A draft version of the prologue section for a larger story

1. A Story To Be Told
(1st Draft)
By
Matt Hall

2. INT. TRAIN. CARRIAGE. NIGHT
The train is quiet and empty, the lights are dim and there is
nothing but the sound of the train speeding through the night
to fill an otherwise empty carriage, nobody else is around
except A young man, Issac (22) he is sitting at a small table
typing away on his laptop.
With a yawn Issac looks at his watch (the time reads 00:00
midnight) and shuffles around in a camera equipment bag next
to him before continuing to work on his laptop, he is typing
up an article discussing a recent internet celebrity scandal.
Being mostly fresh out of Uni Issac smiles an unconvincing
smile to himself re-reading through his work before getting
ready to publish it for the first time on a somewhat decent
online blog.
As he is doing this a pale looking older man (40ish) dressed
in a full black suit carrying a suitcase walks down the train
carriage and approaches Issac's table. He speaks with a calm
reserved voice.
MAN
Excuse me...mind if I sit here?
He beckons to the seat at the table opposite Issac. Issac
pauses for a second bewildered that the man isn't choosing
any of the empty seats in the whole entire carriage to sit
at.
ISSAC
Sure, it's all good
The train lights flicker for a second as the man says thank
you and sits down at the table. What follows is a few minutes
of awkward silence as the Man sits still in silence and Issac
not wanting to start a conversation goes back to working on
his laptop.
A few more minutes go by before the Man finally speaks.
MAN
Sorry... I couldn't help but notice
the headline on your computer as I
walked past, are you a journalist?
Issac looks up from his computer
ISSAC
I suppose you could say that. Just
graduated you see, Media Journalism.

3. 2.
The Man nods
MAN
Ah I see...so you working on a big
story?
Issac sighs a little, before beginning to ramble in a
somewhat defeated tone.
ISSAC
Just some internet celebrity gossip
piece. I'm freelancing all over,
trying to pay the bills you know? at
this point i'll work on anything I
can, so long as it helps me get
somewhere. Just kinda wish I could
jump to it but we've all gotta start
somewhere right? its just how it is I
guess I...
The lights flicker again. Issac notices that the Man is in a
complete daydream, staring off into space no expression
whatsoever... Suddenly the Man snaps back to reality.
MAN
Sorry... did you say you were a
journalist?
Issac sits there for a few seconds confused.
ISSAC
Um... Yeah, I am
MAN
In that case. You're just the person I
need.
The Man lifts up the black suitcase he has been carrying with
him. The suitcase looks old and is practically falling apart.
He begins to dish out some papers and hand them to Issac. The
lights flicker.
Issac looks at the papers, seeing that they refer to a quiet
town known as HYRINGTON and particularly an old Victorian
MANOR located overlooking the town.
MAN
Tell me...have you heard of Hyrington?

4. 3.
ISSAC
Yeah, its that small Town isn't it?
all I know is it's fairly quiet. Seems
kinda boring to me, whats this about?
The lights flicker once again as the man leans forward a tiny
bit looking paler than before.
MAN
A lot of rumours...bad things happened
there. Very bad things.
The man pulls more papers out of the seemingly infinite
suitcase and slides them over to Issac.
Issac begins to skim through them but is caught at old
newspaper headlines included within some reading: MULTIPLE
MISSING PERSONS, BOY FOUND DEAD, MANOR HOUSE DRIVES TOWN
POPULATION AWAY
MAN
The house is abandoned. Nobody goes in
and if they do. They tend not to come
back out
MAN (CONT'D)
Do you believe in Ghosts Issac?
The lights flicker again but is followed by a slight chuckle
from Issac.
ISSAC
You're kidding right? Look I see
you've done your research but ghosts?
come on man. Yeah it looks like bad
stuff happened at this place, but
ghosts? nah I dont think so, nice try
The lights flicker as the Man sights back up straight,
directly staring at Issac.
MAN
Do you believe?
Issac puts the papers down on the table.
ISSAC
No, No I dont

5. 4.
MAN
You should.
Issac leans back, continuing to shift through the papers. He
comes across documents detailing strange sightings one
referring to a man wandering the manor gardens with a lantern
another documenting a little girl's laughter being heard by
builders looking to demolish the house.
Issac then turns to reports discussing 'missing persons' who
have been found in graphic detail. This begins to take a toll
on Issac. He questions the Man, curious but also slightly
afraid.
ISSAC
You researched all of this?...Who are
you?
MAN
Im just someone looking for a story to
be told
The lights flicker for longer this time as the man pulls one
last set of documents from the suitcase. He hands Issac more
papers. The papers are authentic looking documents from the
1900s detailing a family that lived in the house during that
time. Issac opens a letter included within. The letter is
dated 1919 and is from a former maid of the house to a local
priest.
INSERT - The Letter
Dear Father,
I do hope this letter finds you well. I wish I was writing to
you under more hopeful circumstances. Things at the manor
have not improved since your last vist. The master is very
concerned for his daughter, she will not speak to him but
young Emily the has confided in me. She tells me that she has
heard dark and malevolent things around the house, things
that I would not dare speak of in public or to the master
himself. Regretfully, I have heard it too. Screaming,
screaming father terrible terrible screaming during the
night. Only myself and young Emily are the ones to of heard
it. Please you must come back as soon as you put this letter
down. I am frightened father, the devil is in this house.
Nobody else would admit it. Please, please help us.
Maria

6. 5.
Attached to the letter is a old photograph of a little girl
holding a balloon and a man dressed in a suit, the man bares
a striking to the resemblance to the man sitting with Issac.
Both the girl and man's eyes scratched over.
ISSAC
How..how did you get this?
Issac looks up from the letter and photograph to see that the
Man has GONE... Jolting back Issac gets up and looks down
both ways of the carriage, running to each door looking
through the small windows, empty...nobody, he is alone.
Breathing more heavily Issac starts to collect his thoughts
How? how could he of disappeared without him noticing? its
impossible he thinks to himself. He walks back to his table
at takes a seat in front of the documents left by the Man
He looks at the photograph once again his head ringing with
with the encounter he just had. Is this real? are you
dreaming? who was that man? do you believe? Issac shakes away
the thoughts he is having and stares out of the window before
closing his eyes for a couple of seconds trying to 'wake
himself up', he opens his eyes. This is real.
Issac puts down the photograph. The light flickers for a
final time and this time Issac notices it. Watching the light
flicker for a few moments he begins searching for directions
to Hyrington on his laptop. He is stuck with what the Man
said to him earlier "Im just someone looking for a story to
be told"
Suddenly something else springs quickly to his mind.
ISSAC
(To himself)
How did he know my name?
End.