The Test
By: Adam Green
Ent. A living room where the room is very dark and has a brown color to it. There are four friends that sit around talking to each other.
Jim: Man, that test was a massacre of millions, I hated it!
Lynn: I know! I think I failed!
Ben: I think I'll fail that class!
Jake: You all shouldn't worry, everything will be fine.
Lynn: Yeah, coming from the genius dork over here.
She points to him as if showcasing him as a genius.
Jake(shakes head): Whatever, lets think what we are going to do today?
Ben: Its pouring down rain! Lets play games!
Lynn(gives him drop dead look): No! Dork! I shouldn't be playing with you anyway!
Jim: Hey now! Settle down.
Lynn: He can't help it that he's a dork.
Jake: Did you here what Jim said? He said for you to settle down and stop making fun of people lower than you.
Lynn(rolls eyes): Whatever!
Jim: Jake, its no problem! Lynn can't understand people's feelings except herself.
Jake: Yeah, your right!
Ben(smiles widely): Hey guys, we can go to the Demon Hospital for our amusement.
Jim: What's that?
Ben: It was a Confederate hospital during the Civil War where every single soldier died even the ones with the most minor injuries, sound weird? Anyone that went in, never came out, not even the doctors or nurses. They all died!
Jake: No one believes in that garbage.
Ben: They have pictures of sightings of the supernatural.
Jake: That's not what I mean, I mean that not every injured soldier died in a hospital during the civil war.
Ben: Then you won't be afraid to check it out.
Jake: No! I won't be afraid!
Ben: I forgot to mention that the devil placed a curse on it and that's why they all died.
Jake: Okay, that's even more nonsense. In fact, I bet you a hundred dollars that this is some joke.
Ben: Done!
Jake: Let's go! Are you coming Lynn and Jim?
Lynn: I guess, as long as I can't be seen with you all. The only reason I'm even here is because my friends bailed on me and I'm mad at the my other group.
Jim: Someone has to keep you guys safe.
Ben: We don't need you for that.
Jim: Yeah you do, every time I'm not there, you always get hurt like when that kinder garden girl who beat you up in third grade when I was out with the flu.
Ben: Shut up.
Everyone laughs as the camera fades away.
Ent. The doorway of the Hospital
Lynn: Here we are dorks! How do we get in?
She folds her arms together.
Ben: Simple. (He knocks)
They wait in silence for a few moments, this would be a good moment to look at the scenery, then the door opens with no one at the door.
Jake: Who's there?
Ben: It's the devil! There is no human on this rock of a house!
Jake: I don't believe that shit.
Ben(grins): You should. Because without it, the fear of yours will escalate!
Jake: Shut up! This is nonsense!
Ben: Face it, your afraid!
Jake goes after Ben and grabs Ben by the neck, knocking him into the wall of the hospital.
Jim: Hey! This is stupid! We have all been friends for years and years, lets stop this and make a promise that even if something happens, we will always be together, friends always!
He speaks sternly and everyone is silent as he speaks for he is the leader of their friendship. They all put their hands in the middle and raised them like a sports team.
Jim: now, this looks like it has four floors. So Lynn take the third. Ben take the second. Jake take the fourth and I will take the first.
As he commands to each one, he points.
Lynn: Why do I listen to you freaks?
Jim: Because your with us.
Lynn(rolls eyes): What ever.
(Exunt)
Ent. Hospital 1st floor.
Jim(breathes): Man, Lynn makes me want to stab a stake in her.
All of a sudden, there are voices heard from the room that echo.
Jim: Who's there?
Voices(echo): Who's there?
Jim: Who the hell is there?
Voices: Who, Who, Who, Who?
Jim: Show your damn self!
Voices: Show!
The lights flicker and a door is banging on its hitches, but is still closed.
Jim: Who's there?!
He moves toward the door, preparing to open it.
Jim: What in the hellfire.
The lights turn out, the door opens, and Jim is pulled in.
Blackout
Ent. The Hospital with all lights on now. Jim stands in the middle of the room.
Jim: What happened?
Jim puts his hand on his head because it is in pain and he begins to sweat uncontrollably.
Jim: Ahhhh!
Jim bursts out in anger as crashes into a wall with his face flushed red . He shakes his head up and down and then......
Blackout
Ent. Stairs leading to 1st floor.
