Ella: MIA! Where'd you go -- MIA! --Mommy is here --
NARRATION: She searches the bedroom. No sign of her. Flies down the Hallway and into the NURSERY. Mia stops screaming.
Ella: Mia!
NARRATION: Ella races out of the room and --
NARRATION: APARTMENT - VARIOUS – CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: she searches -- frantic – desperate as she moves from room to room the lights FLICKER and BLINK OFF. One room at a time, first the living Room then the Kitchen. Next the Hallway But before they do, we spot the woman again but this time she's on a plain white dress with no blood stains. She sits the couch. In a chair. Over in the corner.
Ella: WHAT IS IT YOU WANT?! WHO ARE YOU?!
NARRATION: Until Ella finally ends up back in the NURSERY and sees SCRAWLED on the walls in RED CRAYON HER SOUL HER SOUL HER SOUL HER SOULOver and over again. In big and little letters.
There's the woman standing at exactly the middle of the floor. Ella tries grabs her but she keeps disappearing and reappearing.
Ella: WHERE IS SHE?!
NARRATION: Ella tries to dart out of the room. But WHAM! The Nursery Door SLAMS shut right on her face and now it won't open, she tries to open the windows so she could cry for help but it's locked too. She's locked in. Mia looks down at the people passing in the street below through the window, she BANGS on the glass trying to get their attention.
NARRATION: STREET - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: People pass by. Oblivious. But one familiar face is among them. Frank. Something draws his eye up to the seventh floor. Can't hear but he can see her.
NARRATION: NURSERY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella sees Frank.
Ella: Frank! PLEASE HELP!
NARRATION: She watches Fuller rush into the building.
NARRATION: LOBBY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Frank blasts in. Hits the Elevator Call button. Doesn't come. Starts to head for the stairwell but Ding! Elevator has arrived. He rushes back and gets into the ELEVATOR Slides the door closed. Can't hit that SEVENTH FLOOR BUTTON enough.
NARRATION: NURSERY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella BANGS on the Nursery Door. She picks up the Rocking Chair and SMASHES against the door. Knob SNAPS off. Door swings open. Ella runs out to the LIVING ROOM Shouting --
Ella: MIA!
NARRATION: But no signs of her anywhere. Over to the Front Door. Can't get that open either. She looks through the PEEPHOLE and sees the Elevator FLOOR NUMBERS light up. Five... Six... Seven... Ding!
NARRATION: ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Frank on the other side of the Grate. Can see the Lens Apartment Door. Hears her SCREAMING.
Ella: Hurry! Please! It has my baby!
NARRATION: He tries to slide the grate open. Uses all his strength but It won't budge. Not even a little.
Frank: I can't.
NARRATION: Elevator begins to move. It's going up.
Ella: NO!
NARRATION: As he watches the FLOOR NUMBERS light up --
Frank: C'mon... Shit...
NARRATION: Presses the Down Button.
Frank: I don't think that'll help, man.
NARRATION: At the TOP FLOOR the Elevator jolts to a stop and hangs there. Creeeaaaaaaaaaaaaak.
Frank turns. Looks down. And there. In the corner.
Frank: Oh God.
NARRATION: We don't need to see her. His expression tells us all we need to know.
As he keeps staring, he allows his fingers to stretch and find that down button again.
Frank: Come on... Please...
NARRATION: He presses it. Then a moment or two before the Elevator plummets. Frank SCREAMS.
NARRATION: ENTRYWAY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella sees a BLUR drop down the elevator shaft. Then CRASH!
NARRATION: ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS
Frank is Dead. Crucified by a piece of rebar. As if the fall wasn't enough to kill him.
NARRATION: ENTRYWAY – CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella collapses to the ground. Hopeless.
NARRATION: APARTMENT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Jack turns the corner at the end of the street. Returning home from work. See up ahead Apartment Residents out front. Talking to local police.
Jack: Ella.
NARRATION: ENTRYWAY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella sobs.
