Not a Seance

By
Alex Lu
INT. SEANCE -- NIGHT
The streetlights outside casts an orange glow over a
cauldron of bubbling brew on a hotplate. A deep voice
mumbles hushed tones as they stir.

INT. KITCHEN -- CONTINUOUS

SOPHIA (21), is hosting a wine and cheese night at her
apartment in Bed-Stuy. She is four drinks in, and right now
drunk cooking. She carefully assembles a grilled cheese
while humming along to the background music. She places it
on the stove.
ADAM
What happened in the bathroom?

Sophia leans out of the kitchen.

SOPHIA
The ceiling’s falling down. Use the
other one.

Sophia turns back around, her grilled cheese is burning. The

smoke detector starts to go off.
SOPHIA
Fuck!

She grabs the pan of burning grilled cheese and tries to

pull the window open. It doesn’t open. She runs down the
hall, pushing past her friend going to the bathroom.

INT. SEANCE -- CONTINUOUS

Sophia bursts into her room. Her roommate, DANYAL is
performing a seance in her room. He is sitting in the middle
of a pentagram drawn on the ground with candles and a
cauldron of witches brew on a hotplate.
SOPHIA
What’s this?
DANYAL
(hushed)
What’s it look like?
SOPHIA
Are you doing a seance in my room?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.

DANYAL
It’s not a seance.

SOPHIA
I don’t care, why are you doing it
in my room?
DANYAL
Your room has the best light.

SOPHIA
You have so many candles.
DANYAL
Is that the smoke detector?

Sophia throws the grilled cheese out the window.

SOPHIA
What is that?

DANYAL
It’s brew.
SOPHIA
What the fuck is brew?

No response.
SOPHIA
Why the attitude?
DANYAL
I’m kinda in the middle of
something here.
SOPHIA
Oh I’m sorry. Need help?

A beat.
DANYAL
No, not really.

SOPHIA
I wasn’t actually-
DANYAL
-Well then leave.

SOPHIA
This is my room! You won’t even let
me help you if this is in my room?
Stop stirring.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.

DANYAL
I can’t stop stirring, okay. So
just- the process has to finished
or else.

SOPHIA
Or else what?
No response.
SOPHIA
Or else what, Dan?
DANYAL
Nothing, just...stuff.
SOPHIA
What kind of stuff?
No response. Stare off.
SOPHIA
Okay, I’ll leave you alone.

Sophia goes to leave.

DANYAL
Actually, can you hold this for a
second while I put this in here?

Sophia turns around and walks back. She goes for the ladel.
SOPHIA
What’s it for?

Dan pulls the ladel away.

DANYAL
If you’re gonna ask a bunch of
questions then I can do it myself.

SOPHIA
Okay, okay. Jeez.
Dan hands her a raw black chicken with satanic shit stuffed
inside it. Sophia takes it.

SOPHIA
What the fuck is this?
DANYAL
Don’t drop it!

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.

SOPHIA
Why are you stirring so fast? Give
me that.
Sophia throws the chicken at Dan and grabs the ladel.

DANYAL
Sophia, stop it- just put the
chicken in.
SOPHIA
Why do you have this?
DANYAL
Can you just-
SOPHIA
Stop, I got this-
DANYAL
You’re not doing it right.
Sophia places the chicken in the pot.

SOPHIA
I’m fine!
DANYAL
Wait, look.

He looks into it. It casts a green glow on his face. He sips

the brew.
SOPHIA
You are the worst roommate ever.

Sophia turns to leave and sees a side table with Dan’s

ingredients. There are three more chickens on the table with
namecards underneath them. There is no chicken above the
namecard reading: Sophia

CUT TO BLACK: