Lesson 9

[Deb Johnson]

Deb’s Horror Outline Version 1

What I learned: The different tracks all came together to create an outline. It took longer than expected because I continued to re-shape it to make sure the story flowed. However, it’s incredible to see how all of the tracks create the story I now have.

Act 1

Open:

INT – CRAWL SPACE – NIGHT

A young man and woman, Sarah Admonito, 23, shelter from a raging tornado. The man yells “None of this is real,” and is sucked up into the frenzy. Sarah opens a piece of paper with the same words typed on it – she screams.

EXT – TORNADO DEVASTATED SMALL TOWN – DAY

A Day Later – the small, decimated town. There is a scattering of work crews and emergency vehicles.

Gabe, 30, and Aaron, 35, cautiously walk down the main street. Aaron points out where things “used to be,” and tries to engage Gabe in small talk. Gabe eschews nostalgia and asks Aaron to stick to the facts. They are startled when a coyote, displaced by the storm, challenges them. Aaron de-escalates the situation and the coyote runs away.

As they move along, Aaron disturbs the hiding place of a Garter snake and is bitten. Gabe kills it. Aaron is mad at Gabe for killing the snake.

They come to a single home left standing. Mama Lee, the homeowner, welcomes them into her kitchen, which has suffered significant damage. They caution her of the danger, but she insists that everything is fine and proceeds to make them coffee/tea. We learn that Gabe is an investigative journalist from the big city and formerly from this town.

Ella, 16, rides through the debris on her bike. She pauses at the post office and turns up her nose at the smell. She sees a fire truck a few blocks away, but then sees Aaron and Gabe exiting Mama Lee’s. She heads towards them.

A camera drone buzzes above them all. It’s operated by Tunney, 23. It gets close to and enrages an electrical work crew. Tunney re-directs the drone and sneaks away.

Cassie, 34, and Isa, 30, arrive on the opposite side of town to what is left of an old brick-and-mortar church. It emits eerie sounds. Cassie prods Isa to go in and investigate, but Isa, though intrigued, is concerned for her safety.

They go into what’s left of the annex and the creaking increases. A turkey vulture descends from a rafter, upsetting the structure. They run out as the front of the building collapses.

They hear a muffled call for help under the debris. They call out for help and work to clear debris. Gabe, Aaron, Ella, Mama Lee, and Tunney all make their way over to see what’s going on and to help.

INT – CHURCH BASEMENT – DAY

Warning:

They find Sarah Admonito, who is injured, at the bottom of a stairway. Cassie recognizes her. The basement is completely intact. Emergency workers arrive with a stretcher. The seven look about the basement and wonder at how “normal” it looks. No damage anywhere. They all move deeper into the basement, looking for more people.

Sarah is conflicted as the workers lift her to safety, but finally, with tears and terror she cries out “Don’t go in there, it’s a trap. You’ll all be killed. There’s no escape.” Then she dies. A piece of paper drops from her hand – typed on it are the exact words she just spoke. They are all confused.

Denial:

Tunney ignores everyone and immediately explores the basement.

Cassie keeps the paper and explains she came here to follow up on a story involving Sarah, but she’s sure it was just a publicity stunt.

Aaron questions Cassie about the story. When she mentions the mysterious typewriter, Aaron laughs at the “old wives’ tale” that’s been circulating since he was a kid.

Isa is alarmed. She senses paranormal danger but doesn’t reveal this to the group.

Gabe is dismissive of the matter and wonders if there are more survivors who need their help.

Mama Lee agrees with Gabe and says they should look for survivors.

They all push further into the basement, but an emergency worker calls them out.

Ella, eager to follow the group, tells the emergency worker about the gas leak at the post office. He leaves.

Safety taken away:

A large tree topples over the basement opening. The Seven are now trapped inside.

Gabe immediately calls for help and tells the emergency worker that they are safe but trapped. They must wait for a truck with a winch/pully to arrive.

Aaron leads them to a secret tunnel but finds it’s collapsed.

INT – GLASS OFFICE – DAY

They enter an office where an old electric typewriter sits. They are strangely drawn to it.