Ben: Man, I hate that Jake, he's a frick in know it all!
Jim(off camera): Ahhhh!
Ben(startled): Jim, is that you?
He sees Jim who is standing up straight. He is no longer Jim, but he has a head of a demon.
Ben: Jim!
Jim: Jim, not here! Amnkaka !
Ben: Who is Amnkaka?
Jim: Your killer!
Amnkaka leaps into the air and grabs Ben by the throat. He drags him off camera.
Ent. Hospital 2nd floor.
Jake: What was that noise?
He hears the voice of his mom.
Mom: It was just Ben, honey.
Jake(startled): Mom! What are you doing here?
Mom(comes closer): I wanted to see you, baby.
Jake: Go away!
Mom: I love you.
Jake: No, you were always paying attention to all your boyfriends and your other son that you had with Frank too even care about me!(mimics mom) I have to take Charlie to church, soccer, the movies, whatever. (Stops mimic) But, whenever I want to do something, you say I don't have enough time. You constantly said you hated me and that Charlie was the best son and you never encouraged me to do anything like do well in school. I had to do that myself.
Mom: Honey, I didn't mean it, I love you.
She touches his face as she speaks.
Jake: Yes you did! Now, I have to go see if Ben is all right,.
Mom: He's fine, honey. Come have a picnic.
Jake(startled at first then angry): We are in a haunted house and you want to have a picnic.
Mom: Yes, sweety.
Jake: You are dead! You died on a Thursday on March 15 2006. I know because that was my birthday and you missed that one too, because of Charlie and the fact that you were having a heart attack.
Mom: honey, I'm not dead that was in your head, in your mind.
She gets close to him as her eyes get bigger.
Jake: I am not crazy!
Mom: Honey, you should see a doctor.
She touches his face.
Jake: Your in hell!
Mom( shakes finger): you never believe in that, Jake.
Jake: I do now!
Mom: Don't lie, notty notty.
Jake: blasphemy!
Mom(slaps Jake): You know nothing of blasphemy.
Jake: How?
Mom: So many questions, Jake?
Jake: So many mysteries.
Mom: Do you know what lays when we die?
Jake(pauses and breaths): No, but I believe we return to the soil, are "recycled", and are used again on earth. In short, I believe in the body's reincarnation on earth.
Mom: So smart, but do you not believe in a good and evil.
Jake: No, it is only human nature.
Mom: Wrong! My son that is blasphemy!
Jake: It doesn't matter since we are alone.
Mom: No, you are not.
She punches Jake and pulls him off camera.
Ent. Hospital 1st basement
Ben lies on the ground with a bit of a bloody throat.
Ben(puts hand on forehead): uh, what happened?
Amnkaka: The Test has begun.
Ben: What test?
Amnkaka(off camera): The test to change you all. To change how you think, to put the fear in your bones, and make you suffer as others suffered around you.
Ben: No one has suffered around me!
A teenage boy appears wearing a hiking pack, hiking pole, and a helmet.
Ryan: Hey, man lets go climbing!
Ben(blinks): Ryan.
Ryan: Yeah, man, c'mon lets go,
Ben: where?
Ryan: Philmont, dude.
Ben: Oh, dude, um, how is this possible?
Ryan: What do you mean?
Ben: I mean your dead..
Ryan: dead?
Ben: Not here anymore.
Ryan: What are you talking about?
Ben: I'm talking about your line breaking while climbing, because the man was too drunk too hold your line and he let it go, causing you to fall and die. I was too stupid to realize he was drunk.
Ryan goes through a sudden realization of all that happened.
Ryan: You murdered me!
Ben: No....well..uh.
Ryan: I thought you were my friend.
Ben: I was.
Ryan: Was?
Ben: Yeah, I mean, your dead.
Ryan(face turns to anger): You shall pay.
Ryan leaves and Amnkaka enters.
Amnkaka: You make people angry, do you not?
Ben: I guess, at times, but I guess we all do.
Amnkaka: But, you do it more than others.
Ben(shies): Yes.
Amnkaka: Ah, admittance is the first stage. You passed though half the admittance.
Amnkaka: Do you accept that you feel no fear?
Ben: Hell yes!
Amnkaka: This shall be easier than I thought since the first stage is now complete.
Ben: What's the second, Satan.
