EXT. MEGAN'S BACKYARD - DAY
Megan and May look at the knot hole. Seeing nothing they
continue their conversation.
MAY
The problem is that if Brianna is
with us you can't use the gizmo.
And if you think I'm going to ride
my bicycle out to the Bates mansion
in the middle of the night, you're
crazy.
(glances at knot hole)
Besides, do you want to be out
there without the gizmo in case
something does happen?
Megan thinks for a moment.
MEGAN
You're right.
(glances at knot hole)
OK, here's the plan...
INT. MEGAN'S ROOM - EARLY EVENING
Megan is seated in her desk chair facing May who is seated on
the bed.
MEGAN
I'm anxious to explore the rest of
the mansion.
MAY
I'm not exactly comfortable with
the idea of going back to the Bates
Mansion.
MEGAN
Ghosts generally don't hurt people,
May.
MAY
Tell that to the Bates family.
Megan's door opens. Brianna enters with her video camera
hanging from her neck and computer print-outs in her hand.
BRIANNA
Here's what I have on the Bates
mansion.
(reading)
The Bates mansion was built in 1946
for the Bates family - Mr. Bates,
his wife, a seventeen year old son,
a fourteen year old daughter and a
twelve year old daughter... The
mansion is three stories high with
a full basement.
MEGAN
That just doesn't seem right to me.
What does a family of five need
with a mansion that size?
Brianna glances at Megan. May shrugs.
BRIANNA
(reading)
Some found it curious the Bates
daughters were almost never seen...
Those who said they had seen the
daughters described them as being
deformed.
MAY
Deformed?
May and Megan look at each other.
BRIANNA
(reading)
The family died on a stormy night
under mysterious circumstances.
(holding finger up)
Mr. Bates was hacked to death with
a meat cleaver in his bedroom.
MAY
(Megan)
You still want to go out there?
BRIANNA
(changes papers, reads)
The next family who bought the
house ran screaming in the middle
of the night and never returned.
The girls glance at each other.
BRIANNA
They never even got a chance to
clean the house.
(slowly for effect)
The bloodstains are still on the
walls and bed where Mr. Bates was
murdered.
May rubs chill bumps on her arms. Brianna glances at the
other girls.
BRIANNA
(reading)
Since then several realtors have
investigated the mansion but
considered the property a bad
investment.
(looks up from paper)
And it's been there ever since just
like it is.
May and Megan look at each other.
BRIANNA
Oh, there's something else you
might find interesting. The jocks
at school have secret initiations
there at the beginning of every
school year.
MEGAN
Where did you hear about that?
BRIANNA
I've got a friend who's a fireman
who told me. He said it was ultra
secret and I'm never suppose to
tell so I promised I wouldn't. He
said if the school board knew what
the boys were doing they would put
a stop to it.
Brianna heads for the door.
BRIANNA
I've got some other things
printing. I'll go get them.
The moment Brianna leaves the room a GHOSTLY LIGHT APPEARS in
the room and PAYAH THE ANGEL APPEARS IN THE LIGHT DRESSED
LIKE ELVIS and holding a box of theater popcorn in one hand
and a soda in the other. The girls are startled at first.
Megan throws a pillow at Payah.
MEGAN
Payah, you scared us!
MAY
Good entrance though.
PAYAH
(very Elvis)
Thank ya. Thank ya very much.
MAY
Good Elvis if I do say so.
PAYAH
How about this one?
WHITE GLOW MOVES OVER PAYAH LEAVING HIM DRESSED IN A BLACK
SUIT AND TIE.
PAYAH
When are you humans going to learn.
Just because something's really
powerful doesn't mean it has to be
really large. It could be small,
like the size of a marble.
MAY
(pointing at Payah)
Don't tell me,... M.I.B's right?
MEGAN
What?
MAY
Men in Black.
MEGAN
(Payah)
Where have you been?
MAY
It's obvious where he's been. He's
been at the movies.
