The Cursed House by Korso Brothers

"The Cursed House" by Korso Brothers


PROLOGUE 1.

An old house in Victorian style, not badly preserved, but darkened by time. A barn outside.
The camera follows a policeman getting out of his car.
On the radio he hears a voice, "nine bodies found so far, no survivors."
He sees the charred remains of a car, next to which are two bodies, a man and a woman, also badly charred.
He enters the house.
Inside, medics and detectives are examining the bodies of the murdered people.
The policeman walks from body to body.
Two young boys bludgeoned to death with a blunt object, a girl who fell down the stairs with her head smashed in, a Chinese woman stabbed to death, a blonde girl strangled, a bludgeoned man next to her, a man wearing some kind of monster mask with stab wounds.
Policeman goes up to the second floor. There one of the experts is examining the corpse of a man with no visible injuries.

Policeman: - What the hell happened here?
Expert: - I don't know, but it's some kind of weird mess. A lot of people called this house cursed. I don't know why, really... but it looks spooky. Especcially now. Just look at it!
The cop nods, starts walking down the stairs.
Expert: - Be careful. The floor is weak and the switch in the basement is jammed, the lights go out every half hour. There's blood in there, too, by the way.
Another cop, outside, on the radio: - Hey, Steve, there's two more bodies in the barn, and...  (loudly to the rest of the street) We got a live one!
The cop quickly goes down, finds the other one, and both run to the barn.
They find a young woman, sitting on the floor of the barn shaking and reciting prayers to herself, next to her they see a woman beaten with a poker and the body of a man with his head shot through.
Policeman: - Miss, what happened? Are you all right?
The girl is silent, staring into the void.
Policeman: -What happened here?
Lady, quiet: - El Cucuy! It was El Cucuy...
Policeman: - What? Say that again.
The girl, louder, looking at him: - El Cucuy was in this house. He killed everyone. Gina, Conrad, Michelle, Rose.... A demon lives here! This place is cursed!
The policemen throw a blanket over the girl and gently lead her away to a police car.
Several policemen standing in front of the house, and watching the sealing of the doors and the pulling of the tape; talking to each other: -What could have killed them all...? Apparently, this house is cursed.
Ambulance cars turns on its blinkers.
(fade to black with gloomy, oppressive music).


PROLOGUE 2

Police station.
An Detective is talking to a forensic psychologist in his office.
Psychologist: - There is one strange thing about this case. The girl gives twelve names, and I think you found eleven corpses. Are you sure you didn't miss anyone?
Detective: No, of course not. The house was combed from bottom to top, the twelfth body is nowhere to be found, not even in the woods near the house.
Psychologist: - The girl keeps talking about some Gina.
The Detective, looking in his papers and turning the pages: - Maybe this Gina is involved. There are so many traces, it's hard to keep track of everything.

The Detective leaves the psychologist and goes to his office.
He asks the policeman sitting at his desk: Where are all the documents on the dead people? Did you find everything?
Policeman: - Everything is here (holds out a folder). Personal files, papers, dossiers, data, forensic reports, there is even a statement from the owners of the house.

Detective 2 are sitting in the office.
Detective 1 comes in, sits by the table.
Detective 2 are gives him a folder.
Detective 1 opens a folder, flips through it.
Detective 2: - There was no Gina in the house, because she was dead ten years ago. Died in her sleep. Asthma.
Detective 1: What does that tell us?
Detective 2: What does it tell us? Little girl died in her sleep, religious bunch say that the house is cursed, people are leaving the place, it's impossible to sell it. The house is empty, young people gather there. Do you see the names of the two people killed? Half-brother and half-sister. Probably used the place secretly from their parents and took their friends there. Did you see the amount of drugs in there? It's a crack house.
Detective 1, looking through the files: That's the quite a Brady Bunch we got there. One of them, Nate, was in for drug dealing, and he's been on our books for years. Conrad and Rose, half-brother and half-sister, probably put them all together. They're all tied up.
Detective 2: See who their parents are. (holds out a sheet from the folder)
Detective 1 (studying the sheet): - So Gina's their common sister. That's a hell of a clue! So... Michelle, she was a top executive, got kicked out of her job, became a waitress. She's a familiar face, she was a witness in the Conrad case.
Detective 2: What case?
Detective 1: - Nate and Conrad were living in a rented apartment, Nate's pot was found there, and Michelle testified that Conrad was at her place that night. Apparently, they're lovers. Were lovers, actually. Nate took all the blame, and he's still on probation. I mean was... He'd definitely go down if we caught them.
Detective 2: What about these two?
Detective 1: Dustin and Justin, brothers. They're kind of his stooges. They follow him around everywhere, real junkies. I know this one for a fact.
Points to a photograph.
Detective 2: Tony Alvarez?
He's got a high school altercations, religiously motivated fights, believes in spirits, former athlete... loose cannon. I had a feeling this was going to be one of those.
Detective 2, looking at the photo: Who the hell is this guy?
Detective 1: Mexican Jose Diaz. Worked together at the survivor's. Man of faith, too. Sang in the church choir, but then.... the usual stuff - dope, partying. Tisha's got rich parents and Jose is an auto mechanic.
Detective 2: Tisha's a survivor?
Detective 1: Yeah. Still hasn't given any statements. Just names and mumbles about curses and demons.
Detective 2: It's a sad story. The girl's in bad shape, even though she's not physically harmed.
Detective 1: So... I barely know these two girls, but according to the paperwork, they're mutual friends of Michelle's, washing dishes at the same diner. Probably decided to party that night, too. This one worked with Rose as a janitor at the same car dealership where Michelle used to work.
Detective 2: And the whole bunch gathered at the damn house. It makes you believe in spirits.
Detective 1: Let's wait for the lab results. There's a lot of prints on the knives, on the gun, everywhere. Ghosts don't have fingers.
Detective 2: Tisha mentioned El Cucuy. Legend has it he can possess bodies.
Detective 1: Good thing ghosts don't exist.
Detective 2: All sorts of things happen. I'll go to the lab rats.
Detective 1 continues to study the case and taps his finger thoughtfully on the table, looking at the photographs.
The camera shows the faces of the murdered young men.


SCENE ONE.

Action 1.

A cab is shown driving down the highway and approaching the sign: "you are leaving San Jose". Inside, besides the cab driver, there are two girls: a Chinese woman, Weili, and an American woman, Felice, a blonde.
The cab suddenly stops.
Cab driver: - I'm not going any further.
Felice: - What?!
Cab driver, turning around: - You gave me the address of the cursed house. Haven't you heard anything?...? I'm not taking you there, not on a country road. It's not far from here. You see the path? Follow it, you can't go wrong.
Weili: You're an asshole! We won't pay full price if you're such a coward.
Cab driver: - You should be glad you got a ride at all. Others would not have drive here at all.
Felice: - Go to hell!
Get out of the car. The car drives away.
Weili gives the cab driver the middle finger and curses foully.
Felice: - What kind of assholes live in this neighborhood. Damn rednecks.
Walking down the road.

Action 2.
Tisha's car is traveling down a country road.
Inside it, Tisha, the driver, is of light Puerto Rican appearance, with her friend Rose. In the back seat sits her friend Jose and a girl named Michelle.
Tisha: - This place looks abandoned.
Michelle: - There's not a lot of people, because the house is "cursed" (makes an air quotes).
Rose: - Will you please shut up, you former... Principal.
The girls laugh.
Jose: -Ah, is it true that the house is cursed? I don't really believe in ghosts, but still...
Tisha twitches her eye nervously.
Michelle makes a gesture with her hand, as if to say "calm down, that's enough."
Rose: - You don't believe in ghosts? Jose, don't make me laugh! You always said that your grandmother had a ghost living in the attic!
Everyone laughs.

Conrad and Rose's flashback.

Gloomy music.
Some kind of apartment. The camera travels to a bedroom.
A child's bed is shown, where a girl of about seven years old is agonizing and moaning, coughing and almost suffocating. At this point the camera moves behind a wall, where young Conrad and Rose are sitting in another bedroom on the same bed half undressed and smoking cannabis, passing joint to each other. They are laughing at the top of their voices, loud rock music playing, blending into a general somber melody. They are already heavily stoned and with each puff they lean back more and more until they fall asleep next to each other. The camera moves back across the wall to the child's bed, where the girl is shown taking her last breath. Her hands reach for the camera in a "help" gesture.
Fade to black.
Against the black background is the sound of a door opening.
A second or two and the camera shows the POV of the parents entering Conrad and Rose's room.
Conrad wakes up, Rose does too. Rose pulls her hand off his chest.
A woman's voice: - Conrad! Rose! Are you... what are you doing here again? We left you to look after Gina. And you're here, shame on you! You stink up the house with your dope.
A man's voice from behind the door, shouting: - Gina! No!
The camera moves quickly to the children's bed.
A woman screams.
Walking off into the black.


Action 3.

Tony and Jessica are walking down the forest path from the bus stop, Tony has a rucksack on his shoulders.
Tony: - Who are those guys? Do you know them well?
Jessica: - They're a lot of guys, of course, but watch your mouth, too, for God's sake. We're going to have fun, remember? We want to smoke free weed, so remember we're guests.
Tony, putting his palm to his forehead, looking off into the distance: How far is it? It's my first time here.
Jessica: - It's another ten minutes' walk, then we'll turn onto a path.
Tony: Look! A cab!
They raise their hand calling for it.
The cab driver stops, they get in.
Cab driver: - I'll give you a ride on the highway, but on the country road you go by yourself, I won't go there.
Tony: - Why do you take an order if you can't get anywhere? Are you a cab driver or what?
Cab driver: - I'm not going to the goddamn house! I'm telling you right now.
Jessica: Fuck it. Tony, for God's sake, don't make any noise.
She gets out of the car, slams the door.
Tony continues to argue with the cabbie, but soon gets out too.
Tony: - Damn house... see how scared the locals are of it?
Jessica: - Come on, are you afraid of the devils from the village tales?
Tony: - Don't joke about it, spirits are real, it's part of our lives. Once when I was a kid...
Jessica, interrupting: - Okay, okay, let's go already.
Tony follows her, tensing up a bit and looking around, kissing the cross on his chest. A camera pans over the cross, and as it pulls away, a flashback turns on.

Tony Flashback 1.

Tony is about fifteen years old, he's a troubled teenager, comes home from school with a bruise. Walks into the house, drops his backpack.
He is greeted by his mother, a forty-something Mexican woman.
Mother: Tony! Holy Virgin Mary, you're fighting again!
Tony sniffles resentfully, looking down at the floor and sits on his bed.
Mother sits up to him: - What is it this time?
Tony, resentfully, to himself: - Nothing.
Mother: -You know that children who misbehave will be taken away at night by El Cucuy while they sleep. And you are very badly behaved.
Tony: - Eduardo laughed at my cross. El Cucuy will take Eduardo.
The mother gets up and leaves.
From the kitchen comes her voice: -Lunch is on the table!
Tony jumps off the bed.


Action 4.

Conrad, Nate, Dustin and Justin walk together on the road to the house.
Dustin and Justin are laughing loudly, talking about this and that.
Dustin: - We're gonna get high, drunk and fuck like rabbits.
Conrad: - Who are you gonna fuck, you fucking homos?
Justin: Who said anything about homos? You fucked your sister, you pervert!
Conrad: - My half-sister, and that was one time ten years ago. In fact, it never happened. And if you two fags ever look at her again, I'll strangle you both.
Dustin: Holy shit. We can't have your ex-girlfriend because she's your ex-girlfriend. We can't have your sister because she's your sister! Tisha's gonna die a virgin because she's a psycho. Jessica have a boyfriend, what are we gonna do?
Nate, looking around, irritated: - Shut the fuck up! What are you yelling about, assholes? No one's supposed to know we're here, and you're yelling like crazy. What are you, at an Elton John concert?
Conrad slaps both of them playfully.
Nate: I'm under house arrest - because of you fools, by the way - and you're putting on a show.
Justin: (to Dustin, whispering) I'm sure he's got a bag of weed in the basement.

Dustin and Justin's flashback.

Some house interior. Lots of different girls, Conrad and Rose.
All playing the Ouiji board.
Conrad: - Spirit, tell us, are these two gay?
Everyone looks at Dustin and Justin.
They sniffle resentfully.
Everyone grabs the clipboard and under Conrad's powerful hand it leads to the word "Yes".
There is loud laughter.
The camera pans to Dustin and Justin's faces. They are very angry, but they can't help it.

Action 5. At the house.

Waley and Felice are the first to arrive. They find the house frightening.
Tense music is playing.
They are all alone, there is no one around.
The shutters of the old house clatter, the wind bangs the parts of large wooden gate against each other, an owl hooting somewhere in the distance.
The girls look around and huddle together.
Felice: - It's a bit scary here.
Weili: - Where the hell are we?
Felice: - Don't talk about devils! Spit over your shoulder.
At that moment a gust of wind slams the old shutter again.
The girls shudder.
At that moment, Michelle, Jose, Rose and Tisha pull up to the house.
Michelle, sticking out of the window: - Girls, how much is the hour?
Jose: - Did you invite prostitutes?
Tisha: - Jesus, no way. They work with Michelle in the cafe.
They get out of the car.
Rose, hugging her friends, goes to unlock the gate.
Michelle, getting out of the car: - Well, how was it?
Felice: - Stupid cab driver did not even drove us all the way. Kept talking about the cursed house. What kind of nonsense is that?
Jose: - A cursed house? Really?
Carefully gets out of the car, looks around.
Tisha twitches her eye again, holding onto the steering wheel.
Rose, opening the gate and turning to everyone: - Home, sweet home!
Everyone walks through the gate, stopping at a large wooden door.
Rose opens it, rattling the keys, finally unlocking it.
The door creaks violently.
In the doorway, Jose, looking around in surprise: - When you said country house, I thought it would be an old shack, but here you have a whole palace! Two floors, a garage! Did you win it in the lotto? Did you hit the jackpot? Or did you inherit it from your great-grandmother?
Rose: You could say it was an inheritance. My parents couldn't sell the house, so Conrad and I got it for nothing.
Jose: - Why couldn't they sell it?...?
Rose, sarcastically: - Because people still believe in ghosts!
Jose: - Ghosts? ....
Rose, air-quouting: - Yes, because my sister's soul has found no peace and wants revenge on us!
Rose laughs, and Jose looks somewhat startled.
At this time Tisha parks the car about ten feet from the entrance, the others look around the neighborhood and the house.
Jose: - Where should I hang my clothes?
Rose: - Throw everything on the second floor, there's a sofa there, a couple of rooms are free.
Everyone enters the house, looks around, goes up to the second floor, drop their bags, comes down. Rose has her own room with a lock, where she puts her belongings, then comes down to the others.

Action 6.

There is a loud knock on the gate.
It's Tony and Jessica.
Wheili and Felice twitch nervously.
Rose laughs at them, then looks out the window and goes to open it.
Kissing Jessica, Tony introduces himself.
Rose: -What a stud you have. Where did you find one?
Jessica: - It takes a lot of practice to ride one!
Everyone laughs, Rose: - Drop your stuff upstairs.
Jessica: - I brought everything, the usual, pizza, tequila, the whole deal.
Rose nods at them.
Jessica and Tony go upstairs, hang up their stuff, come downstairs.

Tony Flashback 2.

The camera shows Tony and his mom walking down the street.
The mom is walking Tony to school.
Tony: - Mom, why are you following me? I'm an adult, I can walk alone.
Mother: - I need to talk to the principal about your bad behavior. I don't want you to be expelled from another school.
At this time the camera shows a crowd of people at the entrance to the school. In the middle is a middle-aged woman crying, being comforted by a man in a suit. Slightly disturbing music is playing.
Tony and the mother approach them.
Mother: - What's wrong?
Man in a suit: - There's been an accident, Mrs. Alvarez. Last night. Eduardo died. His parents are inconsolable. He had no illness and died in his sleep.
The music gets darker and heavier.
Tony grabs his mother's hand.
Tony: - Mother! It was El Cucuy who took him!....
Mother: - Hush! Don't talk about this at school! (crosses herself)
Tony watches her and crosses himself.


Action 7.

