Please don't disregard this. It is quite interesting. Give it a chance. It's almost finished. I will post the end up soon.
Please, by all means, turn the lights down low and enjoy... the quaint tale of,

"the Ghost and the Tower"

Written and revised by: Jory Stultz

EXT. LONESOME STREET- LATE DAY

A young girl (Mary- 5yo) pedals her tricycle down a crooked old sidewalk. An ENORMOUS grain tower looms overhead. It’s black, ominous presence casts a shadow over the girl.
The slightest whisper draws the girls attention toward the darkness. Something UNKNOWN waits in the shadows.
The loud and sturdy voice of Mary’s father (Gerald-late 40’s) calls from across the way.

GERALD
MARY. It’s time to come inside. Dinner’s almost ready.

MARY
OKAY.

She picks up her tricycle and moves it onto the road and walks it to the other side to her father. Their home is a quaint antique shop on the corner of a lost Main Street USA.
He helps her inside and shuts the door.

Off into the horizon, a storm is approaching.

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- LATE DAY

An oil lamp lights up the woodwork. Antiques of all kinds clutter the floors and walls. Mary runs across the room to a staircase in the back.
She looks up at her father.

MARY
We should never use the other stairs. Huh, daddy?

Pause.

GERALD
That’s right, we NEVER use the other stairs. It’s very bad.

He starts up the stairs and she hesitates to follow.

MARY
That’s where mommy died.

Gerald stops in his tracks.
He turns and looks his daughter in the eye.

GERALD
Never bring that up again. Do you understand me?

MARY
Yes daddy.

He takes a moment to relax.

GERALD
Come on, let’s go eat some dinner.

Beat.

He turns around and walks up the stairs. Mary clumsily follows.

INT. UPSTAIRS- ANTIQUE SHOP- LATE DAY

Gerald walks Mary down the hall and into the bathroom. He puts her hands under the faucet and turns the water on.
Young Adam- 13yo pokes his head in the room.

ADAM
You left the burner on. I turned it off.

GERALD
Thanks Adam. Would you mind setting the table while I get your sister ready?

ADAM
Not at all.

He leaves.

Gerald rushes to get his daughter ready for dinner.

CUT TO:

INT. DINING ROOM- NIGHT

The dining table is rich and antique. It is set for four, but only three chairs are taken.
Mary stirs her fork about in her meat loaf.

GERALD
Mary, sit up right and eat your meat loaf. (Takes a bite of his.) Mmmm. It’s good, see?

MARY
It looks funny.

She pokes at it with her fork.
Adam giggles.

ADAM
You can’t argue with her there.

GERALD
Just try it.

She hesitantly takes a tiny bite.
Her face changes to a big SMILE.

MARY
More KETCHUP.

GERALD
That’s not how you ask for something.

Mary tries to sit still.

MARY
Could you pass the ketchup, please?

GERALD
Much better.

Adam hands her the bottle of ketchup. She pours an immense amount onto her plate.

MARY
OOPS.

She attempt to put the top back on the bottle and hands it back to Adam.
Gerald and Adam watch her as she puts her fork in to take a bite. A BANG comes from the outside stairway door- just next to the table.
The bolts and chains on the door rattle.
Everything goes silent.

MARY
Was that a ghost daddy?

GERALD
Ghosts can’t get in here sweetheart.

Another BANG comes to the door. Mary screams.

ADAM
Well there’s a ghost trying to get in here NOW.

GERALD
STOP IT you’re scaring your sister.

ADAM
What do you want me to say?

GERALD
Just don’t say ‘that’ word.

One last BANG and the ghost moves down the stairway.
Adam looks his father in the eye. There is a visible tension between them.

ADAM
It’s the same one that killed mom, isn’t it?

GERALD
We don’t need to discuss this at the dinner table.

ADAM
What does it want from us?

Mary’s eyes tear up.

GERALD
Adam, not another word. You’re scaring your sister.

ADAM
Sorry.(pause.) Should we finish dinner here?

They all look at the stairway door and the window leading to blackness framed in the middle.

MARY
Can we eat in the living room daddy?

GERALD
Yea. Okay. Let’s eat in the living room.

They lift their plates and move it to the living room.

INT. LIVING ROOM- HOURS LATER

The television plays an old black and white program. Empty plates and drinking glasses clutter the side tables. Everyone is asleep.
The wind ROARS outside waking Gerald up.
He gets off the couch and picks up his daughter and takes her to her room. He lays her down on her bed and covers her with a comforter.
Rain slams against the window glass.
Gerald exits.

EXT. ANTIQUE SHOP- NIGHT

The storm intensifies. Streams of water run down the street. Everything is dismal and black.

INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT

Mary suddenly SITS UP out of her sleep.

MARY
My TRICYCLE.

