Final Outline!!!

PHILIP BLACKWOOD MYSTERIES #1
Outline

by

Ray Jay Edwards

Scene 1:

BRITNEY BRIMES (25) is in the kitchen and sees a LITTLE BOY out of the corner of her eye.  She doesn't hear anything, just turns to see the boy running out of the kitchen.

Britney follows the boy, but he's not in the living room.  She walks on to the storage room, and finds the Little Boy standing there, staring at her, looking unhappy.  She tells him she's seen the little girl, but never seen him.  The Little Boy doesn't answer.

Does he know the little girl?  Is he is her friend?

The Little Boy says, "I'm not a boy," his voice deepens, his eyes become dark sockets, and he morphs, "I'm the Debbul."

Britney screams and flees.

Scene 2:

PHILIP BLACKWOOD (26) arrives at MISTY's house.  He has brought XAVIER, Misty's neighbor, with him.  Philip explains to Xavier that Misty has been bothered by monthly thumps on her roof that she feared were paranormal.  Xavier laughs, and also seems embarrassed about this.  Philip takes Misty and Xavier out front to show Misty the tree at the edge of Xavier's back yard that hangs over the edge of her roof.  He explains that Xavier has a cat who, once a month when the moon is full, freaks out, climbs the tree and scampers across Misty's roof to get to the Benny family's back yard.  The Benny's have two cats that Xavier's cat, Lilith Puffysox, likes to play with.  But Philip suggests that Xavier explains WHY this happens every full moon... Xavier has a garden in his back yard, and he is Wiccan.  Every full moon he performs a ritual inviting the gnomes to bless his garden.  This activity freaks Lilith Puffysox right out, so she escapes Xavier's yard to play with the Benny's cats, and shows up the next morning on Xavier's doorstep.  MISTY has no idea Xavier was a witch; she and Xavier strike up a friendship.  Philip's phone rings: TIFFANI needs a favor.

Scene 3:

TIFFANI meets PHILIP at a food cart.  She asks how the movie-review show is going and Philip says it's fine.  Tiffani says Max and Noel miss him; he misses them, too.  Yeah?  Yeah, Philip misses all of it, the coffee, the sitting for hours in the dark, trying to act like a responsible adult around clinets, meetings at (insert cool Austin restaurant), the whole thing.  Tiffani asks if he can help them out with one more case.  Philip jokingly asks is there's any chance it's on a weeknight and Tiffani says "no" but rushes into the pitch: The Brimes Family are being tormented, but the group -- Central Texas Paranormal Investigators (CTPI) -- can't solve it.  It's too powerful to be residual or intelligent ghosts, it is actually hurting the family and their daughter, but 2 religious cleansings have failed to exile whatever it is, and no Catholic churches in the Central Texas area will area will sanction an official cleansing.  Philip wants to help, but James (the other overnight guy) hates working on his days off and Saturday is when they tape the show.  But Philip can see that Tiffani is really, really hoping for Philip's help, so he offers to look at the evidence CTPI has collected.

Scene 4:

PHILIP review's evidence:

1. A little girl, DODDY, actually converses with the team for a couple of minutes.
2. An inhuman growl is heard in EVP.
3. A night table in the baby's room is moved 17 inches on video.
4. A small shadow turns into a large, menacing shadow on IR video.

Philip is intrigued enough to help.

Scene 5:

TIFFANI takes PHILIP to meet CARLTON BRIMES.  Britney and Ariel are at Britney's mothers.  If possible, Carlton would rather wrap this up before Ariel comes home.  (This is unrealistic, but Philip holds his tongue, though Tiffani is uncomfortable with this unrealistic expectation, too, he can tell.)

Ariel's Room: Ariel scratched, furniture moving.
Kitchen: Little girl seen.
Storage room: Little boy turns into "the devil".  Growl EVP.
Parents' bedroom: Aural conversation with Doddy.
Parents' bathroom: Banging on inside, not heard outside.
Guest bathroom (near Ariel's room): Guest pushed into shower.
Hallway: Shadow IR video.