Conrad, Nate, Dustin and Justin approach the house, but enter from the side of the barn, and go through a hole in the fence, then sneak up to the windows, look out.
Nate: -Oh, your ex-girlfriend!
Conrad, angrily: -Told ya'll not to joke about it!
Nate: - I wasn't talking about your sister, you fool. Look, Michelle!
Conrad, taking a closer look: - Holy shit! Indeed.
Turns to Dustin and Justin: - Did you know she was coming?
Dustin and Justin: Surprise!
Dustin climbs closer to the window, bangs on it to attract attention, and leans his naked butt against the window.
From inside, there is laughter and squealing from the girls.
Nate and Conrad: - Homos!
Everyone walks into the house.
They hug, say hello, introduce themselves, shake hands, etc.
Conrad hugs his sister, behind him Dustin and Justin giggle, making inappropriate gestures.
Nate slaps them.
Conrad looks over at Felice and Weili and turns to them and says something.
Nate: - Is this your surprise? The blonde one's still okay, but who's that scary Chinese guy?
Justin: - It's a girl, can't you see? And she's not scary at all.....
Conrad and Nate: What else would you expect from these homos?
Justin and Dustin start to get angry, but remain silent, just nodding as if to say, "okay, we'll get you later."
Conrad and Michelle step aside and talk about something. It can be seen that their relationship is quite tense, but not hostile. They try not to make eye contact with each other.

Michelle's flashback.

Courthouse.
Michelle testifies while sitting behind the counter.
Michelle: - Conrad was with me that night.
Prosecutor: - Are you aware that perjury is a criminal offense?
Michelle: Yes, your honor. Conrad and I were together that night..... you understand.
Judge: - Mr. Poirier, is this true?
Conrad: - Yes, your honor.
Prosecutor, looking at the defendants: - Do you know that conspiracy is also a crime?
Counselor: - Objection!
Judge: Sustained. For lack of other witnesses and testimony, I'm forced to release Mr. Poirier.
Conrad is relieved and exhales heavily.
The camera moves to the row of benches behind them.
Nate, Dustin, and Justin are sitting there.

Nate, walking out to a large table in the center of the great hall, silently dumps out all the contents completely related to weed smoking: bags of weed, pipes, papers, bongs, and so on. All of this is met with cheers of joy.
Someone turns on some unobtrusive but up-tempo music. To this music the following action takes place: Jose and Rose are carrying the hookah, the girls are already cutting up the food, someone is carrying a tray with glasses, Tisha and Jessica call Tony, Dustin and Justin to take the cases of alcohol and bags from the trunk.

Action 8.

At a large table in the main room. The scene is wordless, with only the texture sound of the surrounding: the characters are eating, smoking, drinking, discussing something, getting to know each other a little more, relaxing. The camera pans out the window, showing that it has darkened outside and a flock of crows flies over the house. The moon is showing from behind the clouds. The joyful music coming from the house is drowned in a somber note.
The camera is back in the house, where those sitting around the table finally have a conversation about the "cursed house".

Tony: - Will someone finally tell us what the curse is on this house, and what happened here?
Jose, with an expression of fear and interest on his face: - Indeed, that's what's most interesting. There are only rumors, and nothing else. But we are here, inside, where others are afraid to enter - we should know.
Conrad, coughing: - Ten years ago, our parents' daughter died in this house. Her name was Gina. She, uh. died of asthma in her sleep. The parents, of course, blamed it on us, like we didn't look out for her.
Rose: Of course, because we're spoiled teenagers and Gina was all good. Gina was the product of love, and we're just a parent's tail, the mistakes of youth. When Gina died, my parents left the house and moved to New York and got divorced. We stayed in San Jose, because we were in college.
Conrad: - We lost Gina, we lost our parents too, it's just me and Rose.
Rose: And we're.... ex-brother and ex-sister.
Everyone smiles and nods understandingly, except Tony, who barely understands what's going on, since he doesn't know many people.
Dustin, rather snidely: - Exes! Yeah, they had a one-off.
Justin: - More than once, I think!
Everyone looks at them.
Conrad: - You two had one too, once.
He makes a characteristic gesture with his hands.
Nate: - These two just let the soap drop.
Other guys and gals tries to suppress laughter.
Everyone laughs eventually, Dustin and Justin are not happy.

Tony still doesn't smile and takes another shot of Jack Daniels.
The camera goes up to the ceiling, covering the entire room from above.
Another dance hit is playing in the background.
The camera pulls back outside the window where crows are perched on the fence.
The camera is back in the house.
Dustin and Justin look on conspiratorially: - It's board time! Board! Board!
Rose, Michelle, Conrad, then picked up by Weili and Felice: - Board! Board!
Tony and Jose: - What's a board...?
Jessica whispers something in his ear, apparently explaining what's what.
Nate: You two assholes finally fixed it?
Dustin: - Wouldn't have had to if Conrad hadn't broken it last time. We got our fingers all taped up trying to put the two pieces back together.
Nate: - It's yur fault, if you two hadn't made jokes about his sister, the board would still be intact.
Justin: That was the time before last. And last time, Conrad made another gay joke.
Dustin: And now it's our turn!

Nate's flashback.

Courthouse.
Nate sits in a chair with his arms folded across his chest, a disgruntled look on his face.
Behind him sit Dustin and Justin.
Judge: -You are charged with possession of marijuana. This is your first conviction, so it will be suspended. You are sentenced to a year of probation, and you will also be on your own recognizance outside of San Jose.
Nate stares silently, still disgruntled.
Dustin claps him on the shoulder.
- That's great, man!
Nate dismiss him, jerking his shoulder.
Judge: - Dustin Ferguson and Justin Holloway are to be released into the courtroom. Witness Michelle Torres, thank you for your testimony. Everyone is free to go.
Dustin and Justin, Michelle, Conrad and Nate walk out of the courthouse together.
Outside, Justin climbs up to him for a hug, Nate pushes him away, then Justin climbs up to Dustin for a hug. Michelle nods to Nate, Nate nods to her; Conrad shakes his hand.

(back to a present day)

Michelle:  Anyway, enough talk. Get the board and let's find out who's a pervert and who isn't.
Rose, Michelle, Felice, and Weili laugh.
Dustin and Justin go into one of the rooms to get the board.
Tony: - The Ouija board? You're going to play on it when the soul of a dead person inhabits the house? That's not a good thing.
The camera shows us Tisha's eye starting to twitch.
Jose: I don't want to summon any spirits and talk to dead people! Somebody died in here!
Rose: What makes you think all ghosts are evil? Have you seen too many horror movies?
Jessica to Jose: After all... You was the one who wanted to know what happened here.
Jose, nervously: I only wanted to know why the house was cursed, not to talk to the dead! No, guys, I think I'm gonna go. Tisha, let's go, I'm scared of all this.
Tisha looks around confused.
Tisha: Jose, we just got here... I don't know.
Other guys laugh amicably at them.
Rose: Tisha, what are you doing? Where are you going? I'm not taking the bus tomorrow. I need your car.
Jessica: The bus drive is almost two hours, and there's so much traffic. Without a car it's going to be a huge pain.

That's when Dustin and Justin come back.
Candles are placed, the board is laid out, and the rules are explained.
Weili and Felice, laughing: Are you all adults here, and you're afraid of some spirits? It's a children's game, sold in the toy section. We're grown up girls and boys.
Tony: The board may be a toy, but the spirits are very real! I'm telling you! They're real, not a figment of our imagination. When I was a kid...
Suddenly the lights go out.
Tisha shrieks.
Rose: Conrad, go fix the light. Jesus Christ.
Conrad: I'm so sick of this wiring! Every time there's this goddamn switch in the goddamn basement!
In the darkness, stumbling and cursing, he goes downstairs.
Conrad: Tisha, do you have a flashlight in your phone?
Tisha: Yes, of course.
Conrad takes the phone and walks downstairs.
Everyone is waiting. Only the board, the glitter on the glasses and the smoke from the joints are visible in the candlelight.
Jose comes out from behind the table and walks in circles. Tony prays silently.
The lights come on, a little later Conrad appears and confronts Jose.
Conrad: What are you fussing about? Sit down. Let's go play.
Leading him under his shoulder back to the table.
Conrad: Jesus Christ, are you a man or what?
Nate smokes a joint in silence.
Everyone settles down to wait.

