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Diane turns to look. She freezes, and only the rivulets of perspiration move across her. Diane doesn’t even breathe.
TV SET - SLOW PUSH IN
Carol Anne’s voice is heard again, buried deeply behind the horizontal blurring, the electron bombardment, the swirls of snow and noise.
VOICE
I can’t see you. Mommy. Where are you?!
EXTREME CLOSE SHOT - DIANE
Her eyes roll white, her head lulls and we
FADE OUT.
FADE IN: (3 DAYS LATER)
Three banks of cold flourescents purr down from the ceiling.
CAMERA PANS DOWN, past rows of metal bookshelves from which reams of notes, files and textbooks hang in no organized manner. Finally, the view STOPS on DR. MARTHA LESH, Professor of Psychology at the University of California at Irvine. Wearing a purple aftan to hide the urge for jelly beans and souffles, Norm looks up from her questionnaire and takes off her reading glasses. She is sixty-one and full of pep. Next to her are two long-haired graduate students, TAK & RYAN.
DR. LESH
Who are the members of the household involved? What are their ages?
STEVE (O.C.)
(monotone)
Diane, my wife, she’s 31.
Uh..32. My oldest daughter, Dana, 15. Robert, my son,
he’s 9. And Carol Anne...
(trails off)
DR. LESH
Yes.. .Carol Anne. Five.
Dr. Lesh writes five years old on the form.
DR. LESH
Has there been any publicity
about the events?
STEVE (O.C.)
Absolutely no. Uh uh.
DR. LESH
Can you be reasonably sure of not letting any get started?
STEVE (O.C.)
It’s the last thing in the world we want.
DR. LESH
Would your family welcome a serious investigation of the disturbances, by someone who could make first-hand observations?
ANGLE - STEVE FREELING
His eyes are dark shadows and the unflattering light features the patches of stubble and parched lips. He speaks in hoarse whispers, viewing these surroundings with great suspicion.
STEVE
Dr. Lesh. We don’t care about
the disturbances...the pounding ...the flashes or the music. We want you to find our little girl.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
Dr. Lesh is mounting the stairs, followed by her two associates, TAK and RYAN. Steve is in the lead while Robbie keeps his distance in the rear.
STEVE
I should warn you we’ve had to lock off the room from the rest of the house. Robbie sleeps with us now. Dana, our oldest, spends a lot of time with.. .with friends.
DR. LESH
How many disturbances have you
recorded in this room?
STEVE
We don’t go in there any more.
RYAN
We’ll record any psychotronic
energy or event.
DR. LESH
Ryan filmed an extraordinary episode during a case in
Redlands.
RYAN
A child’s toy, small matchbox vehicle, rolled seven feet across a linoleum surface. The duration of the event was seven hours.
STEVE
Seven hours for what?
RYAN
For the vehicle to complete the distance. This would never register on the naked
eye, but I have the event on the time-lapse camera.
ANGLE - CHILDREN’S BEDROOM DOOR
Steve takes out a key and feels for the lock. Dr. Lesh and her assistants are looking around, checking out the hallway as Steve swings the door open.
CLOSE - DR. LESH
She casually looks in.
INT. CHILDREN’S BEDROOM - DAY
HER POV - INSIDE THE ROOM
Inside is a junk pile of shattered furniture and toys. The window is boarded up. Objects are in motion throughout the room...the bed is hopping about, records are flying, a lamp sails through. The clown is seated upside down on the boxspring as it spins y. Childrens picture books flapping their covers like wings, cruise the upper reaches. A horse rides by. Finally, a spinning compass plays a record while flying towards the roar of the room, creating an eerie melody.
CLOSE PANNING - DR. LESH, TAK, AND RYAN
All semblance of clinical cool is gone. They are blown away.
Diane's VOICE is heard over two shaking hands trying not to spill a pot of coffee as it fills a cup.
DIANE’S VOICE
None of us have been much fun to be around. I guess you can tell I haven’t slept very much. Steve’s stayed home from work so much. He’s been really wonderful. Really.
PAN UP from the shaking hands to Dr. Martha Lesh She must now use both hands, steady the coffee she’s just poured. Her assistants are in no better condition.
ANGLE - DIANE
She looks terrific. Her eyes are alert, hair combed back and held with a bright yellow clip. She sips her coffee with rock steady hands and softly inquires.
DIANE
How long have you been investigating haunted houses?
DR. LESH
(embarrassed,
backtracking)
Well, Mrs. Freeling...
DIANE
Diane.
DR. LESH
The determination as to whether your home is haunted is not a very easy one.
At that moment the coffee pot moves by itself to the table’s edge but doesn’t spi1l. Dr. Lesh tries to overlook this, for appearances sake.
DR. LESH
What I meant. to say was this could very well be a poltergeist intrusion instead of the classic haunting.
STEVE
There’s a difference?
Two bright flashes of light in the room distract Lesh and her associates.
RYAN
Anybody see that?
DIANE
There’ll be two more in a few seconds. They always travel in pairs.
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