The Doll (A Short Film Script)

We open on a suburban middle class house, clean, well furnished. The camera shows us several well kept rooms all with afternoon sunlight coming through the windows, all empty. It's all so perfect...
We cut to a shot of the front door looking down from the front hallway. After what sounds like someone fiddling with the lock, the door opens and a teen girl steps through. She's very young, about 14 or 15. She walks in, throws her book bag on the couch and goes into the kitchen.
We cut to the kitchen where the girl has a sandwich, chips, and a glass of milk.
We hear the door open and someone says
(Offscreen): Hello, anybody home?
Girl: I'm in the kitchen mom!
The door to the kitchen opens and a the "mom" comes in with several bags in her arms. She sets them down on the table.
Mom: How was your day honey?
Mom sits down at the table and steals a chip from the girls plate.
Girl: Oh, it was alright.
Mom: Just alright?"
Girl: Yeah, well, you know...
Mom: What'd you learn today?
Girl: (Through a mouthful of sandwich.) Stuff.
Mom: (With fake exasperation) Oh, you kids! (Laughs)
She reaches over and grabs one of the paper bags.
Mom: You'll like this. I know how much you like dolls and I saw this the flea market today and I just couldn't pass it up...
She reaches into the bag and pulls out a china doll. It's filthy, has one eye, and a large crack runs down the front of it's face.
Girl: Ew, mom! Why'd you buy that?
Mom: Don't you know? This is a Megan Ann doll, these are really hard to find! Even in this condition, It's still a collector's item!
Girl: I think it's kind of...creepy.
Mom: I think you need to stop reading all those horror books young lady!
Girl: I'm not keeping that in my room...
Mom: Of course not, it's going in the Doll room with the others.
The girl looks at her half eaten sandwich and pushes it away.
Mom: What's wrong?
Girl: I'm not as hungry as I thought I was.
Mom: Alright, I'll finish it. Waste not want not I always say! (Laughs)
The girl rolls her eyes and leaves the table.

We cut to the doll room, which is, of course, filled with dolls. The camera cuts to several close ups of various dolls around the room. A clock can be heard ticking. The door opens and the mother walks in. She sets the doll on an empty display stand and stands looking at it. The sun is starting to go down and the room is a bit dark. Mom looks a bit unnerved.
Mom (Quietly and a bit nervously): Alright, here's your new home Megan Ann. Now you...you play nice with your new friends.
Close up on Megan Ann, shadows covering her face.
Mom leaves and closes the door. We stay in the room for a bit looking at the window and then cut to Megan Ann's cracked face. Then we cut too...

The Girl in pajamas brushing her teeth in the upstairs bathroom. She spits in the sink.
Mom (From behind): I'm going to bed honey. Don't stay up too late reading those spooky books. They're not good for you, you know!
Girl: I won't mom.
Mom: Well alright....love you.
Girl: Love you too mom.
Mom: Goodnight.
Girl: Night.
Mom: Don't let the bed bugs bite...
Girl: Oh mom, I'm not 5 anymore!
Mom: But you'll always be my little girl.
They hug. End scene. Open on...

An empty playground under a gray sky. The ground is covered in leaves. We cut to the slide and the swings moving in the breeze. The girl walks on screen, still wearing her pajamas. She seems to be in trance. She slowly walks up to the slide and puts her hand down on it. She lifts it looks at her hand. It's covered in blood. A voice calls out, sing-songy:
Voice: Jenifer (Giggly laugh.) Look behind you Jenifer...
The girl turns. We see a horrible lump of flesh supporting itself on the jungle gym. It looks sort of human but it has no eyes and it looks like it's joints are all unhinged. It lets go and walks/shuffles, with it's arms out towards the girl. She screams and...

Wakes up in bed, covered in sweat. For a second we see relief on her face but then we hear a door creak and a shuffling sound coming from outside her room. She throws the blankets aside and gets out of bed. Very slowly she opens the door and looks out into the hallway. It's empty. We can see a bit downstairs where a dim light is on as a night light. The girl pushes the door open and walks into the hallway.
She pushes open a door on the right side of the hall.
Girl (Softly): Mom?
We see the inside of the room, but it's too dark to make anything out.
Girl (Softly): Mom? I had a nightmare...
No answer. She flips on a light and her face turns pale.
We get a shot looking at the bed in the middle of the room. There's blood everywhere. Then we get consecutive fast cut close-ups that reveal that the mother has no head.
Cut back to the girl who screams loudly...

We're back in the doll room. It's dark but the moon is out and we can see a little bit. The camera slowly pans onto the doll stand we left earlier. It's empty. Fast cut to black.

The End

For more creepy doll fun, please watch this video by The Birthday Massacre. Then buy all their music because they are awesome: