Okay, I'm priming the pump a bit. Someone has to go first. This is one I wrote a couple months ago. It's not exactly Halloween themed, but just something fun. :evil - I'll be posting something more appropriate closer to Halloween.
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INT. OLD ONE-ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE - DAY Snow pelts the small drafty windows as MRS. KINDLE, a perpetual fifty-year-old schoolmarm, sits quietly at her desk. The tiny room is filled with children of all ages. The only sound is chalk on small boards, the daily lesson. A fire roars in an old pot-bellied stove in the corner of the room. She rises from her desk. MRS. KINDLE You may all put your slates down now. A collective clatter on wood. Several children chatter with each other. A small boy, CHARLIE TINDER, eight, sits the closest to the stove fanning himself. He stares into the flame. MRS. KINDLE Charlie, more wood, please. CHARLIE The fire's still hot, Mrs. Kindle. She walks over to him with a stern puckered face. She pulls her sweater tighter and holds her hands close to the stove. MRS. KINDLE We'll use all the wood you can bring. Put your boots on. She walks among the children. Charlie stands and walks back to the cloak room. INT. CLOAK ROOM - CONTINUOUS He pulls on heavy boots, a wool coat, and mittens. A square box with a handle waits by the door. He hefts it and braces against the cold he knows is coming. EXT. SCHOOL YARD - DAY The wood shed is a good forty-yard walk. The snow pelts Charlie's cheeks as he trudges through a foot of fresh powder. He reaches the shed. A large board braces the door. Charlie sets the box down struggles to lift the board. He uses all his strength - the board finally lifts. The door swings open, he steps inside. INT. OLD ONE-ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE - SAME Mrs. Kindle paces the length of the room. Her glance keeps going to the fire. It's still going, but getting smaller. She walks to the window and checks the wood-shed, for the hundredth time. A SMALL GIRL walks up to Mrs. Kindle with her slate. SMALL GIRL Mrs. Kindle, I have a question about this arithmetic problem -- MRS. KINDLE Go back to your seat at once! Her sudden outburst surprises them both. The teacher tries to compose herself. MRS. KINDLE Have Susan help you. I'll check answers after I tend to the fire. SMALL GIRL Yes, ma'am. She returns to her seat. Mrs. Kindle walks to the stove. She bends down on her hands and knees, peers inside. Something inside moves - slithers around the dying red embers. A RASPY VOICE whispers from the small flame. RASPY VOICE Need ... need ... feed it. She recoils backwards, bumping into Charlie's empty desk. The kids look up, exchanging glances of concern and humor. She stands and walks back to the window. INT. WOOD SHED - DAY The small building is stacked to the roof with logs. Charlie barely has room to bring the box in with him. The door hangs open for light. He pulls at a log, it doesn't budge. He looks up toward the top and starts climbing. INT. OLD ONE-ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE - SAME Mrs Kindle walks to her desk and in a haste to grab a book, she knocks them to the floor. She drops to her knees, her hands shake. She chooses a small green book titled HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES and walks it quickly to the stove, the children watch her. MRS. KINDLE Children, please take out your spelling. A groan, JOSEPH, eleven, shoots his hand up. MRS. KINDLE Yes, Joseph? JOSEPH Mrs. Kindle, we did spelling this morning. It's time for history. Mrs. Kindle looks out among the questioning faces. MRS. KINDLE I expect you all to get them right then. Take your books out. As the kids find their spelling books, Mrs. Kindle quickly walks to the stove. Faster than a blink she shoves the book through the door and peers inside. RASPY VOICE Feed ... aaaahhhhh. The voice becomes softer, purrs even. The book's pages crackle and turn black. She sighs and moves back to the window. INT. WOOD SHED - SAME Charlie clings to the wood pile. His head touches the top of the shed. While holding on with one hand he throws logs down