Bump In The Night

CAST LIST:

Mr Graves - Ryan Joseph Murphy

Christina Horn - Caleigh Le Grand

Dr Grant - Mark Redfield

News Reporter: Ryan Joseph Murphy

COLD OPEN

MR. GRAVES: If you’ve stumbled onto this station, don’t attempt to adjust your device. Door creaks, wolf howls and the terror of silence echoes throughout the night. This is the program that will send chills down your spine. Step right up and listen in because your horror show is about to begin.

MR. GRAVES: Excuse me while I light a candle, sometimes the mood just calls for something less fluorescent. Before we begin, a content warning. This episode includes hypnotic sounds, intense psychological treatment and grotesque violence. As always, listener discretion is advised. What is our fascination with the darkness? Is it the quiet seclusion? Is it the inevitable feeling that someone or something is watching us? Horror has frequently explored these circumstances and often darkness provides a portal to the realm of the supernatural. You may need to keep the lights on for this next tale, I present, “Bump in the Night.”

CHRISTINA: Babe, you coming back to bed?

SILENCE

CHRISTINA: You know I hate when you pull pranks like this.

(BEAT) You are really going to make me get up aren’t you?

CHRISTINA: Well you know what? I’m not going anywhere. Enjoy being alone in the dark.

SILENCE

CHRISTINA: Seriously Ben, this is getting old.

CHRISTINA: Fine, I’ll come out. You aren’t going to scare me though.

CHRSTINA: Ben…Ben come out now, this isn’t funny.

CHRISTINA: Ben. I’m not playing anymore. Come out now!

CHRISTINA: Ben, you are really scaring me.

CHRISTINA: Why are you on the grou…Ben..Ben oh my god, you are bleeding. Ben, Ben please wake up!

CHRISTINA: What…what is that…no, no stay away from me.

CHRISTINA: No, no..Ahh!!

CHRISTINA: (Waking up from dream) Ahh!!

DR GRANT: (snapping fingers) Christina, Christina!

CHRISTINA: (Shaken) Ah..doc…doctor.

DR GRANT: You saw it again, didn’t you?

CHRISTINA: I..I..did?

DR GRANT: What happened?

CHRISTINA: (Foggy) The same thing that always does. (BEAT) I see that..horrible looking creature…it looks me straight in the eyes and smiles. It stares right through me in the darkness. (Breaking down) I…I know it’s real. I know it. The eyes..They burn red… I can HEAR them looking at me…(Stern) Digging deep into my brain. Oh god! I don’t want to see it again, please…don’t make…

DR GRANT: Now.. Christina, you and I have been making good progress haven’t we? Soon, you’ll be able to be in light with the rest of us.

CHRISTINA: I don’t want to see that thing ever again. I can’t be alone in the dark Doctor Grant, please, I can’t.

DR GRANT: Shh, shh calm down now. Guards, please leave us. I’d like to have a few minutes alone with my patient.

DR GRANT: It's just us now. Take a deep breath. Feel your body, (BEAT) find where it is holding tension, (BEAT) and release it. Deep breath, and release. I want you to do something very simple for me. I want you to focus your mind on the sound of the metronome.

CHRISTINA: No, please, I don't want to go back.

DR GRANT: I want you to keep calm and focus.

DR GRANT: Just look at how it sways, ever so gently. Focus your mind on the tick…tick…tick…tick. Good. Now, when you're ready, I want you to let the sound slowly bring you to a state of calm and relaxation.

CHRISTINA: (Hypnotic) Yes, doctor.

DR GRANT: Now, let that sound slowly pull your eyes closed. Let it guide you into your mind. I want you to walk me through it. Describe what you see.

CHRISTINA: I am in our bedroom. It was late. The bedside clock reads 3:00am. I see my keys and my wallet. And..

DR GRANT: There’s something else isn’t there?

CHRISTINA: Yes, I see a bat in the corner

DR GRANT: A baseball bat? What happens after you see that?

CHRISTINA: I…I call for Ben..(Speaking) Babe, are you coming back to bed? You know I hate when you pull pranks like this. (BEAT) You are really going to make me get up aren’t you? I feel a fear come over my body.

DR GRANT: What are you afraid of..

CHRISTINA: The darkness. There was something inside of me..An urge or a feeling that I had to do something..it pushes me to get out of bed and take the bat. I get up and walk down the hall..clenching it with my hands as tightly as I could. I see something in front of me…it’s..that thing…no, no I don’t want to see it.

DR GRANT: Shh, shh, everything is alright. What did you do when you saw it?

CHRISTINA: I got up and grabbed the bat. I called out to Ben again but he still didn’t answer. I felt alone, I didn't want to be alone. Ever since I was little, I’ve been afraid of the dark. I always kept the lights on but when I was with Ben, I felt safe. Sometimes I look into myself and see that darkness inside of me. The nothingness wanting to take over.

DR GRANT: What did you do when you felt this nothingness inside of you?

CHRISTINA: I tried to fight it.

DR GRANT: How?

CHRISTINA: I tell myself that isn’t me. That they were not my thoughts. I get the courage to continue walking down the hall. I tried to turn on the lights but none of them would come on. Something is keeping them off. I called for Ben again but I got no response. Then I see it. I see those eyes. They’re burning red. They stare straight into me. I feel myself freeze as it comes closer and closer..and I..I take the bat and I hit it and I just keep swinging the bat and hitting it, over and over and over. It made me feel strong and the fear I had starts to fade..

DR GRANT: What happens after you stop swinging the bat?

CHRISTINA: I looked down and saw..I..I saw..(CRYING) I saw Ben. He was on the ground. Bleeding. His face..I..I killed him. I killed Ben.

