BLOOD COMMON
by
Michael Cormier
© 2013 by Michael Cormier
1.
FADE IN TO:
INT. AUTOMOBILE – DAY
Two young adults in a sports car speed along a winding road beside a river in the fading sunlight. The driver is SHANE, a brash but moral type with a sense of humor. Beside him is KIRSTEN, his girlfriend. She is petite, cute, but very serious. Right now she is deep in thought.
SHANE
You haven’t said a word since we left the campus.
KIRSTEN
Just thinking.
SHANE
(glancing at her)
We don’t have to do this. We can go back and stay the weekend if you want. I’ll take you to the game tomorrow . . .
KIRSTEN
No. Really. I’m okay.
SHANE
Thinking about her, aren’t you?
Kirsten nods.
SHANE
All the more reason to do this, don’t you think? You want answers, right?
KIRSTEN
Yes. (sighs) And no.
Shane looks at her with concern. He keeps driving.
2.
CUT TO –
EXT. HOUSE – DAY
Shane and Kirsten pull into the driveway of a simple New England country house. They go up on the porch and Shane knocks at the door. The door is answered by JASON, who is about the same age. There are greetings all around. SHANE and KIRSTEN are invited inside.
CUT TO –
INT. HOUSE – DAY
Shane and Kirsten have just come through the door into the living room. Already standing in the room holding coffee mugs are BERNIE, a middle-aged newspaper reporter, and MAGGIE, Jason’s friend and partner in his ghost-hunting adventures. Also present is HARMONY, a New Age-type psychic in her forties. Jason begins introducing everyone.
JASON
Shane, you know Maggie. Kirsten, this is my partner-in-crime, Maggie Sommers. We do all our investigations together. That way I have someone to blame if something goes wrong.
The two girls smile and exchange polite hellos.
JASON
And this is Bernard Chastain. Mr. Chastain actually reported on the murders twenty years ago for the Tribune.
BERNIE
(smiles warmly and shakes hands)
Please call me Bernie.
JASON
Bernie asked to interview us and follow the story – even though he doesn’t believe in all this (makes quotation marks with fingers) ‘paranormal hocus-pocus’.
3.
BERNIE
What I believe doesn’t matter. Besides, aren’t you all aiming to prove me wrong tonight?
JASON
That sounds like a challenge! (motioning) And this is Harmony Cates. Harmony’s a psychic. She’ll be trying to talk directly to the Other World. If any of the victims knew the killer, hopefully she’ll get them to say his name.
HARMONY
(giving a quick wave)
Hello everyone.
Shane shakes hands with Harmony. Harmony then shakes with Kirsten, and as she does her eyes linger on Kirsten’s a little longer than normal. Kirsten becomes noticeably uncomfortable.
HARMONY
(to Kirsten)
I heard about your mother. I’m very sorry.
KIRSTEN
Thank you. But to be honest, I hardly even remember her. I was only one or two when she … died.
HARMONY
You don’t mind me – or us – trying to contact her?
KIRSTEN
Oh no, not at all! I really hope you can. I mean, all my life I’ve wanted to talk to her. It’s been hard growing up without a mother, and I don’t even knew who my
(CONTINUED)
4.
CONTINUED:
father was. You never quite fill that empty space.
Harmony’s eyes continue to linger on Kirsten’s face. Her expression is full of meaning, but she says nothing. Suddenly her eyes shift to the side of Kirsten. She blinks and turns away.
BERNIE
Excuse me, but I have to get back to the office. Jason, be sure to call by noon tomorrow if you want to make the Sunday edition.
Bernie exits. Kirsten watches him go then realizes Harmony is staring at her again. Kirsten smiles uncomfortably and moves to another part of the room.
FADE TO –
EXT. CEMETERY – NIGHT
Three cars, including Shane’s sports car, pull up along a narrow road running through a cemetery. The cemetery is old and hilly, with lots of mature trees. Everyone gets out with flashlights. They follow Jason to one particular gravestone in a mostly secluded spot surrounded by trees.
JASON
I already scouted it out and made a map of all the gravesites of the victims. (He briefly turns to Kirsten, then to the others.) This one belongs to Rachelle Marcotte, Kirsten’s mom. You might remember she was the last victim. (He hesitates, uncomfortably.) Kirsten, thanks again for —
KIRSTEN
(cutting him off sharply)
Really, you don’t have to keep thanking me. I told you I’m happy to do it. I want to know what happened as much as anyone else.
5.
JASON
Picking up anything yet, Harmony?
HARMONY
It’s too soon. Let Kirsten get settled in and try to draw her out. We’ll come back in a while.
JASON
Right. Maggie, let’s start setting up the stationary cameras. Kirsten, you have your own hand-held camera. Who has the voice recorder?
Shane holds up a digital voice recorder.
JASON
Good. Remember, keep that recorder going, even if you don’t hear anything. It might pick up EVP’s you can’t hear yourself. All right now. Did everyone leave their phones in the cars?
Everyone acknowledges.
JASON
Make sure you did. Phones could interfere with the vibrations, even if they’re turned off. Plus, the last thing we want is to be getting calls or texts in the middle of this. Me and Maggie and Harmony will be just over the hill where the Macomber sisters are buried. We’ll meet up back here in an hour. Okay? Let’s set up.
Jason and Maggie begin setting up two video cameras on tripods.
6.
FADE TO –
EXT. CEMETERY – NIGHT
Kirsten and Shane stand alone in the dark at the grave site of Kirsten’s mother. Kirsten is holding a small battery-operated lantern she brought with her. She sets it on top of the gravestone, where it casts eerie shadows.
SHANE
Is there anybody here? Can you give us a sign? Can you say something? Maybe do something so we know you’re here?
