Planning: The Playscript

SCENE 1


3 boys and 2 girls, between the ages of 16-18, are walking up a dirt trail directed towards a forest with multiple bags weighing them down. Adrian is on the phone to his mother, reassuring her that he will be safe and that everything will be fine. The other teenagers are in the background mocking him apart from Stephanie and Damon who are seen hand in hand flirtatiously joking with each other.

ADRIAN: Mum, everything’s gonna be fine, trust me!

 (Faint, high-pitched murmuring can be heard in the background, coming from the phone) 

ADRIAN: Yes – yes, Zac’s here, yes.

 ZAC: Tell Mrs Chester I said hey, and that I’ll return her thong tomorrow. (Smirks and chuckles to himself about his own sexual remark) 

ADRIAN: (Looks at Zac and mouths ‘Piss off’) Yeah, we’re staying as a group…just don’t worry about us – it’s only camping. 


SCENE 2 


The group arrive at the designated campsite and begin to make themselves at home. Stephanie is seen struggling to put up her tent as Damon laughs at her.  

STEPHANIE: Oh my god, I don’t even want to be in this shithole! I’ve already got mud in my nails and we’ve only been here for 5 flipping minutes. And this stupid tent is driving me crazy. For god sake Damon, don’t just stand there and laugh – help me! (Damon continues to laugh) 

ALONA: Peace and love guys, peace and love… 

STEPHANIE: Ugh, shut up and somebody just help me! 

DAMON: (Still slightly laughing) Babe just calm down and let me do it. 


SCENE 3


Close up of the campfire, which then rotates around to reveal the group crowded around the fire. The group are chattering amongst themselves. All of a sudden Alona suggests an idea. 

ALONA: Guys, d’ya fancy doing a… 

STEPHANIE: A what Alona? 

ALONA: A - A séance? 

ADRIAN: What’s a séance… 

ZAC: Oh my god, are you an actual idiot? 

DAMON: Yeah I’m up for that! 

STEPHANIE: Damon are you being serious? 

DAMON: Ooh is someone a bit scared of the little ghosties, are you scared they’re gonna come and get ya Steph? 

ZAC: (Creeps up behind Stephanie and makes her jump, then falls into a laughing fit) 

ALONA: Lets just do it guys; it’ll be a laugh! 

The other teenagers look at each other, some excited, some sceptical and some frightened. 


SCENE 4


The group are still in a circular formation however their hands are now linked. The fire is larger and the night sky is darker. 

ALONA: What time is it? 

ZAC: Why? 

ALONA: The spirit world is more active at midnight (continues rambling on to Zac) 

(Adrian gets out his phone) 

ADRIAN: Well it’s 12:04 now…

(Phone runs out of battery)

ADRIAN: Crap. 

STEPHANIE: Can we just get this over and done with already? 

(Everyone falls silent and looks at Alona)

ALONA: Spirits, we mean you no harm. 

ZAC: Unless you mess with us (flexes his arm and chuckles) 

(Everyone looks at him in disgust) 

ALONA: As I was saying… Is there anyone here who wishes to speak to us? Or perhaps wants to enter one of our bodies? 

STEPHANIE: (Abruptly) Just not mine though.

ADRIAN: And preferably not mine please. 

ALONA: Shh. 

Everybody falls silent and looks around nervously. There is a sudden clash of thunder. Stephanie screams while some of the others flinch at the sound. Zac laughs loudly at Stephanie. 

ZAC: (Laughing) Wow! You’re such a typical girl. 

DAMON: Mate you jumped too… 

(Zac looks at Damon defensively) 

ADRIAN: Can we just get this over and done with before it starts raining?

Everyone looks at each other cautiously nodding.

ALONA: Is anyone here? 

STEPHANIE: For crying out loud, can we just stop this now? I’ve had enough and no one is here, it’s just us! Can we just stop with these stupid games and spiritual bullshit! None of this crap is real, it’s just –

A twig in the background snaps. Everyone’s heads slowly turn. They get up and head slightly closer to the location of the sound. Damon lights a torch and sees something in the woods. He stumbles backwards and Stephanie rushes forwards to help him. 

STEPHANIE: Damon, omg babe, are you okay? What’s wrong? 

Damon ignores her and begins to stumble forwards whilst trying to get his torch to work again, as if in a trance, fixated by the figure he witnessed in the woods. The phrase ‘Silvis erit excitato in sanguine tuo’ is heard. 

STEPHANIE: Damon? Damon! Seriously Damon, what on hell are you doing? 

Stephanie grabs Damon and turns him around so they are looking at each other. The campfire is seen in the middle of them. 

STEPHANIE: Look at me. 

Damon makes eye contact with Stephanie. As soon as this happens, the campfire distinguishes. The campsite is plunged into darkness and the teenagers in the campsite begin shouting and screaming out in fright. 

ADRIAN: I'll get the torches out.

Damon can hear the same phrase repeated in his head. 

DAMON: Can you guys hear that? 

ALONA: Hear what… 

STEPHANIE: (Whispers) Be quite. 

ADRIAN: I can’t hear anything… (Silence) 

ZAC: Damon quit it. Stop trying to make us all shit ourselves. You’re either bloody mad or just messed up (continues to rant). 

Whilst Zac is ranting, Damon is getting closer to him. The other teenagers try to intervene and tell him to stop but he keeps on getting closer. Stephanie rushes to him to stop him but Damon violently pushes her out of the way. As everyone runs to Damon to sort him out, he grabs Zac by the neck and starts to strangle him. 

Blackout. 


SCENE 5 


Damon awakes. He is lying on the floor. He looks at his hands and see’s scratch marks, blood and a weird symbol on his hand. Damon gets up and scratches, cuts and bruises are seen to be located on the rest of his body too. As he turns around, the dead bodies of his 4 friends come into view.