Scene 6:

Thursday Night - As soon JAMES gets in PHILIP begs him to cover Saturday.  James obviously wants to say "no", argues in his head for a few minutes, then says he'll do it.  RELIEF!  Philip tracks down AMBER.  They banter (maybe even flirt?) for a bit, then Philip dives in: He gives her a jump drive with his scripts and video and begs her to forgive him for not being able to make it Saturday.  Amber becomes an ice queen.  Philip tries to explain that he wouldn't do this if he had a choice, and Amber informs him he doesn't.  She's barely holding this show together, scrounging every bit of advertising she can con out of someone because the General Manager keeps hinting the show doesn't make enough money to keep it on the air, and now Philip is bailing, too?  He's not bailing, he just can be here Saturday.  "That's fine", Amber says, but Philip knows it's not fine.

Scene 7:

PHILIP meets TIFFANI to talk about the case.  He's going to tell her that can continue helping them on his days off, reviewing evidence or whatever he can do, but he just can't get the time off work, but Tiffani launches right in with the background: New house, no recorded deaths or psychic trauma.  Whole neighborhood was an empty field before that.  This fact interests Philip, but he won't say why just yet, he's still going to beg off the case.  Tiffani is worried this might be "inhuman", but since "civilian" cleansings didn't work, there might be nothing CTPI can do for the Brimes family.  (During their, the 2nd, cleansing, CTPI utilized an ordained minister, so they're up against the wall.)  There is another aspect that makes Tiffani want to solve the case for the Brimes family, but she doesn't want to taint Philip's opinion.  Philip starts to explain that he can't do it, but the look on Tiffani's face won't let him.

Scene 8:

6:00 pm - PHILIP, TIFFANI, MAX and NOEL arrive to investigate Brimes house.  Philip mentions that he thinks it would be really helpful to talk to Britney Brimes, and that seems to make CARLTON really, really nervous.  (This happens over dinner.)

Scene 9:

6:55 pm - Setup happens, PHILIP & TIFFANI investigate Ariel's Room while MAX and NOEL investigate the Storage Room.  45 minutes of nothing.  (7:45 pm) TIFFANI and PHILIP investigate Parents' Bedroom while MAX and NOEL investigate Parents' Bathroom.  Another 45 minutes of nothing.  (8:37 pm) PHILIP and MAX investigate Guest Bathroom while NOEL fast-forwards through what they have of the Hallway so far and TIFFANI checks her audio to see if she has anything.  45 more minutes of nothing.

Scene 10:

9:24 pm - CARLTON has been surfing the Net in the Study for the last two-and-a-half hours.  He seems nervous (acting suspicious) when PHILIP tells him they haven't found anything yet.  Philip mentions this.  Carlton explains that he never believed in this stuff before, and he's still not comfortable with it now.  But since...since he can't deny it now, he's been noticing all kinds of strange things.  He thought he saw...no, he's sure he saw a black panther at the edge of his property one night, only twice as large as a doberman, maybe larger.  Britney has always been interested in this stuff, as Philip can tell from her DVDs, and a giant back cat doesn't figure into it.  Philip explains that that's not unheard of in the paranormal world, but he senses that there is more to Carlton's unease.  Carlton is hiding something.

Scene 11:

9:30 pm - Noel volunteers to watch the cameras (set up in the Study) while PHILIP, TIFFANI and MAX investigate the Kitchen.  Tiffani leads the EVP session, trying to engage Doddy.  Tiffani's questions are about what it was like when Doddy lived here.  After no responses, Max asks how Doddy died.  (Philip thinks this question is a mistake, but doesn't say anything.)  Max suddenly can't breathe.  They end the session and leave the room, and Max gets her breath back.

Scene 12:

9:51 pm - CARLTON is worried that maybe they should end the investigation for tonight.  MAX absolutely does not want to!  NOEL worries about an entity that would attack Max.  Is it, maybe, that dark thing they saw in the hall last time?  The thing that growled?  (Assuming they are the same entity.)  MAX is excited they're getting a response; it it wants to attack her again, she's not scared.  TIFFANI doesn't want CTPI to stir up anything that they can't deal with, and then leave Carlton here alone afterward.  PHILIP suspects it wasn't an attack: He points out that Max asked how Doddy died; maybe Doddy was "showing" her.

