Château Phénomène

SCENE 1:
We follow a winding path through a forest in the mid-afternoon for about a few moments before we reach a clearing with a large mansion. About a dozen people, mostly adults but a few teenagers are there as well, are standing there, listening to a tour guide talk. The guide is a man with blond hair and brown eyes, wearing a green shirt with beige khaki shorts and brown boots. He appears to be in his mid-thirties.


GUIDE
...This is called the Château Phénomène, an old mansion where rumors say that the owner of the house had the ability to cause strange and unusual things to happen. Things ranging from simple things like causing furniture and objects to move on their own, to actually conjuring up images of people from the past. Jacques Restaire was his name, and people believed he was practicing witchcraft. Hence the reason he was burned at the stake. And therefore...


The view switches to a young Asian woman, standing a little around five feet tall, with short black hair, wearing a white jacket with pink stripes on it, along with blue jeans and pink sneakers. She is YUKO KASAGIRI, twenty-three years old. She came with her boyfriend standing next to her, JOHN DAVIDSON, twenty four years old, wearing a striped polo shirt with beige jeans and grey sneakers. His hair is brown and curly. We can still hear the guide talking in the background.


YUKO
[whispered to JOHN]
Do you really believe this place is really haunted?

JOHN
[whispering back]
Nah, I think this is all just some kind of joke. Still, I would like to see the inside of the house. It does look kinda neat.

The two look up again at the guide.

GUIDE
[still speaking]
To this day, people report hearing strange noises and finding things moving out of place. Who knows what we'll see today? But I assure all of you that this place is completely safe. I've been through countless times. So let's come along and enter this place.


We now get a good look at the mansion. It's about three stories tall, with a grey finish to its paintjob. In the background we can see a grey sky, indicating rain might be close by. We then switch to the porch where the guide is pulling out his keys.

EXTREME CLOSEUP:
The key being inserted into the lock and turning.

The view then shifts back to the GUIDE, holding the door open for the others who file in. The GUIDE then walks into the mansion. Just before we switch scenes, though...

EXTREME CLOSEUP:
The same as when the guide unlocked the door, except this time, a hand wearing a black leather glove slowly inserts a key and locks the door quietly.

SCENE 2:
The foyer is a large, spacious room, decorated with various pictures and items, with a big stairwell in the center of the room. Doors are on the left and right walls, with another one behind the stairs. The guide is standing in front of the stairs.

GUIDE
This is the entrance to the mansion, as you probably know. Restaire was known for keeping most of his valuables out here, since very few people ever came to visit. But he still had an art gallery for viewing a lot of his other artworks. In fact, some say that on some nights, his presence can be felt within the gallery. They say his spirit still lingers there.


A closeup of MARYANN BELTERS, thirty-nine, with curly brown hair and matching eyes, wearing a pair of blue glasses. She is wearing a white sweater with a black miniskirt and high heeled shoes. Next to her is her husband of twelve years, DAVID BELTERS, thirty-six. His hairline is receding a little, yet his brown hair is still there. His eyes are also brown. He wears a green jacket with blue jeans and brown boots.


MARYANN
David, I don't think we should've come here.

DAVID
Don't worry, honey, it's just a spooky old tourist attraction. Nothing can happen to you while I'm here.

MARYANN
[now looking nervous]
David, please, can't we just get out of here?

DAVID
[patting MARYANN on the shoulder]
Don't worry, honey, it's gonna be fine.
[they look back at the guide, and we return to the previous view]

GUIDE
[still speaking]
...so in summary, the spirit of Ristaire still exists, and he lives like a human being, relaxing in his study when it's cold and wet out, or admiring his paintings when he's bored. In fact, they say his spirit even sleeps in his old bed. It's almost like never died at all.


The GUIDE is about to speak again, when a loud moaning can be heard. Everyone gasps, but the GUIDE's gasp is notably fake.

GUIDE
[pretending to be scared]
Did you hear that? That's the sound of the spirit now.
[the moaning repeats]
It's coming from over there!
[he points towards the western door]
He's in the library! Maybe he needs company. I'll go and check. The rest of you wait here, and then I'll come out and tell you.


The GUIDE slowly walks over to the door, still acting scared, and slowly opens it a little. He peers inside and then carefully enters, shutting the door behind him. For a moment, there is nothing. Then the sound of something moving around inside.

YUKO
What's that? Is it the guide?

JOHN
[grinning to YUKO]
Probably, he's just acting like there's a ghost in there to scare us all. Why I'm sure he's-


John is cut off by the abrupt sound of screaming, presumably from the GUIDE. At first, everyone gasps, but then they relax, figuring it's probably just part of the show. After that, everything is dead quiet again. For a moment, everyone waits, then DAVID speaks up.

DAVID
[scratching his head]
So where the hell is our guide?
[no one answers]
Well? Is this part of the damned tour?
[still no answer, so David goes over and tries the door, which opens. He peers around inside and then gasps]
Oh my God!


The view switches to the interior of the library, where the walls are bookcases full of various old books, which stop abruptly at the center of the opposite wall, where a large window looks out over the old forest. Several comfortable looking armchairs are in the center of the room. What DAVID apparently gasped, however, becomes visible as the camera pans around the room.

We see the GUIDE lying face down in the center of the room, a small table knocked over with a vase knocked onto the ground, a flower coming out of it. Yet, there seems to be no water that would have spilled onto the navy blue carpet that the GUIDE lies face down on.

The view then switches to the doorway, looking in from the library, where JOHN and YUKO are looking in now.

YUKO
[turning away]
Oh no!

JOHN
[putting an arm around YUKO]
It's OK. It's probably just a part of the tour.

DAVID
[pushing his way through, sarcastically]
Excuse me!
[he rushes over to check on the GUIDE]
Hey, what's going on? Is this a joke?


Suddenly, the GUIDE abruptly stirs and looks up, rubbing at his head, although it's very obvious that he's just acting.

GUIDE
[groaning]
What happened?

DAVID
[angrily]
Don't play games with us! Are you trying to scare us?!

GUIDE
[calmly]
Hey, relax. It's just part of the tour.

DAVID
[still angry]
Part of the tour?! You damn nearly scared the hell out of us!

GUIDE
[standing up, still calm]
Well, didn't you read the disclaimer that this tour can be very scary?

DAVID
[now less loud, but still angry]
Who the hell reads disclaimers anymore?

GUIDE
[ignoring the question]
Well, folks, looks like I had a bit of a spill in here.
[he grins nervously]
But come on in and take a look around.