EPISODE 2: Spooked (part 1)
Begin with a red screen. A telephone, O/S, rings, and then is answered.
HANK:
(O/S)
Hello?
Brief image of DIANA, looking disgusted.
Back to red.
PRESTO:
(O/S)
Hank. Have you heard?
Brief image of PRESTO, hurling a massive ball of magic.
Back to red.
HANK:
(O/S)
Heard what, Presto?
Brief shot of VENGER. He looks up sadly.
Back to red.
PRESTO:
(O/S)
You... you gotta come home.
Shot of DUNGEON MASTER, dead.
DUNGEON MASTER:
(O/S)
Ranger. My children. Come home.
Come home to me...
Shot of SHEILA, terrified and blooded as the dead ORC CAPTAIN is pulled off her knife.
HANK:
(O/S)
No...
Shot of ERIC, grimly taking the captain's sword from the shell shocked SHEILA and running into the fray
HANK:
(O/S)
No...
Shot of BOBBY, surrounded by ORCs, putting his hand to his head and finding blood on it.
HANK:
(O/S)
I won't! I can't!
Shot of DUNGEON MASTER, dead. His eyes shoot open.
HANK:
(O/S)
I don't want to!
The shot fades to red. There is the outline of a winged figure, vaguely discernible in the redness.
CUT TO
EXT Sheltered Woodland, Day.
Close on HANK as his eyes suddenly open from his dream.
HANK:
(Gasp)
HANK blinks, disorientated. Pan out to show SHEILA lying beside him. She snuggles into him. HANK, still groggy, strokes her hair. His hand finds her cape. He tugs at it, confused. He feels around for a blanket, then pats his own torso. He feels his tunic. The horrible realisation dawns on him. HANK closes his eyes again.
HANK:
(low groan)
There is another groan which comes from a short distance off. It belongs to ERIC.
On ERIC, who also still has his eyes closed.
ERIC:
Is anybody else here thinking
that if they keep their eyes
shut and ignore this world for
long enough it'll give up and
go away?
On HANK and SHEILA, eyes shut.
HANK:
Yep.
SHEILA:
Any luck so far?
On ERIC.
ERIC:
Not yet. But I live in hope.
ERIC sniffs.
ERIC:
Hey... I think we're onto
something. I smell bacon. And
coffee!
ERIC opens his eyes and sits up. Sitting next to him in the moss is DIANA, coffee cup in hand, happily munching a bacon sandwich.
DIANA:
Morning, sleepyhead.
ERIC:
OK. Either we just materialised
in the weirdest cafe ever, or
you found someplace that does
breakfast and didn't get me
anything. Either way, I can't
say I'm delighted...
BOBBY sits between them, sandwich in hand.
BOBBY:
Presto's making them.
On SHEILA. She opens her eyes and is met with PRESTO pulling a sandwich out of his hat. She smiles and accepts it.
SHEILA:
Thanks, Presto.
PRESTO pulls out a steaming coffee cup.
PRESTO:
My pleasure. Coffee?
On ERIC, BOBBY and DIANA.
ERIC:
Oh, God, yes.
On PRESTO. He hands the cup to SHEILA, smiles, rises and walks over to ERIC, fumbling in his hat.
PRESTO:
No milk, three sugars, right?
ERIC:
Brown sugars, stirred anti
clockwise, not that any of
that matters since from what
I can recall about your hat
what I'll actually get'll
probably be a pair of Argyll
socks and a napkin ring...
PRESTO presents ERIC with a cup of hot coffee. ERIC looks at PRESTO suspiciously, then drinks. The others watch, feigning concern.
PRESTO:
Well? How is it?
ERIC looks up, deadpan.
ERIC:
Ladies, you've missed your
chance. I'm marrying Presto.
DIANA and SHEILA sigh forlornly.
DIANA:
No way, Eric! I was gonna
marry Presto!
ERIC smiles at her.
