Barbara's Scripts
Scene from Lottie's Adventure

INT. CHARLES' HIDING ROOM NIGHT

An opened trunk contains old games and puzzles.

Nearby, Charles works on a puzzle until he hears a soft KNOCK.   Beaming, he runs to unlock the door. Lottie enters and hands him the food.  Eagerly he spreads it out on the floor.

CHARLES

Thanks.  Thank you.

Lottie sits down beside him as he devours a chicken leg.

CHARLES

Are there ghosts here?

LOTTIE

Don't know.  It's old enough.

CHARLES

For sure.  Me and ghosts don't get along.       

LOTTIE

I've never met one.

CHARLES

Some are okay, I guess. 

LOTTIE

Why did that man kidnap you?

CHARLES

He says he's my daddy, but he's lying.
I think he's mad at my mama about something.

He wipes his mouth with his shirt tail.

CHARLES

Maybe she fired him once.  In her work,
she has to fire people sometimes.

LOTTIE

You sure he's a policeman? He could be
an imposter.

CHARLES

I've seen his gun and badge, and his car has
a radio where he talks about police stuff.

Lottie's eyes get wide. 

CHARLES

What is it?

Slowly, he turns his head and sees the drapery, swaying back and forth.  Lottie moves closer to Charles.

LOTTIE

Looks like there's some ghosts here alright.

Charles shakes his head from side to side.

CHARLES

I don't like ghosts. I just don't like ghosts
at all.  No way. Not at all.

Lottie takes a shawl from a trunk and tiptoes towards the drapery.

CHARLES 

What are you doing?

She throws the shawl and grabs Ebony, who lets out a terrific SCREAM.

CHARLES

Ebony! She's worse than a ghost.

LOTTIE

I think she's a spy for Bertha.

Charles runs to the dumbwaiter and opens the door.

CHARLES

Here.  Put her in here.

Lottie rushes over and deposits Ebony in the compartment.  Charles closes the door.  The dumbwaiter drops a couple of feet, then slowly slips some more, and then drops several feet to the bottom. Ebony SCREECHES.

Charles opens the door.  Both children look down and pull on the worn rope.  The dumbwaiter comes up a few feet, but then slips back down.  A soft THUD ECHOES followed by ECHOES of Ebony's CRIES.

The children try several times, but the dumbwaiter only goes so far and then falls back down.  Each time a THUD and SCREAM are heard. 

CHARLES

It's no use. It's broken.

LOTTIE

She'll find a way out. Cats are smart,
and that one's a genius.

Charles closes the door, muffling Ebony’s MEWS. Becoming the man in charge...

CHARLES

If she's still there in the morning, I'll climb
down and get her.  I would now, but it's
too dark.

Lottie slumps to the floor and leans against the wall. Charles sits next to her.