3 INT. JOHN’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT
DREAM SEQUENCE:
John's eyes open. His room is covered in FOG and a RED GLOW.
He panics. From his closet, there's a rustling noise. Fog cascades down from above, like a curtain.
A black slime coated hand (the shadow given flesh) reaches out from behind the fog and beckons at John.
John flips shit and starts throwing things at the hand. It screeches and disappears back into the closet.
INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT
DREAM SEQUENCE ENDS:
John wakes up. He's still positioned as though he had been throwing things at his closet.
He brings his knees to his chest, and he breathes.
His computer screen flips on, and on the screen is the image of that shadow person creature, staring out at him.
JOHN Oh fuck this shit.
INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - NIGHT
John bursts in and grabs his pill bottle. He quickly pulls out a pill and pops it into his mouth, swallowing.
He leans against his wall and sighs deeply while staring at himself in the mirror.
JOHN Pathetic.
He leaves the bathroom, shutting off the light as he leaves.
INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY
SUPER: DAY 2
John stands outside of his closet staring in with trepidation. He carries a broom.
He reaches out, but there's a rustling noise.
He immediately freaks out and starts attacking the closet with the broom. He screams in terror.
There's nothing in the closet. Relieved, and feeling a little silly, John flops down onto his bed and closes his eyes.
DREAM SEQUENCE:
Jake grabs his hand, causing John to flip shit. He sits straight up, and when he does, he comes face to face with Jake.
Jake's EYE'S, gouged out, leave only empty bloody sockets in their wake.
JAKE Don't look in their eyes, John!
END DREAM SEQUENCE:
John thrashes in his bed, screaming. He sits up quickly, a terrified look on his face. He blinks as he looks around the room, and nothing seems out of the ordinary.
INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - DAY
John once more pops a pill, then leaves.
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - HALLWAY - DAY
John walks out of his apartment and closes the door behind him.
He fumbles for his keys and drops them again.
JOHN Ah, shit.
When he bends to down to pick them up, a drop of red liquid lands next to his keys.
He stares at it, confused, then a terrified look spreads across his face.
He stands up slowly and looks to his left. Jake is standing there, staring at him with his bloody empty eye sockets.
JOHN Jake...?
JAKE Don't look in their eyes, John.
JOHN What happened to you, man?
JAKE They know you're free. You must hide!
JOHN Jake, what's going on?
JAKE They're coming for you. Don't look in their eyes. They need a vessel, John. DON'T LOOK IN THEIR EYES!
Jake screams like he's in agony, and shoves John. John falls and scrambles back.
When John looks back up, Jake is gone.
On the ground in front of John, where Jake was standing, are two gory eyes.
INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT, FRONT DOOR - DAY
John bursts in and locks the door behind him.
He collapses to the ground in front of the door. In a panic, he pulls out his pill bottle, but when he opens it and dumps it into his hand, what comes out is Jake's gory eye. John screams and throws the bottle, which hits the wall, and sends pills flying.
John weeps and holds his knees to his chest.
JOHN Why is this happening?
INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY
John is cuddled up on his couch, clutching his cell-phone.
He's calling someone- It picks up.
SARA VO Hello?
JOHN Sara?
SARA VO Hey, J! What's up?
JOHN Not much, I guess.
SARA VO Are you okay? You sound kinda off.
JOHN Uhh... Truth be told I'm not okay. I don't know what the fuck is happening anymore. I'm scared. And I'm alone. And I could really use a friend, right now.
The line is silent. Sara's voice pops through with a lot of static.
SARA VO John...? I -- get that. Could- that again? -- John? -- I'll call-- back. I'm -- tunnel.
The line goes dead.
John hangs his head. He hugs his cellphone, and he waits.
Hours go by, John changes positions. Sara doesn't call back.
John eventually passes out.
INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT
DREAM SEQUENCE:
John sleeps while cuddling his cell phone. The phone shows that there is no signal.
Fog begins flowing out from under his bed.
One hand reaches out, and following it comes the rest of the human-shaped, shadowy figure. The fog curls around the edge of the bed and flows towards John.
John sleeps, peacefully.
The shadow creatures hand reaches out and grabs onto John.
His eyes flicker open. When he sees the creature, his eyes widen, but for some reason, he is unable to move.
He screams, but his mouth won't open.
The creature drags him under his bed. His screams become quieter and quieter.