ERIC:
I'll fight you for him.
PRESTO laughs.
ERIC:
Although you'll find my methods
of fighting a little
unorthodox.
DIANA:
Oh really?
ERIC:
Yeah. See, my family have
fought naked in oil for
generations. It's an ancient
tradition and I really
shouldn't go against it...
DIANA:
Oh, so that's what you were
doing with that Orc last
night...
On HANK. His eyes still closed, he turns away from them.
HANK:
(mutters)
Get a fuckin' room...
On BOBBY, finishing his sandwich. He laughs.
BOBBY:
You guys are funny.
On HANK. He finally opens his eyes and sits up.
HANK:
Yeah, well how about puttin'
your comedy act on the road?
On PRESTO, standing.
PRESTO:
Hank's right... breakfast?
HANK:
(O/S)
No.
PRESTO:
OK... We should get going. We
slept quite late. It's nearly
noon. And I don't want to spend
another night in this forest.
SHEILA joins him.
SHEILA:
Amen to that. Where was it
Venger said to go?
On DIANA and ERIC, getting up.
DIANA:
Some place called Swinville.
ERIC:
And ixnay on the Engervay.
Sounds like it isn't just
with us that the big guy's
still not too popular.
On BOBBY. He leads UNI to her feet.
BOBBY:
I hope Uni'll be OK with all
those strange people. She might
get spooked again.
SHEILA joins them and strokes UNI's mane gingerly. UNI flinches ever so slightly.
SHEILA:
We'll just have to be extra
careful with her. We need her
with us.
On HANK, picking up his bow.
HANK:
We'll all be extra careful
with each other. Uni's not
the only one who's spooked.
On ERIC and PRESTO.
ERIC:
Who are you talking about?
Half way through ERIC's line, PRESTO blinks. As he does, the red silhouette of the winged figure flashes momentarily in front of his eyes. He notices this and frowns, confused.
On HANK.
HANK:
All of us, Eric. Yesterday
wasn't a great day for anybody.
On ERIC and PRESTO, PRESTO still confused.
PRESTO:
We should go. Right now. We
mustn't stay here any longer.
ERIC:
You OK, Man?
PRESTO looks at ERIC. He blinks again and the brief silhouette appears again, brighter this time.
PRESTO:
We've gotta get out of here.
On SHEILA and DIANA. DIANA starts walking off.
SHEILA:
Presto?
DIANA turns.
DIANA:
Are we gonna spend all day
talking about how we should
get going? Or are we actually
gonna go?
Beat.
On the other kids, looking at her.
BOBBY:
I... I just can't believe we're
doing all this all over again.
On DIANA.
DIANA:
C'mon, guys. The sooner we do
this, the sooner we can do
the next task, the sooner we
can do the task after that
and the closer we get to
home.
On HANK. He snorts contemptuously.
HANK:
I spent a year saying that.
On DIANA. She doesn't meet his gaze.
DIANA:
And we got home eventually,
right?
On the kids.
Beat.
ERIC steps forward and joins DIANA.
ERIC:
Let's just go and do whatever
needs doing. Swinville sounds
like a lovely place with no
unfriendly locals or
disguised evil wizards or
hidden traps at all. It'll be
great fun.
CUT TO
EXT Swinville's High Street, Day.
Long shot as the kids walk through a large stone archway onto the main street of Swinville. The sky is grey, the dirt road is grey and empty, the houses are grey and shut up. Much of it is charred and fire damaged. A tumbleweed rolls past for good measure.
ERIC:
See? Whad'I tell you? Fun.
BOBBY:
Where is everyone?
In the background, a WOMAN peers out of a window at them.
WOMAN:
(Hushed tone)
It's the Seven.
SHEILA and DIANA, trailing, notice this and look up.
SHEILA:
What was that?
DIANA:
(Calls)
Uh... hello?
The WOMAN darts back from the window and shutters it.
