All the Things in the Dark

FADE IN:

INT. MOTEL BEDROOM 1- DAY

Through a fish-eyed peep hole, a car pulls into a weedy parking spot. A young woman, EDEN (21), gets out holding a duffle and looks around, unsure of where to go. She walks away.

In her absence, a small group of adults walk across the parking lot holding suitcases, hula hoops, and juggling pins. They walk past Eden’s car, to the distant road. A barn owl lands on her car. It lazily turns and looks towards her door.

The owl flutters away with a start. Eden approaches the door and unlocks it with a key. She stumbles into the motel room, shuts the door, and throws her bag on the single bed with a big sigh. She turns a lamp on.

Eden opens the mini fridge where a half-eaten muffin sits. She snarls at it and closes the door. She grabs a stack of brochures sitting on the fridge and shuffles through them: all corny tourist attractions. The last one reads “Run away with Circus Varda, every year from April to June.”

INT. MOTEL BATHROOM 1- DAY

Eden peeks into the bathroom. There’s a window lined with a red and white striped curtain. Outside is a grassy field. She leaves, then runs back in and closes the curtains.

INT. MOTEL ROOM 1- NIGHT

Eden takes out her phone and makes a call.

KEL (V.O.): Hi!!!

She answers with a loud, forced confidence.

EDEN: Hey Kel how are ya?!

KEL (V.O.): Good, good, excited for you to get here. How’s it going?!

EDEN : Great, the drive was (she thinks) super good! I got my room for the night, all set. Question, if I use the shampoo and soap, do I gonna get charged?

KEL (V.O.): No, that’s free.

EDEN : Cool. Great. I’m about to head out for some food on the town-

KEL (V.O.): (surprised) You’re going out?

EDEN: Yeah.

KEL (V.O.): (big pause) That’s great!

Eden sighs loudly.

KEL (V.O.) : What? (a beat). Listen, I’m sure everything’s fine, just remember you can leave the car anywhere and fly-

EDEN: Oh my god, Kel I knew this would happen. I’m fine! Don’t call. Just relax. I’m literally 100% fine. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?

KEL (V.O.): Okay.

EDEN: Love you.

KEL: Love you too.

Eden hangs up, frustrated. She looks around at the empty room and pauses looking into the bathroom. A sliver of darkness behind the semi-closed door stares back at her. She watches it, stiffening up. She looks away and marches outside.

EXT. MOTEL- DAY

As Eden closes the door behind her, there is shouting from the street. A van has pulled up to the motel curb. A middle aged woman, CLAUDIA (50), with a fierce aura, stands beside it, angrily yelling at the DRIVER (65, male).

Eden shuffles slowly to her car, watching the scene unfold out of the corner of her eye. The van is packed with the adults from before, their circus gear and luggage. The driver tosses a duffle bag at Claudia who kicks the truck, picks up the bag, and storms into the last room down the motel line. Eden stares at Claudia’s door.

A disgusting kissing sound comes from the road, from the driver leaning out his window.

MAN: Hey honey. Want some company?

Eden puts her head down and ducks back into her room.

INT. MOTEL BEDROOM 1- DAY

Eden locks the door and rests her head against the closed door.

She falls onto the bed. On the bedside table, the alarm clock reads 7:42pm.

MATCH CUT:

INT. MOTEL BEDROOM 1- NIGHT

Eden sleeps on the bed, fully clothed above the blankets, holding herself. A truck passes outside, its headlights sweeping across Eden in an eerie show of light and shadow.

Eden wakes up quick, alarmed. She rubs her eyes. It’s 11:45 p.m. She catches her reflection in the TV opposite the bed: a dark, warped avatar of herself. She stares at it, growing uncomfortable...

ZAP! The TV turns on. Eden flips through the channels, finding something that fills the room like white noise.

INT. MOTEL BATHROOM 1- NIGHT

Eden sits on the toilet, peeing. Her phone sits on the windowsill. She stares at it, biting her lip. She takes a deep breath and looks away. Her knee bounces up and down. She cracks her toes. Eden flushes and goes to the sink. She splashes cold water on her face and looks into her reflection.

BZZT. Something like a fly bumps into the window pane. Eden freezes, her eyes darting to the window’s reflection in the mirror. She frowns.

The sink DRIP, DRIP, DRIPS.

Outside the window, a STICK BREAKS.

Eden freezes again, eyes locked on the window’s reflection just behind her. She shuts off the faucet. CRKKK. Another stick breaks. This time it’s closer, deeper, wetter.

Eden slowly reaches to the wall and shuts the bathroom light off. Now all that is heard is static from the TV and all that is seen is a sliver of light peaking between the closed curtains. Eden stands still, listening.