Megan sighs, rolls eyes at ceiling, shakes head. Payah sits
down on Megan's bed. Puts drink on bedside table, begins
munching popcorn.
EXT. MEGAN'S BACKYARD - EVENING
Brianna returning, passes Megan's window with papers in hand.
She overhears a conversation in Megan's room. She listens at
the window. She can only hear Megan and May.
MAY (V.O.)
That's it. He wants us to learn as
much as we can about the gizmo on
our own.
BRIANNA
(puzzled)
He who?
INT. MEGAN'S ROOM - EVENING
Seated at her desk with star charts on her laptop, Megan
studies a pattern of dots on the medallion.
MEGAN
I know this one too but I can't
think of it.
Megan pokes a few keys on her laptop computer. The image
changes.
PAYAH
If you learn these things on your
own you will remember them.
MEGAN
(smiling)
It's the constellation of Leo.
PAYAH
Very good.
The girls HEAR THE BACK DOOR OPEN.
MAY
Brianna!
MEGAN
Quick!
Megan grabs the medallion and hides it in a white box then
puts it into a desk drawer. Brianna opens the door and
enters. Megan closes the desk drawer quickly. May is lying on
the bed beside Payah. BRIANNA CANNOT SEE PAYAH.
BRIANNA
I...
Brianna pauses noticing May and Megan's suspicious
appearance.
BRIANNA
...found more information about the
Bates mansion on another website.
Megan sees INVISIBLE PAYAH lying on the bed next to May. May
glances at him then back at Brianna.
BRIANNA
What's going on?
MEGAN
Nothin'.
MAY
Yeah, it's just us, acting strange
as usual.
Payah pulls his legs up quickly as Brianna plops onto the bed
next to May.
BRIANNA
(reading from papers)
The older daughter fell into a hole
in the backyard. Before anyone
could find her she died.
(grinning at Megan)
The interesting thing is that every
witness who said they saw her body
told a different story... One said
she fell into the hole and broke
her neck. Another said she was
found near the hole and cause of
death was unknown.
The girls glance at each other.
MEGAN
Sounds like a government cover-up.
May nods.
BRIANNA
(reading)
They found the older son in the
front yard. A neighbor who lived
near the graveyard said they heard
someone screaming. Then suddenly
there was silence. At that moment
lightning struck the neighbor's
house and it burned to the ground.
MAY
Let me guess, every witness told a
different story.
BRIANNA
(holding finger in air)
One said the boy must have fallen
from the top front balcony. No one
knew how he came to be up there.
They found him dead in the front
yard with a broken neck.
MAY
Another broken neck... Very
suspicious.
BRIANNA
(reading)
The younger daughter and mother
died clutching each other in the
kitchen floor. The article says
they believe they both had a heart
attack at the exact same moment.
MAY
Heart attacks at the same exact
moment? How is that possible?
MEGAN
It's not possible... Is it?
MAY
Must have been something they ate.
BRIANNA
You think that's curious? This all
supposedly happened during a
lightning storm in the middle of
the night.
MAY
Why were they outside in the storm?
MEGAN
Maybe they were trying to get away
from something that was in the
house.
BRIANNA
That was my first guess, but listen
to this.
(reading)
The police report said that when
they arrived and found Mr. Bates
that all the doors and windows were
locked from the inside. Yet there
was no evidence of how the killer
got into the house or how they
escaped.
Brianna hands papers to Megan.
BRIANNA
That's about it.
(gets up)
I have to go home.
Brianna walks to the door, opens it, looks back.
BRIANNA
You guys let me know the plan. I'll
see you tomorrow.
Brianna leaves.
INT. MEGAN'S ROOM - MORNING
Megan asleep in bed. LOUD KNOCKING on her door.
GARY (O.S.)
Get up, butt-munch! You're sleeping
your life away!
(laughing)
Megan looks at her bedside clock, 6:00 am.
MEGAN
One of these days, Gary, you're
going to get yours.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. MEGAN'S ROOM - MORNING
Bedside clock reads 8:00 am. Knocking on door.
