Scene 1
THOMAS
New tenants move in today. We should be okay this year as long as they don’t go down
stairs. They’ll be safe. Everything is going to be okay. Mom and Dad would be proud of
me. Too bad they aren’t here.
JUSTIN
Moving in 2020 should be prohibited!
I hate that we had to go through all of this. But our lease was up and my new job
was starting in a completely new location so it was necessary. I’m glad Jen, Lyle, and
Cam were okay with moving with us.
Jessica said they’d be fine with it, but she’s definitely a bit of a happy go lucky,
nothing can go wrong kind of person. That's what made me fall in love with her. Our
wedding day was perfect because no matter what, she was happy and that made
everything worth it.
Anyways, the new place is huge. Even more so than the pictures stated. It's a 4
bed 4 bath that's within walking distance of my new job and it's cheap as hell. Actually
alarmingly cheap. Jessica made a comment about it being so cheap that it must be
haunted and that she was excited to meet her new friends from the afterlife. She is so
kooky.
The only downside is we can’t use the basement. Apparently someone else lives
there or something. I’m not entirely sure. The landlord kept skirting the subject when I
would ask. Creepy but like...I will not turn down such an excellent opportunity.
Jessica
Aaaah the house is gorgeous. Rent is cheap and everyone seems content. I’m
not saying I’m amazing and everyone should thank me but like...they totally should
because I killed it with finding this rental! Only 1,400 a month in the downtown area.
Just a steal. Everything is perfect and I’m so so excited to get everything unpacked,
organized and put away. UGH this is perfect.
I wonder when Lyle and Cam are going to get here? They said they’d be a
couple days behind us, but i’m not sure what a couple means to them haha. Jen is all
moved in though and they seem to love it just as much as I do.
JEN
There’s something off about this house. I’m not going to say anything to Jessica
because she loves it and seems really proud of her choice but, it just feels wrong
somehow. I can't explain it. I wonder if Cam or Lyle will get what i’m talking about. I’ll
ask when they get here.
Another question I have is why we haven't seen the landlord yet? I get that we’re
in the middle of a pandemic but I thought for sure we would have met him for two
seconds when we got here. If I were a landlord, I'd want to check out my new tenants
and get a feel for the kind of people they are. His name is Thomas but that’s the extent
to what I know about him, other than the fact that he owns this huge house and isn’t
living in it himself. Is he rich enough to own more than one property? Too many
unknowns for comfort with that guy as well.
THOMAS
They don’t seem to have found the cameras yet which is nice. I’m livid that the
married couple is interracial. Why didn’t they tell me about that sooner? I wouldn’t have
let them move in had I known. This is not okay. I need to talk to them. But I’ll hold off. At
least nothing has happened yet.
Scene 2
*Sounds of celebration as Cam and Lyle arrive at the home*
LYLE
So apparently we have a neighbor that lives in the basement. That’s sus as hell
but as far as I can tell, that is the only negative about this place. Jessica really hit the
jackpot finding it. Jen mentioned something about the house feeling weird. I think
they’ve been listening to too many creepy podcasts.
Oh, I almost forgot, the downstairs neighbor definitely makes a lot of noise at
night. Apparently I'm the only one who has noticed so far, since my sleep schedule is so
fucked up, but every time I’m in the middle of playing games, I hear creaking noises and
then a loud bang like a door is being opened slowly and then slammed shut. It's weird.
Might bring it up to Jen...might not. I don’t want them to look too much into it. Besides,
it’s probably just someone going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. That isn’t
something too strange and unusual.
JUSTIN
What the fuck. No one lives in the basement. I was just down there because there was
loud banging and I went to complain to the tenant and tell them to knock it off and it’s
just empty down there. There was basically nothing. I searched and all I found was a
weird vintage looking locket with old timey photos of Jessica and I. Where did this come
from? Did Jessica know there was no one down here? Is this hers? Why wouldn’t the
landlord let us down here? It’s so frustrating that he’d just lie about something like that.
THOMAS
There’s five of them living in the house! Why didn’t they tell me there were five of them?
And the husband went into the basement. This is really really bad. First they marry
interracial, and now they have too many people living on the property. This is ridiculous.
I need to speak to them now before things escalate too far and I lose control of the
situation. How dare they try to deceive me like this. All I'm trying to do is protect them
and they don’t even have the decency to follow instructions.