She jumps out of bed and runs over to the window. She looks down at her tricycle out in the rain.
She makes sure no one is coming and opens her window. It leads to the top of the shed.
She crawls out the window, onto the shed, and slips down to the sidewalk.
A strange sound, like metal being bent, echoes from the grain tower.

Mary grabs her tricycle and hurries to put it into the shed.
Another sound, this time louder, CLOSER.
Mary looks toward the dwarfing tower.

A shadow slowly crawls across the street toward her.
She PANICS and jumps to get on the shed. Her fingers slip from the rain.
It inches forward.
Finally she makes it on top of the shed. She looks to the shadow.
It’s getting closer.
She tries to open her window but it won’t budge.
Crying and screaming she bangs on the window.
The shadow crawls up the side of the shed.
At the last moment, the window opens and Mary is pulled inside.

Adam shuts the window and sets Mary down on the floor. A puddle of water begins to form around her.

ADAM
What were you doing out there Mary?

MARY
My tricycle was gonna rust all up.

Adam puts his hands on her shoulders.

ADAM
Did you hear something Mary?

Her face goes funny.

ADAM
Did you see something?

MARY
There was a giant shadow by that BIG tower out there.

ADAM
Do you think it was a ghost?

BANG. The window cracks, but doesn’t shatter.

MARY
Do you think it can get in here?

ADAM
I don’t know.

The window frosts up. For a split second they see the vague outline of a person in the window.

ADAM
Did you see that?

MARY
What was that?

CUT TO:

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- UPSTAIRS- MORNING

Gerald walks in his slippers across the living room and into the kitchen for a morning coffee. He pours himself a cup and sits at the table. Something catches his eye.
Adam and Mary lay on the living room couches; all cuddled up in blankets.

Gerald watches them sleep.

CUT TO:

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- DAY

Gerald helps Adam wash dishes. Mary bounces a ball around the living room.

ADAM
Dad.

GERALD
Mmm hmmmm.

ADAM
Can I go into town today? I’ve been wanting to go to the library.

GERALD
As long as you’re back before sundown, I don’t see why not. Take your sister with you.

Adam shrugs.

ADAM
Okay.

INT. BATHROOM- DAY

Adam helps his sister tkae a bath, but she splashes around.

ADAM
Come on. Sit still would ya?

She picks up a sponge and waves it through the air.

MARY
Look it’s an airplane.

She makes airplane noises.

ADAM
SIT DOWN.

INT. BEDROOM- DAY

Adam finishes getting Mary dressed up to go into town.
She looks at herself in the mirror.

ADAM
All ready to go?

MARY
Yup. Wait one second.

She hurries and grabs an empty purse. She hangs it on her shoulder and looks back in the mirror again.

MARY
Okay, I’m ready.

ADAM
Let’s go.

Mary grabs Adams hand.
They leave the scene.

Mary runs back in the room and grabs her hat, then exits.

CUT TO:

EXT. LONESOME TOWN- DAY

Adam walks his sister through the small desolate town. They stop at the library and walk in.

INT. LIBRARY- DAY

The obscure library is unorganized and arid. Adam and Mary walk further inside. A radio plays eerie opera music in the back room. No one is attending the front desk.

ADAM
Hello? Is anyone there?

No one answers.

ADAM
Doesn’t look like it.

They walk to the card index and Adam flips through the letters and stops at G- Opens the drawer. He flips through the cards and stops at GHOSTS.

INT. LIBRARY- NON FICTION SECTION- DAY

Adam sits at a table with a pile of books, all about ghosts. He studies intensely.
Mary wanders about the library. She stops and stares at a poster hanging from the front desk. A little old woman (Mrs. Twellman- late 60’s) pokes her head up over the counter.

MRS. TWELLMAN
That’s quite a lovely hat you’re wearing, young lady.

Mary looks up at the old woman in fright.
She yells and runs over to her brother. The short little woman makes her way up to the table where Adam sits.

MRS. TWELLMAN
I hope you’re finding your way well enough.

ADAM
Yes mam’, thank you.

MRS. TWELLMAN
You’ll have to forgive me and my husband. We can’t attend this library as often as we’d like. People usually come and go as they please.

ADAM
I see mam’.

She looks up at the pile of ghost books.

MRS. TWELLMAN
You have an interest in the supernatural, eh?

ADAM
Recently, I guess.

MRS. TWELLMAN
And what sparked your interest?

ADAM
Not to be rude mam’, but it’s kind of personal.

MRS. TWELLMAN
Oh. You have skeletons in your closet young man?

ADAM
I guess you could say that. (beat.) Do you know anything about ghosts?

MRS. TWELLMAN
Only all there is to know.

ADAM
What can you tell me about them?.

There is a pause.

MRS. TWELLMAN (O.C.)
Most ghosts are said to be doppelgangers.

ADAM (O.C.)
What’s that?

INT. LIBRARY- BACK AREA- DAY

Adam and the old librarian sit at a table and look through a very old book. It’s dusty pages spread out almost the length of the table.

