Let's Haunt a House - A Play for Young Actors

Original Short Story by

Manly Wade Wellman

Adapted into a play by

Arshad Mirza

Cast in order of appearance

Scout 1

Scout 2

Sherlock Hilton (scout)

Max Hinkel (scout)

Doc Watson (scout)

Chuck Schaefer (scout)

Sheehan (Junior Scout master)

Mr Brimmer (Scout master)

Stubs (a thief with low voice)

Corey (thief with high voice and a gun)

Sheriff Palmer

Scene 1

Light: We can see the full moon in the back curtain which is lit from the back.

There is blue light and almost darkness on stage. Its middle of the night almost to break off as morning say 3 am.

Sounds: we can hear throughout this scene the sounds of the night, some sleeping birds, owls, crickets, wind and trees.

A small water source maybe a small raven or gorge somewhere nearby.

Stage: There are a few trees at the back. There is a pile of firewood that two children dressed in scout uniforms are trying to light up. Three children are sitting under a camp and talking sleepily. One child is bringing water in a bucket to the fire place, very slowly, from the far side across walking from behind the camp. There are a few bicycles lying or standing near the camp.

Scout 1 is striking a stone with another

Scout 1: [sleepily] Oh! I’ll never get the medal for survival in a forest; I can never get this thick wood burn without matches. And I am so hungry.

Scout 2: Pssst. I have some.

Takes out matches looks left and right lights it, it duds. Looks for more sticks, there are none.

They look at each other, a moment and then they go back to striking stones. Looking sad.

Scout 1: [murmuring while yawning] I am so hungry.

A tall and well-built person, Mr Brimmer, walks across the stage talking to another tall teenager - junior scout master Sheehan. They are discussing something about going to the police station and coming back in a few minutes. There is a mention of how can a whole car just vanish like that. Mr Brimmer is almost scared but in control.

Mr Brimmer: [addressing all the scouts.] Okay guys! Junior scout master Sheehan and I are going to get the Hillwood county sheriff. We will be back soon. In the time I come back, I appoint Max as my deputy and in-charge. One last time I want to make sure what to tell the Police, did anyone from you guys, hear even as much as a sound of engine? Look here, I know you all are supposed to be in bed, but as we have risen early we will continue with our daily routines. Is that clear?

All the scouts:   Sir, yes sir!

Mr Brimmer:     Let’s get going.

Exit Mr Brimmer and Sheehan

As soon as they reach off stage we can hear sound of a car starting and going away.

Sherlock Hamilton is knitting his brows in contemplation all the others look at him for some time.

Doc Watson: [To Sherlock Hamilton] So what do you think, Sherlock Hamilton. The car vanishes, while we are all asleep. No clues, no noise, no (tyre) tracks. What do you think?

Sherlock Hamilton: [to Doc Watson] Watson, No clues, no noises, no (tyre) tracks. [mocking] A ghosts must have gobbled it up.

Chuck Schaefer:       Maybe a ghost did. The farmers around here say that there is a haunted house two miles down the road.

Doc Watson:     Leave it to Mr Palmer, he is a Police Sergeant when he is not our scoutmaster. Mr. Brimmer will bring him back tonight.

Max Hinkel (who was getting water): And Mr Palmer will explode all the ghost theories. [To Sherlock in a mocking tone] Ghost stories- you sound Middle-Agey, Sherlock.

Sherlock:   I am not middle aged, I turned 15 last birthday, and ditto Doc, I don’t believe in ghosts anyway.

Doc:           I don’t either, I am just kind of afraid of them.

At that suggestion a howl and a crack of lightening can be heard from the background.

Scene 2

A projection of the haunted house. A greyish house all withered and broken. The windows are boarded up. The picture has a lot of trees in the front.

The scouts pass across the stage on the bicycles, there are a few sitting on carriers and few riding. They stop and look at the projection for quite a few minutes.

Max:     Can you see the haunted house? I can see it down there.

Chuck: I wouldn't go there ever for a congressional medal.

Max:     Medals are for heroes. I will go there for nothing, just to prove whatever it proves.

Scout 1: (sitting on the carrier of Max’s bike) let us not stop here, let us leave fast. I am scared.

Everyone looks at him. And then in a friendly way they all decide to go.

Scene 3

Stage: its noon time and there is bright light all over the stage. All the boy scouts have plates of empty or half eaten food in their hands. There is a trash bag made of paper kept there and

Scout 1 and 2 are putting the food in the trash as they speak to the group still sitting and eating.

Scout 1:       Wasn’t that house scary? I am glad we did not go too near it. I would have nightmares about it.

Scout 2:       I am going to have nightmares even now. Haunted or not, that house is going to haunt me for many nights to come.