Jessica
Just got an email from Thomas the landlord. It was kind of rambly and he
mentioned “rules Rules follow the RULES” a bit too much. But basically he said that he
can’t accept us having 5 people in the house as well as a mixed couple. Which like
dude grow the fuck up. It's 2020. Even gay marriage is legal now. Just because your
ideals are no longer being upheld doesn’t mean the world is going to end. Geeze.
He said he was upset because Jessica is a white woman’s name and I wanted
so badly to reply back something like “Sorry my name isn’t something outrageously
“ethnic” or whatever your biases are but here I am existing as Jessica while colored so
get used to it.” But I think that would cause too much drama and Justin has been acting
really strange lately. I think it’s just the stress of a new job and moving that is getting to
him. Should I suggest that he take a chill pill or go to his therapist? Or is that too mean?
I think I'll ask Jen what they think.
JUSTIN
(Agitated) Jessica keeps acting weird and it’s driving me insane. Why can't she
just be normal for a bit. I love her but damn! She honestly told me to take a chill pill. A
chill pill? REALLY Jessica? Good Lord! Why would she even say that? She’s the one
that has been acting weird. Her and everyone else in this house. I should be asking
what the hell is wrong with them. Telling them to take a damn chill pill!
(Calm) Anyways I spoke to Thomas the landlord and he is just going to charge us
more for rent since we didn’t disclose that there would be a fifth person living here. He
seemed really hesitant to allow it but I convinced him we’d be on our best behavior. I
think it’s outrageous that he thought he could just make a racial comment about Jessica
and I’s marriage, like it isn’t 2020. Probably just another cranky ass townie with nothing
better to do than harass us and not enough brain to have better ideals. He’ll get what’s
coming to him. Karma will do that. Until then, if he decides to spout anymore hate
speech out of thin air, I'll make sure to report him to the housing association or
something. I guess I don't know who exactly that would be reported to but I sure as hell
ain't calling the police.
Scene 3
JEN
Weird shit is happening in the house. I swear this place is haunted. It's really the
only thing that makes any sense. Some of it is definitely on par with some poltergeist
shizz. I’m gonna talk to the others and see if they are also having any strange
occurrences. For me the main thing is that the bathroom door always ends up unlocked
and opened while I'm showering. Like I shut and lock it before I get in and by the time I
get out it's wide open for the whole house to see my naked body. Which is just not great
for keeping the peace while we are all quarantined together.
LYLE
Jen thinks the house is haunted and that we are in danger. I think our problem
lies with a bigoted landlord thats probably trying to do things intentionally to get us to
move out of the house. Which is hella dumb considering we’re paying him more than we
were, every month for rent.
THOMAS
One of them thinks the house is haunted but no one else is listening to her...the
others think it's me. But it isn't. I need to talk to Jen, I think that’s their name? I need to
warn them.
JEN
The landlord wants to video chat with me. I don’t know what to say. I found a
camera in the living room yesterday. Is it his? Is it Justin’s? Why does he want to talk to
me? What the hell is going on here? Are we on some fucked up reality show I don't
know about? Also Justin has been acting really strange and super aggressive towards
everyone. Everything was fine until he found out that no one was actually living in the
basement. I think that set him off. He made an off comment about ending us all the
other day. Maybe I should call a psychic.
CAM
Jen is literally on the phone with a psychic right now. They have definitely let
quarantine get to their brain. There is nothing wrong with being creative and using your
imagination to get through a global pandemic but they are taking things way too far.
THOMAS
Jen won’t talk to me. So I decided to leave a package at the front door that
contains my journal as well as my research which includes newspaper clippings, and a
note telling them that they are in danger and the only way to live is to get out of the
house.
JUSTIN
(Angry) Who keeps contacting Jen? Are they conspiring against us? It’s because
they hate how special Jessica and I’s marriage is, isn't it? What the hell is their
problem? I bet they’re working with that piece of shit landlord to try and get rid of us so
they can have the whole house to themselves. That’s why weird things keep happening
around the house. If they aren’t careful they’re gonna get what’s coming to them.
JEN
Did you know that Thomas is actually a pretty fine looking mixed guy? Who
would’ve guessed with that super gross anti-interacial bull. Anyways, I got a package
that I think is from him. I’ve been doing research and so far it looks like there really is
something wrong with the house. Justin keeps watching me and sitting outside my
bedroom. I don’t think i’m safe here. I’m gonna suggest we all go visit my mom this
weekend. It’ll be nice to get away from here for a bit.