Isa is quick to recognize the paranormal but says nothing.

Tunney is the first to mess with it. When he touches it, it types his last words. “Chaos Calls.” He thinks this is a great prank and wishes he thought of it.

Aaron is intrigued – he too – gets his last words. He mocks it and repeats the words out loud with no recourse. He and Cassie discuss the history of the ‘typewriter hoax’ and he mentions he has some historical records back in his office that she’s free to look at.

Ella wants to “try” – It types her last words.

Mama Lee realizes that the door is locked behind her. She thinks it strange but looks around for a key. When she goes near the typewriter, she touches it, and it types her last words.

Cassie is mesmerized. She wonders if it’s powered by AI. She touches it and gets her last words.

Isa touches the typewriter and goes into a trance. It types her last words, but she can’t pull away. When Gabe tries to help her… thinking she’s being electrocuted, he unplugs the typewriter. She is released.

When he steps away – the typewriter types his last words.

Ella starts to freak out, but Mama Lee explains that it’s probably running on batteries and printing out something that was pre-programmed. Ella destroys her paper by tearing it up.

Tunney reminds them all that there’s no electricity because of the tornado.

The room frees them, and they are no longer trapped. Mama Lee says she must have been turning the door handle the wrong way.

EXT – RUINED CHURCH – DAY

The workers clear the tree, and they exit.

TURNING POINT – END OF ACT 1

Ella mounts her bike and feels something in her back pocket. She pulls out and unfolds a typewritten paper that has her last words printed on it. She screams and faints. Tunney catches her.

ACT 2

INT – AARONS OFFICE/LIBRARY – DAY

The Seven convene around old books.

Gabe presses Aaron for information on the ‘typewriter’. He shows them a photo from 100 years ago and an old model non-electric Woodstock typewriter is featured.

Aaron insists that there can’t be anything to this because the typewriter in the photo doesn’t match the typewriter from the basement office. Mama Lee agrees with Aaron and tries to comfort Ella – explaining away the second paper (maybe she only thought she tore up the first one).

Isa is fearful but tight-lipped.

Cassie is elated. She starts blogging immediately; dramatically exploiting the situation for sensationalism.

The others are interested in learning more, but Tunney scoffs at the idea of supernatural consequences. He refuses to get involved and leaves for another “adventure”.

Isolated/Trapped/Abducted:

INT/EXT – TUNNEY’S CAR/TREE-LINED ROAD – DAY

Tunney drives away. He has a vision of himself accidentally hitting a kid on a bike. He jumps out of the car, totally freaked out… but nothing is there. As he collects himself the ‘struck’ teenager stands before him (broken and bloody). “I know what you did.” Tunney jumps.

He’s back in the car, driving. He shakes himself as if waking from sleep.

INT/EXT – GABE’S TRUCK – DAY

Gabe has Ella’s bike in the back of his truck. He drives through a wooded residential area not affected by the tornado. He is about to pull over, but Ella spots a boy walking down the street and urges him to drive on. She claims he’s a bully that’s been harassing her. Gabe drives on. Ella tells him that she’s probably going to take a vow of silence till they figure out what’s going on.

INT/EXT – CASSIE’S CAR – DAY

Isa admits her fears to Cassie about the typewriter – what she saw in her trance – and how she feels that they all may be targets. Cassie is dismissive and excited about how many reads she’s got on her story already.

INT/EXT – TUNNEY’S CAR/TREE-LINED ROAD – DAY

Tunney hears the inexplicable voice of the hit-and-run victim. He looks in his rearview mirror and the boy is in the back seat. He stops the car again and gets out. He rouses himself and tries to reassure himself it’s all in his imagination.

His memory replays the hit. The boy on the bike goes down. Tunney exits his car and sees the boy’s mangled body. He panics. The boy is half-conscious. Tunney looks about and the boy reaches up to him for help. Tunney is distressed and worried. He chokes the life out of the boy.