Sherlock: [to Max] You would visit that house after dark, would you?

Exit scout 1 and 2, to wash their dishes.

Max:     I read you like a book Sherlock. You are daring me to visit Creep Castle after sundown.

Sherlock: [quoting him] Medal are for heroes. [turning to Doc Watson] Listen to this Watson, if Max will go there, I’ll give him an item for his junk collection. [Takes out a beautiful big medal] This Mexican war medal I found.

Max:     It’s a deal. [He stands up walks towards the garbage bag]

Sherlock and Watson exchange winks and smile a wicked smile with eyebrows flicking up and down in excitement of mischief.

Exit Max

Sherlock [softly as if talking to Watson secretly]: You know my methods Watson. I was going to give him the medal anyways. Now…

Watson [old friends completing each others sentences]: … a healthy scare might stir his blood and make him grow? [A wicked smile again] count me in.

Lights dim off and as audience can watch the stage being set up.

Scene 4

Stage is divided into two, (stage right) one part is very dimly lit by the blue moon light and the other has a no light but the light entering from the cracks in window. There is a cardboard in between which has a door (can be closed and opened) and a window which is sealed but has cracks and crevices that lets light in.

We can see furniture covered in white sheets. There are a few trees in between the two parts of the stage.

Sounds of Cricket, owl and howling heard all throughout unless mentioned to be off.

Enter Sherlock and Max. Sherlock is holding a torch light, not in scout uniform but regular clothes. They stop many steps before the house.

Sherlock [in a hushed and hollow tone]: This is where I leave you.

When he says this he can put the battery torch light under his chin to create a creepy look. Then Sherlock puts the flash light on Max’s face to show his scared expressions.

Max [looks at the house and swallows saliva in fear]: and you will wait here? [Trying to sound brave]

Sherlock: [Turns the torch off, a moments pause, and then in a hushed and hollow tone] I promise nothing. Get going.

Max starts taking vary steps towards the house. Opens the door, door opens with a loud creek. He keeps it open behind him to let more light in.

As soon as he goes in Sherlock takes his shirt off. He is wearing a black T shirt underneath. He takes his pants off to reveal black pants. He quickly rubs a black colour on his face. And takes a few very fast but silent steps (black sneakers) behind max and enters the door and hides behind the wall.

Max moves over boards that make creaking noises. He sees something white moving.

Watson: (from under the sheets) Ahhhhhhh.

And take a few steps forward

Max takes only two steps back and the fright converts to knowledge and anger]

Max:     Come out of that sheet, Doc Watson. [Very confidently] Don’t you think I know your pudgy outline even in this?

Watson:      Oooooooh.

Max:     I know your bedding too. I suppose it’s your pal Sherlock behind you in that room, [there is another room off stage]

Sherlock steps out from near the fall.

Sherlock: [hollowly] I am right here. [Placing hand on Max’s shoulder]

Max jumps as if a pin pricked him.

Max: [alarmed] Then what is that behind Doc?

Something black towers behind Doc and makes a growl. Max turns behind and sprints out of the door and into the moonlight and right behind is Doc under his white sheet. As soon as they get off the door Max suddenly stops and Doc bumps into him. They both duck and sit behind a tree and look out at the house.

Max: [Stammering out of fear] What, what, where, where, where is Sherlock? I heard him inside.

Doc: [Realising] Sherlock! Sherlock is hung in there.

Both of them look at the house and lights dim. Audience can see as the stage is shifted.

Scene 5

The stage is Dark. All the furniture has shifted. There are two sparsely furnished rooms.

The sounds are still of cricket, owl and howls.

Lights are dim blue lights indicating darkness

Sherlock is in the room wearing black clothes and his face is also blackened. He is still against the wall.

The new black sheet person is standing looking off stage looking at the children running away. He is breathing heavily, and then he turns towards Sherlock.

Sherlock is very scared but Stubs cannot see him because it’s dark and Sherlock is dressed in all black. Stubs just looks past him and tries to walk his way back stumbling over something and stretching out hands to situate himself.

Each moment scares Sherlock and he is shaken but makes no sound or movement.

A new voice from off-stage left

Corey: Well, what was it Stubs?

Sherlock is shocked

Stubs: [makes a gruff noise] hmmm. Can’t be sure Corey. You were in attic huh? I was just opening a can of hash in the upstairs back room when I heard feet down here, on the stairs. I started out as quietly as I could, and somebody else came in. They walked together sounded like kids. Then one of them saw be and they ran out of here like dogs with cans tied to them.

Corey:   Did you see them playing outside?

