Finders Keepers

---

This is the police!

Open up!

Police! Anyone here?

Hey, fella.

Anybody home?

Ma'am, turn around slowly.

Unit 507,

we got a possible homicide.

Requesting backup.

Copy that, 507. Backup is

en route. ETA 10 minutes.

Adrian?

Adrian!

Adrian.

Cobbs.

Cobbs!

This is Unit 507.

I've got an officer down.

Repeat, officer down.

Copy, 507.

EMS is being notified.

Backup to your location

in five minutes.

It's gonna be so much better

than the city, honey.

You're gonna have sidewalks

to ride your bike on and a yard.

You're gonna love it.

I miss Daddy.

I know, honey.

But you're gonna be

so much happier here.

I promise. You'll see.

There they are!

- Hi.

- Hi.

You must be Claire.

Your mommy's told me

a lot about you,

so I brought you something

very special from our office

Ta-da!

I'm sorry. She's still not 100%

about this whole moving thing.

That's all right. She will be

when she sees her new room.

Come on. Let's go inside.

Welcome home.

What do you think, hmm?

I mean, I know it's not perfect,

but I think with a little bit

of work, it'll be great.

Well, you know, there was

a lot of interest in this house,

mostly from

real estate speculators,

but I felt that

it needed a family.

You like it?

Did something happen here?

What?

Well, it's an old house.

It's got a lot of history,

but nothing too bad.

- There you go.

- Oh, thanks.

Those are for the front door,

the back door, and the garage.

I'm right in town.

Call me if you need

anything at all.

- What is this?

- That's for the keys.

Oh, okay.

You keep that.

Thank you.

Oh.

"Lilith."

What's that?

What's what?

Claire.

Please, Mommy, can I keep her?

But you have so many other dolls

already, honey.

But I want this one.

I think that one probably

belongs to somebody else.

Finders keepers.

Fine, but you have

to let me wash it first.

Come on.

All right, keep unpacking.

Okay.

Everything's going pretty well.

I mean, she's not

super excited, but...

What's going on with you?

Same-old, same-old.

Grading papers.

Everything okay with the move?

Yeah. You know what?

Thanks so much for helping me

with that article.

It's hard to imagine

there's actually people

who believe this stuff is real.

Sometimes it's easier to rely on

a supernatural explanation

rather than confronting

the truth.

So what are you gonna do now?

Well, I'm gonna talk

to some of the local papers,

but I really just want

to take some time

and work on my book

and focus on Claire.

Good.

It's much bigger

than our old apartment.

- Claire?

- Everything okay?

You know what? I'm gonna go.

I'll call you later?

Okay, honey.

Good luck with the unpacking.

Thanks.

And I have some friends for you

in one of these boxes.

Tomorrow I have to go

to a new school with new kids.

I'm scared.

I hope they're nice,

not mean like some kids.

What if they don't like me?

What if they don't need

any new friends?

Hey.

I know it's hard.

You're gonna do great.

I promise.

Can I sleep with the light on?

Aren't you forgetting something?

Mom.

Come on.

Okay.

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord

my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord

my soul to take.

- 3 times 3?

- Nine.

- 3 times 4?

- 12.

- 3 times 5?

- 15.

3 times 6?

Claire?

Are you paying attention?

Very good.

- 3 times 7?

- 21.

Hey, did you really move

into the bad house?

I heard it's haunted.

Stop it.

You moved into the bad house?

Stop it.

It's gonna get you.

It's gonna get you

- It's gonna get you

- Hey!

Stop it!

Hello?

Hello?

Oh, my God!

- The door was open.

- Can I help you?

I'm Janine, your new neighbor.

Alyson.

I thought this place

was gonna... Oh!

Whoops!

They kept

all the original fixtures.

It's lovely.

Oh, where are my manners?

Sorry they're a bit smushed,

but my cats were

walking on them.

Thank you.

Oh, look.

There's one of them now.

Smokey!

He's my oldest.

You have a little girl.

Yeah. Claire. She's nine.

My cats simply adore children.

Oh, that's great.

So if Claire ever wants to come

and play with the kitties,

just send her over.

They would love it.

And if you need anything,

just holler.

- Okay, thank you.

- Bye!

It's nice to meet you.

Wow.

Mommy said

it would be better here,

that I'd be happy.

She promised.

I thought things

would be different,

that people would be nicer.

But they're not.

They pick on me.

I hate them.

I wish they were dead.

- I won't go back there!

- Claire, you have to!

- Stop it.

- No.

- Yes.

- I want to go home.

- We are home.

- No!

You don't scream at me.

No!

Let me go!

They put you in

a wooden box

Claire, honey, I know

you don't want to go to school,

but you need to eat.

Cover you up

with dirt and rocks

Don't you laugh

as the hearse goes by

For you may be

the next to die

Claire, honey, didn't you

hear me calling your name?

Claire.

The worms crawl out

They crawl all over

your dirty snout

Your chest caves in

Honey, where did you

learn that song?

Your brain turns into

sauerkraut

Sluggo!

Smokey!

Din-dins!

No! No! No! No!

No! No, no, no, no!

Separation and divorce can be

very stressful for a child.

An entire support system's

been torn out from under her.

The future suddenly appears

very uncertain.

The hardest thing is that you're

having to go through this alone.

I just... I don't know what

I'm supposed to do anymore.

Rate this script:3.0 / 1 vote