DR GRANT: I want you to breathe and now I’m going to bring you back. Once you hear me snap my fingers, I want you to open your eyes. One…two…three. (Snaps finger). Christina?

CHRISTINA: Doctor, doctor, please I don’t want to go back.

DR GRANT: We already did my dear and you did wonderful. Will reconvene soon but I just want you to know that your treatment is going very well.

DR GRANT: Please come in and escort Ms Horn back to her room.

CHRISTINA: What I said was the truth doctor. I didn’t kill my husband.

DR GRANT: That will be all.

DR GRANT: Jack, I’d like you and the board to come down as soon as possible. I believe I made a breakthrough with Ms Horn. (BEAT) Yes, tomorrow night. Will have everything setup. (BEAT) Yes, I think we’ll need more grant money if these results are true. Let’s say 7pm? (BEAT) See you soon.

DR GRANT: Ms Horn, you are going to make me very rich.

DR GRANT: Hello, hello everyone. Thank you members of the board for coming to this demonstration on such short notice. Our research has yielded impressive results with our latest patient Christina Horn. I think everyone here is familiar with her case. Ms Horn was convicted of killing her husband Ben Horn and was put under our care. I am very happy to say that we have seen Ms Horn improve steadily and now I am pleased to show you all these results in person. Please bring Ms Horn in.

DR GRANT: For the safety of Ms Horn and the guests here, we will be strapping her to the chair.

DR GRANT: How does that feel Ms Horn?

CHRISTINA: (SOLEMN) I didn’t murder my husband.

DR GRANT: As you can see, the patient is still persistent in the belief that she caused no violence to her husband. She still maintains her innocence.

CHRISTINA: (Angry) I am innocent!

DR GRANT: Now, for the first part of our demonstration, I want the lights in this room to be completely shut off.

CHRISTINA: What?! No, you can’t.

DR GRANT: Ms Horn, I won’t ask you again. (BEAT) Please shut off the lights, I want complete darkness.

CHRISTINA: (To herself) No, no god no.

DR GRANT: Good. Now miss Horn…I want you to focus only on my voice and this sound.

CHRISTINA: No, no I can't…

DR GRANT: Shh, shh, I need you to focus, (slower) I need you to focus. Listen to the tick, tick, tick, tick. Good, Ms Horn. Let your eyes get heavy and close. I need you to go to sleep.

CHRISTINA: (Sleepy) Yes…doctor…

DR GRANT: As you can see, I’ve got the patient under a trance and now is where the real work begins. I want you to walk me through the night it happened. The night that Ben died. You woke up in your bed alone and…

CHRISTINA: I woke up and saw Ben missing. It was late. The hallway was dark. I got up..I got up from the bed and saw a bat on the ground.

DR GRANT: Yes and what did you do with the bat?

CHRISTINA: I grabbed the bat and walked towards the door into the darkness and called out for Ben. He didn’t answer.

DR GRANT: What did you do then?

CHRISTINA: I kept walking and then I saw them. The eyes. They were burning red. They stared straight into me. They spoke to me.

DR GRANT: What did they say, Ms Horn?

CHRISTINA: Voices..they were just voices in my head. It..I..can still hear them…(Breaking down) They…they wanted me to kill…Ben.

DR GRANT: And what did you do?

CHRISTINA: (Breaking down) I swung the bat. I didn’t want to see those eyes. I swung the bat as hard as I could. I hit the monster and just kept hitting it. Over and over and over..

DR GRANT: And what happened after you were done swinging?

CHRISTINA: I looked down and saw…Ben. He was dead.

DR GRANT: Very good Ms Horn.

CHRISTINA: It’s here.

DR GRANT: What did you say?

CHRISTINA: It’s here. It’s here and it wants me.

DR GRANT: (Laughs) Christina, there is nothing here.

CHRISTINA: Yes, it’s eyes, I can see them. They are burning into my brain.

DR GRANT: Turn on the lights now.

CHRISTINA: It wants me. (Becoming fearful) Help! Someone help!

DR GRANT: Christ, get the lights on now!

CHRISTINA: Help, someone help me!

DR GRANT: No, no, what the hell is happening. Get the lights on!

DR GRANT: Dear god, it’s real. It’s actually real. Oh no…

DR GRANT: (BREATHING HEAVILY) This can’t be happening. This can’t be…

CHRISTINA: (SCREAMING)

SILENCE

DR GRANT: No, no there’s no way.

DR GRANT: Oh fuck.

DR GRANT: Chris…Christina…is that you.

CHRISTINA: (DEMONIC VOICE) Yes, doctor. Maybe now you’ll believe her when she says that she didn’t murder her husband.

DR GRANT: Chrstina, Christina, snap out of it. Wait, you don’t want to do this. Think of the progress we’ve made.

CHRISTINA: (DEMONIC VOICE) I couldn’t have done this without you Doctor Grant. You allowed me to take control of Christina again. I’m afraid we can’t have any survivors.

DR GRANT: Christina, Christina, please no, god no!!!

REPORTER: Thanks Tom, At the Healing Garden Institute, a violent outburst erupted today as nine men were found dead with a bloody and mangled Christina Horn at the scene of the crime. Christina Horn has maintained her innocence in the case with her dead husband even when convicted. Will keep you updated on any further findings in this case.

<BEAT>

MR GRAVES: There’s something special about darkness that pulls us in. The allure of something sinister, something menacing and sometimes evil itself. It seems dear old Doctor Grant finally found something that couldn’t be explained with that big brain of his. Here’s hoping he’ll have more luck in the afterlife. I do know a couple of friends who are in need of some fresh thoughts and maybe some new limbs (LAUGHS). We will return with more stories of terror on the next episode of, Your Horror Show.