Top 3 Halloween Short Scenes

Well, Wavers - it was very tough, but I have read through all of the submissions and selected the three that I think are the cream of the crop. So, for your enjoyment, I present:

UNTITLED by Doug Jones

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Two young girls, LILY(10) and JOSIE(7) are at the table making
cards out of construction paper. MOM, (30’s) is making dinner.

LILY
Can I borrow your periwinkle crayon?

JOSIE
Only if you cut out this pumpkin shape
for me. These scissors are too big.

The girls go back to paper cutting and coloring. Then…

JOSIE
Hi.

Mom shrieks. An OLD MAN, pale and in a dark suit, at the door.

OLD MAN
Sorry if I scared you. I came to drop
off a map for the trick or treaters.

MOM
Oh, thanks. But I thought there weren’t
any other kids in the neighborhood?

OLD MAN
That’s a bit of a paradox. I suppose
we’re optimistic. And we love children.

Mom takes a map from the old man. She glances at the door during
a moment of uneasy silence.

LILY
Ouch!

Quick as a cat, the old man is at Lily’s side with a handkerchief
pressed to her finger. A scarlet dot seeps through.

MOM
Thank you. I’ll have to go get a Band-
Aid. See you on Halloween. Night.

The old man hesitates, smiling slightly, eyes closed.

OLD MAN
Oh yes, of course. Good evening.

After the old man has left, Mom applies a band-aid to Lily’s
finger. Josie studies the map.

JOSIE
Halloween’s going to be boring this
year.

MOM
Why’s that?

JOSIE
There’s only one house on this map.

******

PUMPKIN BLUES by Dare Kent

EXT. FARM – DAY

A FARMER, 40s, moves the last pumpkin from the trailer to the table. He looks over the pumpkins with fatherly pride.

FARMER

Be plump, friendly, and orange.

That’s how you’ll find a family.

The farmer hops onto the tractor and drives the empty trailer away.

SNIFFLE, a periwinkle pumpkin, SPOUT, bravely holds back blue tears. OJ, the orange pumpkin beside him SNICKERS.

OJ

It’s not your fault you’re unlovable.

A child’s hand picks up OJ.

CHILD

I want this one, Mom. This one.

As the child carries OJ away, he sticks his tongue out at Spout.

EXT. FARM – NIGHT

Flickering lights float towards the ground behind Spout as he CRIES.

A lavender blue Alien materializes before Spout. He pulls out a blue handkerchief, dries Spout’s tears.

SPOUT

Who, who are you?

ALIEN

An alien, from a paradox universe, a place where all things periwinkle blue are connected.

SPOUT

Why come here?

ALIEN

Do you know what they do to pumpkins, Spout?

Alien bends down, whispers in Spout’s ear.

SPOUT

Really?

Alien nods solemnly, disappears, the flickering lights fly towards the moon.

INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT

A MOM pulls out a knife, the sharp edge glints under the fluorescent lights. OJ, horrified, watches as Mom walks towards him, WHISTLING an upbeat tune. Mom stabs the knife in soft orange flesh, OJ SCREAMS. Mom keeps WHISTLING.

INT. KITCHEN – LATER

Darkness. A child’s hand places a lit candle inside a carved pumpkin. OJ, now a jack-o-lantern, his horrified face forever frozen in death.

*****

THE GOOD SON by Cheryl Greenblatt

EXT. THE SKY - DUSK

Crickets signal the coming night. The sky, azure at its zenith, fades to a dusky periwinkle on the horizon.

Suddenly - the ugly hum of orange of sodium lights and the sky goes dark.

We are in a parking lot outside a 24-hour doughnut shop.

INT. DOUGHNUT SHOP - CONTINUOUS

DORIS (58), her ruddy face lined, hair bleach blonde, glances up briefly from the cash register as the bell on the front door JINGLES.

DORIS
Hey kids, going trick-or-treating?

JIMMY and DWAYNE, baseball caps pulled low over their faces don’t hide the acne and greasy hair. They’re way too old to trick-or-treat.

On the counter, a small pumpkin flickers as a candle shines through its gaping mouth. Doris refills a ketchup bottle.

DORIS
(not looking up)
Whattsa matter, cat got your tongue?

Suddenly, Jimmy puts a gun in her face.

JIMMY
Shut the fuck up!

The ketchup bottle SHATTERS on the floor.

DORIS
Take it! Take all the money!

Jimmy leers at Doris.

JIMMY
Just gimme all the cash and do it fast.

DWAYNE (V.O.)
Jimmy?

Jimmy turns and - BANG. He stares blankly, a bullet hole between his eyes. He hits the floor. Dwayne takes off his baseball cap. Doris lowers her hands and stares.

DWAYNE
Bit of a paradox, aint’ it? Guy like me, savin’ your life?

Doris sinks heavily to the floor, ketchup co-mingling with Jimmy’s blue-red blood.

DORIS
(barely audible)
Thank you, son.

Outside, the headlights of two police cruisers sweep across the parking lot. The bell jingles as Dwayne slips through the door and heads for a cornfield. Doris wipes up the ketchup and weeps.

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