Rose: Everybody know the rules?
Everyone nods.
Rose takes Conrad's hand, bumping into Michelle's hand on the way, glancing at each other with distaste.
Everyone else joins hands as well.
A woman's voice: Who's kicking...?
Dustin and Justin giggle.
Rose, in a grave voice, but smiling: O Gina, tell us, are you here...?
Pointer slowly points to "Yes."
Rose: Are you having fun with us today?
This is when everyone realizes this is a joke session and many start smiling.
Pointer points to "Yes."
Rose: How do they feed you in the afterlife?
Pointer leads to the letters of the word "good".
Dustin and Justin: Are there any perverts among us?
Everyone laughs and the pointer goes nowhere.
Rose: Are any of us gay?
Laughing again, the pointer is in place.
Felice: Is that cab driver a bastard?
Everyone pushes the plaque to "yes".
Everyone laughs.
Nate: Is there a virgin among us?
Pointer shows "yes".
Felice: And what's her name?
Ponter leads them to the letter "T" and everyone starts laughing, Tisha blushes but laughs too.
Tony: Gina's spirit! Tell me, were you killed?
There is a pause.
Everyone looks at Tony.
Tony: What are you looking at? A ghost doesn't appear if a person died of their own accord! If it's a ghost, it means someone's been murdered.
Dustin: - Uh-oh!
He makes frightening hand gestures.
Justin: - Well, if it's so serious, let's find out the secret!
Glances at Dustin, who chuckles conspiratorially.
The board says "Yes."
Jose, paling: Is there one among us who killed you...?
Again there is a pause.
Nate looks at Jose disapprovingly.
The board reads "Yes."
Tisha begins to tremble.
There's a pause.
Someone's quiet voice: What a stupid joke.
Jessica whispers something in Tony's ear.
Tony: Who killed you? Who sent you to the realm of the dead?
The board leads to a "C." Then to "O," and sure enough.
Then to "N" and "R."
Conrad stares point-blank at Dustin and Justin.
They take their hands away, as if to say that they had nothing to do with it.
The die goes to the letter "A," and finally to the "D."
Dustin and Justin start laughing and almost squealing with laughter, but no one backs them up.
Tony, turning to Jose: I told you ghosts were real!
Jose: What's going on?! (his voice shakes).
Everyone unclasps their hands, not knowing if they should laugh at this. Dustin and Justin fall silent.
Rose looks at Conrad.
Conrad looks at Rose.
When he realizes that everyone has noticed that look, he jumps up from the table.

SCENE TWO.

Conrad:  What kind of idiotic joke is this? Holy shit! Who set this up?!
Jose, trembling with fear:  A ghost! A ghost!
Conrad:  Shut up, there are no ghosts!
Tony, in a serious tone: Ghosts are real! I've seen them often myself, they sometimes talk to me.... (all looking at him in surprise) - and now they've talked to us!
Rose:  Guys, calm down, it's a stupid joke. Tony, come on. Dustin, Justin, admit it, did you drive the tablet?
Dustin: We, uh... Well...
Conrad, irritated:  Of course they did. Another prank!
Jose, in a frightened whisper:  Ghosts haunt this house! They want to tell us the truth!
Conrad: What truth is that? Huh?
Jose shakes with fear, moves away from Conrad to Tony, who begins to pray to himself.
Tisha:  But if the spirit is really here, then that means...
Conrad:  Means what? Do you believe in this nonsense? And why are you silent, Weili, Felice?
Weili, cautiously:  Did you really kill her?
There's silence.
Felice squeezes against Weili, looking fearfully at Conrad.
Conrad: To hell with this! How can you believe in these childish games!
Michelle tries to hold him down, but Conrad nervously brushes her hand away.
Rose: Conrad, calm down, for God's sake. The boys were just kidding. They were, weren't they?
Dustin and Justin, both startled: There are no ghosts, of course .... it was us leading by the hand! It's a joke, guys, what are you doing?
Jessica: I wasn't hand-guiding.
Felice: Me neither.
Weili: I didn't either. It's a board!

Jose, getting up from the table and walking over to Felice and Weili: I will not be in the same house with him (pointing to Conrad).
Michelle also gets up, followed by the others. They leave in small groups around the room.
Michelle: - Guys, let's calm down. This is all a joke. Enough already.
Wiley, Jessica and Felice are whispering in the background: - Why are Dustin and Justin backing off? They must have been intimidated by Conrad. They know him better than we do, that's why they're scared.
Conrad: All right, what are you guys whispering about?!
Nate, finishing his joint, still sitting at the table:  What are you doing here? Ghosts, demons, apocalypse. Why so jumpy? You're ruining my fun.
Jose: There's a ghost in the house! We gotta go.
Nate, in a high-pitched tone of voice: Settle down, car mechanic, or I'm gonna reassemble your skull. Everybody sit down!
Tisha quickly goes up to the second floor and returns with his bag, rattling keys.
Tisha: Guys, I'm leaving. I thought it was going to be fun, and it's not funny anymore.
Rose opens her mouth to say something, but Tisha is already out the door, running to the car. Jose tries to dash after her, but hesitates and fidgets, taps his pockets for his phone, changes directions to the stairs to the second floor, runs into Weili and Felice.
Felice, nervously: - Watch your step...!
Rose wants to stop Tisha, but is so stoned that she can barely stand on her feet, and unable to get up from the table, sits down again.
Rose: - Michelle, catch up with her... I'm not taking the bus home tomorrow. (quieter) Dustin, Justin, get lost out of here so you don't bother Conrad. We're gonna calm down now and get on with it.
Michelle walks out followed by Tisha, Dustin and Justin after her.
Dustin: - Tisha! Don't be such a baby! Come back here! Tisha!
Michelle is ahead of them and walks with a determined stride, almost catching up with her and disappearing around the corner.

At this time in the room.

Rose: So, are we drinking...? Will someone pour me a drink?
Felice and Waley trembling with  fear in the same corner, Jessica and Tony are standing in the shadows whispering, Jose is nervously biting his lip, looking around and rubbing his shoulders as if he's freezing. None of them answer her. Conrad and Nate spread their hands.
Conrad: Rose, to be honest... you've had enough.
Rose, disgruntled: Okay, show's over. I'm going upstairs. I'm going to bed. Anyway, have fun.
She goes up the stairs, staggering slightly.
Conrad and Nate are next to the table.
Nate, Conrad: Are you drinking or not? If they want out, let them get the hell out.
Conrad: Okay.
He sits down next to me, pours himself a drink.
At that moment, the lights go out. One of the women shrieks.
Conrad jumps up: Shut up! This damn switch.
In the dark, swearing and pushing everyone in his way, he goes to the basement.


SCENE THREE.
Tony, in the dark, turning to Jessica and a little to Jose, standing a little in the distance: - The ghost spoke to us! But could it really be a joke? How do we find out?
Jessica: - Was there even a spirit, guys? Let's not jump to conclusions.
Jose begins to pray and cross his heart..
The lights come on.
Everyone feels a little lighter, some of them smile, Weili and Felice slowly calm down.
Conrad comes in.
Conrad: - Everyone, the lights are on. Have you forgotten how to have fun yet?
Weili and Felice come closer, ready to sit down at the table.
Jose, out of the blue: - Guys! There's a proposal!
Everyone turns to him.
Jose: - Let's check again - Dustin and Justin aren't here, no one's cheating, and since you (turning to Conrad) say they're behind everything that's going on, the tablet won't move this time, and if it does, the ghost is real.
Everyone cheers him on, Nate doesn't react, Conrad starts to get morose again.
Conrad: - I'm not discussing this. It's not normal at all that you believe in this nonsense. What are you, twelve?
Jose, looking at Conrad fearfully and somewhat angrily: -If you don't, you're a murderer, and I'm calling the police.
Nate, in a loud voice, turning to him (Jose is standing behind the back of his chair): - What did you say? What fucking police? There's enough dope in here to do some serious time! And I'm on probation. Sit down, asshole, don't talk. You understand, don't you?
Jose walks briskly upstairs with a quick step.

Jose walks even faster. Nate runs after him.
Nate: You're going to the realm of the dead, bitch!
Conrad runs after them.

(second floor)

Upstairs Jose is gathering his things, Nate approaches and sees him taking his cell phone from his locker.
Nate: - You're a dead man, you goddamn snitch. I'm gonna kill you right now if you don't put the damn phone back where it belongs.
Jose: I'm just getting out of here! Leave me alone!
Nate grabs him by the pecs: Give me the phone, asshole!
Conrad, stepping in between them: - Nate, calm down, come on.
He looks at Jose expressively.
Jose sits down on the couch.
Conrad, to Nate: - Calm down, calm down, Nate ... you're on probation, you're gonna hit somebody? Go away, I'll talk to him.
Nate doesn't leave, still looking at Jose.
Conrad: - Nate, chill the hell out, I'll handle this.
Nate, stepping back and nervously lighting a joint with a lighter, to himself: - Fucking asshole.... I'll kill the snitch.
Conrad and Jose go into the room.