Scene 13:

10:01 pm - PHILIP, TIFFANI, MAX, NOEL and CARLTON are all in the Kitchen trying to contact Doddy.  10:44 pm rolls around with no results.  10:49 - 11:30 pm PHILIP and MAX investigate Ariel's room.  11:40 pm - 12:25 am PHILIP and NOEL investigate the Storage Room.  12:35 - 1:20 am PHILIP and TIFFANI sit quietly in the Hallway.  At 1:48 am Philip and CTPI have packed-up and leave CARLTON, Tiffani insisting he call her cell phone if anything happens or if Carlton needs anything.  They'll review the audio and video they caught tonight and let him know.  As Max and Noel drive off, Tiffani asks what Philip thinks.  He'll let the data inform his opinion, but right now he doesn't see anything especially odd about this haunting.  Tiffani isn't pleased with this assessment -- she clearly wants Philip to come to some specific conclusion about this case, but she won't tell Philip what's bothering her.

Scene 14:

MAX and TIFFANI talk PHILIP into joining them for a drink after the investigation.  "Like old times."  The only bar close is a Sports bar.  Tiffani, Max, Philip and NOEL discuss the case...  Max goes to the restroom.

Noel spots Max on her way out of the restroom, pinned down by a drunken BRO.  Noel eggs Philip on to "rescue" Max because Noel likes watching Philip do his Jeet Kune Do thing...

Points to make:
1. If you know how to fight, you don't have to.
2. One-Inch Punch looks like it's magic, but it's not.  (Chi?)
3. Philip seems to anticipate opponent's attack by "sensing" or predicting his next move.  Again, looks like magic but it's not.

Scene 15:

Sunday night - PHILIP works.

Monday evening - Philip begins reviewing his audio and makes notes.  He gets about halfway through it because he places audio recorders in room where he isn't.

Monday night - TIFFANI calls to see if Philip has found anything.  She and the others found nothing, so far.  Some possible EVPs and a few "orbs" in pictures (probably dust), but nothing of interest.  However, Tiffani did some research and found out that there was a low-rent apartment complex on the land for a couple of years before the land was bought by the Tiger Group out of Japan.  (1995 - 2001)  This get's Philip's attention.  He asks her if she will keep digging, and if Noel can check out UFO reports in that area while she's doing that.  Tiffani asks what Philip is thinking but he's not sure it's even worth mentioning.

Scene 16:

Tuesday night - PHILIP hears an inhuman growl uttering "GET OUT!" from the recorder in the Parent's Bathroom.  He checks the time; it's right around when Max couldn't breath in the Kitchen.  He checks the time on his audio recording of the Kitchen incident: It's an exact match!  He picks up his phone to call Tiffani, but his phone rings right at that instant: It's NOEL...  Noel has an EVP from the Storage Room that Philip needs to hear...

Scene 17:

Wednesday evening - PHILIP meets CTPI at TIFFANI's house.  NOEL feels that the identical EVPs happening at the exact moment when Max couldn't breath indicates she was attacked.  MAX is uncharacteristically scared by the EVPs.  Philip points out "Then why didn't the religious ceremonies work?"  So, Noel wants to know, what's Philip's theory.  Philip doesn't have one yet, he's still analyzing the facts.  Noel spells out the case for demonic infestation:

1. Ariel scratched
2. Little boy turns into "The Devil"
3. Parents' bathroom banging
4. Guest pushed into shower
5. Inhuman growl EVP
6. Night table in Ariel's room moves 17 inches
7. Small shadow turns into Large shadow
8. "Get out!" and Max can't breathe
9. Demons reported to pretend to be ghosts of children

But the religious cleansings would have worked if it were demonic.  Tiffani talked to Carlton earlier today and there wasn't anything going on in the house since the investigation, so they still have time to figure this out.  They just need to investigate again.  But Philip can't take another day off work...