A long beat. She takes a breath, in and-

Chhhmmpppprrrck... Chhhmmpppprrrck.

Behind the window comes a close, resounding chewing sound: deep, gut-wrenching, earthily terrifying. Eden is completely frozen. Wide eyed, she looks at her phone in the mirror. She looks into her own reflection and closes her eyes.

CHHRRMPK. She steps slowly out of the bathroom.

CHRMPK. Once she’s out, her hurried footsteps scamper to the front door.

EXT. MOTEL ROOM 1- NIGHT

Eden peaks out of her motel room. The lot is vacant but for her own car. The lobby is completely dark. Her eyes track down the line of rooms to the one Claudia entered. She gazes out into the dark woods next to the parking lot, panic fading into a furrowed brow. She listens. Nothing.

Eden looks back into her room and squints, focusing on the corner in front of the bathroom. It’s dark. She stares at it. It stares back. There’s something shiny. Eden looks deeper. Two things shining. Unmoving. A plant? An appliance? A trick of the light? Eyes?

EXT. MOTEL- NIGHT

Eden steps out of her room, calmly closes the door and walks down the row. From afar, she looks casual, composed. But up close, Eden’s eyes dart around and her heart pounds. She walks past her car where the barn owl from when she arrived sits. It watches her, neck lazily rotating. It sits silent. Comfortable. Eyes. Big eyes. Watching her.

She swallows her terror, breaking the owl’s gaze, and speed walks down the line. She arrives at Claudia’s door and knocks. Her panic rises. She knocks again.

CRRRCK. A quiet branch breaks in the distance. Eden flinches, but doesn’t turn to look. She KNOCKS again. CRRCKK. She pounds on the door. CRCKK. Pounds AGAIN.

INT. CLAUDIA’S MOTEL ROOM- NIGHT

The door swings opens to reveal Claudia in a back-bended handstand. Claudia looks up at Eden!

CLAUDIA & EDEN : Ahhhhh!!!

Claudia falls to the floor.

EDEN: I’m sorry!!!!!

CLAUDIA : What are you doing!!!

EDEN: I’m sorry! Oh god.

Claudia gets up, wincing at her wrist. Eden notices the wrinkled edges of her skin as she rubs it.

CLAUDIA : What do you want?

EDEN : I...

Eden steps forward. As she does, Claudia fills the doorframe, crossing her arms. Eden steps back.

EDEN: I’m staying over there. And I just heard something.

CLAUDIA : Pray tell?

EDEN : Well. It was... hard to describe. You’re gonna think I’m crazy.

CLAUDIA : You just broke into my hotel room. I already think you’re crazy.

Eden laughs nervously and looks down to her room. A gust of wind blows trash across the walkway.

EDEN: It was chewing. Claudia’s eyes narrow.

EDEN: Something was chewing. Right outside my bathroom window.

CLAUDIA: Did you look out back?

EDEN: (reluctant) ... No.

Claudia looks behind her at the empty lot.

CLAUDIA : You’re alone?

EDEN: (defensive) Yes.

Claudia looks at her doubtfully, then checks the lot one more time. Finally, she motions Eden into the room.

EDEN : Oh?! Are you sure?

CLAUDIA : The door stays open for three more seconds.

EDEN: Oh god, thank you!

Eden eagerly jumps into Claudia’s apartment. The door slams shut behind her. The motel sits quietly under the night sky.

INT. CLAUDIA’S MOTEL ROOM- NIGHT

Eden stands awkwardly as Claudia locks the door. She puts two dumbbell weights in front of the door.

EDEN: Are those... very heavy?

CLAUDIA: Don’t worry. Curse these shitty locks.

Eden takes in the room. It’s much like hers with hints of life peaking through: sequined costumes hang from the curtain rod, luggage doubles as a coffee table, small framed photos featured loved ones and groups of circus performers. She has clearly stayed here for some time.

EDEN: Thank you again. I’m really sorry about this. And for messing you up.

CLAUDIA : (sarcastic) No, I should be thanking you for the subtle reminder that I’m not twenty anymore.

Eden laughs. Claudia does not. Eden stops giggling and gulps.

EDEN: (nervously) Well... you could’ve fooled me.

Claudia gestures for Eden to sit at a desk. She does. Claudia lays on her mat and stretches out her back, facing away from Eden.

CLAUDIA: I just have to cool down. So. Chewing.

EDEN : Yeah.

CLAUDIA: That’s not a lot to go off of.

EDEN: (struggling) Okay. It was outside the window. Getting closer?

CLAUDIA : What do you think it was?

EDEN : (a beat) I don’t know.