(first floor)

Downstairs, Dustin and Justin walk in, holding the door and peeking inside.
Dustin: - What's all the screaming? Is someone getting killed?
Felice: - Nate's on the rampage now. Where's Tisha?
Justin: - What, now Nate's on the rampage? Holy shit! (looking at Dustin) This is serious.
Weili: - Where's Tisha, guys?
Dustin, waving her off: - Michelle went to get her, they're discussing something over there.
While everyone's eyes are upstairs, Dustin and Justin quietly make their way into the room, grab the board from the table, and disappear behind the door.

Dustin, outside the door on the street: - There's our magnet on the plaque, if they wake up, we're screwed.
Justin: -Let's build a fire and burn the hell out of this board. In the morning, we'll say there was no board and they were just stoned. This fucking toy is nothing but trouble. I hate it!

Flashback to Dustin and Justin 2.

Dustin and Justin are attaching a magnet to the board.
Dustin: - So you can use the magnet to type whole words?
Justin: - No, it's too hard. I just give it a slight push in the right direction; it works on a subconscious level.
Dustin: - Listen, if we get a chance, let's get back at Conrad for the homo jokes. He's annoying! Every party he starts these stupid jokes, and we don't get any because of it.
Justin: - Someday, when we get a chance, we'll give him a good one, so he won't want to make jokes anymore!
Dustin, turning the board over and checking the magnet: - That's not bad. No one will notice, but Conrad will have a good time.... that's for sure.

(present day again)
(upstairs again)

Conrad speaks to Jose in his room: - Give me the phone, and you sit quietly. We all calm down.
Jose holds out the phone to him with a cautious, trembling voice: - Take it, just ... don't kill me.
Conrad angrily snatches the phone and slaps Jose.
Jose, in an angry and tearful voice: You're a sister's killer!
He lunges at Conrad, gets punched in the face and falls to the couch.
Conrad, rubbing his fist: Sleep it off, motherfucker.
He slams the door shut, walks over to Nate, handing him his phone: Here's his phone, let's go downstairs. We got some broads waiting for us, so what are we doing here? I was planning on getting laid tonight.
Nate nods agreeably.

(first floor)

They go downstairs, sit down at the table, Felice, Weili, Tony, Jessica, sit down at the table again.
Putting glasses back in place, wiping up spills.
Nate: Let's get a drink, shall we?
Everyone else: - Let's do it!

Jessica's flashback.

Same scene, playing Ouija.
Someone: - It's a haunted house, guys, you don't mess with that stuff.
Nate: Are you a kid or something?
Someone responds: If there's spirits in the house, I'm really scared. I think I'm gonna go.
Nate: - Listen, you, sit down and stop being an idiot.
Someone: - You may not believe all this, but I do.
Nate, getting up: - You're not going anywhere, damn it.
Someone: - Please calm down.
Nate grabs the one by the pecs, loudly: - You open your mouth again, I'll break your skull. This isn't a movie, sit down. I said sit down.
Rose, sitting next to me: - Okay, the boys have ruined it again. I'm going to bed.
Conrad, next to her: - You're a lightweight, two drinks and a joint, and you sleep until dinner. Do you ever get enough sleep?
Rose, stretching, walks away.
Nate sits up with a disgruntled look on his face.
Conrad pats him on the shoulder, making an expression, as if to say: You're doing it again, stop it.
Nate rubs his face, as if shaking off an obsession.

(back to present day)

Tony: What about Jose?
Conrad: Let him sleep it off. He's acting like a girl.
They drink a little bit, only have time to snack, as ...

...Michelle comes in.
Michelle, from the doorstep, loudly: - I couldn't stop her, she's crying as usual, hysterical. You know Tisha!  (coming to the table) Pour me a drink, i'm freezing like a dog.
Dustin and Justin are out there making a fire, crumpling in the street.
Tony: - By the way, can I pour some for these two...?
Nate, turning to the door: - Hey! Are you guys grilling kebabs in there? Come here! You're ruining the mood.
Dustin and Justin come in, and the fun starts again.
Tony: - I don't want to bring it up again, but I wanted to tell you...
Jessica, shh: - Don't bring it up, get over it.
Tony, in her ear: - The board is missing.
Jessica: Jesus.
For a while, the characters forget about everything as new bottles are uncorked and new joints are rolled.
To fairly cheerful lounge music comes a 2-3 minute skit with jokes and friendly banter.
Michelle to Conrad: - Where's Rose? Did she go to bed as usual?
Conrad: - Well, yes, as usual.
Michelle takes a seat next to Conrad.

Michelle's flashback.

Michelle and Conrad are somewhere. They are talking in raised tones.
Michelle's eyes are wet, Conrad is angry.
Michelle: - Conrad, I don't think we can have a serious relationship since you love your sister so much.
Conrad: - Who told you that?
Michelle: -It's not like I'm blind.
Conrad, sarcastically: -I'm happy for you.
Michelle, also sarcastically: - And I'm happy for you.
Diverging.

(back to present day)

SCENE FOUR.

About a couple hours pass, the tape shows a slice of events.
Typical movement: someone goes outside to smoke, someone goes to the bathroom, Dustin and Justin dance with Felice and Weili, Michelle with Conrad, Nate sits down with Tony and Jessica, they chat about gangster topics.
Nate, blowing smoke: - You believe in spirits, bro, but I believe in reality!
Tony, putting down the empty shot glass on the table: - I'll tell you straight, bro, you shouldn't have hit the kid, he's a normal guy, like, and you wanted to kill him, called him a snitch....
Nate: - If I wanted to waste the bastard, I would've done it already.
Jessica: Well, why don't we invite him back? This is not good.
Tony: - Jessica, well, get the kid.
Everybody call Jose.
Conrad: Quiet! Wake up Rose.
Michelle: - Don't worry, she's not gonna wake up now.
Jessica finally gets up, and herself goes upstairs.
The others continue to drink, smoke and dance.
They start playing strip poker, laying out the cards, discussing the rules.

Jessica returns, approaches the players.
Jessica, cautiously: - Guys!... Jose's not breathing. I don't think he's breathing. I'm not sure, but he's not.... None at all...
Conrad: What do you mean, he's not breathing?
Turns to Nate, looks at him questioningly, as if to say, "You did what?".
Nate spreads his hands: - Don't look at me!
Conrad: - Let's go...
Both get up from the table, running upstairs.

(upstairs)

They're examining Jose, he's dead.
Conrad to Nate: Fuck, I gave you the phone, I told you not to touch the kid, and you're doing it again?
Nate: Are you out of your mind? I didn't touch him. You touched him! I gave him a little punch in the face, but I don't have the power of a death blow.
Everyone else comes running in.
There's a commotion. Everyone says: - "Why is he dead?"...?
Michelle, in a raised tone of voice: - What the hell happened here while I was gone?! I was out for five minutes!
Conrad and Nate don't listen to her, and stand there silent, as if oblivious to the others.
Tony intervenes, stepping between the girls and Nate and Conrad, as if in the middle.
Tony: - There are ghosts in the house! But it's not your sister's ghost, Conrad. I know who it is!
Everyone looks at him, even Conrad, who looks as if he's suddenly heard something interesting to himself in this version. He looks interested.
Tony: -It's El Cucuy! He takes people in their dreams!
Dustin and Justin, look at each other.
Dustin, in a whisper, repeats: - Damn it, damn it, damn it!...
Felice: - Look!
Everyone looks at her, not realizing at first where she is pointing.
Felice: - Nate's got Jose's phone! (pointing her finger).
Now everyone turns to Nate.
Weili: - He says he didn't touch Jose, but he took his phone away from him!
Nate: - Conrad gave me his phone, I had nothing to do with it!
Conrad: - You bastard wanted to kill Jose, and I just wanted to cool him down!
Nate, pissed off.  - Oh, is that so?! So I killed Jose? And you killed your sister!
Conrad lunges at Nate with his fists.
Squeals, girls try to separate them.
Tony separates them, as the only strong man in the house: - Quiet, quiet, guys! That's enough!
Weili: - If there are ghosts talking in the house, let's ask Jose's spirit, maybe he's still here!
Conrad: - I'll kill you if you bark about this board one more time!
Dustin and Justin look over and side with Conrad (since they realize that the situation can't be resolved without the board, and there is no board): - Screw this board nonsense! Who's the killer? Where's the guarantee that the board was telling the truth?
Nate: Yeah?! Screw the board? Am I the killer? I'm gonna kill you guys too!
Dustin and Justin: You're gonna kill them, too? That means it was you.
Tony: Guys, calm down. The spirits are playing with us! It's El Cucuy! Didn't you say your sister Gina died in her sleep? Whoever falls asleep in this house dies! I know, I know, it's El Cucuy! El Cucuy!