EXT – BRIDGE – DAY

Tunney is back in his car. He comes to a bridge where a small group of people are gathered. Tunney screeches to a halt and races to the group. They are all friendly and greet him but are alarmed at his fractured state. He grabs a bungee rope and attaches it to his leg, saying he needs a “rush” and a “jolt.” “I gotta get out of my head!” A friend warns him to wait, they haven’t measured the lines yet. But Tunney plunges ahead and yells “Chaos Calls!” and he jumps. The bungee cord breaks and results in a fatal fall.

INT – OFFICE/LIBRARY – DAY

The six learn of Tunney’s death. The Six meet up together. Gabe talks to the friend who was with Tunney at the bridge and confirms his last words.

Ella begins to shake and shriek. The others comfort her and assure her that they will figure this out.

Isa confesses what she has perceived about the situation so far – and says they need to understand why they are being targeted.

Aaron scoffs and refuses to act, claiming it’s all a coincidence. Mama Lee urges the group to focus on practical solutions rather than supernatural explanations. She suggests maybe the friend killed Tunney.

Cassie, in her blog, has portrayed the typewriter to be benevolent and good-natured.

Isa and Gabe have an awkward conversation about their past together. He wonders how she got hooked up with Cassie… thought she was involved in international aid.

Aaron has a run-in with the town Mayor – they are at odds over Aaron’s apparent dishonesty in a situation. Aaron claims innocence.

Ella wonders how much time they all have.

Gabe is determined to learn the typewriter’s origin through research and deciphering its messages. He gathers all the typewritten copies and he and Aaron go back to the library.

INT – LIBRARY/AARONS OFFICE – DAY

Gabe sees someone in a library typing on their computer and notices the words they type are Gabe’s own “Last words.”

Aaron and Gabe uncover documents that reveal the victims of the typewriter were specific people who told lies to gain wealth and position. They wonder how Tunney could have possibly been a target.

INT – HOTEL – NIGHT

Isa and Cassie return to their hotel.

Isa has a Haunting Hallucination that terrifies her psyche. (She has just returned from the CONGO where hush money was paid to women who were sexually abused by the health workers there to give them aid during an EBOLA outbreak.)

She calls Gabe, and says she’s decided to leave town and go back home. Says she will wait till this all blows over. But Gabe persuades her to stay. Says he needs her insights. If this is a curse, they are going to need her “powers” to learn the typewriter’s vulnerability. He ultimately wants to destroy it.

Cassie has a gruesome nightmare, which leaves her fearful and distressed. (She wrote a story about employees who work at Dollar Tree who are hateful and possessed by demons of racism – A homeless man machetes down such an employee).

When Gabe comes to bring Isa and Cassie back to the scene, Cassie refuses to leave.

As they drive, Isa sees her last words written on a billboard. – Isa begs Gabe to let her go – but Gabe reasons with her.

INT. – BASEMENT OFFICE – DAY

Isa is again taken into a trance by the typewriter. She gains insight by seeing Tunney and understanding his Sin – she sees other lost souls connected to the typewriter… that it uses to make itself more powerful (their anger and bitterness fuel the curse.)

They both go to Aaron for help.

INT – LIBRARY/OFFICE – DAY

Aaron finds an old journal or diary, which uncovers information about the typewriter’s identity. Isa thinks it’s the lost souls that are doing this – but Aaron discovers that there’s a malevolent spirit behind it all… that the typewriter wasn’t always a typewriter; it has had different iterations over the centuries and is now contained in an electric typewriter.

The three vow to work together to find a weakness and break the curse.

The former Mayor comes to the office and confronts Aaron about his false allegations that cost him his job. Aaron refuses to accept responsibility. He is attacked by his accuser, but Gabe defends him and calls the police.

Aaron, to avoid his accuser, goes down a back tunnel to escape.

Cassie arrives and Isa confides in Cassie about what she saw in her vision – that the typewriter is chastising each of them for their Sins. Cassie pleads innocence and becomes hysterical. Isa assures her she will try to solve the mystery

Cassie sees their last words on Aaron’s smartphone. She thinks maybe Aaron is behind all this – and possibly the perpetrator.

Cassie and Gabe go into the tunnel after Aaron.

