Little Black Book Challenge

The Devil’s Ledger

By

Gabriel L. Garrett

02/25/2021

FADE IN: FROM BLACK FADE IN: FROM BLACK

INT. TWO-STORY HOUSE - EARLY MORNING.

The sun is just barely peeking over the mountains to reveal the pristine landscape of the forest of Big Sur with the fierce winds ravishing the countryside, twirling loose debris in different directions and knocking down brittle branches from old oak trees. The sun and wind also reveal a secluded cabin in the thicket of woods where an insidious plot to lure unsuspecting citizens to their demise.

Covered in the early morning dew of their own sweat and blood, GARY JOHNSON and his two accomplices, EDDY GRIMES and RACHEL ROYCE are fighting for their very lives against an unforeseeable force of evil. This vessel of this evil incarnated resembles a small giant who found a clothing store for bikers; Mickey Mouse motorcycle helmet included. Strong doesn’t even begin to describe this creature; but for Gary and his companions the appropriate word for them would be ‘overwhelming’.

Lying halfway across the living room, Gary stumbles to gather his feet after suffering a visibly traumatic head contusion as warm blood streams down the right side of his face. Rachel unholsters her side arm, a Glock 42. She aims it at the stranger whose giant monstrous hands clasp around Eddy’s throat as his eyes roll backward while still clasping a black leather book. She lets off a warning shot off to the side of the stranger’s foot.

RACHEL

LET HIM GO ASSHOLE! OR THE NEXT SHOT WILL HIT!

The stranger turns his head, facing the pistol with his hands still around Eddy’s neck. With the last of the strength that Eddy can summon he tosses the black book at Rachel. As the spin of the book hits the floor, the pages whip and turn in the wind to reveal a long list of names with “DECEASED” stamped across them.

THE STRANGER

If everyone else is going to get a souvenir, then I want one too.

RACHEL

This bullet is the only souvenir you're gonna get from us dipshit!

The Stranger’s head slowly cants to the left side while Gary gasps on to a nearby fire pick and slowly creeps around the blind side of the stranger getting ready to strike.

THE STRANGER

How about you have the body…

The space around the Stranger and Eddy begins to crack and splinter as if the air itself were made of glass and the air rushes into the cracks like a plane with a cracked hull. The cracks envelope the Stranger and Eddy’s head from where he was holding him by the throat.

Then suddenly Eddy’s body begins to lift off the hardwood floor and contorts its joints and ligaments in an alien-like way. The Stranger and along with Eddy’s head, begin to quickly vanish within the unknown void.

GARY

EDDY!!! NOOO!!!

Gary stumbles to gather enough strength to try to stop the Stranger from vanishing with Eddy. Gary swings the fire pick, hitting nothing but the residual splinters left behind by the void caused the fire pick to be lodged in fractured space. Leaving nothing behind but a few splinters in the air.

Eddy’s body is left fidgeting on the where a few splinters, where the blood streams from Eddy’s neck into the splinters were left behind. Gary drops to his knees in despair over the death of his friend and knees in horror and curiosity as he watches Eddy’s blood searing and turning black while seeping into the cracks of the air. Even the fire pick that was lodged into the cracks begins to glow hot red as molten chunks fall to the hardwood floor.

The air behind Rachel begins to crack and the air that was once rushing to the cracks and splinters in front of her are now behind her. She turns her head in dread and tries to counter whatever impending attack is about to come her way. Right before she’s able to take aim and shoot, Rachel is struck in the face by the bodiless head of Eddy letting off a shot into the ceiling. The blow sends her flying across the living room hitting her back on the straight edge of the fireplace and knocking her down next to the headless corpse of Eddy.

THE STRANGER

...AND I'LL KEEP THE HEAD!

Gary looks at Rachel in horror as she curls in pain from hitting her back, then turns his gaze toward the Stranger drops Eddy’s head and marches to Gary. Having broken out in a cold sweat and letting go of bowls, Gary stands frozen as all he can do looks as the Stranger tosses Eddy’s head off to the side as he awkwardly hunches forward to reclaim the black leather book. The Stranger cants his head to the side and hastily flips through the pages, tearing some of them out before stopping his finger above the line in black ledger.

THE STRANGER

Ah ah! Gary Johnson, I’ve found your name in my book, BUT it says here your DECEASED! Let me fix that.

As the Stranger marches forth to correct the mistake of Gary Johnson being alive, all Gary can do is scream in horror. However, unfortunately for Gary his bellowing cries for help would be muffled by the rapidly howling winds as his hopes come crashing down as swiftly as the brittle branches on the old oak trees

DISSOLVE TO: BLACK

12 HOURS EARLIER

INT. MISSION DISTRICT APARTMENT - LATE AFTERNOON

Gary Johnson sits hunched over and focuses his eye to the brightly lit computer screen, while his fingers furiously type away. The shades drawn closed behind him in the background as light desperately tries to shine throughout the room, and the sound of Gary’s roommate, Eddy, struggling to beat his opponent in a God of War video game.