Just then, his phone gets 1 bar of signal.
It starts ringing. The caller ID reads "Sara".
John's arm reaches out from under the bed and begins clawing its way out again.
Slowly, the rest of John follows.
The thing under his bed is fighting back, and John is almost dragged under once more.
John reaches for the cell-phone, his fingers almost touch it, and he stretches for it desperately.
Finally, his hands clasp around the phone.
DREAM SEQUENCE ENDS:
John answers his phone. He's huddled on the corner of his bed with the phone to his ears.
JOHN Sara?
SARA VO Hi, J! Sorry it took so long to call back, I was in a tunnel and reception got really bad, then a bunch of stuff came up and I forgot to call back.
John looks like he's ready to cry.
SARA VO Anywho, what's going on with you? Earlier you sounded like your dog died.
JOHN I'm just... lonely. And I don't know what to do. I'm scared.
SARA VO Oh, Johnny... Have you been taking your meds?
JOHN The doc gave me some new stuff. I don't think it's working.
SARA VO Well, have you tried calling her? Letting her know?
JOHN No. Not yet.
SARA VO Why don't you take your pills tonight, and then give her a call in the morning? Maybe she'll be able to help you out.
JOHN Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'll do that.
SARA VO Alright, well, if that's all, I'm going to go, I've got a big day at work tomorrow! I love you, Goodnight! Sweet dreams, baby!
JOHN Yeah, ok. I love you, too. Sweet dreams.
John puts down his phone. The call ends without him touching it.
He huddles into a corner of his bed and brings his knees to his chest.
INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY
SUPER: DAY 3
John sits across from Dr. Linda Mayhew, once more wearing something red, who stares intently at John.
DR. LINDA This sounds like it stemmed from Jake's video, to begin with, and then branched out into nightmares, and hallucinations because you stopped taking your medications.
JOHN That's what it feels like. Sara said I should talk to you about it.
DR. LINDA She was right. I'll set you on a higher dose, but I don't think that's going to totally resolve your problem here, John.
JOHN My problem?
DR. LINDA Yes. I believe you may be experiencing acute paranoia brought on by a combination of anxiety caused by work-related stress, and mutated by the contents of that video.
JOHN So... I'm paranoid?
DR. LINDA Essentially. There's more to it, but I can't help you with the rest if you won't talk to me about it.
JOHN The rest?
DR. LINDA Your father.
JOHN No.
DR. LINDA John, why are you running?
JOHN I'm not running, I just don't feel like that's an issue anymore.
DR. LINDA If it's not an issue, why won't you talk about it?
JOHN Look, I was 7 years old! And any kid who sees his mother get killed is going to be a little fucked up about it later.
DR. LINDA Exactly, which is why we should talk about it
JOHN No, that's exactly why we shouldn't talk about it. I'm 22 years old. It was more than a decade ago, and I've finally reached a point in my life where the people around me don't think that every time I freak out its because I watched my mother die as a kid. Do you know what that's like?
DR. LINDA No I don't.
JOHN No, of course, you don't! You grew up in a world where everyone around you got to be some special snowflake and you were just like them!
DR. LINDA So tell me.
JOHN Why?! Why should I tell you?! Do you think me telling you that I hated being the odd one out is going to make a difference?! Do you think knowing I felt like some kind of zoo animal which the special snowflakes got to stare at made me depressed? I AM NOT DEPRESSED!
DR. LINDA So what are you?
JOHN I'm... I don't know what the fuck I am. But I'm not a special snowflake, I'm not a fucking zoo animal. And I am not depressed.
John's tirade comes to an end. Silence ensues.
DR. LINDA I think you should go and find Jake. Put yourself at ease by getting the facts, doing a little digging. Making sure he's okay.
JOHN That's... actually advice that I can get behind.
DR. LINDA John. I know you don't want to hear it, but it wasn't your fault.
JOHN That is the cheesiest/stupidest shit I have ever heard.
DR. LINDA You're welcome.
Dr. Linda scribbles out a prescription for him.
DR. LINDA And if you would hand this to the secretary on your way out...
Dr. Linda holds out the prescription to John.
He takes it, glances over it, and nods his head before standing, and collecting his stuff to leave.
DR. LINDA And John?
John looks at her.
DR. LINDA Take your fucking pills.
John frowns.
JOHN Yeah.