Scene 18:

Thursday - At the TV station, PHILIP visits AMBER's office.  He wants to apologize again for Saturday.  Amber apologizes instead for her behavior: Amber is barely holding this show together, scrounging every bit of advertising she can con out of someone because the General Manager keeps hinting the show doesn't make enough money to keep it on the air, and Philip not showing up Saturday seemed like maybe he sensed the ship was sinking and was going overboard before it sank beneath them all.  A little flirtatiously, Amber asks if Philip DVR-ed the show.  He did, and he loved her changes to his segments.  Amber says she had to tweak his scripts a little because the way he writes is so... HIM.  (She makes it sound like a compliment...and maybe a come-on.)  Philip has to get back to work.

Scene 19:

At work, PHILIP checks his emails.  He got an email from Noel listing the UFO reports in the area: One witness spotted lights in the sky twice this year.  Two witnesses spotted a craft here last year. One spotted lights last year.  Another 3 spotted lights 4 years ago.

TIFFANI stops by the TV station.  Philip is surprised.  Tiffani couldn't sleep.  She explains her worry about this case: At first, her fear was that Britney might have accidentally scratched Ariel and used the paranormal activity as an excuse.  If this were what happened, should she contact Child Protective Services?  She was hoping that Philip would figure out what was causing the activity and Tiffani wouldn't need to make that decision.  But now she's worried about another possibility, one that's not as black-and-white as "a mom accidentally scratched her child".  Philip knows what she means, the option they were all avoiding, the possibility of a poltergeist scenario.  Tiffani wants them to investigate Saturday.  Philip can't... Unless...

Scene 20:

Saturday, In the Studio, 5:46 pm - The Movie Review show wraps up, and AMBER is super flattering to PHILIP about his segments.  He thanks her, but he really has to get to work.  She understands.

In Master Control, 5:58 pm - JAMES shows up, grumpy, to relieve Philip.  Philip thanks James profusely but James is pissed-off.

The Brimes Home - 6:37 pm - Philip arrives as CTPI has finished setting up.  The second investigation begins...

Scene 21:

Tuesday night - Philip meets with CTPI.  All evidence review provided nothing, nada, no evidence.  TIFFANI says they're going to have to investigate with Britney there.  NOEL and MAX don't understand.  Tiffani and PHILIP fill them in on their poltergeist hypothesis.  If Britney is poltergeist agent, why doesn't activity cease completely when she's not around?  One theory is that agent only amplifies activity that is present -- though, perhaps dormant -- before agent introduced to location.  So maybe agent stirred up activity so much that even when she's gone it's still going.  Even if that is the case, the activity should pick up when she's around.  Tiffani says they're going to need to talk Carlton into it.

Scene 22:

TIFFANI and PHILIP meet with CARLTON and explain the need to investigate with Britney present, but Carlton opposes vehemently.  They explain that this is the only way to verify that Britney isn't a poltergeist agent, and Carlton knows why they want her present, be he doesn't want this to happen.  He admits that since he wasn't a believer, once he became convinced this was all really happening he started reading up on this.  He has suspected for a while now that Britney might be a poltergeist agent, but he was hoping CTPI and Philip would prove him wrong.  He almost wishes it were demonic because if it were it could be exorcised, but now that they have proved his fears correct, he's calling off the case.  No more investigations.  If i is poltergeist and Britney is the agent, everything Carlton has read says that Britney needs to go to therapy, and he's not going to force her to do that.  Philip tries to explain that this is just a hypothesis, they have to prove it or disprove it still, but Carlton isn't having any of it.  "Please leave!"

Scene 23:

Thursday, at the TV Station - AMBER visits PHILIP.  She looked for him later Saturday night but found James working.  Philip explains that he had a paranormal investigation.  Amber didn't know that Philip did that, and they discuss what paranormal investigation involves.  Philip says this investigation is over, but it's still nagging at him.  He can't share it with Amber -- confidentiality -- but there are just some things he wishes he had the answers to.  Amber goes back home, leaving on a promising note.  (Maybe Philip gets the sense that he could have kissed her if he had just gone for it.)

