Scene: Truth or Dare

A group of four boys are sitting in a living room, lit only by the glow of a nearby television. The boys are, perhaps, 14 or 15 years old. A late night movie plays on the screen, but the volume is turned down.

Child 1: Truth or Dare? Child 2: Truth. Child 3: Booooo Child 4: Shut up, Noah.

Child 1: Okay, yeah. Got one. What's the most scared you've ever been?

Noah: That's the best you can come up with? Child 4: Noah.
Noah: I had to run around the house naked. Child 4: You chose dare.

Child 1: Let him think. Child 2: Well... there was this night the other week. Noah: Ugh, James. We don't wanna hear about one of your stupid dreams again. Child 4: I do. Child 1: YEah, I do. Is this the one with E.T.? Or the one with the cyclops? James (Child 2:) It's not either of those. This wasn't a dream. My dad was at some soccer thing with my sister, and I was alone in the house. I hear this noise coming out of the ravine... like this big moan. I thought it was the wind, right? Coming through the trees.

James: I turned out the lights in the rv room. In this room right here. I just wanted to see what was out there. So I looked out the window.... James: And just for a second, I saw this... I don't know. This thing. Standing taller than a tree. Standing in the middle of the yard. Like it has been walking toward the house but the lights going off confused it.

As James continues his story, the other boys sit silently on the couch. One of them holds a pillow in front of them. Tightly.

It has these long fingers.... and sharp teeth. James: I went and his under the blankets on the couch, and just listened in the dark for like an hour before looking again. But nothing was there. The yard was just empty.

The boys sit in silence for a moment.

Noah: Fuck you. James: What? Noah: Fuck you, that didn't happen. You're just trying to freak us out. James: I'm not! Child 4: Yes, you are. James: I'm not trying, I mean. Noah: So where does this thing live? James: You've seen the ravine out there, under the bridge. You're telling me you don't think there's anything spooky out there? Noah: Not that kind of spooky. James: Okay, then, Noah.
Truth or dare?

Cut to James, sitting in a white room, opposite a man in a suit. James looks upset, and there is what looks like blood on his shirt.

James: It wasn't real. I didn't see a thing in the yard. My sister doesn't even have soccer this time of year. They liked when I told them my nightmare. I liked that they liked them. I hadn't had, y'know, sleepover friends before. James: ANd I'd been down in the ravine. We'd even snuck out before during truth or dare on sleepovers. Man in Suit: So what was different this time...? James: I... I... I slipped on a root... they get wet at night with dew and I fell like a hundred feet. Or, I don't know, I fell down far enough so they couldn't see me.

James begins to cry.

James: I just... I don't understand. I made up the story. The monster wasn't real. James: It wasn't real! I SWEAR!

Man in suit: It's okay. We know... We just need to understand what happened next.

James takes off his glasses to wipe his eyes.

James: I heard them screaming.

TITLECARD: Something is in the Dark