<p>Hello, this is a rough draft of a sample screenplay I may be admitting to the NYU Tisch Dramatic Writing program in my portfolio. Am I on the right track? Do I tell a story? When I paste the story on here - it comes out funny - so try to read it for what it’s worth, please. Thanks.<br>
Alex.</p>
<p>FADE IN:</p>
<p>int. sarah harris’s car - day</p>
<p>AGENT SARAH HARRIS, age thirty-two, drives an old, beat-up car. Manila folders lie scattered over the back seats. Her cell phone rings. She picks up. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>(on phone)</p>
<p>Hello. </p>
<p>int. FBI Academy library - day</p>
<p>SPECIAL AGENT MARCUS DAVIS, age forty-four, African-American, swivels in a chair as a document pulls up on the computer in front of him. He has a phone in-hand. </p>
<p>davis</p>
<p>Harris, is that you? </p>
<p>INTERCUTTING -</p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>Davis? </p>
<p>davis</p>
<p>Yes. Right now, I’m pulling up a file on a serial killer named Don Verdint. I need you to go to his house, and collect whatever you can. He killed another girl in Quantico yesterday. We need a lead on this guy. You understand? </p>
<p>She hesitates. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>Yes, of course Agent Davis. </p>
<p>davis</p>
<p>Good. He hasn’t been at his house since the murders began in 2008. It lies on multiple acres right outside Halifax. Plenty of agents searched the home, but no one really brought back anything substantial. You’ll be fine. Come back to the training grounds, and I’ll give you a bit more info and the directions. </p>
<p>Sarah listens as Davis clicks the phone off. She continues driving. SOUND UPCUT - THUNDER and RAIN. </p>
<p>ext. don verdint’s house - night</p>
<p>Sarah slowly drives down a thin, dirt path, weaving through a grassy field. In the distance, a dark house is visible. </p>
<p>int. sarah’s car - night</p>
<p>She stops the car in front of the house. Lightning strikes, illuminating it’s isolation in the midst of a huge surrounding field. She grabs a small canvas bag off the passenger seat, and exits the car. </p>
<p>int. don verdint’s house - night</p>
<p>Complete blackness. The front door creaks open as Sarah pokes her head inside. Water drips from her hair. Her dimly-lit hand points a flashlight into the room. She shines it around, seeing nothing. The flashlight lights up a table in the center of the room. Atop it are tools; a chainsaw and hammer lie next to a closed toolbox. </p>
<p>Sarah eyes a light switch on the wall to her right. She pushes it up. Bright lights flicker on, causing the girl to squint for a second. She takes a step inside. A whirling wind blows as the front door slams shut. A hint of fear appears in Sarah’s eyes. </p>
<p>ext. don verdint’s house - night</p>
<p>DON VERDINT, age thirty-eight, stands next to the door, laughing. He walks over to Sarah’s car, takes a knife out of his pocket. He pops the two front tires. </p>
<p>int. don verdint’s house - night</p>
<p>Sarah examines the tools on the table. She tries to open the toolbox, but it is locked. Out of her canvas bag, she grabs a lockpick. She opens the toolbox. There is nothing inside of it. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>An empty toolbox?</p>
<p>She takes out a flash camera and SNAPS multiple images of the scene. </p>
<p>She pushes the table aside. A carpet rests on the ground. She tosses it aside. Steps are visible. Sarah shines the flashlight down the steps to reveal an extreme darkness. </p>
<p>INT. basement</p>
<p>The room, a haven of dust, has many cobwebs. The steps creak as light moves along the floor. Sarah reaches the bottom of the steps. </p>
<p>Many cardboard boxes lie on the ground. Sarah reaches inside one, and grabs a notebook. She goes to the first page. No words are written. None are on the second page, either. She flips to the back of the book. Nothing. She turns it over. She reads aloud as she sees what is written. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>I’m here. </p>
<p>She seems confused, but at the same time scared. The basement door SLAMS shut. Sarah freezes. </p>
<p>int. first floor</p>
<p>Don Verdint grabs the lock off the table. He puts it on the hatch door, and laughs as it CLICKS.</p>
<p>int. basement</p>
<p>Sarah tosses the notebook aside as she reaches into the bag and pulls out a gun. She stares at it, then holds it upward. She quickly makes her way to the top of the steps. She cannot open the door. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>Damnit. Come on. Open. </p>
<p>She keeps pushing upward, but nothing happens.</p>
<p>int. first floor</p>
<p>sarah (o.s)</p>
<p>Come on. </p>
<p>Don continues laughing. He picks up the chainsaw and turns it on. </p>
<p>INT. BASEMENT</p>
<p>Sarah stops. She sprints down the stairs at the SOUND of the roaring CHAINSAW. She takes her cell phone out of her pocket. The device displays that it has no service. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>Damn it. </p>
<p>She pushes aside boxes as she makes her way to the other side of the basement. There is a locked door. Sarah aims her gun, and shoots off the lock. She opens the door. A DEAD BODY, wan, falls on her, weighing her down. Sarah SCREAMS, falls, and gets up quickly. </p>
