House on Haunted Hill Page #11

INT. BASEMENT GALLERY

An odd multi-walled gallery from which five corridors lead

out, extending like the spokes of a wagon wheel --

-- and then every LIGHT down there SHORTS OUT with one loud

SIZZLING POP! Total darkness. Beat.

PRITCHETT'S VOICE

Y'know, this'd actually be funny -- if I

didn't know for a fact I'd be pleading

for a quick, painless death in the next

few seconds.

SARA'S VOICE

Could somebody please just gag him

or something?

Sara reaches into her bag and pulls out the flashlight

Pritchett gave her earlier.

EDDIE:

You're a handy little thing to have

around.

Suddenly, a terrible cracking sound is heard above Sara's

head. She aims her light at the large beam overhead. Just

then, the beam gives way. Eddie pulls her away just in

time.

SARA:

And you're not really as large and

useless as you seem.

EDDIE:

I'm better than that.

SARA:

Don't push it.

She thrusts the flashlight into Pritchett's hand.

SARA:

Now take us where this damn thing's at.

INT. SMALL GRIMY ROOM - SIMULTANEOUS

Price bursts through a hinged panel and whisper-shouts to

Schechter behind the computer/video console.

PRICE:

-- hey! Next time give me a couple

seconds notice before you wing a gag

like that!

SCHECTER:

The lockdown thing.

PRICE:

I mean, not that it didn't give Evelyn

the kind of coronary I had in mind,

just...

SCHECTER:

-- it wasn't me.

PRICE:

Rewind that.

SCHECTER:

I was just sitting here -- it happened.

I had nothing to do with it.

PRICE:

Then who did??

SCHECTER:

No idea. I didn't even know the damn

thing still worked!

PRICE:

It works.

SCHECTER:

Maybe it was just its time to finally

fall apart.

PRICE:

No. Somehow -- I don't know how --

she did it.

SCHECTER:

Pretty amazing feat: all that sh*t

down the basement and your wife's

up in the bedroom the whole time.

PRICE:

Don't take your eyes off her for a

second. I think she just declared War.

INT. MAIN SALON - SIMULTANEOUS

Evelyn, a huge drink in her hand, holding forth to a not

terribly interested Dr. Blackburn. Melissa Marr's oblivious,

Camcorder to her eye, slowly dollying herself out of the

room.

EVELYN:

We'd've been splitsville years ago, with

me the richest single woman in recorded

history -- but Steven doesn't "believe"

in divorce.

BLACKBURN:

Not too big on it myself -- but then

again, not on marriage either.

EVELYN:

Oh, he's got no problem with that:

I'm his fourth.

BLACKBURN:

I'm confused.

EVELYN:

No need for divorce and that messy

division-of-assets thing when they kick

before you do.

MELISSA:

All three of his previous wives

just up and died?

EVELYN:

Damnedest thing:
each one, freaky little

"accidents" --

INT. BASEMENT CORRIDOR - SIMULTANEOUS

Sara, Eddie and Pritchett continue searching.

SARA:

You should really open this place to the

public, Pritchett -- a spa for people

without enough stress in their lives.

PRITCHETT:

I said we shouldn't come down here. Very

treacherous -- physical and metaphysical

levels, both. There've been no

refurbishments to this part of the house

-- it's exactly as it was in 1931.

VOICE (O.S.)

Is that a fact, Mr. Pritchett?

They all whip around -- spooked to the max. Pritchett shakily

trains the flashlight on who or what's behind them: Price.

PRICE:

Sorry.

SARA:

Good way to get your head blown off.

PRICE:

I'll try not to remember to warn Evelyn.

They soon pass a broken wall. Rubble and debris litters the

floor. Pritchett moves them quickly past the spot. This

doesn't go unnoticed.

EDDIE:

What's in there?

PRITCHETT:

(too quickly)

Nothing.

Sara takes the flashlight from Pritchett's hand and aims it,

into the dark hole beyond.

ANGLE ON THE DOOR

The light glints on a HUGE STEEL DOOR. A grime-covered

WINDOW is set at eye-level. A black mold corrodes away the

edges.

SARA:

Nothing? That seems like quite a door

to hold back "nothing".

Pritchett just stares at the door for an uncomfortably long

moment...

EDDIE:

What is it? What's in there?

PRITCHETT:

(finally)

The Soul of the House. Everything that's

corrupt about it... My father trapped it

in there just before he died. You see,

he purchased the house to restore it...

We were going to live here... Nothing

can live here. I was just a kid... The

first time I saw it, I thought it was

beautiful... It was just a dark mist

turning into the corner of the room...

then it started to move... then death

started to happen... First the workers..

six in all... then my father...

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