are you getting anything?
ERIC
Not a thing.
DEREK
Come on. Come on come on come on!!! (getting angry)
Respond dammit!
(no response)
ERIC
I don’t think it’s here, boss.
DEREK
No. It has to be here! It HAS to be...
ERIC
Why don’t we leave for the night? We’ve been in theroom for 5 hours now.
DEREK
No. I’m not leaving til I get proof.
(Eric settles down in the corner. Derek paces
around the floor.)
ERIC
Is this about...?
DEREK
(cutting him off)
No!
ERIC
Look, it happens to like half the people in the US...
DEREK
I don’t care.
ERIC
You two weren’t really expecting...
DEREK
(cutting him off, shutting him up)
Is anyone out there? Please... is anyone there?
(no response)
Knock on something? Anything?
(no response)
Here. [sets down electronic in middle of room]
If you are here, I’m going to set this thing down in the middle of the room.
If you pass by it, we will be able to tell, and help you.
(Both wait in silence. No response.)
ERIC
It’s okay to get a divorce, Derek.
(no response)
It’s okay to get a divorce. It’s hard but it’s okay.
(no response)
What I just don’t understand is why?
DEREK
15 years.
ERIC
You two were so happy... I thought.
DEREK
We *were* so happy.
ERIC
You both were such great parents.
DEREK
What’s going to happen to Cody?
ERIC
Cody will be fine. It’ll take some time getting used to his parents being separated...
DEREK
Who will he go with?
ERIC
It’ll all be fine though.
DEREK
I don’t know if it ever will...
ERIC
What I just don’t understand is why?
DEREK
What will happen to the house?
ERIC
Derek, what happened?
DEREK
[to ’ghosts’] Is there anyone out there? Anyone?
ERIC
(interrupting)
Derek!!!
(There is silence, and then...)
DEREK
(calmly)
One morning, I walk into a kitchen, and she was sitting there, her bags packed, ready to leave.
Luggage surrounding her, and calmly as possible, she told me why she was leaving.
ERIC
I don’t know what to...
DEREK
(calmly)
It’s because I was always here.
She said I was always on my "stupid ghost hunts."
I guess it was missing Cody’s game that sealed it for her.
ERIC
I’m sorry.
DEREK
So I’m going to prove to her.
I’m gonna catch this ghost.
No more "stupid ghost hunts."
She’s gonna see.
ERIC
Derek...
DEREK
[to ghosts] Is anyone out there?
(no response)
ERIC
Please...
DEREK
[to ghosts] Knock. Say something. Anything.
(no response)
ERIC
Don’t do this to yourself.
DEREK
Please. Come on! Grab me. Touch me! Shove me.
Show me how you can terrorize me. Strike fear into my heart.
PLEASE! JUST REACH OUT AND FUCKING TOUCH ME!!!!
ERIC
Derek. No one is there.
Blackout.
Another man, Steven, stands in the corner with a high tech looking recorder and ear phones.
DEREK
Hello? Is anyone there? If you are, can you please respond?
(no response)
Can you reach out to me? What would you like to say?
(no response)
Okay... how bout this? I’ll ask questions, and you knock twice for yes. Once for no.
(no response)
Are you the spirit of the old General?
(no response)
Are you the one who keeps terrorizing the residents of this house?
(no response)
[to Steven] Are you getting anything?
ERIC
Not a thing.
DEREK
Come on. Come on come on come on!!! (getting angry)
Respond dammit!
(no response)
ERIC
I don’t think it’s here, boss.
DEREK
No. It has to be here! It HAS to be...
ERIC
Why don’t we leave for the night? We’ve been in theroom for 5 hours now.
DEREK
No. I’m not leaving til I get proof.
(Eric settles down in the corner. Derek paces
around the floor.)
ERIC
Is this about...?
DEREK
(cutting him off)
No!
ERIC
Look, it happens to like half the people in the US...
DEREK
I don’t care.
ERIC
You two weren’t really expecting...
DEREK
(cutting him off, shutting him up)
Is anyone out there? Please... is anyone there?
(no response)
Knock on something? Anything?
(no response)
Here. [sets down electronic in middle of room]
If you are here, I’m going to set this thing down in the middle of the room.
If you pass by it, we will be able to tell, and help you.
(Both wait in silence. No response.)
ERIC
It’s okay to get a divorce, Derek.
(no response)
It’s okay to get a divorce. It’s hard but it’s okay.
(no response)
What I just don’t understand is why?
DEREK
15 years.
ERIC
You two were so happy... I thought.
DEREK
We *were* so happy.
ERIC
You both were such great parents.
DEREK
What’s going to happen to Cody?
ERIC
Cody will be fine. It’ll take some time getting used to his parents being separated...
DEREK
Who will he go with?
ERIC
It’ll all be fine though.
DEREK
I don’t know if it ever will...
ERIC
What I just don’t understand is why?
DEREK
What will happen to the house?
ERIC
Derek, what happened?
DEREK
[to ’ghosts’] Is there anyone out there? Anyone?
ERIC
(interrupting)
Derek!!!
(There is silence, and then...)
DEREK
(calmly)
One morning, I walk into a kitchen, and she was sitting there, her bags packed, ready to leave.
Luggage surrounding her, and calmly as possible, she told me why she was leaving.
ERIC
I don’t know what to...
DEREK
(calmly)
It’s because I was always here.
She said I was always on my "stupid ghost hunts."
I guess it was missing Cody’s game that sealed it for her.
ERIC
I’m sorry.
DEREK
So I’m going to prove to her.
I’m gonna catch this ghost.
No more "stupid ghost hunts."
She’s gonna see.
ERIC
Derek...
DEREK
[to ghosts] Is anyone out there?
(no response)
ERIC
Please...
DEREK
[to ghosts] Knock. Say something. Anything.
(no response)
ERIC
Don’t do this to yourself.
DEREK
Please. Come on! Grab me. Touch me! Shove me.
Show me how you can terrorize me. Strike fear into my heart.
PLEASE! JUST REACH OUT AND FUCKING TOUCH ME!!!!
ERIC
Derek. No one is there.
Blackout.