FADE TO:

EXT. GRAIN TOWER- NEXT MORNING

The grain tower is a grey silhouette in the morning mist. Utter silence.

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- BEDROOM- MORNING

Adam gets out of his bed and runs to the dining room.

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- DINING ROOM- MORNING

He glances through the outside stairway door. The candle is still burning.
A voice surprises him from behind.

MARY
Is the candle working?

Adam turns around.

ADAM
I’m not sure.

He looks down the empty stairway.

ADAM
I hope so.

MARY
Me too.

Gerald walks in the room. His jaw drops.

GERALD
GET AWAY FROM THAT DOOR.

They move from the door.

MARY
Look daddy, the ghost is gone.

ADAM
(nudges Mary.) Shut up.

GERALD
What are you talking about?

He looks out the window and sees the candle burning.

GERALD
What is this?

ADAM
It’s supposed to repel the ghost.

GERALD
You mean to tell me, you put it there? You went down those steps and deliberately acted against me.

ADAM
It wasn’t against you, I’m--

GERALD
YOU went against my word. I specifically told you NEVER to open that door. YOU could have gotten us all killed.

MARY
But daddy the ghost is gone, now.

GERALD
How do you know that?

ADAM
She doesn’t.

MARY
Uh huh. Can’t you feel it?

GERALD
Enough silly talk. Mary go play in your room.

MARY
But I--

GERALD
No buts. Get to your room.

She runs to her room in a tantrum.
Gerald turns his attention back to Adam. His demeanor lightens up.

GERALD
I know you had only good intentions--

ADAM
Dad I--

GERALD
(calm)
Please let me finish.
(beat.)
I know you were trying to help us with that candle but you put our lives at great risk when you opened that door.
(pause.)
BUT, we’re all okay, it’s in the past.
(beat.)
Now, with that being said, what sounds like a fair punishment to you?

ADAM
I don’t know. What did you have in mind?

GERALD
I was thinking you could take over the shop for the rest of the week.

ADAM
What?

GERALD
Inventory and close.

ADAM
WHAT? I don’t even know how.

GERALD
You’ll learn.

Adam shrugs, but accepts his punishment. Gerald puts his hand on Adams shoulder.

CUT TO:

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- MID DAY

The mist is clearing up outside.
Gerald is just finishing training Adam.

GERALD
I need to run into town. You gonna be fine on your own?

ADAM
Yea. I think so.

GERALD
Alright, remember everything I told you.

ADAM
Yes, sir.

GERALD
Alright, come on Mary.

She hesitates.

MARY
Daddy, can I stay here with Adam?

He pauses then shifts his eyes up to Adam.

GERALD
Do you mind watching her?

ADAM
No, that’s fine.

GERALD
You’re sure?

ADAM
Yea.

Gerald straitens himself and puts his hat on.

GERALD
All right you two.

He kneels down and gives Mary a hug and kiss.

MARY
I love you daddy.

GERALD
I love you to sweetheart.

He gets up and pats Adam on the shoulder.

GERALD
I’ll be back before too long.

MARY
Bye dad.

GERALD
Bye.

After a few more good-byes, he is out the door, in his truck, and on the road.

ADAM
Now what?

Mary starts singing and flailing her arms around.

ADAM
Stop that, you’ll break something.

She stops.

MARY
Sorry.

ADAM
It’s okay.

TIME PASSES.

They both look relentlessly bored. Not a single customer comes in.

MARY
Can I go outside?

ADAM
I don’t know. That doesn’t sound like a good idea.

MARY
Why? I’ll stay on the sidewalk.

Adam pauses to think.

MARY
PLEASE.

ADAM
OKAY. As long as you stay where I can see you.

She chirps with joy and runs out the front door.

ADAM
STAY ON THE SIDEWALK.

She gets her tricycle out of the shed and rides it down the sidewalk.
A big antique grandfather clock chimes at 7:00.

EXT. LONESOME STREET- AFTERNOON

Mary plays about outside on her tricycle. Adam watches her through the front window.
She sees something peculiar at the sidewalks’ end.

A man in a black suit stands with his arms at his sides. She looks closer and sees it’s not a man, but a hare. Its matted ears are tied back with tape.
It holds a lollipop out for Mary to take.

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- AFTERNOON

Adam glances out the window, but sees only Mary. He gets back to running shop.

EXT. LONESOME STREET- AFTERNOON

Mary pedals closer to the rabbit in the suit. As she approaches him, he vanishes, but the lollipop stays floating in mid air.
She grabs it and takes a lick. More of them appear in the air, creating a path. Mary giggles and follows.
It leads behind one of the lower grain platforms.

EXT. GRAIN PLATFORM- LATE DAY

The candy leads Mary to a ladder leading up to the top of a platform. A strange voice beckons Mary.
She gets off her tricycle and climbs up the ladder almost in a trance.
When she reaches the top a mountainous collection of toys, food, and candy awaits her.

The hare has lost his man form and has grown six times in size. The Antaean rabbit perches on the grain pipes like a vulture.
It’s voice is that of a sweet nurturing woman and a disgruntled old man.

HARE
This is all yours my sweet child. Every last bit of it.

She slowly walks closer to the pile of presents.

HARE
Please do not be alarmed. I am your friend.

Mary stares with hypnotized eyes.
The sun starts to set in the distance.

INT. ANTIQUE SHOP- LATE DAY

Adam walks out from the back. He wipes his hands on his jeans and goes back to the register.
With a sudden realization, Adam glances back out the window and sees that his sister is gone.

ADAM
Oh no.

He runs out of the shop.

EXT. LONESOME STREET- LATE DAY

He runs out into the street.

ADAM
MARY? MARY?

He calls and calls for her. He searches around the grain tower and finds her tricycle resting at the bottom of the ladder.

ADAM
MARY?

The sun is almost completely set.
He climbs up the ladder and finds Mary’s lifeless body laying at the top.
Adam runs to her and cradles her in his arms.

ADAM
OH GOD. OH GOD NO.

He cries.
As the sun finally goes down, Mary’s pale body vanishes into the darkness.

ADAM
MARY? MARY?

He slams his fists into the ground.

ADAM
NO. NO. NO. NO. NO.

EXT. GRAIN TOWER- NIGHT

Gerald’s truck pulls in and Adam runs up to it in a panic. He gets out and follows Adam to the platform where he found his sister.

CUT TO:

(To be concluded.)