to the floor with the other. He jumps to the floor and fills the box with wood. A hard wind slams the door shut. Charlie stands in darkness. INT. OLD ONE-ROOMED SCHOOL HOUSE - SAME Mrs. Kindle watches the door slam from the window, the board drops in place, trapping him. She gasps. Several of the children jump up from their seats and crowd around her. JOSEPH He's stuck out there. Someone has to get him. Mrs. Kindle looks over at the fire, the book is black and charred. MRS. KINDLE Joseph, go help him, quickly. Joseph doesn't like this idea, he moves slowly toward the cloak room. MRS. KINDLE Forget your boots, go out there now! We need the wood! The rest of the children gather around the two windows facing the wood shed. Joseph leans into the wind. The whole room quiets. Joseph shoves his hands in his pockets to warm them. One LITTLE GIRL stands by the stove, her attention drawn to the fire. LITTLE GIRL Hey, something's moving in there. Mrs. Kindle runs to her, pulling her back. MRS. KINDLE Get away from there! The raspy voice starts very small, then grows. RASPY VOICE Feed, now ... Feed the fire. All the children turn toward the fire. EXT. WOOD SHED - SAME Joseph reaches the shed. Charlie knocks furiously from the other side. CHARLIE (O.S.) Let me out! It's dark, open the door! JOSEPH Hang on Charlie, I'll get it. Joseph has the same trouble opening the large board that Charlie did. He jams it up with the palm of his hand, the door flings open. Charlie tumbles out. INT. OLD ONE-ROOMED SCHOOL HOUSE - CONTINUOUS With all the children standing near the windows, looking at the stove, one BOY turns back toward the window. BOY They're out! They're coming. RASPY VOICE Here I come to feed, must feed. MRS. KINDLE Oh, god! She runs to the window and tries to open it. MRS. KINDLE Help me, children. Several of the bigger boys go to her aid. They push on the window until it opens, but just a couple inches. Mrs. Kindle bends down, puts her face into the small opening. She yells. MRS. KINDLE Run boys! Bring the wood! EXT. OLD ONE-ROOMED SCHOOL HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Joseph and Charlie look up, Joseph carries the box filled with wood. They start running as best they can against the wind and snow and with the awkward heavy box. Charlie falls in the snow. Joseph puts down the box to help him. Mrs. Kindle's voice is barely heard through the wind. MRS. KINDLE (O.S.) Leave him there Joe, bring the wood! Joe doesn't leave him there, he gets the smaller boy on his feet. INT. OLD ONE-ROOMED SCHOOL HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Mrs. Kindle looks over to the stove, then back to the window. MRS. KINDLE Hurry, please! BOY Look at the stove! The stove rattles and shakes on the wooden floor. MRS. KINDLE Bring me your books boys and girls! The children scatter, screaming. Some go to their desks, others make for the cloak room. Half a dozen books land in her arms, she quickly feeds them to the stove. RASPY VOICE More, need more feed ... not enough. Coming to get more ... MRS. KINDLE Oh God, no...please, they'll be here any minute! The fire goes out. EXT. OLD ONE-ROOMED SCHOOL HOUSE - SAME Joseph makes it to the front door of the school before Charlie. He turns to go inside - WHACK - he's hit in the back with a snowball. JOSEPH You're gonna pay for that one, Charlie. He drops the box in front of the door and kneels in the snow, scooping a handful into a ball. Charlie takes off in the opposite direction. Joseph lobs his snowball, missing over Charlie's shoulder. JOSEPH C'mon Charlie, let's get inside it's cold out here. Reluctantly the boys drag the box in the front door. A SCREAM from the classroom is cut short. Joseph slowly turns the doorknob. INT. CLOAK ROOM - CONTINUOUS They walk in, put the wood box down and stomp their feet of snow. Charlie hangs up his coat while Joseph rubs his red hands. There is no noise coming from the classroom. INT. OLD ONE-ROOMED SCHOOL HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Charlie and Joseph walk into the classroom each carrying a log. The room is empty. A fire roars in the stove. FADE OUT
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