INT – ELLAS HOME – DAY

Isa goes to check in on Ella who has stopped talking altogether. She tries to get Ella to confess whatever sin she might be hiding. But Ella refuses to speak.

Ella gets a knock on her door – it’s the boy she says has been harassing her. He invites her to come out with him so they can reconcile – but Ella leaves with Isa. As they drive, Ella has a flashback of herself harassing the boy and making his life miserable.

INT – UNDERGROUND TUNNEL – DAY

Aaron finds the secret room he has been looking for (as indicated in his journals/notes). Cassie and Gabe catch up with him… and finally Isa and Ella. What they find explains how long a person can live after their encounter with the typewriter… however many “last words” they have are the hours they have left to live. Tunney died within two hours – he only had two words. Everyone counts their words – and realizes they all have less than 8 hours.

As they exit, Aaron gets separated from the others.

A tunnel caves in, blocking the way out. He is relentlessly pursued by malevolent forces, navigating the claustrophobic passages in an attempt to escape. Finally, the tunnel collapses on him.

Last Words: Who turned out the light? (5 hours)

EXT – CITY STREET – DAY

Cassie decides to leave town. She thinks if she can get out of town – this will save her. She races to her hotel and grabs her things. As she exits onto the street, she gets a phone call from ??? and tells the person “I’ll be there in a second” (7 hours) (she can’t believe she just said that). She’s hit by an armored car.

EXT – RESIDENTIAL STREET – DAY

Ella and Isa see a boy walking down the street. Ella sees the boy as her “teen heartthrob” – the poster on her bedroom wall comes to life. He invites her to go for a walk in the woods – Ella is enchanted and follows him. She assures Isa it’s okay. Isa reluctantly lets her go.

EXT – WOODS – DAY

He turns into the boy she has wronged. He has a knife and he kills her. Last words: This is all a misunderstanding – It wasn’t me! (8 hours)

ACT 3

INT – GABES TRUCK – DAY

Gabe finally understands why the monster is targeting them (their lies for shameful gain). He sees Isa on the street and picks her up. He explains what he understands and tells her they need to get back to the typewriter to confess their sins.

They go to get Mama Lee.

EXT – MAMA LEE’S PORCH – DAY

Gabe begs Mamma Lee to confess her sins, but she assures him that she’s done nothing wrong.

INT – MAMA LEE’S HOME – DAY

Mama Lee thinks she hears her children’s voices coming from her attic. She rushes to them but then the voices turn sinister. In the attic, she has a flashback of the abuse of her husband towards her own children. She’s trapped and can’t get out. The house collapses. (It was severely damaged in the tornado – so it was only a matter of time)

Last words: This is how he loved you. How dare you! (8 hours)

INT – BASEMENT OFFICE – DAY

Gabe & Isa descend into the mysterious basement.

Isa touches the typewriter again and sees the other iterations… it started out as a quill pen, then morphed till it became this typewriter. She understands that if the typewriter is destroyed, it could manifest as the next development in word processing and potentially reach more people.

Gabe admits his cowardice. That he’s a slave to his publisher and slants stories to tell a certain narrative. He also admits that he hates his job; he’s afraid to try to be anything else. The words on his paper disappear. A blinding, unnatural light engulfs him – leaving him blind/disoriented.

Isa admits her culpability in their relationship. They are released from the room and flee.

EXT – STREET – NIGHT

On the street – people are looting. Isa gets up the ire of a man who is looting a store and he shoots her. Her Last words: “I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.” 8 hours

Gabe is with her, and the man asks him if he’s got any last words. Gabe says, “Actually, I do, but I’m not going to say them now.” The man puts his gun away and takes off.

INT – BASEMENT OFFICE – NIGHT

Gabe is horrified. Impatient and out of ideas, he goes back to the typewriter and yells at it; it’s not fair that only these few are targeted when there are so many others out there doing the same stuff. He’s horrified by the death around him and instead of trying to weaken and destroy the typewriter properly, he takes the typewriter and smashes it to pieces.

INT – GABE’S TRUCK – NIGHT

Gabe leaves town. He opens his phone to get directions. The typewriter appears as a new app on Gabe’s phone.