Scene 24:

Friday, before work - MAX calls PHILIP.  She's bummed about the case.  This was the first time she had been scared since she started investigating six years ago and she wanted to find out what was going on.  Noel mentioned that Philip asked him about UFO reports; s'up with that?  Philip explains that sometimes ley lines converge and create a vortex, an opening point from other "dimensions" (for lack of a better word).  At these points, you tend to get ALL kinds of activity.  And when that happens, that patch of land tends to have a very, very long history or activity, going all the way back to...  Philip has an idea, can he call her back later?

Friday, TV Station, News Room - PHILIP asks reporter NATALIE HAMMOND if she can look into police reports from Brimes neighborhood between 1990 and 2000.  She asks if he's looking for anything in particular, but he's interested if she find anything at all.

Scene 25:

Tuesday - TIFFANI calls PHILIP.  It was Britney.  While she was bathing Ariel in the master bathroom, she heard a loud bang from Ariel's room, and when Carlton went in to see what had happened, Ariel's crib was upside down against the wall, as though someone had thrown it there.  The Brimes family wants CTPI to come back, and Britney has agreed to be present.  They want to know what's going on in their home.

Scene 26:

Thursday, At the TV Station - PHILIP asks JAMES to fill in...again.  James begins a long, loud rant about how much he hates working and how self-centered Philip is for asking James to fill in and--  James holds up a bottle of Tito's Handmade Vodka in a velvet gift bag...and a bottle of Mr & Mrs T Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary mix.  James, accepts them and says filling in on Saturday won't be a problem at all.

Philip tells AMBER he needs Saturday off.  She tells him he's off the show.  (She can't fire him because they are both  employed by the station to do other jobs, to they are both, technically,  volunteers on the show.)  She's not cruel about it, and she believes that PHILIP believes in this paranormal stuff, but she believes in her show.  Now he has all the time he needs.

Scene 27:

Brimes Home, 5:15 pm - TIFFANI is listening to BRITNEY explain what happened Tuesday night.  PHILIP observes them while NOEL and MAX set up the equipment.  Footsteps can be heard running down the hall.  Philip had an audio recorder rolling in Ariel's room; it should have picked the sound up.  Tiffani confers with Philip: The investigation hasn't even begun and the activity has already started.  Philip observes that that doesn't prove Britney is a poltergeist agent, and Tiffani concurs, "But it doesn't prove she's not, either."

Scene 28:

6:31 pm - At dinner, MAX coos over the salad.  Britney beams that they're from Carlton's garden.  She says that Ariel doesn't like vegetables, but she love's Carlton's tomatoes.  Carlton tells the story of how he had Ariel in the garden with him while he worked, and she was tearing out cherry tomatoes by the handful...  Not s much to eat them as to play with them.  Britney excuses herself from the room.  Philip asks when this was.  Carlton recalls it was probably 3 months ago.  Around the time when she was scratched?  Come to think of it, yes, around that time, why?  Did Carlton pick these vegetables earlier today?  No, he picked them Tuesday; they've been sitting in the refrigerator since then so he thought he make a salad out of them tonight.  The friend who was shoved in the guest bathroom, had Carlton shown him the garden?  Carlton can't remember, probably, why?  Parent's bedroom door SLAMS, scaring everyone out of their seats.

Scene 29:

6:39 pm - In the study, everyone watches again and again as NOEL replays the video of the Parents' Bedroom door slamming shut all by itself.  BRITNEY walks out of the bedroom, then 12 seconds later the door slams shut.  Britney has no idea how that happened.  CARLTON says that door never opens or closes by itself.  TIFFANI wants to ask Britney some questions.  Everyone clears the Study and Tiffani begins asking how Britney is doing, if she had been feeling stressed before this stuff started happening, if Britney can remember hearing or seeing things as a kid that grownups told her was her imagination, and so on...  PHILIP knows the drill and takes this opportunity to sneak out.  Minutes later he slips into the Kitchen, holding a flower, and listens for a few minutes as MAX conducts an EVP session.  Then Philip slips quietly out of the kitchen and walks down the hall toward Ariel's room.  He trips and face-plants on the ground, dropping the flower.  Tiffani and Britney rush up to him, they saw it on the monitor.  No one can find what Philip tripped on.  Philip also can't find the flower he had dropped.

