ThomasDF - Halloween short, The Bully

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  • ThomasDF - Halloween short, The Bully

    Again, this is not my short - just helping out with posting and formatting. This is for ThomasDF.

    ******************************************

    Code:
     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

  • #2
    I liked it, Thomas. A well-written, guilt-comes-back-to-haunt story. The only thing, story wise, I might have done differently is pare a couple of the trick or treat moments. You have six or seven, I think, and it got a bit repetitive, especially for a short. Maybe, change it up with a trick or something.

    Also, I was a little confused that Mathew was so excited about Halloween (in the beginning) with this hanging over his head.

    Great ending. All those years and all he had to do was ask for forgiveness. Nice.

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