CLAUDIA : Well, I don’t know what you want me to do, honey. I’m not gonna tell you a bedtime story. I suggest bringing a friend with you on your next road trip.

Eden swallows hard under this patronization.

EDEN : Do you think someone could be out there?

CLAUDIA : No, everyone left.

EDEN : What do you mean?

Claudia’s knee CRACKS! She sits up and raises her voice.

CLAUDIA: Dammit that hurt. I said everyone’s gone. But me. And you, apparently.

Eden watches the newly upset Claudia wearily. Claudia stands up and rolls her mat.

EDEN: (under breath) Kinda scary. You’re not freaked out at all?

CLAUDIA: Look. It could’ve been anything, you clearly don’t travel alone often. There’s nothing I can do to help you.

Claudia turns into the bathroom to wash her face. As she does, Eden notices her greying hair.

Eden frowns, upset. This is not what she expected.

She spots a poster advertising Circus Varda behind the fridge. Her face goes cold. She clears her throat.

EDEN: You’re in the show on the brochure?

CLAUDIA (O.S.): Yeah.

EDEN: (instigating) That’s crazy, I honestly didn’t know the circus still existed.

CLAUDIA (O.S.): Well. We do.

EDEN : But it left town?

CLAUDIA (O.S.): It does that.

EDEN: (pushing Claudia) So you retired, then? Don’t female gymnasts peak at like 16? I can imagine it’s hard to keep up. Is that why you’re all alone?

From inside the bathroom, the water stops running. Claudia emerges and studies Eden, surprised to see her bite. She grins slowly and decides to bite back.

CLAUDIA : You know what? Maybe it was something.

EDEN: The sound?

CLAUDIA : Yeah. I actually think I’ve heard it before.

Eden’s face grows pale.

CLAUDIA: I know just what we need.

Claudia turns to grab a kettle off the fridge. She heads to the bathroom.

CLAUDIA : Now, which room did you say you were in?

EDEN: I didn’t.

CLAUDIA : Well?

EDEN: One. I’m in one.

Claudia reemerges into the room and gasps dramatically. Eden flinches. Claudia puts the kettle on a hot plate.

CLAUDIA: (dramatic) Nooooo! With the red and white striped curtains?! And what was your name?

Claudia starts walking towards her so that Eden is forced to walk backwards, away from the door. The tea begins to boil.

EDEN : I’m... Eden.

The room grows darker. Eden watches the lights dim, Claudia doesn’t notice. As if it’s all part of an act. The tea kettle sings, shrill. At this point, Eden is terrified.

CLAUDIA: Tell me, Eden, you’re afraid of the dark. But are you superstitious?

EDEN: (playing Claudia off) What? Like Sasquatch?

CLAUDIA: Like the Sister in Red.

The kettle screams.

Claudia walks to the back of the room to grab cups. Her figure casts a ghostly shadow across the room.

Eden looks to the front door then checks that Claudia isn’t looking. She turns to leave but Claudia stands right there, in between Eden and the door holding two cups of tea in mismatched cups. One has a chip.

CLAUDIA: (smiling) Sugar?

Eden shakes her head. Claudia sits down on a chest at the end of the room and gestures Eden to join. She does so slowly. Claudia, again, blocks the door.

CLAUDIA : There we are. There is a story we tell in the circus. About a creature who comes in the night to red and white stripes and girls all alone. Makes that sound. A creature who was a woman a long time ago.

Eden’s tea reflects a terrified version of herself. Steam rises up and closes in on everything.

Watercolor animation creeps in: white moving and swirling. A stain of red seeps in. The two forces battle then morph into stripes.

CLAUDIA (V.O.) : White and red. Bliss and sacrifice.

EXT. OUTSIDE THE BIG TOP- NIGHT (ANIMATED)

ZOOM OUT to reveal the surface of a red and white striped circus tent. Children and adults giddily march inside.

CLAUDIA (V.O.) : To dance the line between the two: this is what travelers from long and far sought out in The Red and White Spectacular, famed for its young rising star, the Sister in Red, and her otherworldly contortions.

INT. THE BIG TOP- NIGHT (ANIMATED)

WHOOOSH into the darkness of the tent. A crowd cheers in a standing ovation. Performers dance, juggle, tumble, and fly around. It’s a magical frenzy of spectacle.

A spotlight appears on a young girl, the SISTER IN RED (16). Below her, the stage becomes dark. She raises her arms high and jumps into the abyss. The women in the crowd shriek, the men cover their children’s eyes!

The lights turn back on to reveal the Sister in Red in a back bended handstand, balancing on the hands of a man atop a human pyramid! Ta da! The crowd cheers.