Gloomy music is playing, adding to the atmosphere.

Everyone listens to Tony intently, the girls whispering, Nate and Conrad lower their hands from their fighting stances.
Conrad: - Maybe... Maybe.
Nate: - El Cucuy...
Tony: - Yes! Everyone who falls asleep dies!
Mystical background music plays, typical of movies of this genre. The camera creates a sense of claustrophobia by filming everyone in one small space, with a dead Jose lying in the middle.
Jessica clings to Tony, everyone starts looking around.
The camera pulls back, as if to show how big the house is and how small the people are in comparison.
Tony, to Conrad: -I could have sworn your sister was dead, too.
Conrad doesn't know what he's talking about at first.
Jessica: - We've been making so much noise, and Rose won't wake up...! Jesus!


SCENE FIVE.

Conrad, suddenly: - Rose!
Runs toward Rose's room, running headlong. The others follow him.
Conrad runs up to Rose's door, starts hammering on it, the door won't open.
Michelle: - Conrad, maybe she's fast asleep. Don't be paranoid.
Conrad: - Maybe... Michelle: -Don't break the door down.
Tony, be quiet: - El Cucuy took her!
Conrad stands silently at the closed door.
Sad music.
Everyone goes downstairs, somewhat lost, silence ensues.
Felice and Whaley huddle together and look around.
Michelle: - Tony, what are you talking about? She just passed out.
Tony: - You don't understand! The demon El Cucuy is in the house!
Nate, looking around for his things: - I don't give a shit about this El Bucuy, we gotta get out of here, there's a dead body in the house and I don't want it for nothing.
Conrad, turning right back to him: - You killed Jose in my house and you want to get lost, and I'm the one sitting there? We all sit around thinking about how to solve the problem.
Nate: Problem? You created it when you took the kid down, I had nothing to do with it.
The two of them are ready to fight again.

Dustin and Justin are on the sidelines.
Dustin: They're out of their minds, I'm telling you.
How much have they smoked? Their brains are fried.
Dustin: Do you believe that, El Copuya?
Justin: - I believe that we need to get out of here before they lose their minds.
Conrad, hearing them, turns around: - I'll disappear you freaks! Sit down!!!
Dustin and Justin tense up fearfully and fall silent.

Tony, stepping between Conrad and Nate again: "What do the police have to do with this? They're not going to save us, we're all going to die here if we don't figure out how to stop El Cucuy!
Nate: - You bastard, shut up already. Who invited you, you sick fuck.
Tony, suddenly sassing himself: - Watch your mouth, you miserable junkie, I won't let you treat me like that.
Nate: - That's it, asshole, you're done.
Tony and Nate start grabbing each other by the breasts and try to punch each other in the face, Valley and Felice try to separate them, Conrad moves aside, as if to say "wow", notices how Dustin and Justin try to leave, but their way to the exit is through Tony and Nate.
The lights go out again, but the sounds of fighting only intensify in the darkness as Tony and Nate apparently fall to the floor, dropping a few bottles, and manage to get to their feet.
Conrad: Dustin! Justin! Get them off! I'm gonna go turn on the lights!
He's running down to the basement.
Dustin and Justin, clamoring, throw themselves into the thick of the fight, trying to somehow stop it (and get to the exit), while bottles are being thrown, dishes and objects being overturned.
At the same time, there are sounds of blows, screams, yells, shrieks, squeals, and moans in the darkness.
The camera shows Conrad fumbling for the walls in the darkness, stumbling as he is in a hurry.
Faces contorted with rage, women's hands trying to pull someone apart, screams are heard.
Conrad reaches the switchboard and, cursing to himself, tries to turn it on; it sparks but doesn't work.
The fight is still heard upstairs, and louder than it was before.
Finally Conrad makes the necessary moves.
The lights come on.
Before the viewer is this picture: Tony, Nate are standing; Valley and Felice are thrown aside, Jessica and Michelle are off to the side, almost hugging each other in fear, and the unconscious bodies of Dustin and Justin are lying on the floor. A bloody fireplace stoker lies next to them.
Everyone is shocked and silent, breathing heavily as they come to their senses.
The camera shows Dustin and Justin beaten so brutally that they are probably dead. No signs of life can be seen.
Conrad enters, sees all of this.
Conrad: - What the fuck is this?! What the fuck was that?!
Tony: El Cucuy was here! El Cucuy took those two! He killed the sleeping and gained the power to appear among the awake.
Nate thinks to contradict him, opens his mouth, but stops himself.
Michelle rushes over to the guys.
Michelle: - Both their heads are bashed in.... Neither one's breathing.... Jesus Christ!
Tony, in a loud, booming voice: - El Cucuy! El Cucuy!...
At that moment, the full moon is seen through the window, and a distant thunderclap is heard.


SCENE SIX.

Felice: - El Cucuy needs a poker? Are you serious?
Weili: - One of you must have killed them, or both of you!
Felice and Weili move farther away, fixing their hair, shaking off the dust and wiping the blood from their faces.
Felice: - Look... I'm gonna get a bruise now.
Weili examines her, comforting her.
Nate: - We don't need a poker, we could have killed those homos with our bare hands! If anyone would use a poker, it would be you!
Felice: - Fuck you! We were trying to break you two up in the first place!
Jessica: - You were standing right there, don't lie. Dustin and his friend were the ones trying to break everyone up.
Weili: - You're just defending your boyfriend, ready to blame anyone!
Michelle, very loudly, standing in the middle of the room and making nervous gestures with her hands: - Quiet! Quiet! Everyone shut up! Enough!
Tony, whispering: - El Cucuy! It was him! He wants us to suspect each other ...
Michelle: - Tony, enough, there's a reasonable explanation for everything!
Felice, holding her eye: - Of course there is! Those two scumbags beat up the guys and now they're making excuses.
Nate: - Wait, wait, wait... Maybe there really was a ghost here.
Michelle looks at him strangely, as if to say sarcastically, "really?"
Conrad spreads his hands.
Nate locks the door.
Conrad: All right! Listen up. If the police will be here, we'll all go to jail. Do you think they'll care who's to blame? Or will they believe in the demon? We need to take care of this ourselves. All right, Nate. We bury these guys in the woods, clean it up like we were never here. All right?
Nate: Right. Nobody's going anywhere.
Jessica: But El Cucuy is here.
Nate: Go, go, go! Drop all the dead people here and then make excuses. Or do you want to rat me out? I'll give you a whoop...
Conrad: We're gonna keep it simple. We burn the house down.
There's a pause. The camera gets a close-up of Conrad.
Conrad: Fuck the house. To hell with it. We set the fire and no one will find anyone and we'll be far away. But just all of us together. No one knows we were here.
Except for the cabbie. But he didn't see us go in the house anyway.
Nate: At least someone's thinking straight today.

Suddenly the phone in Rose's room rings.

SCENE SEVEN. ОТСЮДА И НИЖЕ ГОТОВО.

Nate: -Girls, go take a look. We'll take care of things here for now.
Felice, Weili, Michelle and Jessica go upstairs.