MEGAN
Go away, Gary! Leave me alone!
DONNA
Megan, get up. We have school
shopping to do today.
MEGAN
(moaning)
Oh, mom!
INT. MALL - DAY
Megan, May, and Brianna are seated on a bench inside a large
enclosed mall. Each one has plastic bags filled with items
they've bought. Megan and May are both tired.
BRIANNA
Did you guys see the local news
last night...
(newscaster voice)
With Victoria Monroe.
(excited)
It was fantastic... You know how we
were talking about the Bates
Mansion yesterday? Well she was
there night before last and guess
what!
Megan and May glance at each other then suddenly realize they
were a star attraction.
BRIANNA
There they were, camera on the
front of the mansion and two
policemen come running out of the
building as fast as they could go!
God that was exciting. Then the
third floor balcony doors opened up
but there was no one there.
Megan and May become concerned, listening to Brianna's story.
BRIANNA
Then out of nowhere this girl walks
right out onto the balcony and then
vanishes right in front of the
camera. God that was cool!
MEGAN
Did they happen to see who the girl
was?
BRIANNA
Nope, didn't get a good look at her
face. Funny thing though, she was
wearing an outfit just like May was
wearing the day before yesterday.
Megan and May look at each other again. The three watch as
THREE MEN IN SUITS carrying briefcases walk past them and
around the corner out of sight.
MEGAN
(disdain)
Banister.
MAY
What's he doing here?
BRIANNA
Don't you two ever watch the news?
He's buying the mall.
MAY
You're kidding!
MEGAN
(sighs)
Now I'll have to find somewhere
else to shop.
Brianna frowns at Megan not understanding.
MAY
He hired a man to poison the
Butler's horses and Megan's pony
Sparky. He nearly ended up running
the Butlers and Megan's grandma off
their farms.
BRIANNA
I didn't know that.
MAY
(nods head, smirks)
And he's buying the mall... Get it?
INT. MEGAN'S ROOM - AFTERNOON
Megan in her desk chair. May and Brianna seated on the bed.
BRIANNA
When are we going to the mansion?
MAY
How are we going to get there?
MEGAN
I could try to get Gary to take us.
Besides I have some ideas how I can
get back at him.
MAY
Still waking you at six when he
goes to work?
BRIANNA
(grinning)
Is this a pay back?
MEGAN
(nods head)
Listen to this.
The three lean toward each other as Megan reveals her plan.[
INT. KITCHEN - EVENING
Roy, Donna, Gary, Megan at kitchen table eating.
MEGAN
We saw Banister at the mall today.
ROY
He's trying to buy the mall. I hear
a few people are trying to block
the hostile take-over. Looks like
there's going to be a big court
battle over it.
MEGAN
I hope Banister loses.
GARY
Why do you care? You never take an
interest in business of any kind
anyway.
DONNA
Now, Gary, behave.
MEGAN
Banister is a crook! He's the one
who's behind grandma's problems.
He's the guy who--
GARY
--I know. I know. He's the one who
hired the man who poisoned your
pony. Trouble is, Megan, you can't
prove it.
MEGAN
(snarls at Gary)
Just because you work for one of
his chain stores doesn't mean you
have to like the guy!
DONNA
(Megan)
Don't you think that if Mr.
Banister had been behind all that
the police would have caught him by
now?
MEGAN
If they knew about it sure, but
they don't.
GARY
(smart-alecky)
Cause they got no evidence against
him! Give it up, Megan!
ROY
Megan may not be far from right.
Simon's dad built his empire on the
sweat and blood of others. Time and
time again people who had good
evidence against him have taken him
to court and lost.
MEGAN
I'll bet he bought the judge and
jury...
(waving hand)
And...And I'll bet anyone who could
prove his guilt vanished without a
trace!
GARY
Give it a rest!
DONNA
Didn't one of the jurors have an
accident during that trial.
ROY
He had a car wreck. I thought that
was curious when their house caught
fire and burned down that same
night. The Judge went for a
mistrial.
