Rain is starting to fall at a steady rate. In the shed behind the house, Gwen is laying in the wheelbarrow; Brody’s headless body is on top of her. Seeing his killer behind her, she screams, frantically moving, trying to get out of the wheelbarrow. In the process, she tips it onto its side, and she falls onto a rusty saw that’s wedged between two boards. She lets out a yelp.
Gwen: No… no!
The killer, shrouded and covered in black, yanks on the axe that’s caught in between some tools. Gwen winces in pain and looks at the killer once more, before placing her body weight onto her hands and crawling somewhat away from the shed.
From outside, two voices can be heard.
Voice 1: I think someone might just be having sex…
Voice 2: Okay, Erika, I just wanted to check…
Drew and Erika, who have managed to make it inside the gate, stop dead in their tracks. They look, frozen, at Gwen, Brody, and the killer.
Gwen stumbles up to her feet just as the killer takes a swing with their axe. She grabs onto Erika, who pushes her away towards Drew. He takes her on his back.
Drew: Let’s get inside!
The killer makes a charge for the three friends. Running away, they veer off toward a set of hills-- sprinting away from the house.
END SCENE
Upstairs in the dark house, Avril, Michael, and Mac are inside the room where Cloe vanished.
Avril: You’re telling me she was right here?
Mac: Yep. Right…. here.
Michael: I’m… what the fuck, Mac. This isn’t funny. (calling out) Cloe?
Mac: Now you think I’m lying? Stop being a fucking dick and LISTEN to me…
Michael: I would if you had a better story, but this makes no sense.
Avril: Michael, he-
Michael: You actually believe him? Wow, some people can be that gullible I guess…
Avril: Or maybe I just have an open mind.
Michael: I don’t need you to preach to me your hippie bullshit. (laughing)
Avril: I don’t get you. You were so worried about her five minutes ago…
Michael: And now I realize what this is. (smirking) Mac is trying to cover up for… what actually happened? Did Cloe see your package and run away?
Mac: Shut the fuck up, man. You’re being such a shitty friend right now.
Suddenly, Bubbles saunters up into the doorway.
Bubbles: Michael, things look a little… tense in here. Need me to help you cool down? (she takes a bottle of Coconut Rum out of her purse)
Avril: Do you have a whole fridge in your wallet?
Bubbles (smirking): I come prepared. Always. I never even leave the house without 3 granola bars.
Mac: Yeah, no wonder you have that “figure”. Anyways, we need to-
Bubbles: Ex-CUSE me? Mike, I hope you don’t condone your friends being such bullies.
Mac: I’m not a bully, but you’re a bitch.
Bubbles: I’m so not a bitch. People are just very judgemental…. (feigning sadness)
Mac: Avril, can you help me check other rooms? (he turns around, looking at everyone pleadingly) Serious guys, I wouldn’t be lying about wack shit like this…
Michael: I’ll come with you guys… just in case.
Bubbles drapes her arms around Michael’s shoulders. Her pink fingernails shine from the stars through the window.
Bubbles: Or we can claim a room for our own. (she whispers something into his ear, he smiles)
Avril (to Mac): Is she serious? (walking up to Bubbles) I don’t like you, and you’re being really fucking annoying. Get the hell out of our business and go back downstairs to bother someone else.
Bubbles: Sorry, I don’t associate with irrelevant hipster trash.
Avril slaps Bubbles in the face. She looks at her hand, and it’s covered with make-up. She wipes it on the bedsheets.
Bubbles: You BITCH! Michael, do something.
Michael (laughing): Damn Avril….
Avril: I’m still waiting for you to leave.
Bubbles takes the lid off of her coconut rum and throws it into Avril’s face. Avril grabs Bubbles and slams her against a dresser in the corner of the room. Screaming, Bubbles body checks Avril. Both girls fall to the ground. Getting on top of Bubbles, Avril shoves her against the floor. Suddenly, a door underneath slides open. Both girls, screaming, fall down into darkness.
Michael: What in the world?
Mac: We need to go after them!
Michael: Fuck that, we need to get the others first…
The doors close up again, revealing the wood pattern of the floor from earlier.
Mac: Do you at least believe me now that Cloe somehow… fell down there?
Michael: Yeah, fine. Let’s go. After we let the others know where we’re going…
Mac: Sometimes I think you just brush everyone off. Why do have to be such an asshole?
Michael: Is this friendship circle time, or are we gonna hurry up and find them?