CLAUDIA : Though the Sister in Red may have drawn the crowds, her heart beat in sync with the entire circus, coursing with the shared blood of chosen family, in the eternal embrace of the red and white stripes.

Suddenly, the performers hop down and bow in a fast forwarded, time-lapse fashion. The crowd filters out and the scene folds inwards on itself, the tent becoming a steam train chugging through a wintery mountain scape.

INT. TRAIN- DAY (ANIMATED)

Inside the Victorian train, performers lounge about drinking coffee and champagne. The Sister in Red sits in a split under a table, happily painting her nails red. A woman covered in tattoos pets her head.

CLAUDIA (V.O.) : That is, until one day, when fate and faith would intervene in the circus’ dance and demand a bloody sacrifice.

WHOOSH! Suddenly, the train is floating in the air.

The performers, tables, lamps, suspended. The Sister in Red’s nail polish bottle meets the air between her eyes.

CRASH! Glass and metal fly. SCREAMS and PANIC. The Sister in Red is too terrified to scream. She looks up as the train splits in two, revealing the open sky: the circus is flying through the mountains.

EXT. TRAIN- DAY (ANIMATED)

The Sister in Red spins in the air past a flying tiger and tumbling clowns. The tent fabric rolls out of one of the cars. It balloons into the air, then floats into the heavens. The Sister in Red falls, disappearing into the snow. Birds flutter out of the trees.

EXT. FOREST- DAY (ANIMATED)

White snow sparkles.

The circus is strewn about: tarot cards scattered, an abandoned clown wig dripping with blood, a shivering tiger.

CLAUDIA (V.O.) : After years of tempting fate, it was not the limitations of the body that tore the circus’ bond, but time’s ugly foot steps, the wearing away of man’s futile engineering that did it.

A streak of blood weaves across a small mound of snow. Then another. And another. Almost like... stripes.

BOOM! A mangled hand reaches up from the snow and crushes the stripes. From underneath the snow and debris, the Sister in Red emerges. She takes in her surroundings, the death, the isolation.

She shrieks at the top of her lungs. Her shivers turn into uncontrollable shaking. She digs her nails into her cheeks in pain, red nail polish dragging across her skin. Her eyes deepen into black voids and her lipstick smudges across her horror-struck face. The Sister in Red’s bones contort, shrivel and curl into a bent mess. With every move she makes: CHRRMMPPKKK.

Behind her, the tiger growls. The Sister in Red, now fully transformed into a broken, spider-like monster whips around. She snarls and slinks towards it. The tiger’s ears go back, its eyes wide. It runs away. The Sister in Red is about to chase it when-

HIKER (O.S.): Oh gosh was it that way? Or...

Over the hill, a weary HIKER (20, female) lost, wearing a red and white bow. She looks like Eden. The Sister in Red sees her and disappears into the forest.

The Hiker comes upon the circus debris, takes out her camera and starts taking pictures. As she clicks the shutter-

CHHHMMPPPK from the left. The Hiker whips around. There’s nothing. CHMPK from the right. The Hiker jumps, terrified. She steps backwards, right next to an arm sticking out in the snow.

IT GRABS HER.

The Sister in Red emerges and devours the Hiker whose screams ring out.

CLAUDIA (V.O.) : We circus folk know that to move is to survive. The Sister in Red follows the trace of the circus’ stripes, hunting lonely travelers, sentencing them to the same solitary misery as her own.

CLAUDIA’S ANIMATION SEQUENCE ENDS

CUT TO:

INT. CLAUDIA’S MOTEL ROOM- NIGHT

Claudia sips from her cup. Eden is frozen, tea unsipped.

CLAUDIA: So? Perhaps she has chosen to pay you a visit tonight.

EXT. MOTEL BACKYARD- NIGHT

The red and white curtains of Eden’s bathroom window sway. PULL OUT to empty grass surrounded by trees. A bush shakes. A limb emerges. CHMMPKK. A broken in half arm reaches out to feel the ground, slowly entering into the moonlight...

INT. CLAUDIA’S MOTEL ROOM- NIGHT

Eden shivers.

EDEN : How did you know about the curtains in my room?

CLAUDIA (dramatic): I would be careful what you say... she could be right outside that door right now!

EDEN : What are you trying to do?! Give out life lessons under the guise of a fucking ghost story?! You know what?

Eden sits up.

EDEN : Maybe she wasn’t a star at all.

EDEN’S ANIMATION SEQUENCE STARTS:

INT. THE BIG TOP- NIGHT (NEW ANIMATION STYLE)

ZOOM back into the circus, all its performers in tact. The Sister in Red stands on her podium, just about to jump.