Ella: I'll do anything... Please... just give her back...
NARRATION: A DEEP RUMBLING. Pictures fall off the wall. Furniture slides across the room. As she covers her ears. Crash. She sees on the ground in front of her, picture Frame from Father Andre. Ella picks it up. Looks at the PHOTOGRAPH of her and Mia outside the church. A moment of realization.
Ella: You want the soul of an innocent? But a mother is closer to God than any other creature.
NARRATION: APARTMENT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Jack reaches the crowd outside the complex. Asks anyone who will listen --
Jack: What happened? Has anyone seen my wife?
Resident: There was an accident. The elevator... Jack bounds up the front steps.
NARRATION: LOBBY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Jack sees the Officers and EMTs in the lobby. Milling around the scene of the crashed elevator. Overhears an Officer say --
Officer: -- owner's grandson, apparently.
NARRATION: Jack takes to the stairs.
NARRATION: ENTRYWAY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella stands over the swirling chaos, she yells --
Ella: TAKE MY SOUL!
NARRATION: Everything stops. Sound drops out. Until she hears A WHISTLING of wind. Blowing from the Nursery. She walks toward it.
NARRATION: STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Jack climbs the stairs. Two at a time.
Jack: Ella!
NARRATION: NURSERY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella sees the window open. The woman sits below it. She knows what it's asking her to do. As she steps in further, she sees Mia in the crib. Ella walks over. Leans down and kisses her daughter. Tears in her eyes -- whispers --
Ella: I love you more than anything. I have to do this. I'd do anything for
you.
NARRATION: Ella straightens, walks over to the window and kneels beside the woman.
NARRATION: STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Jack huffs and puffs. Reaches the SEVENTH FLOOR HALLWAY But their door is locked. Searches for his keys as he yells --
Jack: Ella! Open up!
NARRATION: NURSERY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella climbs onto the ledge.
She looks down at the woman smiling up at her like, go on. Do it.
NARRATION: SEVENTH FLOOR HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Jack enters through the Front Door.
Jack: Ella! Where are you?
NARRATION: NURSERY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: She can't hear him, not over the wind that whips around and into the Nursery. Down on the street below resident have spotted Ella standing on the ledge. Someone SCREAMS --
SOMEONE: NO! DON'T!
NARRATION: To herself --
Ella: But I have to... for her.
NARRATION: HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Jack fights to get the Nursery Door open.
Jack: Ella? Are you in there?
NARRATION: He BANGS on it.
NARRATION: NURSERY - CONTINUOUS
NARRATION: Ella takes one foot off the ledge. One last look to the crib.
Ella: Mommy loves you, baby.
NARRATION: Then she steps off and falls, right as Jack bursts through the Nursery Door.
Jack: Ella?! Mia?
NARRATION: He rushes over to the crib and sees Mia inside crying. He picks her up.
Jack: Where's Mommy, Mia? Where is she?
NARRATION: he hears MORE COMMOTION on the street below. Jack walks over to the window, looks down and sees. Oh God his wife, face up on the concrete, a dark red pool of blood surrounds her.
Jack: NO!
NARRATION: He looks away. Can't stand to see her like that. But we PUSH IN on Ella. Staring up at us with dead eyes.
FADE OUT.
CUT TO:
NARRATION: THRIFT STORE - DAY
NARRATION: Lots of knick-knacks on shelves. Anything you want, you can get it here for a cheap price, too. The BELLS above the door JINGLE as a MOTHER, 40s, enters the store with best intentions. At the register, the CLERK asks --
CLERK: Anything I can help you with?
NARRATION: Mother smiles and browses the shelves.
MOTHER: Oh, I'm just trying to find something for my daughter, thanks.
NARRATION: She's a nurse... always helping people... Her eyes land on an object right above her. She reaches up for it and just then she sees the woman in white, blood dripping from her throat. She tries to run and the woman is now looking right at us and the blood from her neck stains the camera and everything goes blank.