DIANA:
(Calls)
Wait! Come back!
Beat.
DIANA:
Shit.
On BOBBY, UNI and PRESTO.
BOBBY:
I thought we were supposed to
find friends here.
PRESTO:
Can't blame them of being
wary of strangers, the last
newcomer here burned half the
town down. Besides... there's
other monsters here.
BOBBY looks at PRESTO's worried face.
BOBBY:
What's going on, Presto? Do
you know somethin'?
The girls, behind them, watch them.
PRESTO:
I can feel it. Something bad.
It was in the woods too but
it's worse here.
PRESTO looks ahead. HANK and ERIC have stopped walking ahead and have turned to look at him.
PRESTO:
They need help.
MAN:
(O/S)
It is the Seven.
The kids and UNI, as one, look up at the top floor window further along the street from which the MAN's voice has sounded.
HANK:
Hey!
On the MAN, leaning out of the window. He turns to go back into the house.
MAN:
Fetch the Mayor.
The window slams shut behind him.
On the kids and UNI, who automatically shift to form a loose circle and ready their weapons, cautiously rather than aggressively. Strangers begin to come out of their houses and surround them. They seem neither pleased or angry to see them. They merely watch the kids.
On BOBBY and UNI. UNI fidgets and looks around herself nervously, whinnying quietly. With his free hand, BOBBY steadies her.
BOBBY:
Should we go?
On HANK and SHEILA. SHEILA's hand itches over her knife but her face shows fear.
HANK:
Go where? We're surrounded.
On PRESTO, DIANA and ERIC. ERIC has yet to draw his sword, but his shield is on his left arm, leaving his right free to fight.
DIANA:
I don't like this.
ERIC:
Agreed. Let's get out of here.
ERIC takes DIANA's hand and marches over to the people barring the way back out of the town. The people don't move. DIANA wriggles her hand out of his, irritated.
ERIC:
Excuse me? Could you move?
The people just look at him.
ERIC:
You're in our way.
MAYOR:
(O/S)
Where did you want to go?
DIANA turns around to face the direction of the MAYOR's voice. ERIC doesn't clock on.
ERIC:
Anyplace but this morgue.
MAYOR:
(O/S)
You cannot leave.
ERIC turns around.
ERIC's POV - DIANA, facing away, in the foreground, and the other kids and UNI facing him. HANK and SHEILA look behind them, then part to reveal a thin, troubled looking middle aged man dressed a little more finely than the other residents of Swinville. The others turn to face him. He addresses them gravely.
MAYOR:
Not yet. You are the Seven. You
must stay awhile.
HANK:
What do you mean, "The Seven"?
Who the Hell are you?
MAYOR:
I am Mayor of this town. And
you are the Dungeon Master's
seven warriors. You freed the
realm from the evil grasp of
Venger.
The MAYOR bows slightly. The crowd follows.
MAYOR:
Happy indeed is the day that
you have come to our plagued
town.
On ERIC. He pulls a face.
ERIC:
"Plagued"?
On HANK, BOBBY and UNI. PRESTO, in the background, looks unwell.
HANK:
You don't exactly look
delighted to see us.
On the MAYOR.
MAYOR:
The fire dragons may be gone
for now, but our small town has
suffered much misfortune in the
years that have gone before.
Did the Dungeon Master not
inform you? Surely that is why
he sent you here?
On HANK, BOBBY and UNI, with an increasingly ill looking PRESTO in the background.
BOBBY:
Uh... yeah. He did. Kinda. See,
DM... DM...
HANK holds up a hand to silence BOBBY.
HANK:
The info we got was pretty
sketchy. Exactly what sort of
misfortune lurks round here?
On The MAYOR and SHEILA. The MAYOR sighs.
MAYOR:
I'm afraid that for the last
seven years, Swinville has been
cursed with hauntings.
On the word "hauntings", the red winged silhouette flashes briefly over him.
SHEILA:
Hauntings?