Jessica
Something is seriously wrong with Justin. He keeps watching Jen like a hawk.
Are they sleeping together? I didn’t think Jen swung that way but then again, I’m now
realizing I don’t really know them as much as I thought. They’re Justin’s friend mainly.
They’re mine too but they’ve known him significantly longer. Jen wants us to go to their
mom’s this weekend. I think i’m gonna just stay home. Justin is irate most of the time
and I kind of want a break from him.
LYLE
Dude, what the fuck is happening here?
Scene 4
CAM
We’ve only been here for three months and all hell has broken loose. I found a
camera on the patio. Is Jen recording us? What is going on here? Has everyone lost
their damn mind? I think so. Someone keeps tapping on my door at night. Which is
creepy as hell! I said something to Justin and he just shrugged it off with an angry growl
and sulked away. There is something seriously wrong with that guy. I mentioned to Jen,
against my better judgement, my concerns about the tapping, and Justin’s behavior and
I was met with a crazed “yeah YEAH! It all makes sense now. He was right! I was
right?” all while gesturing to a box overflowing with newspapers and the mass of other
papers with scribblings written on them.
JEN
(Crazed) I can't believe it but...I think i’ve figured it out!
It started in the twenties. Some wealthy white guy was in love with a colored
woman and so they eloped and moved into this huge house away from everyone else
so as to keep a low profile. But he still went to work and everyone there kept calling him
slurs and making comments about how unfit he was to exist in regular society to the
point that he ended up getting fired.
But it didn’t stop there. They frequently woke up to the field outside on fire, or red
paint strewn across the front of their home. It got even worse when she got pregnant.
No doctor would come and help deliver the child. The only people who stayed
around were the wife's younger sister and the hired help which included a cook and a
maid. They all did the best that they could to help deliver the child but it was all for not.
Both mother and son passed during childbirth. The husband, who was fraught with
devastation and rage from the outside world’s unwillingness to help them in their time of
need, snapped. After locking himself in the basement for a week, he emerged and killed
the maid and the cook in their sleep before shooting himself in the foyer.
Every 25 years since then, the man of the house has gone crazy and murdered
everyone in the home. Somehow there always happens to be an interracial couple living
in the home at the time. The imprint of so much tragedy has caused the rut to grow so
deep that it’s near impossible for anyone to get out before it is too late.
Thomas was the only one to survive the last reincarnation of these terrible
events. He’d hoped that with the current pandemic he could supplement his lost income
by renting out the house and with the couple moving in being a Justin and Jessica, he
thought we would be okay and maybe could avoid disaster. But so far everything is
going awry. I’ve got to tell the others before it's too late.
JUSTIN
(Screaming/aggressive guttural sounds) *paper ripping and sounds of bookshelves
being thrown to the ground and desks being flipped* Who are you talking to!? I knew
you were working with that scumbag!
JEN
Justin no! I was just trying to help! (Screams) * gunshot rings out*
Jessica/LYLE/CAM
What’s going on? Justin what are you doing? Is Jen okay? What is wrong with you?
(More screaming yells and grunts) *three more gunshots*
JUSTIN
(Crying) Oh god what have i done? *Sirens can be heard*
Thomas
Justin....hey buddy... uh...do you wanna put down the gun?
JUSTIN
Who the hell are you? What are you doing here? Why do you have a gun?
Thomas
You’re the one who just killed all of your friends. I’m the one who should be asking
questions.
JUSTIN
(Sobs) Jessica?!? Oh god. This is all your fault. If it weren't for you and Jen and your
scheming we wouldn’t be here! *Gun cocks* You have to pay for what you’ve done!
(yells and runs forward) *Gunshot rings out*
Thomas
Dammit. Why'd you have to come at me man? *Sirens blaring just outside*
COP #1
Get down on the ground.
COP #2
He’s got a gun! *Gunshot then silence*
Scene 5
*Sounds of a car pulling up and people getting out*
YA #1
Wow I can’t believe your folks live here! Didn’t some guy murder a bunch of
college kids here like 20 years ago?
YA #2
Yeah but like once you see inside you’ll totally understand why my parents bought the
place. It’s a gorgeous house. I’m just so glad you decided to come home with me for
break. *Kiss*
YA #3
God get a room you two! I’m still here you know! You invited me out here too!
YA #2
Yes I know! I’m glad you’re here as well! *Laughs* This is gonna be a super fun
summer. I just know it!
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