Demons - My First Screenplay... Script?

Apologies for not posting last week, it was thanksgiving, and my personal life has been a bit hectic recently... I am... changing homes! And moving 20+ years' worth of things is a goliath of a task. Though I'm not doing it alone (I play more of a support role...), it still is very tiring so today we will dive into... the past!

The following is the first attempt at a screenplay I wrote a while back based writing prompt. Though the writing prompt has been lost to the bowels of time I still have the script floating around so here it is!

There were many challenges I had to mentally work through when writing Demons but most of the issues boiled down to me making excuses to stop writing... Not a good look. Eventually, I powered through, did research on formatting as best I could, and arrived at what we got here. I know the suspense must be getting at you and you probably want to jump straight to the script so without further ado, I present to you Demons, a Paraquill Short. A warning to readers, the subject in this script is darker than the other posts I've written...

Alex

The only child of a broken family. Ever since his mom left his father, Alex's life has turned into a living hell. Ostracized at school and abused at home Alex is a very lonely kid. His demeanor is quiet and very subservient.

Father (Greg)

After his wife left him, Greg turned to alcohol to cope with the trauma and depression. To make up for the chaos that has become his life, Greg imposes his will on Alex forcefully. Greg is prone to explosive episodes of violence and rage. Currently, Greg is unemployed and living on welfare but you will always find a bottle of booze either in his hand or close by.

Creature

Whether a manifestation of Alex’s subconscious or an actual demon that dwells in the closet or under the bed, the Demon is a disembodied voice in Alex’s head for the majority of the story. The Demon is honest with its intentions and can smell fear from the people it communes with. Most important is the Demon’s curiosity for anything out of the ordinary.

LONG SHOT - of Alex biking home. The sun is high and the surroundings are quiet.

He parks his bike on the driveway, propping it up, and then walks to the front door. The house is small and unassuming with an unkempt yard.

The boy opens an already unlocked door.

INT. Alex and Greg’s House - The camera follows Alex like a person watching from behind his left shoulder.

The boy enters the house cautiously, quietly closing the door behind him.

Alex walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge to grab a bottle of beer. He then walks to the living room where his dad is currently sitting on the couch lazily watching the television.

INT. Alex and Greg’s House, Living Room.

Bottles and beer cans are scattered on the floor. The blinds to the room are shut and everything is lit by the dull blue light coming off the screen of an out-of-place and pristine television.

Alex walks into the room and timidly approaches his father, beer in hand. As he is walking Alex trips over the scattered garbage on the floor and drops the beer. The bottle shatters as it hits the floor. Alex's hand is lightly bleeding having been cut by several small shards of glass.

Alex does not look up from the ground and his breathing becomes quick, quiet, and shallow.

Greg’s shadow looms over Alex and he forcefully pulls Alex’s head up to look at him. The smell of alcohol on Greg’s breath causes Alex to wince.

Greg raises his free hand toward the ceiling and then drops his fist like a hammer. I loud thud echoes over the laugh track coming from the television. Then rhythmic drumming of strikes continues.

As the laugh track from the television synchronizes with the sounds of fists, the camera fades to black.

INT. Alex and Greg’s House, Living Room.

Overhead shot – Alex slowly picks himself up off the floor and proceeds to obediently clean and pick up the shards of glass. The television is now off and the room is poorly lit by the streetlights outside.

The sound of a car's engine grows louder as its headlights suddenly light up the living room. Then the sound of metal clashing and the engine abruptly made quiet.

Alex races up the stairs enter his room, quickly slams the door, and curls up into a ball on his bed. In the darkness of Alex's room, the loud and methodical steps of Greg resonate like a heavy drum. Then silence.

The covers Alex is using to hide are suddenly pulled off. The giant figure of Greg standing over him blocks the light from the hallway.

Wide Shot – Showing Greg's shadow looming over Alex.

INT. Alex’s Room - Night

Alex is on his bed, bruised and teary-eyed. In the background, Greg can be heard yelling at the television. Then all sound fades away. A creaking sound comes from his closet as it slowly becomes ajar.

Alex looks towards the closet and sees nothing out of the ordinary. When Alex slumps back onto his bed, the faint sound of light footsteps echoes through the silent room.

The sound of a shattered bottle breaks the conversation and Greg's indiscernible yelling travels through Alex's closed door.

The thumping sounds of footsteps climbing stairs reverberate through the air. Alex is frozen in place and visibly shaking.

The door to Alex’s room flies wide open and Greg’s silhouette blocks most of the light from the hallway.

Greg unbuckles and pulls out his belt, aggressively moving towards Alex.

Wide Shot - Greg and Alex’s shadow is cast on the wall by the light of the hallway.

Alex’s shadow grows larger and more menacing, more demonic.