He runs out of the room. Mac, sighing, follows him.
END SCENE
In the basement, Emma and AJ are looking through a supply closet at the bottom of the staircase. AJ’s rummaging through; Emma’s shining a flashlight from her phone.
AJ: Me when I can’t see anything down here….
Emma: This is turning out to be… something. Am I right?
AJ: Um, what? Here, shine the flashlight onto my hands.
Emma adjusts the lighting.
Emma: Better? Should we take a pic and put it on Instagram?
Both girls laugh.
AJ: Okay, I found some candles. They look… disgustingly extra. Why does the box say “Gothic Horror Movie Candles”?
Emma: I guess the owner is into some interesting things? I should’ve picked a better place. This gathering is all my fault.
AJ: I mean, you did set it up. (laughing) I guess you have to take the blame too.
Emma sighs. AJ puts her hand on her shoulder.
AJ: Look, people seemed to still be having a good time. You can’t help-
Emma: Rosey’s still in the barn because she thinks everyone hates her. I know you told Brody to go to the shed with Hope, but I think I heard him ask Gwen when we were leaving….
AJ: Wait, really? What a shithead.
Emma: He’s a nice guy, but-
AJ: But nothing. I don’t understand how or why people cheat. He’s shit. I thought I saw him checking her out, but I guess I just like to see the good in people. And Hope is a nice person. She’s been through way too much already. Also, why the fuck was Bubbles even invited?
Emma: I mean-
AJ: You’re TOO NICE Emma! I’ve told you this before. Just because someone knows you doesn’t mean you have to befriend them. It’s like you invited all your contacts from college for this…
Emma: So you think it’s shitty, too?
AJ leans against the wall and laughs.
AJ: Honestly, I can’t think of anything else I’d be doing now. And… mainly, seeing my actual friends, like you and Lizzie... and Drew, your BFF, whenever he gets here... it’s nice…. it’s helping me get over things.
The two friends hug. Suddenly, a creaking can be heard from the other side of the basement.
AJ: What was that?
Emma: I don’t know.
Emma flashes her light around the basement, looking.
Emma: Well, I see…..
Suddenly, in the line of the light, a mangled, wolf-like figure appears. The girls scream.
END SCENE
In the living room, Anna, Lizzie, and Hope are hanging out. The three friends are sitting on a couch by the window, checking out a video on someone’s phone.
Anna: Guys… I think I maybe heard something.
Lizzie: Like what? (looking at the phone) Aw, come on. The video won’t load. It’s like the service here is non-existent or something.
Hope: It’s maybe just the storm.
She sighs and looks outside. It’s nighttime now, the last slivers of daylight behind the sky.
Anna: It sounded like a scream.
Lizzie: I’m still kind of curious about what’s happening upstairs! Are they having a groupie?
Hope: Probably. You know Cloe loves the drama…
Anna: She’s such a slut. Did you hear that the only reason she won homecoming queen last year was because she sucked off the person in charge of the votes? No one should even care about that stuff in college.
Lizzie: I actually kind of like her, she’s always been nice to me.
Anna: Probably just her being fake. I know she talks shit about me.
Lizzie: How do you know?
Anna: People have said things…
Lizzie: I don’t even think she knows you.
Anna: What, I’m not relevant enough? Sorry, I guess I’m being a little catty. Rosey would totally say that’s how I’m being right now…
Lizzie: You need to get over that! Some people bring out the worst in us. Look at me and Michael. You know you aren’t catty, so don’t stress.
Hope: Where’s AJ and Emma?
Lizzie: I don’t know, why?
Hope: I’m just a little weirded out that no one else is here.
Anna: I’m weak! Are you spooked, Hope?
Hope gets up and opens a bottle of vodka sitting on the fireplace. She pours herself two shots and takes them both.
Lizzie: Wow, okay. That’s one way to get lit.
Anna: Aren’t you gonna wait for the others to come back?
Hope: My boyfriend’s cheating on me.
Lizzie and Anna look at Hope without saying anything.
Hope: Did you guys already know?
Anna: No, I’m just shocked!
Lizzie: What are you basing this off of? Just because he’s alone with Gwen-
Hope: Lizzie, think about it. He asked her, and he made it a point to not make eye contact with me. And it isn’t just that. The way he’s been looking at her all night…
Anna: Hope, I know you get a little jealous, but-
Hope: Yeah, I’m probably just jealous and bitter. It’s my fault, right?
Anna: You take everything out of context.