KIRSTEN
You’ve said that same crap about a hundred times. I don’t think it’s going to work.
SHANE
You’re right. If your mom’s here, she’s gonna want to hear from you, not me. Here.
Shane hands Kirsten the voice recorder he’s been using.
KIRSTEN
What do you want me to do?
SHANE
Talk to her. Directly. Daughter to mother.
Kirsten gives him a severe look, but cooperates. She starts the recorder and walks slowly around the grave, addressing her mother.
KIRSTEN
Mother? Is that what I should call you? Cuz, you see, I don’t remember what I used to call you. Maybe I didn’t call you anything, maybe I wasn’t even talking yet. What was I one, one-and-a-half, when you died? (thoughfully, emotionally) God, you were so young, too. It’s so unfair. To you, to me. I want to at least
(CONTINUED)
7.
CONTINUED:
find the bastard who did this. Mother… Mom? If you can hear me, can you tell us who did this to you? Just as she says the last words, a muffled cry is heard off in the distance.
SHANE
What was that?
KIRSTEN
Shh! Listen!
Shane and Kirsten stand very still listening for the sound again. After a moment, they hear a different sound, more like a deep grunt. Again, it comes from far away.
SHANE
That was Jason and Maggie, I know it was! Something’s going on. (reaches into his pocket)Shit! I forgot we don’t have phones. I’m gonna go check it out. Stay here.
KIRSTEN
Don’t leave me here alone!
SHANE
You’ll be safer here. I’ll be right back, I promise.
Shane runs off in the direction of the sounds, while Kirsten remains behind. The lantern, meanwhile, is fading as the battery runs down. She watches it, realizing it will go out altogether before long.
KIRSTEN
(to herself)
The hell with this!
Kirsten picks up the lantern and runs off in the same general direction where Shane went. Besides the small
(CONTINUED)
8.
CONTINUED:
lantern, there is only dim moonlight to illuminate the way, and she stumbles around, trips over rocks and gravestones, runs into a shrub thinking it’s a man grabbing her, etc. Finally, she stops, realizing she’s lost. She looks around, tries to get her bearings, but it’s no use.
KIRSTEN
(shouting)
Shane!
She listens, but there’s no answer. She continues on. Eventually she stops, out of breath and hopelessly lost.
KIRSTEN
(shouting)
Shane, where are you?!
No answer comes back. But then the moon passes out of the clouds, bathing the scene in dim light. Kirsten notices two humps on the ground. She looks closer and sees that it is Jason and Maggie. They are both on their backs. Their throats have been cut wide open. She opens her mouth to scream, but then she hears a heavy crunching of leaves nearby and stifles the scream with her hands.
KRISTEN
(in a frightened whisper)
Shane? Is that you?
Still, there’s no answer. Another heavy crunch of leaves can be heard. This time it seems to come from behind her. Kirsten makes a slow turn. She looks at the darkened face of whoever or whatever it is. And screams.
As she watches, Shane grabs the figure from behind and tries to wrestle it to the ground. But the figure shoves a knife into Shane’s gut. Shane slumps and falls to the ground.
The figure, still darkened by the shadows, turns and grabs Kirsten in one arm. She tries to pull away, but the figure is too strong. Still, she struggles, preventing it from
(CONTINUED)
9.
CONTINUED:
getting clear access to her neck. With its other hand, it swings the butt end of the knife handle at her head to make her stop struggling. At exactly the same moment, a shot rings out.
CUT TO –
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
Kirsten sits alone at a kitchen table, dressed in her pajamas and robe. A knock comes at the door. She looks out the window and smiles.
KIRSTEN
Come in!
Harmony comes through the door. She stands over Kirsten, who smiles brightly at her.
KIRSTEN
Thank you for coming.
HARMONY
(looking somewhat surprised)
You don’t have to thank me. I mean…You really don’t.
KIRSTEN
They told me you brought that handgun with you. Like you knew something was going to happen. How did you know?
HARMONY
When we were at Jason’s house that night, I had a vision. I saw your mother standing beside you. She didn’t speak – some apparitions don’t talk – but she made gestures. What she was trying to tell me was clear: You were in danger. Then she showed me what the killer had done
(CONTINUED)
10.
CONTINUED:
to her – the cut across her throat. I took that to mean she thought you were going to suffer the same fate. I always keep a small handgun in my glove box – you know, just in case – and I took it with me into the cemetery.
KIRSTEN
So who was the killer? No one’s told me.
HARMONY
That’s because they don’t know yet. They’re still looking for him.
Kirsten stares at Harmony with a puzzled expression. Harmony looks away uncomfortably. They’re both quiet for a noticeable beat.
KIRSTEN
But you shot him. You killed him. I heard the shot, just as he – (she stops and thinks) Just as he hit me with the knife handle – (she stops to think again)
Sudden understanding comes over Kirsten’s face. She lifts a hand and touches her temple where the killer either struck her with the butt of the knife handle, or a bullet entered her head. She pulls her fingers away. They are covered in phantom blood and brain matter.
Kirsten stares wide-eyed at Harmony, who meets her stare with a sad expression.
HARMONY
(shaking her head slowly)
I am so SO sorry. I was aiming for him, but you were struggling…it was hard to get a clear shot! I –
Kirsten suddenly jumps up and looks around the room, sees
(CONTINUED)
11.
CONTINUED:
funeral baskets and sympathy cards on the counter. She tries to grab the newspaper off the other end of the table, but her hands go right through it. The headline reads, “Fourth Victim of Attack Succumbs to Bullet Wound.” She lets out a howling, lingering cry.
FADE TO BLACK –
ROLL CREDITS