MEGAN
And they turned him loose, didn't
they?
Roy nods head.
MEGAN
I'll bet the judge was afraid his
house would be next.
INT. MAY'S ROOM - NIGHT
The SOFT BLUE TRANSPORT LIGHT APPEARS BRINGING MEGAN with it.
MEGAN
Are you ready to pay a visit to
Banister's house?
MAY
Ready as I'll ever be.
MEGAN
First stop back in my room.
May takes Megan's hand. THE BLUE GLOW MOVES OVER HER LIKE
LIQUID LIGHT. In a moment THEY VANISH from the room.
INT. MEGAN'S ROOM - NIGHT
BLUE TRANSPORT LIGHT APPEARS BRINGING MEGAN AND MAY. Megan
moves to her bed, removes the crown. BLUE GLOW SUBSIDES. She
exchanges the blue crystal for the white one. She lies down
on her bed. She puts the crown back on. FLUID WHITE ENERGY
MOVES OVER HER body.
MEGAN
I found Banister's house today. I
zoomed out there and checked it
out.
MAY
What's the plan?
MEGAN
I'm going to zoom back out there.
If the coast is clear I'll shut off
his alarm and video system. Then we
change to the blue crystal and beam
out there.
May watches the FLUID WHITE GLOW MOVING OVER MEGAN.
MAY
Where are you?
MEGAN
Almost there.
MAY
You know when you do this you're
more fun to watch than a lava lamp.
MEGAN
There it is. And there's his big
black limo in the driveway. Let me
see who's in there.
INT. BANISTER'S HOME OFFICE - NIGHT
MEGAN'S VISION
MEGAN'S SPIRIT VIEW FLIES THROUGH THE DOOR of Banister's
house, then straight to Banister's home office.
MEGAN (O.S.)
Banister and his driver Don Lowery
are in the office talking.
BANISTER
I want them taken care of.
INT. MEGAN'S ROOM - NIGHT
MEGAN
He said he wants Lowery to take
care of them.
MAY
Who's them?
MEGAN
I don't know. Oh, get the pencil.
He's about to open one of his
safes...
(watching)
Looks like, right 9... left 50...
right 75... and she's open.
MAY
Got it.
MEGAN
He's taking some papers out of the
safe and a box. He's putting them
on his desk. He's opening the
box... Oh boy!
MAY
What is it?
MEGAN
It's a box full of money. He's
giving a new bundle of thousand
dollar bills to Lowery. He's
looking at the paper now... It's a
list of names. Some of the names
are crossed out...
(stunned)
Good Lord, May, that's a hit list!
(reading list)
Mr. Butler's name is near the top.
(reading)
Grandma's name is about half way
down it. Oh, and there's Bob
Colgon's name.
MAY
Who's that?
MEGAN
It's Crazy Bob.
MAY
He's got Bob on a hit list?
MEGAN
He sure does. Man, if we could
just get our hands on that list we
would have all the evidence we need
to link Banister to the crimes.
MAY
And Lowery is the connection. I bet
if you follow him you'll find your
henchmen.
MEGAN
I'll bet you're right.
MAY
Read the list to me. I'll write the
names down.
MEGAN
Can't. Lowery folded it up and put
it in his pocket... He's leaving.
I'm going with him.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. MEGAN'S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT
SOFT WHITE GLOW AROUND MEGAN FOR CROWN EFFECT.
Megan is lying on her bed with crown on.
MEGAN
He went to the river. He's pulling
into one of the loading dock
buildings. Looks like building 18.
May writes down the information.
MEGAN
I see two men coming to meet him
and you'll never guess who one of
them is. It's Jordan Gilmore.
MAY
I thought he was in jail.
MEGAN
Someone must have bailed him out
for this job.
MAY
Do I get three guesses?
MEGAN
They're going into an office...
Lowery is showing them the list.
May touches Megan. THE WHITE GLOW MOVES OVER MAY.