PRESTO:
(O/S, over SHEILA, muttering)
... anyone else see that?
MAYOR:
Yes. If you young ones carry
any ghosts on your shoulder I'm
afraid they will find you here.
The MAYOR looks at SHEILA and smiles faintly.
MAYOR:
But what am I saying?
Slow pan over all the kids and UNI. SHEILA and HANK look worried. BOBBY, UNI and DIANA look sadly down. ERIC, in his own world, has been staring dreamily off at a burnt out building to one side for some time. PRESTO is sweating and shaking, unnoticed by the others.
MAYOR:
(O/S, cntd)
You are all barely out of
childhood, and protected by the
great Dungeon Master. You need
not fear any personal
hauntings.
PRESTO:
...Jesus...
ERIC:
(to himself)
Why haven't they put that out?
DIANA:
What?
ERIC:
That building's still on fire.
ERIC points to the ruin. It is not on fire.
DIANA:
Huh?
ERIC lurches towards the ruin suddenly.
ERIC:
There's a guy still trapped in
there.
The MAYOR stops ERIC.
MAYOR:
Your eyes may still play tricks
on you yet, young ones. The
hauntings are drawn here and
ruled by an evil spirit.
The winged figure flashes in red.
PRESTO:
(O/S, mutters)
Oh shit...
MAYOR:
(cntd)
Many of us have seen him. A
male figure, faceless,
formless, save for a pair of
great wings, like Venger
himself...
On PRESTO, pale and trembling. He clutches his head and blinks often. Every time he does, the winged figure flashes in red before his eyes.
PRESTO:
Oh shit. Oh shit.
BOBBY darts over and supports PRESTO. SHEILA appears at his other side and takes his arm.
BOBBY:
Presto!
SHEILA:
Jesus! What's wrong?
HANK, DIANA, ERIC, UNI and the MAYOR gather in the background, watching PRESTO with concern.
PRESTO:
I've seen him. I've seen him
already. He's here!
HANK:
Who's here?
PRESTO:
Oh God... He's got wings of
fire. He's all in red so far
but he's... he's The Black
Knight. The ghost of him, at
least.
Beat. PRESTO struggles for breath.
SHEILA:
Presto? You're scaring us.
PRESTO sways.
PRESTO:
I think I'm... I think I'm
gonna...
In the background, ERIC, completely fine a moment ago, suddenly rolls his eyes to the back of his head and slumps with a clatter. The others all react to this. HANK and DIANA kneel down by him and check he's OK.
PRESTO:
...faint?
HANK looks up.
HANK:
Think you got beaten to it.
PRESTO:
He OK?
DIANA looks up and nods.
DIANA:
Yeah, but he's feverish
again.
She slips her hand down the back of his armour.
DIANA:
His scar's not burning, though.
That's something, I guess.
The MAYOR bends down to join HANK and DIANA.
MAYOR:
You all must need rest. Help me
bring him to my home. I can
provide you with warm, dry beds
and hot food while you are here
if nothing else. It is the very
least we can do for the Mighty
Seven.
The MAYOR and HANK pick ERIC up and make to carry him off. The crowd part.
On PRESTO, BOBBY and SHEILA, watching them go. PRESTO is still supported by the other two.
BOBBY:
You OK now, Presto?
PRESTO:
Yeah...
SHEILA:
What happened to Eric... was
that... magic?
PRESTO:
Yes. But I don't know whose.
SHEILA:
Not yours.
PRESTO:
I told you, Sheila. I don't
know.
CUT TO
INT The Mayor's kitchen, Dusk.
The kitchen is fairly basic and grey like everything else in Swinville. A bench has been covered in cushions and blankets to create a makeshift bed for ERIC, who is still unconscious.
Close on the hearth as the MAYOR uses bellows to feed the fire. There is a large pot supported over it.
MAYOR:
There. The food will soon be
hot. It's only stew, I'm
afraid, but it has potatoes,
and a little meat.
