DEAD STILL

By Red Rocket/AF Productions

Adam Scott

Dead Still
Student number: Q12371629
15/04/2016

Copyright - Adam Scott telephonedickfireplace@live.co.uk

 Log-line -
When Lucy goes to babysit for an old family friend she
quickly realizes that she and the child arent quite as
alone as she thought.

Plot Synopsis -
Lucy is a student in her early twenties visiting her
mother on a break from University. Struggling to pay her
course fees, she has managed to get a little work
babysitting for an old family friend outside of town, the
Farringtons. After a cup of tea with her mother Lucy
realizes that she is running the risk of being late and so
hurriedly leaves.

Arriving at the Farringtons rural manor house she is

welcomed into the home by Mrs. Farrington, who gives her a
brief tour of the place. Coming to the kitchen Lucy
notices a childs drawings attached to the fridge,
depicting a young girl holding hands with a clown roughly
the same height as her. Mrs Farrington explains that it is
their daughter Rebeccas imaginary friend.
The Farringtons leave for their night out. Lucy watches a
little TV then decides to take a look outside. She draws
the curtains back and is shocked to find a grotesque clown
statue hidden there. Slightly unnerved by the ornament she
phones her best friend Jill but when she turns back to the
living room the clowns eye line has changed.
She contacts the Farringtons to ask if she can move it to
another room but they tell her to get Rebecca from her
room and call the police immediately. They dont own a
clown statue. Once the police arrive they explain that the
clown has been on the run for a while and is in fact a
circus performer with hypopituitarism who murdered his
captor family. He has been squatting in the attic,
stealing food and spending time with the Farringtons
daughter at night.

Rebecca sits on the toilet and produces a pregnancy test

which shows a positive result.
1 DEAD STILL 1

2 SCENE 1: INT - LUCYS HOUSE - AFTERNOON 2

Lucy - mid 20s, studious, jeans and a hoodie - is sat
with her mother in the living room. A quaint place,
well-lit, homely

LUCYS MUM
Youre going to love it sweetie,
they pay well, its a nice house
and you get free reign of the
place!

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: (2) 2.

LUCY
That place used to creep me when
I was a kid, its so far out of
town

LUCYS MUM
Look at it as an opportunity. The
Farringtons are old family
friends and theyre very rich,
maybe you could use what they
have as some inspiration
LUCY (FLATLY)
Maybe so.
LUCYS MUM
Go on bugger off, youd better
hit the road if youre gonna get
there for seven
Lucy eyes the clock above the mantelpiece

LUCY
Shit! I love you mum but Im off
LUCYS MUM
Do as well as you always do

They share a smile and Lucy leaves

The front door closes
3 SCENE 2: EXT - RURAL MANOR HOUSE - EVENING 3

Lucy pulls her car into the driveway, crawling across the
tarmac and coming to a stop near the Masons
expensive-looking Land Rovers. She gets out of the car and
pauses for a moment to take in the house

LUCY
(muttering to self) Damn this
place is huge...
She strolls to the front door, rings the bell and then
takes a moment to adjust her clothes

(CUT TO.)
4 INT - MANOR HOUSE - ENTRY HALLWAY 4
A low-lit interior, modern dcor almost at opposites to
the exterior of the manor house. A woman walks down the
hallway approaching the door
(CUT BACK.)
 3.

5 SCENE 3: EXT - RURAL MANOR HOUSE - EVENING 5

The door opens. Stood in the doorway is a woman in her mid
forties wearing a red dinner dress, elegant make-up and a
soft expression
MARIA
Hello there, can I help?
LUCY
Hi Im Lucy. Im here for the
babysitting
MARIA
Of course, of course! Come in
dear, youre right on time

Lucy follows Maria inside, allowing the door to swing shut

behind her
6 SCENE 3: INT - MANOR HOUSE - ENTRY HALLWAY 6

Lucy follows Maria along the hallway towards the kitchen

LUCY
thank god, I was worried Id be
late

MARIA
Oh dont be silly youre right on
time
They enter the kitchen, white walls, marble counter tops,
a centre island surrounded by chrome and black leather
topped stools
MARIA
This is the kitchen, you should
find anything you need in the
fridge
Lucy notices a childs drawing attached to the fridge
door. It depicts a small blonde girl holding hands with a
clown of equal size

LUCY
(absent minded) Thanks...
MARIA
Ah yes, our little girl does have
quite the imaginary friend. The
living room is just through here
They exit through an arched doorway into the living room
 4.

