Again, this is not my short - just helping out with posting and formatting. This is for ThomasDF.
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THE BULLY - PART ONE FADE IN: INT. RICE HOME - FRONT ROOM - EVENING MATHEW RICE, a balding, middle aged man with a pot belly, and his WIFE EDNA, a portly woman wearing a dress and apron, take delight in putting up Halloween decorations. Edna takes a huge bowl shaped like a black cat from a box, sets it on the table, opens bags of candy and pours them in. Mathew pulls a long flowing cloth ghost with a string on top from a box and looks around the ceiling. He bounces it up and down with pure joy. MATHEW RICE Where should I put this? EDNA RICE (turns, smiles and points) Hang it on the ceiling right over the picture window. MATHEW RICE Perfect! He climbs a stool and hangs it on the ceiling as Edna brings the bowl of candy and sets it on a small table near the door. She smiles proudly, turns and bumps Mathew. Quickly she grabs his belt as he loses his balance. EDNA RICE Careful dear, we only need one ghost up there. MATHEW RICE Jesus, Mary and Buddha! EDNA RICE (chuckles) I think you should… A flash and CRACK of lighting cause the lights to go out for a second. He jumps down and Edna forces him in a bear-hug. He gently pushes her away and looks out the front window squinting. He goes to the door, opens it and looks to the sky. No clouds, just a big full moon shining down on a neighborhood with no one in sight. All of the houses have no lights on. MATHEW RICE How weird. We're the only one's with electricity. We must be on a different grid. Edna looks at him with concern and he smiles, kisses her on the cheek and gets into another box. She gives him a nervous smile in return and pulls a skeleton from another box. EDNA RICE This will go nicely on the door. She goes to the door and opens it… CHILD Trick or treat! Edna jumps, drops the skeleton and grabs her chest. Dressed in a ghost costume, the CHILD holds out his bag. EDNA RICE Oh, Lord! You almost made me a ghost there dear. The child CHUCKLES and Edna takes the bowl of candy, grabs a handful and puts it in his bag. The child runs off. She puts the bowl on the table, picks up the skeleton, hangs it and closes the door. Mathew pulls out an animated figure of a zombie, pretends to shiver in disgust at it and places it on the window table. Edna goes back to her box and fumble through it. MATHEW RICE The little one got a bigger treat from you than the candy. EDNA RICE That lightening put me on edge. I just hate it. He places the zombie on the table, kneels down to the floor and plugs it in. The door bell RINGS and Mat jumps and bumps his head on the table. He gets up goes to the candy, takes the bowl and opens the door. He freezes at the sight of a child in a very realistic zombie costume. CHILD Trick or treat MATHEW RICE (nervous) That's an amazing costume. Those shredded clothes are even authentic. They're like the kind we wore when we were kids. Mathew tosses candy in the bag and shivers when the child shows his rotten teeth with a wicked smile. CHILD Thank you. The child runs off and Mathew closes the door slowly. Edna notices his concerned expression, comes to him and puts her arm around him. EDNA RICE What? MATHEW RICE There's something about that child's costume. Something familiar. He shakes his head and smiles at her. She smiles back and they return to the decorations. The door bells RINGS, Edna takes the candy and opens the door where a child in a skeleton costume stands with his bag held out. CHILD Trick or treat! EDNA RICE Oh my! What a wonderful costume! As she puts candy in his bag Mathew looks around her with a smile that fades as he sees the child. CHILD Thank you. She closes the door, turns and is surprised at seeing Mathew pale and frightened. MATHEW RICE Something's not right. EDNA RICE (very concerned) What's not right? MATHEW RICE Didn't you see it? EDNA RICE See what? MATHEW RICE The child had the same clothes as the one with the zombie costume. More shredded, but the same clothes. She CHUCKLES at him, goes to a cupboard, takes a bottle and glass, pours him a drink and hands it to him. He sits at the table and sips the drink nervously. EDNA RICE It's that ghost movie we saw at the theater earlier. It got to you didn't it? MATHEW RICE (nervous smile) Yeah, that's probably it. The door bell RINGS and Edna answers it with candy bowl in hand. She lets out a LAUGH at the child in a clown costume. CHILD Trick or treat! EDNA RICE What an adorable costume. I'll bet your mother made it for you. The child nods "yes" as she puts candy in his bag. Mathew slowly stands and looks around his wife to the child. His glass falls and shatters when it hit's the floor. He can barely breath as horror fills his face. CHILD Hi Matty! The child runs off LAUGHING. Edna closes the door and turns to Mathew confused and a bit frightened. EDNA RICE How did he know your name? The door bell RINGS and Edna goes to the door and slowly opens it. A sweet little girl in a ballerina costume holds out her bag. Edna and Mathew let out a sigh of relief. CHILD Trick or treat! EDNA RICE (putting candy in the bag) Aren't you just darling. Here you go. Happy Halloween. CHILD Thank you. Happy Halloween. The child runs off and Edna closes the door turning to Mathew and they both relax. Mathew picks up the glass on the floor. She goes to the kitchen and gets a rag, returns and helps clean up the spill. She finishes the cleaning and