On SHEILA, BOBBY and the MAYOR as he stands.
SHEILA:
Stew's fine.
MAYOR:
It is told that the Seven are
frugal eaters.
BOBBY:
Not outta choice!
HANK joins them, putting his arm round SHEILA
HANK:
I wish you'd stop referring to
us as The Seven. It really
builds us up too much. We're
just a bunch of lost kids and
their pet. That's all we ever
were.
ERIC:
(O/S)
It also gives Uni an equal
billing. She's more of a
Scrappy Doo, if you catch my
drift...
HANK, SHEILA and BOBBY look round brightly.
HANK:
Hey! Look who's up!
On DIANA, already by ERIC's side.
DIANA:
How're you feeling?
ERIC squints up at her.
ERIC:
Not great. How's Presto?
Pan out slightly to show PRESTO sitting by his side, shrouded in a blanket. PRESTO smiles grimly.
PRESTO:
Not great.
DIANA:
He's worried that he made you
pass out like that.
PRESTO:
Diana...
ERIC:
You kidding? That little
shithead doesn't have the power
to take me on the trip I've
just been on.
On HANK, smiling.
HANK:
So where've you been, Eric?
On ERIC. He meets HANK's gaze coolly.
ERIC:
(matter of factly)
Hell.
The others react.
DIANA:
Hell?!?
ERIC:
And back, of course. Else I
wouldn't be here.
On HANK, incredulous.
HANK:
You went to Hell and back in a
couple of hours.
On ERIC, still worryingly calm.
ERIC:
Time means little there, just
like this place. And just like
this place it's easy to slip in
and out of if you know how. You
go through fire. Lots of fire.
DIANA kneels down next to him.
DIANA:
You were burning up. But it
wasn't your scar this time.
ERIC:
The scar's all over. There's
nothing but burnt, crumpled
flesh and skin and bone and
blood, there's blood
everywhere. But I went in.
DIANA:
Whyd'ya go in?
ERIC:
There was a man in the fire. I
thought he was trapped but he
was beckoning me in. I knew his
face. "That's him," I said,
"that's him, doctor". And I
wanted to check if he was OK.
He said
(deeper, enraged voice)
"You stupid little cunt, of
course I'm not OK, I'm in
Hell."
(normal voice)
and he pointed and there was
this body with its head hanging
by a strip of flesh. And on top
of it was another. And another
and another and another. And I
knew the bodies, though their
heads were gone. And at the top
of the pile there was this man.
He was dressed in black armour
and his face was covered and he
was winged with pain. He split
me in two. He peeled me alive
from my spine outward. And then
he sent me back, and left the
door ajar.
On HANK, SHEILA and BOBBY, shocked.
HANK:
I'll have what he's having.
SHEILA:
Hank!
BOBBY:
Shit.
(to MAYOR)
Is this... what you were
talking about? The hauntings?
On the MAYOR.
MAYOR:
It is an extreme case, and it
normally occurs at night while
the victim sleeps, but I
believe so. This winged
figure is often central to the
apparitions. He will taunt his
victims with horrors particular
to the individual. Nobody ever
sees the same thing.
On DIANA, ERIC and PRESTO.
DIANA:
Hear that, Eric? Your Dad's not
in Hell. It was just what the
ghost wanted you to see.
ERIC lies still, gazing into the hearth.
ERIC:
He is. He's always there.
PRESTO looks into the fire as well.
On the fire. A dark shape, like a man, forms faintly in the centre.
PRESTO:
(O/S)
You can see him now, can't you?
Close on ERIC. He nods, sadly.
Wider shot of DIANA, PRESTO and ERIC.
DIANA:
Oh God. We told you. We told
you you'd get sick...
PRESTO crouches by ERIC's head.
PRESTO:
It's not him.
PRESTO places his fingers on ERIC's forehead.
PRESTO:
Leave him alone...