He uses his hands as quotes when he says Satan. He smiles widely as he says this.
Amnkaka: Pain.
Ben(gulps): Bring it on.
He pulls out a rope and grabs ben by the hands, ties him up to the bedpost behind him.
Amnkaka: Twenty seconds, you live or die! You must escape or the knife in the closet shall strike you and kill you.
Ben races to untie his hands as sweat pours down his face and Amnkaka only smiles in gladness that he goes through this suspense.
Amnkaka: 5 Seconds.
Ben figures out to untie himself and flips off the bed as the knife is flung from the closet.
Amnkaka: Very good, but that is only one of the many tests that I have prepared for you.
Ryan appears and watches with a smile.
Ent. Hospital 2nd floor
Jake lays tied to a chair with his hands behind his back as his Mom towers over him.
Mom: I can't believe you thought I was dead.
Jake: I saw your body in a coffin.
Mom: Coffin?
Jake: Its what they buried you in when you died.
Mom: I am not dead!
Jake: Yes, you are.
Mom: Then why have I not seen heaven or hell!
Jake(breaths): Because they don't exist, we are alone.
Mom: Your wrong! I remember being judged and seeing the almighty face, ah he was magnificent, and then the dark one's face and my very lips felt fear.
Jake: Your body is hallucinating, its all part of my theory of the body's reincarnation. Its part of my book entitled The Dynamics of Reincarnation.
Mom: Are you calling me crazy?
Jake: Yes!
Mom(face filled with rage): How dare you for you shall soon see the light yourself!
Mom punches him with both hands constantly.
Mom: You shall know death and hell!
Jake: Death is only natural by means to create new bodies and hell is a dark land of fantasy.
Mom: You shall soon know.
She unties him and hits him in the back. And then she leaves him to himself.
Jake: How is she alive? How ? How? How? There is no explanation to why she bickers about the almighty and the dark one. I know her body is changing, but how about the good and evil.
All of a sudden he sees Jim standing as himself and not Amnkaka .
Jake: Thank God lets go.
Jim: c'mon.
Jake: Wait, I'm tied down somehow, help me!
Jim: Dude c'mon.
Jake: I can't help me!
The lights are bright for this scene as if its in a dream.
Jim: Dude bye, whatever.
Jake: Wait.
Then a guy appears in jeans and a white shirt.
Jake: Who are you?
Guy: Just a person.
Jake: What? Help me get out.
Guy: Only you have the power.
Guy leaves.
Jake: What is going on? Help?!
Voices: Help?
Jake: Yes, help.
Voices: Help will come.
Mom appears.
Voices: Help has come.
Jake: No!!!!!!!! Stop and give me some good advice.
Voices: She will show you.
Jake: Show me what?
Voices: The truth.
Jake: Of what? I don't understand you, so just stop!
The voices stop and the camera is shown on Mom smiling.
Mom: You are in pain.
Jake: Who are they?
Mom: they are the spirits sweety, coming to usher you into judgement.
Jake ( voice shaking): What are you talking about?
Mom: Your dying sweety.
Jake: How?
Mom: Nobody knows for you have no control over when you die, but you can choose your fate when you die.
Jake: This is impossible.
Mom: No, the human mind is impossible for it only sees things that are natural and not the truth in all things.
Jake: I don't understand.
Mom: For the millionth time, you will.
Ent. Hospital 1st floor.
Ben is tied to a chair as Ryan talks to him.
Ryan: How could you had let me die?
Ben: I was foolish, I didn't think.
Ryan: I was your friend.
Ben: I know.
Ryan: You were not foolish, but merely a person with no fear. That sense of fearlessness was what got me killed.
Ben(smiles): Yeah right.
Ryan: You don't believe me. Well, your sense of stubbornness also got me killed.
Ben: Your just mad, so quit it.
Ryan: Quit it, how can I quit it when my best friend lets me die?
Ben: Okay, would you bug off if I said I'm sorry.
Ryan: No!
Ryan walks out of room and Amnkaka enters.
Amnkaka: Ready for your next test of pain.
Ben(smiles): Yeah, go ahead , and try something more impressive please .
Amnkaka (smiling) : Your wish is my command. You shall answer three riddles for me and if you miss one. You will lose an eye, answer two wrong and you will lose two eyes, and if you miss all three then you shall pay with death.