Stubs:   For just a second. They dusted away in the trees as faster than my eyes could follow, let alone me. They sounded like kids.

Corey:   But maybe they were not.

Corey’s footsteps are heard descending the stairs very light and spry.

Enter Corey from actor’s stage left and walks across the second room to appear in the room where all the action is going on.

Corey:   You were smart not to go after them. Somebody might have had a gun. 

Pause.

Corey:   Strike a light.

Sherlock tries to sink into the walls at that idea.

Stubs: [Grunts to refuse] Won’t you ever learn Corey? Anybody watching can see the light between the boards on the windows. We stay in dark here after sundown, like I told you the first time when we came. The hicks around here give the place plenty of leeway, with all the ghost stories about it. But light may bring dicks instead of hicks.

Corey shuts the door as he walks towards Sherlock without knowing Sherlock starts moving across with the support of the wall towards actor’s stage left.

A loud creak is heard Sherlock gets a scare. Corey has just sat down on a chair.

Stubs:   Come on Corey, let’s listen for a while before we turn in.

Corey takes a heavy metal gun out of his pocket and places it on ground near a mic, making a loud noise.

Corey:   It’s going to be lonesome here. Three days and three nights in this spook hole. I feel spooky myself.

Stubs:   Good, The local yokels expect spooks. [Pause] Maybe what we’re doing has its drawbacks but it’s better than working, isn’t it?

Corey:   And you cannot beat the hours. We ain’t done bad so far. We got one night before, another last night, and you say you spotted one more, we can get that tomorrow night. Pull them to pieces and 88 garages hungry for parts will push and scramble to pay our price.

Pause

In all this time Sherlock is slowly moving along the wall, in the last pause he tries to find a door in the wall which is apparently there. He waits for someone to say something and make some sound for his sound to be covered up.

Corey:   Boo.

Stubs gives a little jump.

Both of them start laughing like mad men and in that loud noise Sherlock slips to the next room.

The lights on the first room dim to a very small amount and the second room is more illuminated for the audience. We can see parts of car a few tyres and engine heads etc lying around.

Sherlock is talking with himself.

Sherlock:    This looks like some sort of garage.

[lifts a tarpaulin finds a few tyres] Oh these tyres they are not new.

[Feels the threads] oh I have seen this kind of tyres before.

[moves to the next pile of tyres touches them] These tyres are as smooth as Hillary’s cheeks, as I had expected. Now I know. I do know.

He stumbles on something and a big tray full of some sound making kind of things fall, on this cue the lights in the front room will light up, and the two characters will become more cautious. Corey will pick up his gun and they will get ready to move into the other room. They are moving very slowly to avoid making any noise.

In the other room leaping very quickly to near the door where they are approaching from, Sherlock takes the torch out of his pocket. As soon as they enter the door-less room,

Soon we hear car sounds and the two characters get wary. We hear a new loud voice from the stage right of the actor.

Sheriff:        Sherlock, are you here Sherlock?

Sherlock: [clearly loudly and fast] Sheriff Palmer, send someone to the back door, surround this place take out the guns.

Sherlock throws the torch to extreme stage left of actor. Cue for a light to come on from stage left.

Finding this time and gap, Sherlock creeps into the next room.

The two characters don’t understand anything, they just keep looking here and there.

Sheriff: [in quick response] We are all armed. What’s the matter?

[They are dumbfounded thinking that the torch light is coming from some police man coming from behind. Corey drops his gun and keeps his arms on the head. So does Stubs. They are very scared of police.]

Sherlock:    Come in Sheriff.

Enter Sheriff Palmer with a big gun and a hat. Also enter Watson, Max, Mr. Brimmer and Junior Scout master Sheehan. They are carrying a torch light. The whole stage is lit up now.

Sherlock approaches him with raised hands.

Sherlock:    It’s me Sherlock. Follow me, they are in the next room.

Sheriff enters the next room with Sherlock.

Sheriff:               What’s going on here?

Stubs and Corey are standing with hands on head.

Stubs:          We give up. Anyway you have us surrounded.

Sherlock quickly picks up their gun. Sheriff hand cuffs them and then he relaxes.

Sheriff: [puzzled looking at Sherlock] Surrounded?

Sherlock:    I found the thieves responsible for two car thefts including Mr Brimmer’s.

[He uncovers the tyres and shows] look at these tyres they are totally worn off. No treads. These people go in the night change the tyres off the cars, and then push the car off to this place. No engine sounds, no treads.

Sheriff:        We knew something was fishy here. But you did a great job Sherlock. [Laughing, he picks up the flash light from the ground] Surrounded!

Everyone gives a big laugh. Stubs and Corey look at each other in puzzlement.

Curtains falls