EDDY

Ahhhhhh c’mon! I totally blocked that!

Eddy rolls his eyes as he drops his shoulders in defeat and enduring a dramatic facepalm. Secretly waiting for a reaction from Gary but never receiving it, Eddy looks up to investigate what exactly has his best friend’s attention being drawn to that was more exciting than God of War. Eddy carefully creeps over to where Gary is sitting, making sure not to disturb his focus as he removes his credit card from his wallet, and pears over his shoulder while typing.

EDDY

What-cha doing full-a-oser?

Gary screams as he jumps out of chair and turns a pale grey-ish color as his wallet and cards fly out from his lap and into every direction.

GARY

Shit! Fuck’n asshole...wait what’s a flue-zher

Gary abandons his laptop at his desk to retrieve his wallet and cards as Eddy takes the opportunity to further prod into what on the laptop had Gary’s attention so captive. He could only hope that it would be porn as his face lights up with excitement and from the light computer screen, and quickly is met with disappointment with the discovery.

EDDY

It’s a new word I made up that means Full-Ass-Loser! Full-a-oser!

GARY

Huh… pretty sure you can’t just make up words…

Assembling the last of his belongings into his wallet Gary stands and turns to find in disappointment and irritability his friend’s ability to be so damn nosey.

EDDY

Well, technically since all words are made up words, I can and I did. You know...you're not going to impress her with any of this crap right.

Gary lunges at his laptop, shutting it closed to keep Eddy from preying any further.

GARY

Technically no! You, can't!

Gary stands before his friends clutching his laptop tightly as his jaw almost drops to the floor.

GARY

...w-w-who are you talking about?

EDDY

W-w-who! Who! You sound like a fucking owl.

GARY

I don…

EDDY

Don’t piss the bed and tell me it rained! I KNOW you got a thing for Rachel!

GARY

N-no…

The two stare off at each other hoping that the other would crack.

GARY

...That obvious huh?

EDDY

PAIN-FULLY...like ever since we got involved with that study group for midterms.

GARY

Well...at least someone notices…even if it’s just a dude who smells like a girl!

EDDY

Gasp* I’ll have you know that this is Sauvage Dior…

GARY

Is a perfume for chicks.

EDDY

...is a cologne for men. Maybe if you wore some you can get Rachel to notice you instead of giving your money away to scam.

GARY

It’s not a scam dude. It’s a raffle for a shot at a new car and $20,000 in cold hard cash.

EDDY

You know, nobody really wins these right? These “contests” are all bark and no bite, and besides if Rachel REALLY into fast money and cars then one of these wanna be tech millionaires would’ve bagged her long before you ever showed up.

GARY

Yeah...BUT, none of those techies got swagger like I do.

Gary proudly reopens his laptop, revealing the website that he was so fixated on. Filled with pastel colors, the website is designed to be attractive to the average Joe, with flashy, bold graphics that promises any casual browser the chance to win a brand new Chevy Camaro Exorcist and $20,000 in cash. All the constant has to do is “donate” money for be entered

EDDY

Psh* SWAGGER?! Yeah...the swagger of your average fuk boi. Hahahahah!

GARY

You know what...haters are gonna hate, but watch! In a few hours ya boy is gonna come up on twenty racks and a brand new whip while you’re still stick taking muni.

EDDY

Yeah, well my choice in taking Muni is helping to reduce carbon emissions, which helps the fight against global warming…

Gary rolls his eyes as he nonchalantly proceeds to fill out the rest of his personal information on the website, with the final steps asking him to verify his email account.

GARY

Whatever. Pedestrian.

EDDY

Hey! Don’t come running to me when they sell your information to some nefarious, off the books, company, like Skynet or something

Gary spins around in the chair and cants his head to the side in a way that makes the hairs on Eddy’s arms stand up from the extreme discomfort of witnessing a sight.

GARY

Awwee! You think I’m important like John Carter.

EDDY

Eww, yeah...don’t lose your head over it. So you wanna get ready for study group or do you want to just awkwardly stare at Rachel while waiting for some scam money?

GARY

And a car!

Eddy lifts his finger as if to speak but then lowers it after having second thoughts. Right in the moment when take back his thought and speak, he is intercepted by a knock on the door. Eddy stands up to answer the door to see Rachel standing on the doorway struggling to juggle multiple books in her arms and a very overstuffed bag.

EDDY

Hey Rae!

RACHEL

What up! Sorry I'm late. You guys ready to rock this final?

FADE OUT - END OF SCRIPT