(upstairs in Rose's room)

Rose struggles to rise from the bed and picks up the phone.
Her voice comes from the door.
Rose: - Tisha! I've been thinking. I can't sleep, I thought I'd sleep till morning. For fuck's sake, come back! Or do you think I'm gonna take the bus home? Stop whining! What? It's cool, I just woke up. Go on. Where are you? Stop it right now. I don't know what I'll do if you're not here in the morning! I swear to God, you'll be in trouble. So you give me a ride and I'll just go home myself? Fuck you! Are we friends or what? How could you leave me? I'm waiting for you, that's it!
She throws the phone on the bed, then picks it up.
She hears a knock on the door.
Rose: - What the hell? Stop pounding!
She opens the door. In front of her are disheveled girls, some with blood and bruises.
Michelle: - Rose? Are you alive?
Rose: Jesus Christ! What's wrong with all of you? Have you all been drinking too much? My head is buzzing and you're running around. What are you talking about?
Jessica: Rose! There's a demon in the house! El Cucuy! He's--
Rose: Shut the fuck up! What are you talking about? What demons?
Jessica: You don't understand! The demon will kill us all!
Michelle: - Listen, you nutcase, shut the hell up right now and stay out of my way!
Jessica: - Look who's talking!
Michelle: - Listen, you bitch, I won't tell you twice, shut the fuck up!
Jessica: - I'll get you now.....
Rose: Enough of this bickering! Get the hell out of here, go downstairs and drink, or go to your bedrooms. Now!
At this point Jessica and Michelle are practically clawing at each other's hair.
Rose, however, is still wobbly.
Seeing that no one is moving away from her door, she pushes everyone away and walks over to the railing.
Jessica slaps Michelle.
Michelle: - You! Bitch!
Rose bends over without letting go of her phone, nearly falling over, and screams: - Conrad! What the hell is going on here? What the hell's going on? Get these fools the hell out of here!
Felice and Whaley grab her to keep her from falling; Michelle and Jessica, in the heat of the fight, trip them up and Rose falls down a flight of stairs and dies.
The girls are in deep shock.
Downstairs, Tony starts screaming in terror: - El Cucuy, El Cucuy!
The sound echoes through the house as the camera shows a close-up of Rose's face, with her hair disheveled and a pool of blood spreading from the back of her head. A shattered cell phone lies beside her.

SCENE EIGHT.

Everyone scurries downstairs.
Jessica, Michelle, Weili and Felice start talking about El Cucuy in unison with Tony.
Conrad, lifting his head from Rose's body: - What have you done...! You bastards!.... How did this happen!!!... Rose!
Girl: It was El Cucuy!
Felice: The ghost pulled her down the stairs.
Michelle and Jessica: It's really... El Cucuy.
Conrad: - Stop making stuff up! Did you throw her down? Answer me!
Jessica: There's an evil force in the house! And anyway, if you hadn't killed your sister, none of this would have happened.
Conrad: - I'm gonna kill you, bitch!
Tony: Easy, guys, no fighting. Let's all accept the fact that no one died here by accident. This whole thing was set up by El Cucuy. Oh, it's a cunning demon that takes over human souls - and it's not our fault. Stop blaming each other!
Conrad: Great, Tony, and you're gonna tell this the cops? Ghost or no ghost, burn the damn shack down. I, for one, am much more threatened by the police. El Cucuy of yours I'm not afraid of, but getting busted, that's a worry!
Conrad, addressing the girls: - Have you seen this ghost?
Michelle and the others: - We... we felt a cold wind. And it was like someone pushed Rose... She fell out so fast... We didn't have time to grab her...
Nate, loudly: - Okay, back to real life quickly. Conrad, are there any matches, paper, anything around here?
Conrad: - There's plenty of lighters and paper, only it won't be enough. But there's a canister in the shed.
Nate: That's it. Let's move. Let's douse everything and go.
Conrad nods and slips out the door.
Nate, turning to the rest of a group: Any questions? Everybody in?
Everyone nods.
Suddenly, while Conrad is halfway to the barn, the lights go out.
Conrad comes back, cursing, and goes straight to the cellar.
It takes a minute or two.
The lights come back on.
Conrad comes back from the basement: Well?
Nate: Let's go get the canister now.
Conrad: Right! I'm on it. Everyone stay close!
Nate: They're all here.
He points to the girls crowded around Tony.
Conrad: Here we go! Let's go and get out of here.
At that moment there is the sound of a motor.
Nate: Police! Let's get out of here!
He runs out into the street.
Conrad's right behind him: - Stop! Nate! It's not the police!
They both disappear out the door.

SCENE NINE.

Tisha enters.
Tisha: - My God! Girls! What happened...? Where's Rose...? Where are the others?
The others explain to her that there was an invisible ghost that killed everyone.
Tisha doesn't know what to think. She is scared to death and twitches her eye.

Outside, Conrad catches up with Nate,
Conrad, out of breath: - Man, what are you doing? It's just Tisha.
Nate, stopping: - Tisha? Oh, uh. Look, it doesn't matter. She's gonna blow the whistle anyway.
Conrad: Look, let's just put this whole thing behind us. Do you believe in El Cucuy?
Nate: You know I don't.
Conrad: Me neither. And even if I did, who's gonna believe us in the police force...?
Nate: Fuck. We're going down either way.
Conrad: I'll turn off the lights, take Tisha's cell phone for a light, and then I'll get rid of the phone. Do you still have Jose's phone? Get rid of it, it's evidence.
Nate: That's right! I forgot.
Conrad: - Also, figure out what to do with the car; if Tisha freaks out and drives off again, we're screwed. You got it?
Nate: Okay, got it, got it.
They're leaving.
Conrad, following Nate: - Wait... listen, i have an idea! We should scare that idiot.
Nate: How?
Conrad: - Change into El Cucuy.
Nate: What does he look like?
Conrad: It doesn't matter!  Go to the barn. There's paper bags, old clothes, raincoats, make something up. There's also a gun, fuel, gasoline, you know.
Nate: Okay, that's fine. Don't let her call. Don't let her get her cell phone out. I'll take care of this. Just get her inside the house, don't let her get away again. I won't be long.
Nate goes to the barn.
Conrad goes to the street, short-circuits the wires, lights go out.
A woman screams from inside the house.

Conrad runs in.
Conrad: Nate! Nate's gone! We've been attacked by El Cucuy!
Weili and Felice shriek.
Conrad: Tisha! Are you there? Let me shine a light, do you have a phone?
Tisha: - What's going on here? Can you explain?
Konrad: - I can't. There's something incomprehensible. Ghosts have taken over the house. El Cucuy is after Nate! I don't know where he is!
Felice: - Have you seen a ghost?
Konrad:  Just a glimpse!
Felice: - Oh, my God! It's real!
Tisha, nervously: Let's get in the car and leave right now!
Konrad:  Tisha, give me the phone right now. I'm gonna go fix the lights.
Tisha, handing over the phone: - Be careful.
There are strange noises outside.
Conrad: - Come on, guys, let's go inside the house, away from the windows.
Michelle: What about Nate?
Conrad: There's no more Nate!


SCENE TEN.

Tisha, in worried tone: - Guys, what's that smell? It smells like gasoline.
Everyone looks around, sniffing.
Michelle: - Fire! Something's on fire!
Jessica, pointing her finger out the window: - It's a car! Tisha's car is on fire!
Outside the window, the flames grow.
Michelle, Jessica, Tony and Felice run outside, looking at the fire with an expression of fright.
Tony: - El Kukui is harnessing the power of fire!.... He doesn't want to let us go!
Michelle: - There must be a fire extinguisher around here somewhere! Felice, over there!...
Tisha, who goes last, stays in the doorway and trembles with fear.
The camera brings her into focus, then shows Tisha from the street, behind her back you can see the empty interior with Weili trembling against the wall...
...suddenly from behind, Nate in some kind of mask and rags rushes at Tisha. He doesn't notice Weili behind him.
Tense, fast-paced music.
Valey, screaming, lunges at Nate with a kitchen knife she grabbed from the table, stabs him a couple times, squeezing her eyes shut, but Nate, roaring with pain and anger, snatches the knife away, stabs Valey several times in the chest area, and disappears out the door.
All the while, Tisha is screaming, she's absolutely terrified.
As the others fuss over the car (to no avail, as the fire extinguisher is barely working and can't put out a fire of this magnitude), they hear Tisha's screams and Weili's moans, and run back, Jessica continuing to put out the car, looking back at those running into the house.
Felice, running in: - Oh, my God! What happened here...? Weili!!! (rushing towards her).
Weili: - Monster! He was here... I saw it. I saw... he's scary... El Cucuy...
Felice screams as she sees that Weili is dead.
Michelle tries to bring Tisha to her senses, she stands like a pillar and stares into the void, it's like she's paralyzed.
Jessica is shown near a burning car, she throws an empty fire extinguisher in despair....
And then Jessica explodes along with the remains of the car.
Tony is shocked and runs to her, pushing the others away.
- No! Jessica! No!...
At that moment, Conrad appears in the room, having successfully gotten rid of Tisha's phone.
Conrad: - What's wrong?....
The picture before him: a car is burning in the street, Weili's corpse is in the house, Tisha is in complete shock, Michelle is hugging her, Felice is at Weili's corpse, Toni is screaming in the street next to his friend's body.
Tisha, trembling: - El Cucuy was here! I saw him! He killed Whaley! He's real!...!
Everyone is in shock.
Michelle: - Conrad... where's Tisha's cell phone?
Conrad, tapping himself on his pockets: - It must have fallen out somewhere... I lost it!
Felice: - Guys, to hell with arson, we should just get out of here! While we're still alive!