MRS. TWELLMAN
A shape shifter.

ADAM
So they can change into anything?

MRS. TWELLMAN
Usually something that can be used as bait against it’s victims. (beat.)
But not all spirits are bad. Some change shape without even knowing it.

Mary wanders the library. A glowing white butterfly appears in the air and flies across the isle. Mary chases after it.

MRS. TWELLMAN (CONT’D)
Usually they become something peaceful,

Mary catches up to the butterfly and snatches it out of the air.

MRS. TWELLMAN (CONT’D)
And then,

Mary opens her hands and the butterfly is gone. She looks around for it.

MRS. TWELLMAN (CONT’D)
POOF. They disappear.

ADAM
Where do they go?

The old woman giggles.

MRS. TWELLMAN
Wouldn’t we all like to know?

Beat.

ADAM
So, is there anything I can do to get rid of the ghost?

MRS. TWELLMAN
There is one actually.

ADAM
Really? What is it?

MRS. TWELLMAN
Patience child.

She flips through the pages and stops. She puts her finger on the text and reads it allowed.

MRS. TWELLMAN
If you burn the candle of the seraphim, the scent will repel the spirit away, but cannot destroy it.

ADAM
What’s the candle of seraphim?

MRS. TWELLMAN
It is a candle blessed by a holy body.

ADAM
Say you don’t believe in that sort of thing.

MRS. TWELLMAN
If you do not have faith the candle is useless.

ADAM
Hmmm.

Mrs. Twellman gives a look of excitement.

MRS. TWELLMAN
I think we actually have some extra candles in the back. Let me go ask my husband.

She stands up.

ADAM
No you don’t need to go through the trouble.

She walks to the wall, grabs a broom, and beats it on the wall.

MRS. TWELLMAN
HEY OLD MAN. WAKE UP.

A scream comes from the other side of the wall. It’s (Mr. Twellman- 60’s)

MR. TWELLMAN
DAMN IT YOU HAG. I WAS ALMOST ASLEEP. I COULDA BEEN RID OF YOU FOR GOOD.

She bangs a few more times and puts the broom down.

MRS. TWELLMAN
He’ll be out shortly.

Mr. Twellman enters moments later. His rickety old body shuffles across the room.

MR. TWELLMAN
What are you waking me up for?

MRS. TWELLMAN
This young man needs a spirit candle.

Enthusiasm fills the old mans face.

MR. TWELLMAN
Trouble with spirits, I can help you there. Yes, you’ve come to the right old man.

He grabs Adams hand and shakes it.

MRS. TWELLMAN
I’m Mr. Twellman.

ADAM
I’m Adam, this is my sister Mary.

Mr. Twellman looks down at Mary.

MR. TWELLMAN
Pleasure to meet you.

She smiles.

MR. TWELLMAN
Now that we’re all acquainted,
someone can tell me why I was disturbed during my afternoon nap.

MRS. TWELLMAN
The CANDLES.

MR. TWELLMAN
CANDLES. Ah yes CANDLES. Let me see. Wait right here.

He leaves and shortly comes back with three tall white candles and a candle holder for Adam.

MR. TWELLMAN
Light this in the last spot you saw or heard the spirit. Do not light it until the candle is on the ground.

ADAM
What? Why can’t I light it and then set it down?

MR. TWELLMAN
It says here that if you light it while it’s in your hand, the spirit will smell you through the sent of the candle and it will be ineffective.
(Beat.)
Light it and slowly walk away. Also make CERTAIN you do not breathe in the candle’s smoke.
And one last thing. The candle will burn until it is gone. DO NOT blow out the flame until the spirit has gone completely.

CUT TO:

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- UPSTAIRS- NIGHT

Everyone has gone to sleep, but Adam stays awake. He reaches in his bag and pulls out the candles.

MRS. TWELLMAN (O.C.)
I cannot tell you why these are the rules, but you MUST follow them accordingly or else.

ADAM (O.C.)
Or else what?

MRS. TWELLMAN (O.C.)
Or else things will go terribly wrong.

Adam approaches the outside stairway door and begins undoing all the locks. His breathing picks up.
He unlocks the last bolt and opens the door. Blackness stares him in the face. The rattletrap steps creaks as Adam slowly descends them.
He places the candle on the step and takes a quick look around. Nothing in sight.

Adam takes a deep breath and then holds it.
A FLICK of a lighter and the candle lights up.

A tall SHADOWY figure is standing at the bottom of the staircase. Adam stays perfectly still. He holds his one breath in.
The figure stands and stares, but does not move forward.
Adams face turns red.

Finally the figure vanishes. Adam runs, as quietly as he can, back up the stairs. He gets into the house, shuts the door, and takes a huge breath in.
Adam pants as he locks the door back up. He sits up against the door and catches his breath.

(to be continued...)