The Secret of Crickley Hall Page #9

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 53.

Nancy gets the jacket off but Magda’s in the room before she

can get any further, Maurice behind her, breathless.

MAGDA:

You’re fired. Leave the premises

immediately.

NANCY:

I’ll speak to the organ grinder not the

monkey.

Magda is beyond astonished.

NANCY (cont’d)

Is it only children he likes to bully?

Where is he? Bring him.

Nancy pulls off Stefan’s jumper and opens his shirt.

NANCY (cont’d)

I’m sorry darling.

Magda moves to stop her.

Nancy slaps Magda. Magda reels back, stunned.

NANCY (cont’d)

I’m not afraid of bullies.

Nancy peels off Stefan’s vest.

Both arms and back are covered in livid bruises and welts.

NANCY (cont’d)

Oh dear God.

Magda hurries out to get Cribben.

NANCY (cont’d)

Everyone up. You’re coming with me.

Quickly.

The children rise.

97 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL - 1943 DAY 6 97

Nancy leads the children out of Crickley Hall.

98 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL - DAY 6 98

The school bus is parked outside Crickley Hall. Eve is seeing

Loren onto the bus. Cally is waving from the door. Loren

waves back sleepily.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 54.

Once Eve’s back is turned, Loren sees a girl on the bus Tina

waving sarcastically then commenting to her friend and

laughing. Loren gets on the bus, nervous.

99 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / KITCHEN - DAY 6

Eve joins Gabe in the kitchen with Cally. He’s collecting his

stuff.

CALLY:

What about Clyde?

GABE:

He’s probably found a better offer by

now.

CALLY:

No!

EVE:

He’s going to look for him. Why do you

think he’s leaving this early.

Gabe kisses Cally.

GABE:

He never liked us. He only pretended.

First chance he got - whoosh!

CALLY:

Stop it!

And Gabe’s off.

EVE:

I’m sure we’re going to find him.

CALLY:

I think the man took him.

EVE:

What man?

CALLY:

The man who took Cam.

Eve strokes Cally’s hair.

EVE:

We don’t know if that’s what happened.

Maybe Cam got lost and a nice woman is

looking after him.

She can barely say it.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 55.

100 INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR - DAY 6 100

Loren is by herself at break time, looking through her books

as children play around her.

TINA:

Loren Caleigh.

Loren looks up at TINA and her two friends.

TINA (cont’d)

Is that how you say it?

LOREN:

Yes.

TINA:

My Nan works at Crickley Hall. How come

you’re on holiday if your brother’s

missing.

LOREN:

We’re not on holiday. My Dad’s working. I

don’t want to talk about it.

TINA:

Your Mum fell asleep when she was looking

after him and that’s how he went missing

is that true?

LOREN:

It’s none of your business.

TINA:

You should be with social services. Your

Mum should be in prison.

Loren punches Tina just as Dad taught her right on the bridge

of the nose. The flow of blood is impressive. Tina drops.

Some boys watching from a distance break into applause.

101 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / DINING ROOM - DAY 6 101

Eve is in the dining room. She’s cleaned the rust from the

spinning top to reveal the brightly coloured dancing

children. She uses a can from Gabe’s tool box to squeeze a

drop of oil into the innards.

She puts the top on the table and presses the ratchet. The

top spins, emitting a high-pitched hum. Inside the hum Eve

hears children’s voices. She stares into the blur of motion,

transfixed.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 56.

CHILD’S VOICE

Mummy.

Eve gasps.

EVE:

Cameron?

CHILD’S VOICE

I’m not dead Mummy.

EVE:

I know baby.

CHILD’S VOICE

It’s dark.

Eve can’t bear it.

EVE:

Just tell me where you are.

CHILD’S VOICE

I’m cold.

EVE:

Are you alone?

CHILD’S VOICE

I can see them.

EVE:

Who’s with you?

CHILD’S VOICE

They’re dead.

The top slows down. The voice becomes indistinct.

CHILD’S VOICE (cont’d)

They know where I am.

EVE:

Cam! Who knows? Cam!

The toy topples. The sounds are gone.

CALLY:

Mummy!

Eve moves out into the entrance hall, in shock.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 57.

102 INT. CRICKLEY HALL / ENTRANCE HALL - DAY 6 102

Cally is pointing at the window by the stairs. Eve sees a

glimpse of an image as if a child ran across it.

CALLY:

They’re playing!

Eve moves slowly up the stairs. She sees another figure run

past the landing.

Then another figure runs up the stairs to the dormitory.

102A INT. DORMITORY - DAY 102A

Eve arrives at the dormitory landing and sees through the

glass door glimpses of children running around and jumping up

and down on beds that are now in their previous place.

She reaches out to touch the door knob.

SWISH-THWACK.

Eve snatches her hand back. She looks back and the children

are gone. Cally watching solemnly. Eve looks at her hand.

This time there’s a welt.

CALLY:

He doesn’t like the children.

EVE:

Who Cally?

CALLY:

Can’t you smell him?

103 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL - 1943 DAY 6 103

Magda leads the orphans back into Crickley Hall, accompanied

by a policeman and a nurse. They all look very friendly. A

shared laugh. The nurse examines the bruise on Magda’s face.

Nancy watches from a distance, tearful as Percy joins her.

NANCY:

They said the other children did it. I

don’t know what’s more monstrous.

PERCY:

They owned up Nancy. And Stefan said the

same.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 58.

NANCY:

They’re terrified! They are in fear of

their lives! Who’s going to look after

them now?

PERCY:

You are.

Nancy looks at him.

PERCY (cont’d)

No running away. I want you here when I

get back.

He kisses her for the first time.

105 INT. GABE’S CAR - DAY 6 105

Gabe’s Range Rover pulls up outside Crickley Hall. Loren in

the passenger seat.

LOREN:

Do we have to tell her? I don’t want her

to hear what they said.

Gabe examines her bruised knuckles.

GABE:

Okay you did it playing hockey. I’m not

condoning it.

LOREN:

You would’ve done the same thing.

GABE:

She’s got problems. She’s being brought

up by her gran. Her dad walked and her

mum dumped her.

LOREN:

I’m not surprised. And it’s no reason for

her to take it out on me. What she said

was horrible.

GABE:

It’s what people do when they’re unhappy.

LOREN:

I’m not apologizing. If she says sorry

I’ll think about it.

GABE:

You are so like your mother it’s scary.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 59.

106 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL - DAY 6 106

Eve leans down to Cally as Gabe and Loren approach.

EVE:

Now are you going to let me tell them in

my own way or are you going to belt it

out at the top of your voice.

CALLY:

Is it a secret?

EVE:

No it isn’t a secret I just want to say

it in the right way.

Gabe and Loren arrive at the door. Gabe looks at Cally.

GABE:

What are you smirking about?

Cally looks up at Eve, bursting. Back to Gabe.

CALLY:

We’ve got ghosts!

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