There is a flash of red, in which the winged figure is discernible. Small tongues of flame leap from ERIC's forehead and curl around PRESTO's fingers.
PRESTO:
Ow!
PRESTO jerks his hands back and shakes the fire from them.
PRESTO:
Fine.
PRESTO rises.
PRESTO:
He needs to be put in a room
with no fires. And no me. I
think wizards make it kinda
mad.
DIANA:
Make what mad?
PRESTO:
The Black Knight... the guy
with the wings. He controls
the hauntings.
On HANK, BOBBY and SHEILA.
HANK:
So this winged Knight's in the
fire, right?
SHEILA:
Should we put it out?
BOBBY:
Yeah. If we know where it is,
we can destroy it, right,
Presto?
BOBBY walks to the fire, next to the MAYOR, and raises his club to bash out the fire. The faint figure in the fire reacts, cowering.
ERIC:
(O/S whimper)
PRESTO catches BOBBY's hand.
PRESTO:
It's not that simple, Bob.
MAYOR:
The winged spectre can be
wherever he wants. He flits
from one place to the other
like an evil shadow.
BOBBY:
So where's he now?
PRESTO:
He's all around us. And inside
us, in our heads. He's
attracted to grief and guilt,
emotions that he can have his
fun with.
BOBBY:
So that's why he's picking on
Eric?
PRESTO:
He's not. Eric's just an easy
target to practice on. We're
all in mourning. We just
brought that creepy bastard the
tastiest seven course meal he's
probably ever had.
MAYOR:
You are all of you bereaved?
Beat. PRESTO checks himself, BOBBY looks down
MAYOR:
But the Seven are all here. Who
have you lost?
BOBBY lifts his head and tries to speak, but PRESTO gets in first.
PRESTO:
I'd like to tell you that it's
of no consequence. But it is.
And with prying spirits about
it's best not to tell you right
now.
MAYOR:
I see.
Beat.
On HANK and SHEILA
SHEILA:
So what do we do?
HANK:
We can't go to sleep with this
ghost waiting for us in our
nightmares.
On PRESTO and the MAYOR
PRESTO:
We have to. We've got no other
way of fighting him.
HANK:
(O/S)
What?!?
PRESTO:
We don't know what he is. Set
traps. See if you can make him
reveal himself. I'm gonna
search for him myself, but I
think he's wary of me. You guys
might have more luck.
MAYOR:
There is no fire in my bedroom.
I will put extra blankets in
there. I can keep the rest of
you company in this kitchen
tonight.
On DIANA and ERIC.
DIANA:
He shouldn't be left alone.
On HANK, SHEILA and BOBBY.
HANK:
Fine. We'll all stay with him.
SHEILA:
Presto can't. Will you be OK on
your own?
On PRESTO and the MAYOR.
PRESTO:
I'll be fine, guys.
On HANK, SHEILA and BOBBY.
BOBBY:
And what about Uni? We can't
fit her in the door, let alone
get her up the stairs.
SHEILA:
She'll be happy in the stables.
BOBBY:
Not her own. I'll stay with
her.
HANK:
She's not a baby any more, Bob.
BOBBY:
Neither are we. But we still
get scared.
HANK squeezes the bridge of his nose.
HANK:
OK. OK.
Beat. HANK sarcastically pretends a realisation has just dawned on him.
HANK:
But wait a minute... if it's
just the four of us... and
Sheila and me are a couple...
that means...
On DIANA.
DIANA:
(a quiet, furious growl)
Fuck off, Hank.
HANK:
(O/S, cntd)
...that means Diana's gonna
have to bunk up with... with
who, I wonder?
DIANA shoots to her feet, angrily.
DIANA:
I said, Fuck Off, Hank!
On SHEILA, BOBBY and PRESTO, shocked. There is a hiss O/S. They turn their heads in the direction of the sound.
On the pot of stew. It is bubbling over onto the fire, hissing.