EDEN : Maybe she was past her prime. Yeah, maybe she was getting old and just couldn’t take a hint.

The Sister in Red transforms into a more mature woman, around 50. She jumps. Lights cut out, the audience waits, and ta! da!

She lands in a handstand on the human pyramid! Only she’s off balance. The pyramid sways. They all come crashing down.

The performers around her curse, throwing her dirty glances. In the audience, a white man with a beard and cane, MR. CIRCUS OWNER, shakes his head disappointedly.

EDEN : Maybe they let her go. Or rather, threw her out.

The circus scene folds into itself, transforming into a train station.

EXT. TRAIN STATION- NIGHT (ANIMATED)

The Sister in Red looks up at the train as her luggage is tossed out a window onto the ground next to her. The train chugs away, disappearing in the distance.

EDEN : Maybe she thought she’d be fine on her own...

EXT. MOTEL- NIGHT (ANIMATED)

The Sister in Red walks into a motel room beside the woods, downtrodden. Someone snickers. Branches break.

INT. MOTEL- NIGHT (ANIMATED)

Looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, the Sister in Red tries to smile, forcing herself.

From behind the motel window, a branch breaks. A deep voice breaths heavy, very close. Big fingers tap on the window. The sound of slurping. Low male laughter.

The Sister in Red grabs her car keys off a desk in the main bedroom, runs to the door and opens it-

At the door are three large men, silhouetted. One smokes, with a scratchy exhale. The second slurps a beer. The third cracks his knuckles. All together: CHHHRRPPMMKKK.

The Sister in Red screams.

END OF EDEN’S ANIMATION INT.

CLAUDIA'S ROOM- NIGHT

Eden is almost out of breath from telling the story. Claudia looks down at her reflection in the drops of tea left in her cup. Slowly, a tear creeps down her cheek.

EDEN : (shocked) I... I thought you weren’t scared. Claudia sniffles.

CLAUDIA: Please.

They share a long moment of silence.

CLAUDIA : I practice at night. Because moving helps. Isn’t that why you’re here?

Eden looks at her, surprised. Claudia goes to the bathroom to wash her tea.

CLAUDIA (O.S.): Don’t waste that, it’s good tea.

Eden looks down at her tea. A beam of traffic light passes across her face. She continues studying the tea. The beam reappears and remains, cast across the room.

Eden looks up, squinting in its brightness. As she does, a human silhouette appears in the light. Eden freezes, staring. The figure moves closer, ambling towards Eden. She looks at her feet, unmoving. She looks back up, takes a deep breath, and steps forward.

She approaches the door and quietly leans forward to look in the peep hole. She can’t see much more, blinded by a pair of parked headlights. The figure passes across them, approaching. He is ANY MAN. Eden holds her ground. The man reaches the landing before her door and stops. Eden stiffens. He clears his throat and, after a luxurious beat, turns down the line of rooms.

Eden can hear him trying the locked lobby door.

ANY MAN: Rats.

In the distance, he walks back to his car and drives away.

Eden exhales. She sips her tea. Behind her, a silver blade twinkles. Claudia holds a knife up as she looks over Eden’s shoulder through the peep hole. Eden turns around-

EDEN: AHHHHHHH

Eden slams against the side of the wall, splashing tea all over herself and dropping the cup which shatters. Claudia scoffs, waving the knife in exasperation. Eden ducks out of its range.

CLAUDIA: Oh for fuck’s sake, that cup was older than you.

EDEN: I’m sorry. But why do you have a fucking butcher’s knife?

CLAUDIA : You’re scared of knives too?

EDEN: I mean...

Claudia looks at her confused, then slowly smiles. She laughs a crackly laugh. Eden chuckles nervously, eyeing the still very present knife.

Claudia clears her throat and the brief laughter fades as quickly as it came. She looks down at the mess with a cold disappointment and bends down to clear it. Eden tries to help, but Claudia waves her off.

CLAUDIA : You should probably get back. A panic comes over Eden. She swallows hard.

EDEN : Okay. I’m just gonna, dry off real quick.

Eden quickly runs to the bathroom.

INT. CLAUDIA’S MOTEL ROOM, BATHROOM- CONTINUOUS

Eden closes the door and leans her forehead on it. She sighs loudly and dries her shirt with a towel by the sink. She puts it down and notices a small paper cup. It holds a single toothbrush. Just one. Eden sighs.

She glances at Claudia’s window. Behind a bunch of draped costumes, a small sliver of red and white peaks out. Eden clears them to reveal the same striped curtain as hers. Eden grins... but then she looks into the dark space between the fabric. Her smile fades.

She closes the curtain.

FADE OUT