Ouija Page #2

Mr. Satlof comes back into the classroom, and by his somber

expression, Laine knows that something is wrong.

MR. SATLOF (CONT’D)

I know some of you are finishing

up, but... I have something I need

to share with everyone.

Students put their pencils down. Murmuring, wondering what’s

going on.

MR. SATLOF (CONT’D)

I just got word that...

Mr. Satlof’s voice trails off. This is hard for him to say.

Laine glances back again at the EMPTY DESK. Then -

LAINE:

It’s Debbie, isn’t it? What

happened?

Now everyone’s looking at Laine. Mr. Satlof slowly nods.

MR. SATLOF

I’m so sorry... she died at her

house last night.

TREVOR:

Oh my God...

Reaction ripples through the classroom. Isabelle starts

crying. But Laine is frozen.

6.

LAINE:

No. It’s a mistake. Debbie can’t

be dead...

MR. SATLOF

This is a tremendous loss. The

school will be providing counselors

for anyone who needs to talk during

this difficult time -

EASE IN ON LAINE. Her eyes stare in shock. The world

suddenly seems to swim around her. !Sounds and voices fading.

And from that EMPTY DESK with the note sitting on it we go -

INT. LAINE’S ROOM - DAY

Laine stands at a mirror as an OLDER WOMAN zips up her black

dress from behind. This is Laine’s grandmother, NONA.

The woman sees the devastation on her granddaughter’s face.

Their conversations are always in Spanish with subtitles -

NONA:

I know this mourning that you feel.

With the death of a friend, there

is a part of you who dies as well.

LAINE:

It’s like there’s a pain in my

heart that will never go away. .

NONA:

Respect grief, my precious Elena.

It is often in these times we find

our own light and understanding.

Laine looks at her grandmother.

LAINE:

I don’t want understanding. !I want

Debbie back.

There’s a knock at the door. !Laine’s father, ANTHONY MORENO.

Latino. !Dressed in a suit. !His eyes filled with heartache.

MR. MORENO

It’s time.

EXT. DEBBIE’S HOUSE - DAY

Several cars are parked out front. GUESTS in post-funeral

attire heading into the house.

7.

INT. DEBBIE’S HOUSE - DOWNSTAIRS - DAY

WITH LAINE. Standing among the mourners who are gathered in

the house. Adults. Other high school friends. A few

teachers... Mr. Satlof among them. Trevor and Isabelle are

here.

Laine moves through the gathering. Voices hushed. Snippets

of dialogue:

MOURNERS (VARIOUS)

...and that Carol had to find her

like that... in the closet. Just

horrible... makes no sense.

They’re packed and coming to stay

with me... can’t be in this house

another night...

Laine hovers, glances at a vintage ANNIVERSARY CLOCK. Small

crack in the glass dome. Hands frozen in time. Hasn’t

worked in years.

Beat... then over at the stairs she sees a GUY standing there

holding flowers. Student. Strange. Thrift store suit and

tie. He doesn’t seem to know anyone else here. He’s just

standing there. Glancing up the stairs...

Laine hears crying. Sees Debbie’s PARENTS sitting across the

house, being comforted by friends. THE MOTHER, sobbing.

Laine turns back... and now that GUY at the bottom of the

stairs is gone. His flowers left behind on the foyer table.

INT. DEBBIE’S ROOM - DAY

Upstairs. Laine pushes open a door into Debbie’s bedroom.

She steps inside and glances around, as if trying to

understand Debbie’s sudden death.

The room is decorated in an eclectic style. Evidence of

Debbie’s life in high school theatre. Framed posters and

photos of her plays and performances. But the most prominent

feature in the room is a MURAL OF A TREE, silhouette style.

Painted branches sweeping across the wall.

It’s familiar. We’ve been in this room before...

Laine casts a glance to the closet. !The door is slightly

open. An unsettling crack of darkness within. Laine reaches

out and pushes it closed.

Laine takes a breath. !She steps to a BULLETIN BOARD, covered

in mementos and photos. Almost all of the pictures are of

Debbie and Laine. Through the years. Birthday parties.

Camping trips. School dances. Arms around each other.

8.

A faint CREAK. Laine looks over... and the closet door is

again slightly open. She stares... unaware that a FIGURE is

now right behind her.

MRS. GALARDI (O.S.)

You were everything to her.

Laine spins and sees Debbie’s MOTHER standing there. !The

woman’s eyes wild with grief..

LAINE:

Mrs. G...

(devastating beat)

I can’t believe she’s gone.

Laine hugs Debbie’s mom. !Holds her tight in the silence.

And then Mrs. Galardi pulls back, looks at Laine.

MRS. GALARDI

Do you understand this, Laine? Why

would my baby do this to herself? .

Tears run down Laine’s cheeks. !All of this simply too much.

LAINE:

I don’t know..

Mrs. Galardi steps away... glances around. !Being in this

room, the despair is so immense..

Mrs. Galardi starts collecting some of her daughter’s

possessions and putting them in a box. !A bracelet. !An old

Flip camera. Pulling photos from the bulletin board.

Laine watches her with concern, not understanding.

LAINE (CONT’D)

Mrs. G....

MRS. GALARDI

She’d want you to have these. This

way a part of her is always with

you...

Mrs. Galardi hands Laine the box of mementos..

MRS. GALARDI (CONT’D)

Always remember her.

Laine nods. !Her heart breaking.

EXT. LAINE’S HOUSE - NIGHT

A very similar two-story style as Debbie’s house. !Same

neighborhood. The sudden SOUND OF GIRLS LAUGHING takes us -

9.

FLIP CAMERA VIDEO SCREEN. Recent footage. Laine and Debbie

trying on dresses in a small store changing room. Laughing.

Posing in the mirror. Hamming it up for the camera.

DEBBIE:

That’s the one. Very hot. Lemme

see that booty shake!

SALESPERSON (O.S.)

Ladies, I need you to keep it down

in there. We do have other

customers.

Laine and Debbie laugh so hard they can barely breathe.

swirling. Debbie holds the camera out, getting a two-shot of

ANOTHER MOMENT. Laine and Debbie in their dresses. In

Debbie’s house. Saying goodbye to Debbie’s parents.

ANOTHER MOMENT. School dance. Music pumping. Lights

her and Laine. The kind of night you want to last forever.

Image freezes. A GLITCH. It makes Debbie’s frozen laugh

look like a scream.

INT. LAINE’S ROOM - NIGHT

Laine’s on her bed with the box of mementos. Laptop open

next to her revealing Debbie’s Facebook page -- now a

memorial. Memories and messages from friends popping up.

Laine tries to get the Flip camera working again, but it’s

stuck on that image of Debbie. Laine sets it aside.

She looks down at the mementos. Laine puts Debbie’s infinity

charm bracelet on her wrist. She dangles a little penguin

with sunglasses keychain on her finger...

...when she hears a loud car MUFFLER outside. .

Laine goes to the window. Her sister SARAH (15) emerges from

a beat-up car that proceeds to head off down the street.

The girl comes up the sidewalk as Laine’s FATHER storms out

of the house. !Laine cracks her bedroom window to listen -

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