• By Jakob Post (he/him)
  • Art “Shopping Cart” by Jocelyn Gomez (she/her)

INT. LIVING ROOM – RAINY NIGHT

Two brothers are in the middle of a spooky movie. The older brother, CAL, is sprawled out on the couch with the remote in hand. His younger brother, LEW, is wrapped in blankets on the chair.

LEW

Turn it off!

CAL

Why? You scared.

LEW

Noo. Never.

CAL

You’re hiding behind that pillow tough guy.

LEW

I’m seven!

CAL

Do you really want me to turn it off?

LEW

No. I don’t know. It’s good so far.

CAL

Watch this part then.

Cal presses play.

INT. WITCH’S CABIN – THUNDERSTORM NIGHT CIRCA 1600S

A witch boils a brew. Of course in a cauldron, but this brew is bloody, vibrant, scarlet. T he fire beneath is roaring. A hand reaches from the cauldron. A giant manly hand, but it’s hairy, too hairy. The witch takes a few steps back, clasps her wrinkled hands together, and cackles delight.

WITCH

It’s done and doing, from boiling brewing, sinew worth chewing, new, I knew it.

Out of the cauldron emerges a head and body. It’s almost human, almost, but something is askew. It’s the damn hair? Yes. But it’s the eyes too. Most certainly the eyes. The color? They’re red as Hell’s sky. The size, the shape?

Large and round. Wait, it’s the expression. Dead, but murderous. When they see you they dissect you, stab you, and cut through your mind.

The creature tries to leave the cauldron. It’s then that one might notice that the body is small and exceedingly hairy, but it’s limbs are long and thin. And the claws, how did I miss the claws?

The creature looks around. Then stops and stares. (At the camera).

INT. LIVING ROOM – RAINY NIGHT

Lew looks away from the screen and clutches his pillow tighter. Cal notices and laughs a little.

EXT. YARD – RAINY NIGHT

Something is watching the boys, or maybe the screen, from outside the window. We’re in an fpv shot, but we hear heavy, animalistic breathing. Rain drips on the camera.

On the tv, the creature turns upon the witch. It speaks, not words, but a shrieking sound, a screeching sound. The witch laughs, goes to the cauldron and takes a drink of the red fluids with her hands. She drips what’s left onto the creature’s head.

WITCH

It’s perfect.

INT. LIVING ROOM – RAINY NIGHT

Cal gets up to go to the fridge. On his way he pounces at Lew.

CAL

(In his best witch voice)

Mwah ha ha my pretty. Time to eat those eyes of yours.

Cal tickles his brother.

LEW

Get off! It wasn’t even that scary.

The doorbell rings.

CAL

Nice. The pizza’s here. Now I don’t have to eat your face.

LEW

Shut up!

Thunder booms. Cal goes to the door with some cash in hand. Except, when he opens it , no one’s there. Lightning flashes, and for a moment Cal sees something. It’s over half behind the tree. It’s small and hairy, but it’s eyes; he’ll never forget those eyes. Cal drops the cash. He’s shocked for a moment, but he quickly recovers his senses, closes and locks the door.

(CONT’D)

No pizza?

CAL

No.

LEW

Who was it?

CAL

Probably just some kids playing ditch, but for a second I thought I saw something.

LEW

What?

Lew squeezes his pillow.

CAL

A horrible hairy monster.