Night Games

by Alex Sarris

Short Film
Email: [email protected]

A fun game that turns out to be more than university student Billy bargained for.

 

 

 

 

NIGHT GAMES

 

By  Alex Sarris

 

 

 

Revisions by Alex Sarris 16 July 2012
Alex Sarris 26 July 2012
Alex Sarris 6 August 2012

 

 

Current Revisions by Alex Sarris 6 August 2012

 

 

ALEX SARRIS
PO Box 325 Mount Hawthorn Perth WA Australia 6915 Email: [email protected]

Copyright (c) 2012 This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.

FADE IN:

EXT. UNIVERSITY GROUNDS - DAY
Students sit on the grass and bench seats.
BILLY CARDER (18) sorts through his bag. He forces a cheese sandwich into his mouth.

CURTIS SANDS (19) sits nearby and watches Billy closely.

CURTIS
You’re in my maths class?

Billy lifts his head and eyeballs Curtis.

BILLY
What?

CURTIS
My maths class, you’re in it?

BILLY
(Confused) Maybe.

CURTIS
Name’s Curtis.

He extends his hand, Billy reaches up and returns the gesture.

BILLY
Billy, Billy Carder.

CURTIS
Yeah, thought so. So how are you makin’ out with all of it?

BILLY
(Shaking his head) Struggling, between school and work, I’m tapped.

A devious smirk cuts across Curtis’s face.

CURTIS
Quit work.

BILLY
Can’t afford to.

CURTIS
Sponge off your parents, that’s what I do.

BILLY
My parents are dead, dad died before I was born and my mum died a few years ago.

CURTIS
Man, sorry to hear that.

BILLY
I live with my granny.

CURTIS
There is one thing you can do, might make you a little extra cash if you’re up for it.

BILLY
Up for what?

CURTIS
Every Friday night at eight we play night games.

BILLY
What’s that?

CURTIS
A game, we pay ten dollars each, winner takes all.

BILLY
How much can I win?

CURTIS
Sometimes we get twenty guys. (Shrugging his shoulders)
Two hundred bucks.

BILLY
(Excited) That’s alright.

CURTIS
I’ll give you the address, just show up ten minutes earlier.

BILLY
How does the game work?

CURTIS
You get handed a laser pen and you have to catch the others.

BILLY
OK.

EXT. CURTIS’S HOUSE - FRONT - NIGHT
Billy parks his backfiring sedan and steps out.
Curtis stands on the path holding a fistful of laser pens and a clipboard.

STEVE (16) and ROGER (18) stand next to Curtis.

CURTIS
Glad you came.

BILLY
Looking forward to it.

CURTIS
This is Steve and Roger.

BILLY
How’s it going?

Billy offers his hand.

STEVE
Nervous.

ROGER
You’re a wuss.

Billy looks confused and hands Curtis ten dollars and receives a laser pen.

BILLY
(Looks at Steve)
What’s there to be nervous about?

STEVE
The game’s across the road.
Billy turns his head and looks into the darkness across the road.

BILLY
What’s across the road?

CURTIS
A cemetery.

BILLY
Shit, are we allowed too?

CURTIS
We do it all the time.
Billy nervously bites his nails.

CURTIS (CONT’D)
When you get someone with the laser you yell “DEAD” and they leave the game.

BILLY
So the last one left wins?

CURTIS
There’s more to it.

CURTIS (CONT’D)
The mausoleum is a safe house, you can’t die there or within fifty metres.

BILLY
(Laughs)
I’ll just stay there.

CURTIS
We thought of that, you can only stay there for five minutes max.

BILLY
Is that it?

CURTIS
No, you can pair up with someone and split the winnings.

ROGER
That’s what we did last week.

STEVE
(Interrupting)
Yeah and I lost because of you.

CURTIS
You can only make an alliance in the mausoleum.

BILLY
How will I know if I’m last?

CURTIS
When everyone has come out except one, we’ll come in and get you.

BILLY
OK.

Curtis browses the clipboard.

CURTIS
Ten have already gone in and there are three or four more to come.

BILLY
That’s eighteen.

STEVE
Yep three hundred and sixty that I’m taking home.

Curtis looks at Steve with a smirk.

CURTIS
Go through the gates, we’ll start in about ten.

The three men walk across the road as a car pulls up and parks.

EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT
Billy walks through the gate, the light of the full moon illuminates the gravestones.

Steve and Roger run to the left and quickly disappear. A frightened Billy, cautiously walks through the graves. He walks past a grave and TONY (16) jumps out.

TONY
Boo.

BILLY
(Holding his chest)
You scared the shit out of me.

TONY
If the game had started, you’d be going home.

BILLY
Want to team up?

TONY
You’re new?

BILLY
Yeah.

TONY
Not here.

Billy walks off keeping his head down.
Billy kneels behind a large grave with gargoyles, poking his head briefly over the stone slab.

He looks at his watch - 8pm.

VOICE (O.S.)
(Yelling) Start.

Billy ducks his head and holds the laser pen tight as his hand shakes.

Moving between graves, Billy reaches a tree and sits with his back against it.

A lizard crawls up the tree. Billy leans away.
The shape of a moonlit building in the distance. Billy stands, keeps low, heads towards it.

VOICE (O.S) (CONT’D)
(Yelling) Dead.

Billy nervously falls to the ground.