pours him another drink. They sit at the table and she waits for him to explain. He looks up at her as he shakes a little. MATHEW RICE I'm sorry for frightening you. It was a childhood memory that came back to me when I saw the clown costume. EDNA RICE What happened? MATHEW RICE I'll tell you tomorrow. I don't want to think about it right now. She pats him the knee with an understanding smile. THE BULLY - PART TWO INT. RICE HOME - FRONT ROOM - HOURS LATER Edna closes the door as a child in a biker costume runs off. Mathew stacks empty decoration boxes. EDNA RICE That's all the candy. MATHEW RICE It's getting late, I don't think we'll get any more trick or treaters. Edna walks to the cabinet and opens it. Mathew tosses the last box on the stack and takes a seat at the dining table. EDNA RICE How about a night-cap? MATHEW RICE Sounds great. EDNA RICE (as she's pouring drinks) Did you notice anything strange about the trick-or-treaters? She takes the drinks to the table, sets them down and sits. Mathew takes a sip and nervously licks his lips. He looks into her eyes with worry and gulps the rest of the drink. MATHEW RICE Yeah, I noticed. EDNA RICE What's going on Mat? No parents and one trick-or-treater at a time. MATHEW RICE (rubbing his stomach) I don't know. EDNA RICE I thought that new medication took care of your ulcers. MATHEW RICE It started when that boy called me Matty. No one has called me that since I was a kid. He holds his stomach with both hands as he GRUNTS in pain. MATHEW RICE (CONT'D) Oh God! It's getting worse! Edna rushes to the kitchen, gets a bottle of antacid and quickly gives it him. He grabs the bottle and takes a big swig. His face relaxes and he closes his eyes in relief. The door bell RINGS and they freeze, offering each other a frown of astonishment. Edna goes to the door and grabs the handle reluctantly. Her hand increasingly shakes the more she opens the door. She looks down at the small figure in a reaper costume with one hand holding a cycle and his bag held out with the other. CHILD Trick-or-treat! Edna stands there for a moment on the verge of fright. EDNAD RICE (slowly, painfully) I'm sorry. I have no more candy. CHILD (slams cycle handle on the concrete) I want my candy! She closes the door hard, pushes against it and cries. Mat rushes to her and holds her as he pushes against the door. MATHEW RICE Go away! CHILD (O.S.) (sweet tone) Okay Matty, but I want my candy. FOOTSTEPS outside fade into the distance. He gently pushes her away and takes the door handle. EDNA RICE No! MATHEW RICE I have to see. Carefully he opens the door very tense and peeks out the small opening. Nothing is there and he opens the door more. He looks all around. The houses are still dark and no one in sight. He lets out a SIGH and closes the door. He takes her in his arm, they go back to the table and they sit. He pours them another drink and she downs it in an instant, pours herself another and downs it. He twists his glass around in his hands shaking his head "no". She watches him for a second and leans into him. EDNA RICE You know something, don't you? MATHEW RICE I don't know what you're talking about. EDNA RICE (looks at him suspiciously) Wait a minute! Are you pulling a prank on me? Just as Mathew begins to react a shadow wizzes passed the doorway to the hall. They both jump and Mathew runs into the hall looking around. Edna puts her fists on her hips and glares at him. EDNA RICE You think you're so smart. You can stop the act now. You got even from last year. MATHEW RICE (still looking around) This isn't a prank Edna! The door bell RINGS and Mathew runs to the door and opens it. Nothing there… CHILD (V.O.) (sweet voice) Trick-or-treat. (deep voice) I want my candy! Mathew slams the door shut and a CRASH comes from the bed room. Mathew runs to the room closely followed by Edna with a smile on her face. BED ROOM EDNA RICE It must have taken you a long time to set this up. Sorry I had to ruin it for you. Mathew looks to the floor and picks up a framed picture. It's a picture of him as a boy and the glass is broken in the center as if a fist had hit it. CHILD (V.O.) Tell her Matty. Tell her what happened thirty years ago tonight. MATHEW RICE No, it can't be you! CHILD (V.O.) (DEEP VOICE) Tell her! Mathew sits on the bed holding the picture close to him. He up at his wife with pleading eyes. CHILD (V.O.) (yelling deep voice) Tell her! They both are shaken by the voice. Mathew begins to weep and Edna looks at him very serious and now filled with fear. EDNA RICE Mathew? MATHEW RICE I didn't mean it. I swear to God, I didn't mean it. EDNA RICE Didn't mean what? Edna sits next to him looking around the room nervously and puts her arm around him. MATHEW RICE I wasn't a very nice kid forty years ago. Every Halloween the guys and I would go around and steal the other kids candy. The child takes form in the doorway dressed in early sixties cloths. Mathew slowly looks up at him with tears in his eyes. MATHEW RICE I'm so sorry Bobby. CHILD Tell her everything. MATHEW RICE (vibrating voice) That night I took Bobby's candy and he chased us. We crossed a street and he followed. He didn't see the car coming. Mathew breaks down crying. Edna looks at the child sadly and comforts her husband. EDNA RICE Dear God. MATHEW RICE Bobby, please forgive me. The child's form fades away with a big smile. CHILD (V.O.) Now I have my candy back. FADE OUT: THE END
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