7 SCENE 4: INT - LIVING ROOM 7

A wide open space, a brown three-seater leather sofa
opposite a massive plasma screen TV, the space between
occupied by a glass-topped coffee table. Lucy looks
around, admiring the decor
MARIA
So this is the living room, feel
free to watch TV or use our
Netflix, the password is on the
fridge. Oh George, this is Lucy
A good looking man, Marias age and wearing an Armani
two-piece suit strolls into the room. He smiles as he
approaches

GEORGE
Lucy, its a pleasure to meet you
LUCY
Its a pleasure to meet you too
Mr. Farrington
GEORGE
Please Lucy, call me George. Im
sure Maria has shown you around a
little but feel free to take a
look around at your own leisure
LUCY
Shes shown me everything Ill
need I think

GEORGE
Thank you for coming out all this
way, its not often we get a night
away from Rebecca

LUCY
well Im happy to and the money
will definitely help pay the
bills
GEORGE
(chuckles) thats what its all
about, right?
George joins Maria by the hallway.
MARIA
OK so it looks like youre all
set, we should be back around
eleven, Beckys in bed already so
she shouldnt cause you any
trouble

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: (2) 5.

LUCY
Im sure Ill be okay
They thank her again and leave. Lucy paces the room taking
in the dcor. She approaches the window to draw the
curtains and look at the night sky
Suddenly she yelps and flinches away. Hidden behind the
curtain is a clown statue. It stands around 4ft tall, its
arms pressed tightly to its sides, expression blank and
eyes slanted in the direction of the kitchen door

LUCY
creepy...
Lucy takes a moment to look it over, hisses with revulsion
and draws the curtain back, hiding it again
She walks to the sofa, sits down and turns on the TV for a
short while
Behind her the curtain twitches, she looks cautiously over
her shoulder but nothing seems directly amiss
Back to TV, she takes out her mobile phone and dials,
stands and walks to the kitchen
8 SCENE 5: INT - KITCHEN 8

Lucy opens the fridge but finds nothing, closes it and

leans onto the counter island
LUCY
hey Becca, just fancied a chat.
Im babysitting over at the
Farrington place
JILL (OVER PHONE)
Oh yeah? That place used to creep
me out

LUCY (EYEING LIVING ROOM)

Its creeping me out now. Theyve
got this ornament in the living
room, its so lifelike!

JILL (OVER PHONE)

what kind of ornament?
LUCY
just a statue of a circus clown,
I can see why they hid it behind
the curtain
JILL (OVER PHONE)
they hid it behind the curtain?
creepy

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: (2) 6.

LUCY
Yeah it is, and...
She lowers the phone to her side and slowly approaches the
living room Becka still chattering on the other end of the
line. She hangs up abruptly. Not only is the curtain
pulled back again but the statues eye-line has changed to
face the kitchen
She stands in the doorway to the living room and dials the
number for the Farringtons, they answer
GEORGE (OVER PHONE)
Hi Lucy, is everything okay?
LUCY
Im really sorry to disturb you
but I was wondering if I could
move the clown statue in the
living room? Its giving me the
creeps

A moments pause
GEORGE (OVER PHONE)
Lucy, I want you to stay calm. Go
upstairs and get Becca and then
get out of the house, right now.
Im calling the police
LUCY
I... I dont understand Mr.
Farrington

GEORGE (OVER PHONE)

Lucy... we dont own a clown
statue.
9 SCENE 6: INT - KITCHEN - EARLY HOURS 9

Lucy, Becca and the Farringtons are sat around the center
island with a police officer, patrol car lights flashing
in through the windows.
Lucy is obviously shaken. George hugs Becca tightly

OFFICER
It looks like Ive got a lot to
explain to you
GEORGE
It does look that way...
OFFICER
Where to start? Okay, do you
remember a circus which came
through town about six months
ago?

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: (2) 7.

MARIA
Yes, we took Becca to see the
show

OFFICER
your clown was born into the
circus by
family, hypopituitarism, when
your mind grows but your body
doesnt

FLASH - A YOUNG BOY TIED TO A CHAIR STRUGGLES AGAINST HIS

BINDINGS AS THEY WEAR AWAY THE SKIN ON HIS WRISTS
OFFICER V/O
His family forced him into their
show, a freak - even to his
family. Not understanding his
disorder they kept him as a child
his entire life

A CROWD WATCHES AS THE BOY WHO NEVER AGES IS LED OUT ON

STAGE, THE CROWD GASPING AND LAUGHING AT THE TINY FIGURES
WISPY, WHITE HAIR AND HIS TRADITIONAL CLOWN OUTFIT
TAILORED TO THE BODY OF A FOUR YEAR OLD
OFFICER V/O
He murdered his family with a
hammer. Smashed all of their
heads clean in
LOW ANGLE LOOKING UP, HE KEEPS HITTING WITH THE HAMMER
OVER AND OVER, BLOOD SPATTERING ALL OVER HIS FACE AS HE
WORKS HIMSELF INTO A RAGE
back in the kitchen -
OFFICER
He found his way here. He bonded
with your daughter who has been
letting him live here, sleep
under her bed and sometimes...
next to her.

He hangs his head in shame, so do the family, tears break

out, Lucy wants to leave
10 SCENE 7: INT - BATHROOM - SOME TIME LATER 10
Becca sits on the toilet, we assume that she is wiping.
She produces a pregnancy test - it is positive.