BILLY
(Quietly) Shit.

VOICE (O.S)
You’re out of here.

PHILIP (17) stands tall, walks past Billy, and notices him.

PHILIP
Watch out. He’s over there.

Billy stares at Philip.
The mausoleum is in sight and Billy rushes towards it.
MIKE (16) jumps into Billy’s path and points the laser at him, it fails to light up.

MIKE
Crap.

Billy presses his laser and gets Mike in the chest.

BILLY
(Hesitantly) Dead.

Mike shakes his head as he walks away.
Less than fifty metres from the mausoleum, Billy stands upright, walks towards the open doorway.

INT. MAUSOLEUM - NIGHT
A dark cold room, the cold stone walls with chiseled names are visible.

Billy sits on the floor in a darkened corner, catches his breath.

 

ANTHONY (O.S.)
Hi.

Scared, Billy looks toward the voice.

BILLY
Who’s that?

ANTHONY (18) pleasant looking and well groomed, slides across the floor next to Billy and becomes visible.

ANTHONY
I’m Anthony.

BILLY
I’m Billy.

Billy offers his hand.

ANTHONY
Having a blast?

BILLY
Shit no, I just want to get the hell out of here.

ANTHONY
(Laugh)
There’s not many ways out.

Billy looks at Anthony confused.

BILLY
Are you new?

ANTHONY
No, done this many times.

VOICE (O.S.)
(In the distance) Dead.

BILLY
Another one.
(Looks at Anthony) Do you want to team up?

ANTHONY
OK.

BILLY
Where’s your laser?

ANTHONY
I dropped it.

BILLY
I can understand that, I nearly dropped mine when some idiot scared the shit out of me.
(Pause)
How can you win without it.

ANTHONY
I’ll stay behind you and keep an eye out. We can work together.

Billy’s deep in thought.

BILLY
We better get out of here, times nearly up.

Billy looks at his watch.
As they walk out through the doorway, a dark shadow Moves through the doorway into the mausoleum. Billy steps to one side.

EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT
They stay low and quickly hide behind a headstone watching the mausoleum entry.

BILLY
If we hang here, we can see who comes and goes.

ANTHONY
Good idea.

Moments later MARK (20) dressed in black, walks out and passes close by Billy and Anthony.

They follow Mark and remain close to the ground.
Billy looks back to see if they are far enough from the mausoleum.

BILLY
(Whispers) He’s cooked.

Billy points his laser at Mark connecting with his leg. Mark jumps.

 

MARK
Damn.

BILLY
(Yelling) Dead.

Billy high fives Anthony then takes cover.
An angry Mark walks towards Billy, clenches his fist and makes a punching motion at Billy.

Billy puts his fists up ready. Mark walks off angry.

ANTHONY
He wasn’t happy.

BILLY
Someone should tell him it’s a game.

ANTHONY
Maybe he doesn’t know.
Billy looks at Anthony confused.

BILLY
Let’s keep going.

ANTHONY
(Walks backwards behind Billy)
I’ve got your back.

BILLY
There shouldn’t be too many left.

VOICE (O.S.)
(In the distance) Dead.

BILLY
He must be the last one.

ANTHONY
(Pointing) Let’s head that way.

Billy cautiously follows Anthony.

BILLY
(Whispers) Get down.

Anthony follows Billy to the ground.

ANTHONY
(Whispers) What?

BILLY
(Whispers) Look over there.

Anthony lifts his head above the gravestone.

ANTHONY
(Whispers) Where?

Billy lifts his head.

BILLY
(Whispers) There, see the head.

ANTHONY
(Whispers) Let’s rush him.

BILLY
(Whispers)
No, lets wait till he moves.

They patiently wait and PETER (17) begins to crawl.

ANTHONY
(Whispers) He’s going.

BILLY
(Whispers)
We’ll get him as he moves along the isles.

They crawl parallel to Peter and eventually line up along the same isle.

Billy shines the laser and hits Peter in the shoulder.

BILLY (CONT’D)
Dead.

Peter stands up, looks in Billy’s direction then leaves.

ANTHONY
He must be the last one.

BILLY
Maybe not, lets wait until they come for us.

They crawl in the direction of the start.

Anthony crawls in the isle parallel to Billy.
Billy looks towards Anthony, as Anthony disappears to the ground.

Moving towards Anthony, Billy panics.

BILLY (CONT’D)
(Whispers) Were are you?

Billy finds an open grave.

BILLY (CONT’D)
Anthony. Where are you?

He stands and runs towards the entry.
Curtis and the rest of the group walk towards him.

CURTIS
We where just coming to get you.

BILLY
I think Anthony has fallen into a grave.

They follow Billy.

CURTIS
(Confused)
I’m not sure what you mean?

BILLY
Anthony. We need to find him.
They reach the grave.

BILLY (CONT’D)
(Demanding)
Give me your flashlight.

Curtis hands the flashlight to Billy.
Billy shines the flashlight into the open grave, it is empty. Billy focus’s the light on the headstone of the next grave.
The Headstone reads: Anthony Carder -- Born December 1960 -- passed away January 1995.

A ceramic photo of Anthony dresses the headstone.

BILLY (CONT’D)
(Whispers)
Dad.

(MORE)
Dad.

BILLY (CONT’D)
(Yelling)

 

FADE OUT:

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