<p>She peers inside the closet, and feels the interior. She shoots a bullet through the wall. Light peeks in. Another bullet SOUNDS as it pierces through the wall, allowing more light into the basement. </p>
<p>With a kick, Sarah smashes the wall, a large piece of thin wood. </p>
<p>ext. don verdint’s house - night</p>
<p>Sarah leaps out through the closet, and notices that she is at the side of the house. She runs over to her car. </p>
<p>int. sarah’s car - night</p>
<p>She gets in quickly, tosses her bag to the side, and starts the engine. It works. She takes a deep breath. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>Good. good. </p>
<p>She tries turning the car around, but the flat tires do not allow her to. </p>
<p>sarah (cont’d)</p>
<p>Come on. </p>
<p>She stops the car and takes out her cell phone. She begins dialing, just as</p>
<p>Don Verdint runs up to the front window, and with the loud chainsaw, shatters it.</p>
<p>Sarah SCREAMS. She exits through the passenger side of the vehicle. She sprints into the field. Don drops the chainsaw and runs after her. </p>
<p>ext. field - night</p>
<p>Sarah’s nice shoes get muddied as she continues. The already-dirty boots of Don chase after her. </p>
<p>Sarah points her hand back and fires her weapon. Don dodges the bullet. </p>
<p>don</p>
<p>You’re gonna have to try harder than that! </p>
<p>Sarah tries to dial a number on her cell phone, but drops it into the mud. She stops to retrieve it, turns around and sees Don in full stride, coming at her with a sharp, silver knife. A GUNSHOT SOUNDS. Sarah’s bullet pierces Don’s thigh. He lets out a SCREAM and continues after her.</p>
<p>Sarah grabs her cell phone. Don throws the knife, and it strikes Sarah’s shoulder. She falls to the floor. Don slowly walks over to her.</p>
<p>SARAH’S POV</p>
<p>She looks up at Don with blurry eyes, as he takes a bottle out of his pocket. It has a red liquid inside. He drizzles some of it onto his glove and slowly puts his hand over Sarah’s mouth and nose. Within seconds, her eyes shut. Blackness. </p>
<p>INT. DON VERDINT’S HOUSE - NIGHT</p>
<p>Sarah’s eyes open slowly. They look confused and teary. She lies on her back. She sees Don’s smiling face, and tries to stand up. </p>
<p>PULLING BACK -</p>
<p>it is apparent that Sarah is strapped down to Don Verdint’s table. Don sits in a chair. He has a bandaged thigh. He, with the hammer in hand, stands up and hobbles over to her. </p>
<p>don</p>
<p>It’s funny, isn’t it? Not even the F.B.I. could catch me. </p>
<p>He waits for a response. </p>
<p>don (cont’d)</p>
<p>It’s very funny. You know why? Because I’m here, in my house, and they’re not even here, yet. Doesn’t that make you wonder if the agency even cares about you,</p>
<p>(looking at Sarah’s I.D.)</p>
<p>Agent Harris? </p>
<p>She tries to get up. </p>
<p>don (cont’d)</p>
<p>That’s not going to happen. </p>
<p>She continues trying. </p>
<p>don (cont’d)</p>
<p>I actually don’t blame them, Harris. An F.B.I. agent with aim like yours…you had an open shot of my body…and you took out my knee. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>I’m a trainee. </p>
<p>Don starts laughing. </p>
<p>don</p>
<p>A trainee? They sent a trainee after me? I’m just going to guess it was Davis who sent you? </p>
<p>Sarah nods. </p>
<p>don (cont’d)</p>
<p>That makes sense. He’s a selfish ■■■■■■■, ain’t he? Felt your life’s not as valuable as a real agent’s.</p>
<p>Her eyes begin to swell.</p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>What are you going to do to me? </p>
<p>don</p>
<p>Be patient, won’t you? </p>
<p>Don brings his chair over to the table and takes a seat. </p>
<p>don (cont’d)</p>
<p>What do you think I’m going to do to you? </p>
<p>Sarah is about to say something, but Don puts his finger to his lips, stopping her. </p>
<p>don (cont’d)</p>
<p>You’re not supposed to answer that question. </p>
<p>sarah</p>
<p>Let me go! There’s no way you’re going to make it out of here alive.</p>
<p>Don</p>
<p>Then what’s the difference? Agent Harris, let me tell you something about me, this house in particular. No one makes it out of here alive.</p>
<p>He hits the hammer against the table.</p>
<p>DON (CONT’D)</p>
<p>Knock on wood.</p>
<p>He laughs. His joy concludes. </p>
<p>DON (CONT’D)</p>
<p>Survival is impossible. It’s like trying to take blood from a -</p>
<p>BANG. A GUNSHOT SOUNDS as a bullet pierces the back of Don’s neck. He falls over as a cloud of smoke rises above him.</p>
<p>davis (o.s)</p>
<p>Got him! </p>
<p>Agent Davis walks comes into view, heading to the table. Other agents follow him into the room, guns pointed, making sure the coast is clear. </p>
<p>Sarah nods thankfully. </p>
<p>SARAH</p>
<p>Davis. </p>
<p>Davis unstraps Sarah. She sits up on the table. He extends his hand to her. </p>
<p>davis</p>
<p>Good job, Agent Harris. </p>
<p>They shake as she nods and smiles. She looks thankful to be alive. </p>
<p>ext. don verdint’s house - night</p>
<p>The vast field is silent. Police cars surround the house, which is now lit-up and visible.</p>
<p>A positive sense pervades the air. </p>
<p>FADE OUT.</p>