Scene 30:

10:02 pm - PHILIP walks into the kitchen to find BRITNEY staring, silent.  He asks what's up and Britney asks doesn't he see her.  Her?  Britney points.  Philip doesn't see anything.  Britney insists that "she" is right there!  Philip walks slowly toward the spot, his hand outstretched, feeling.  Philip stops cold when he feels a tiny hand grab his own hand.  He reacts physically and AT THE SAME TIME Britney says, "Did you feel that?  She just grabbed your hand!"

Scene 31:

10:07 pm - Excited, PHILIP brings BRITNEY into the Storage Room.  He tries to speak to whoever is in here.  Britney doesn't want to be in here; she's terrified.  Philip assures her that whoever is in here can't hurt her.  "Can you, little boy?"  No response.  "Little boys can't hurt anyone, can they, little boy?"  The angry BOY with the glowing red eyes appears.  "Ime nodda lil boy.  Ime da debbul."  A loud banging grows inside the room.  Britney flees.  Max and Carlton poke their heads in.  But Philip stands there until the banging abruptly stops.

Scene 32:

11:14 pm - In the Study, PHILIP keeps replaying the audio of "Ime da debbul" over and over again.  NOEL asks him to stop it.  He offers to help them pack the gear up, but it's almost already finished.  CARLTON is barely containing his anger; what did Philip think he was doing in there?  But Philip is giddy.  "Mr. Brimes, you and your family have nothing to fear here.  When we come back, I will have answers for you, and I don't believe you or Britney or Ariel will ever be bothered again."

Scene 33:

Reporter NATALIE HAMMOND finds PHILIP at work.  She hands him a printout of what she's found, and she also emailed it to him, but she wanted to be sure this is what he was looking for.  Philip thinks this might be exactly what he was looking for and thanks her profusely.

Scene 34:

PHILIP knocks on XAVIER's door.  He has some questions about Elementals, nature spirits.  Xavier asks, "What do you want to know?

In the Brimes garden, Philip makes an offering of milk, honey, bread, coffee beans and tobacco to the Elemental, explaining that the Elemental is welcome outside the house, and the family will not disturb this garden again.  But inside the house is for the family, and the Elemental is not welcome there.  He then explains to Carlton that if he does any more gardening, he needs to respectfully ask permission to disturb the land, and he need to ask permission to pick anything he has planted.  If he ever feels unwelcome in the garden, he should leave and try coming back later.  But as long as he is respectful, he shouldn't have any problems in Areil's room again.

Scene 35:

In the Storage Room, PHILIP asks POE if he's protecting his sister Doddy.  The banging in the room begins.  Philip is patient, understanding.  he explains that he is not here to hurt Poe or Doddy.  In fact, nobody can hurt either of them any more.  They are free.  They don't have to stay in this house if they don't want to.  They can go where ever they want.  But whether they go somewhere else or stay here, no one can hurt either of them.  They are safe.  Poe don't need to protect Doddy anymore.  Poe has done a really, really great job at being strong for his sister, but they are both safe now.  BRITNEY starts crying.  CARLTON asks what's wrong.  Britney says that, for no reason, she suddenly feels a sense of relief.

Scene 36:

PHILIP explains all.  The BRIMES Family is safe here.

Scene 37:

TIFFANI and PHILIP are having lunch to discuss how the Brimes family is doing now.  Tiffani asks how the movie-review show is going; Philip says that Amber isn't speaking to him; she's not being rude, but it's like he kind of doesn't exist to her anymore.  Tiffani asks Philip one final question about the Brimes case...