Lizzie: Guys…
Mac and Michael come bounding down the stairs, facing the girls.
Lizzie: Looks like some of our company has returned…
END SCENE
From the chains, Cloe and Justin are still dangling. No other sounds can be heard, and the man isn’t visible.
Justin: I can’t feel my arms anymore.
Cloe: Neither can I.
Silence drifts over the both of them once more.
Cloe: Um… can I make a request?
Justin: I don’t know if I can really do anything right now…
Cloe (faintly laughing): No… not what I meant. I mean, if you survive this, and… if I don’t. Just let my family know that I think the world of them. And... (she starts crying), I’m sorry for all I put them through…
Justin: Cloe, we’ll make it out of this.
Cloe: I’m saying if I don’t! Look, he seems to want you for some reason, but-
Justin: To fuck me again? Look, this piece of shit has BOTH of us for a reason. And you and I are going to make it out of here alive.
Cloe: You can’t know that…
She sighs and starts crying hysterically. He looks at her.
Justin: Cloe… Cloe…. We’re making it out…. I promise.
He starts tugging at his rope. It’s a strong knot. He continues to tug at it.
END SCENE
Bubbles and Avril are laying on top of each other in the cool earth of the underground.
Bubbles: Ow. I think I broke something.
Avril: Did we just, like, go down a slide and then get spit out down here or something?
Bubbles: I don’t know, do I look like an expert on falling down mysterious chutes?
Avril (suppressing her irritation): Bubbles…. l-look. I know that we both hate each other. But in this moment, right now, I need you to not be the annoying asshole that you are, and we need to find Cloe.
Bubbles (raising her voice): Excuse me?
Avril: Shhh. Someone took her, according to Mac. So we have to be quiet. They might be down here.
Bubbles: Fine. We’ll find her, if nothing else then so I can get Michael to myself again.
Avril: He’s not who you think he is, you know…
Bubbles (taking another Frappuccino out of her purse): I’m sorry?
Avril: He does hook-ups all the time, but he’s not impressed with people that are extra shallow. And, like, he actually is a good person. I’ve seen it. I-
Bubbles: Aw… do we have a case of unrequited love?
Avril: No, but-
Bubbles (moving her finger to Avril’s lips): Hush, hun. Say no more. He’s out of your league. I’ll give you some advice. Don’t tell anyone else what you just told me, because, well… (whispering in her ear) You sound so pathetic right now.
Bubbles begins walking down the pathway in the tunnel. Avril, clenching her fist in anger, follows her.
----------
Questions:
Thoughts on the upstairs drama?
What was the wolf-like thing in the basement?
Are you shipping any pairs at this point?
What do you think of the Hope/Anna/Lizzie friend group at this point?
Favorite/least favorite character(s):
Now that people are officially split up and set up for problems, who do you see being in the most danger?
Thanks so much for reading, and be prepared for a WILD ride in one of the craziest episodes I've written, next time!
Also, if someone wants to do cast assessments every-so-often, I wouldn't mind ;)
-pooh
Comments
Thoughts on the upstairs drama? Wow looks like we know where Cloe went
What was the wolf-like thing in the basement? Hell if I know
Are you shipping any pairs at this point? Not really maybe Erika and Drew if Erika turns Bi
What do you think of the Hope/Anna/Lizzie friend group at this point? Hope slays me she turned into a whole new person whne she took those shots. Lizzie and Anna dont believe her now but they will
Favorite/least favorite character(s): I love Lizzie Anna and Hope as well as Erika and Avril
Hate: Bubbles Michael
Now that people are officially split up and set up for problems, who do you see being in the most danger?
I see Cloe already being dead I see Mac dying and I also seeing maybe Emma dying
OMG, Avril slayed me slapping that skank Bubbles and getting make up on I just ugghh she slays me so much !
I'll answer questions soon! Glad this is back :)
What was the wolf-like thing in the basement? Hell if I know
Are you shipping any pairs at this point? Not really maybe Erika and Drew if Erika turns Bi
What do you think of the Hope/Anna/Lizzie friend group at this point? Hope slays me she turned into a whole new person whne she took those shots. Lizzie and Anna dont believe her now but they will
Favorite/least favorite character(s): I love Lizzie Anna and Hope as well as Erika and Avril
Hate: Bubbles Michael
Now that people are officially split up and set up for problems, who do you see being in the most danger?
I see Cloe already being dead I see Mac dying and I also seeing maybe Emma dying