But, glancing once again at Weili, sees a huge puddle of blood spreading under her, and starts to faint, says, "I need to sit down" - but not even reaching the chair, she misses and collapses on the floor. You can tell she's not feeling well.


SCENE ELEVEN.

Tisha is in shock, not understanding anything and trembling with fear.
Suddenly the lights go out again.
The tense music slows down, everyone is somewhat confused.
Conrad immediately runs to the basement.
In the basement he meets Nate.
He is all cut up, grunting, examining his wounds.
The music stops, only the sound of footsteps can be heard from upstairs.
Both try to keep their voices down so they won't be overheard.
Conrad: -Did you turn off the lights?
Nate: - Of course. I know you're the only one who goes in the basement.
Conrad: How are you?
Nate: Holy shit! Conrad, look at me, this bitch is all over me.
Conrad: Bro, I get it, but you can't give up. Can you walk?
Nate: - I can, I don't think the wounds are deep.
Nate tries to take a few steps, moaning in pain.
Conrad: Keep playing El Cucuy, no matter what.
Nate: You're compassionate, friend.
Conrad: - We're not going to live anyway if we don't end up here. (Grabs Nate by the shoulders, looks him in the eye). We're all on our way to the electric chair, you know that. As long as we're alive, we need to do what we planned. Felice and Tisha will run away and blab everything. You understand, don't you? We probably can trust Michelle, but these are little snitches!
Tony shouts from the street: - El Cucuy! Damn you! I'll have my revenge! I'll get my revenge!
Nate tries to make out something in the darkness, listening.
Conrad: - Okay, pull yourself together and I'll talk to Michelle, I think she's with us and she'll understand.
Nate: - And those two... I'll take care of them.
Slowly he rises. The drops of blood left by his footsteps are visible on the wooden steps .
Conrad, loudly: - Michel! Come down! I need help. (to Nate) - And you get out of here quick so no one sees you.
Nate slowly exits the basement.
Michelle goes down to Conrad.
She struggles to find him in the darkness.
Michelle: - I'm afraid of El Cucuy. I don't understand what's going on, Conrad.
Conrad: - To hell with ghosts, Michelle. The electric chair awaits us if we don't deal with this. Or do you think the police will believe in ghosts? Haunted house talk is not a great alibi.
Michelle nods silently.
Conrad: - Do you realize that we need to get rid of all the crazies who will then start blabbing about El Cucuy, and about the fact that we were here...?
Michelle: - Are you serious...?
Conrad: - Do I look like I'm joking? What are we going to say to the police? Or do you think they'll believe that Rose was thrown from the stairs by El Cucuy? Our fingerprints are everywhere! There's enough evidence here to give us all twenty five to life.
Michelle thinks, pacing from corner to corner in desperation, silently talking to herself.
Conrad, shaking her by the shoulders: - Come to your senses! Otherwise that's it!....
Michelle: - Let's do as you say... I just want to forget about this damned place.
Conrad: -Whatever it takes?
Michelle: - Whatever it takes.

Suddenly there are terrible sounds of blows upstairs, a woman's scream, then a pause, screams, and the sounds of blows again.

Michelle and Conrad get up in a hurry.
Halfway up, Conrad goes back and turns on the switch.
When they both go upstairs, the bright light blinds their eyes.
Tony is standing there with a bloody poker. In front of him are the corpses of Felice and Nate.
Tony: El Cucuy! El Cucuy was here! He had already killed Felice, I didn't have time to help her, but I had time to kill him. I got my revenge! We're free!
Tony looks completely crazy, his clothes are torn, he's covered in blood, you can see a lot of Christian tattoos on his body.
Michelle and Conrad look at each other.


SCENE TWELVE.

Michelle and Conrad looking around. Tisha is nowhere to be seen. The camera shows the spot where she was sitting before, as if to indicate the fact of her absence.
Tony drops the poker, runs outside, slamming the door and stops by the car by Jessica's body, falling to his knees in front of the burning car.
The camera follows him out into the street, showing the whole scene as if from a doorway.
Tony: - I will avenge! I'll get you for this! (crying).
Conrad and Michelle are still looking at each other, their faces tense.
(tense music)
Conrad, almost in a whisper: - Michelle! I'll deal with him, and you run after Tisha. She must not leave!
Conrad picks up the poker lying by the door and slowly walks towards Tony.
Somber music plays, increasing with each passing second, mimicking a heartbeat.
Michelle, realizing what is about to happen, runs away.
Conrad attacks Tony, but gets horribly burned himself as they both fall into the flaming car in the heat of battle.
The fight lasts about thirty seconds, it's hard to understand what is happening on the screen, the camera is constantly changing angles.
Only one of them crawls away from the burning car, so at first the viewer does not understand who is alive.


SCENE THIRTEEN.

The music and the sounds of fighting subside. Silence ensues.
At this time Michelle, going around the house (the camera follows her) finds Tisha in the barn, where she is sitting, trembling, with a gun in her hand.
Michelle: - Tisha! Tisha! There you are!
Michelle rushes to her, they embrace.
Tisha: - I'm so scared! El Cucuy!...
Michelle: - We'll get through this, you'll see.
The camera pulls back, showing us a general view, Michelle comforting Tisha.
At the same time, from the same angle, Conrad appears in the aisle (close-up from the back), barely recognizable because of his burnt clothes and face, with a bloody poker dripping blood.
Tense, fear-mongering music plays.
Slowly, waddling, Conrad (he is the survivor of the fight with Tony) approaches the girls, trying to wheeze something.
The girls see him and shriek, both in equal shock.
Michelle, horrified: - Tisha, shoot!...it's El Cucuy!
The music speeds up.
Tisha is too scared and clasps her eyes shut in fear.
Conrad (to Michelle): - You bitch! You betrayed me!
His voice distorted with pain and anger.
Michelle tries to wrestle the gun from Tisha, yelling "shoot!"...
Tisha is afraid, and Michelle finally snatches the gun from her - but at the same time Conrad, seizing the moment, hits her in the head with a poker.
Michelle, trying to touch the object sticking out of her head: - Conrad? ....
The music slows down again, even becoming slightly lyrical, and tragic.

Dying, Michelle falls on her back on the left side of Conrad, Tisha (on the right) with glassy eyes just looks at what is happening, trying to get up and pick up the heavy gun.
Conrad drops the poker and looks at Michelle with a kind of horror, not even noticing Tisha; his face shows regret, as if to say "What have I done, perhaps I was wrong...".
He gets down on one knee beside Michelle's body, remorse is evident on his disfigured face.
He is in camera' focus.
The lyrical and tragic music transitions into a fast-paced action scene piece.
At this time, the frightened Tisha (still on the right of the shot) does pick up the gun (at which point the focus shifts smoothly to her) and shoots at the back of Conrad's head from a short distance, blowing his head off.
The music goes silent.
Conrad falls like a sack next to Michelle's body.
The thud of his body falling is heard, followed by the sound of a heavy gun dropping to the ground, and then Tisha's sobs, repeating: - El Cucuy! El-Cucui!....


SCENE FOURTEEN. FINAL.

Complete silence. A barn is seen, than a house, then the whole field.
Police sirens. Overhead view shows blue police cars approaching the house from different directions.
The police get out of their cars, walk around the house, and find Tisha and a a bunch of corpses.
They approach her, trying to comfort her, their words cannot be heard by the viewer.
The camera begins to zoom in from high above until it moves in almost to a close-up of Tisha's face.
Her lips are shaking, her face is dirty, blood and tears mixed up, her hair is piled up, her eyes stare into the void.
Tisha repeats several times almost robotically: "El Cucuy! El Cucuy killed everyone."

Fade to black.

THE END.