Embedded Files
Catherine McGovern ‘25 is a double major in Psychology and Media & Communication Studies with a minor in Marketing and Teresa Varadan is a Psychology major with a minor in Marketing and certificate in Video Production and Digital Storytelling. This is their first time publishing something in Vermillion. The short film, “The Deadline,” was created for the Thesis/Capstone project for the Media and Communication Studies department.
THE DEADLINE
WRITTEN BY:
TERESA VARADAN AND CATHERINE MCGOVERN
FADE IN:
INT. MULLEN LIBRARY - NIGHT
WE OPEN WITH EXPOSITIONAL SHOTS OF A LIBRARY IN THE DEAD OF
NIGHT. IT'S SO QUIET YOU COULD HEAR A PIN DROP.
INT. MICROFILM ROOM - NIGHT
Two students, LINDSAY and SAM, are studying at a table amid
stacks of books and papers. They seem exhausted.
SAM
How's your paper coming?
Lindsay puts her head down on her stack of papers in an
resigned gesture and groans.
LINDSAY
(frustrated)
The words I'm writing aren't even
making sense anymore. I can't believe
I left this until now.
THE CAMERA PANS TO THE ESSAY SHE IS WRITING. IT'S TITLED:
"TRUE CRIME IN WASHINGTON D.C., BY LINDSAY JENKINS. CRIM
213"
SAM
Can't you just finish it tomorrow?
It's, like, 3 am.
LINDSAY
No, Sam, I can't just finish it
tomorrow. It's due at 9 am and Rossi
is going to go psycho on me if I turn
in anything else late.
SAM
Yeah, plus, you’re on academic probation.
LINDSAY
Yeah. Thanks for the reminder.
Lindsay puts her pen down.
LINDSAY (cont'd)
I think I need some more material.
I'll be right back.
Lindsay gets up from her seat and walks to the STACKS.
INT. MULLEN LIBRARY STACKS 3A CENTER - NIGHT
Lindsay looks up from the paper she's holding with a book
name written on it, searching the bookshelf. All of the
sudden, a loud thump is heard. She looks behind her,
startled. A book lays open on the ground. Lindsay picks it
up and opens it. It has a newspaper clipping taped inside.
Its headline reads: "STUDENT BRUTALLY MURDERED AT THE
GEORGETOWN LIBRARY"
Sam pops out from behind the bookshelf.
SAM
AHHHH!
Lindsay jumps back in shock.
LINDSAY
What the hell is wrong with you, Sam?
SAM
(laughing)
Chill out! It was just a joke.
LINDSAY
Yeah, really funny, Sam. Stop acting like a child. I'm stressed enough as it is.
Sam realizes how annoyed Lindsay is and stops laughing.
SAM
I'm sorry. Did you find anything for your paper?
LINDSAY
Just an article about that girl who got killed at Georgetown.
Sam nods out of recognition and looks at the article with
her.
SAM
Ohhh yeah. By the math professor? I heard she went to his office hours and he slit her throat with a protractor. Pretty spooky if you think about it.
LINDSAY
Yeah, maybe I can write a paragraph about nutcase professors. Professor Rossi will love that.
SAM
(stifling a yawn)
Well, good luck with the rest of your
paper. And don't stay here too long!
I'm off to bed.
Sam exits the room, and the sound of the door shutting can
be heard as Lindsay stashes the book in her backpack. She
puts her backpack on and walks over to the door (3A North). She tries to push the door open, but it is locked.
LINDSAY
(under her breath)
What the-?
LINDSAY
(shouting)
Sam, this isn’t funny!
She keeps pushing at the door but to no avail.
LINDSAY
(shouting)
Sam!!
LINDSAY
(shouting)
Hey! Hey! Let me out!
(pause as she bangs more on the door)
Whoever locked me in here, I’m going to kick your ass!
A DOOR SLAMS, cutting off LINDSAY’s noise.
LINDSAY goes silent. Her eyes narrow as she turns away from the door.
WALKING FOOTSTEPS FROM UPSTAIRS.
LINDSAY puts the books she's holding on the floor. She looks up at the ceiling with a puzzled expression.
LINDSAY
Hey, is anyone up there?
FOOTSTEPS START RUNNING.
HAUNTING SCORE BEGINS.
LINDSAY starts walking trying to catch the footsteps above her to figure out what is happening. This happens for several seconds. LINDSAY lets out a frustrated scoff.
LINDSAY
Sam, come on. I know it’s you. I don’t have time for this right now.
The FOOTSTEPS are going faster now.
WHISPERS BEGIN.
LINDSAY whips her head around to see where the whispers are coming from but they are all around her.
In the process, something catches LINDSAY’s eye from the other side of the door. It’s a man’s profile. A man oddly similar to the murderer that LINDSAY is studying.
HAUNTING SCORE QUICKENS
Through the window in the door, we see the man turn towards LINDSAY and start walking towards her.
LINDSAY
(under her breath)
Okay, I gotta get out of here.
LINDSAY moves away from the door and starts exploring the other parts of the STACKS to find another exit.She goes through the door 3A South, the only unlocked door.
She notices the STACKS elevator and pushes the buttons to get to the lower floor. The elevator is taking a long time and the man is coming closer.
Finally, the elevator door opens. LINDSAY quickly gets inside and starts spamming the buttons. The man is walking toward her now. LINDSAY continues spamming the buttons.
The elevator doors close just as the man is steps away from the elevator.
The elevator lowers down onto the bottom floor of the STACKS 1 SOUTH. LINDSAY exits the elevator towards another door in the STACKS, the unmarked door. That door is also locked.
LINDSAY
(under her breath)
Damnit.
LINDSAY takes a deep breath and turns from the door. She walks a couple of paces. She turns into an aisle in the STACKS to see all of her work is spilled out onto the floor. There are papers everywhere. The words “I’M WATCHING YOU” are written in red ink across her research.
The whispers and footsteps are louder than before.
LINDSAY
(shouting)
Listen, I don’t know who you are, or why you are trying to scare me, but I’m not afraid of you.
The WHISPERS AND FOOTSTEPS are even louder now.
A book falls off a shelf. And then another. And then another.
LINDSAY turns towards the books falling off the shelves.
HAUNTING SCORE IS LOUDER.
Chaos erupts. The whispers start turning into shouts, the footsteps sound like several people running, and books are flying off the shelves.
LINDSAY starts to cover her ears, but it only gets louder. She is breathing heavily.
The score, footsteps, whispers, and sound of books hitting the floor are the loudest they will be.
LINDSAY cannot take this anymore. She screams.
INT. MICROFILM ROOM - MORNING
LINDSAY gasps. She wakes up startled. She is sitting at her desk with all her work and newspapers the way she left them before. Her hair is a mess. She looks around the room confused.
Everything is quiet. No whispers or footsteps.
LINDSAY then turns her attention to her research by slowly shuffling through her papers. She pauses.
LINDSAY closes her eyes and takes a deep breath through her nose.
LINDSAY
Thank God.
LINDSAY looks at the clock. It’s 7:00 am
She starts shuffling through her research and picks up a book.
ENTER LIBRARIAN
LIBRARIAN
Hello?
LINDSAY jumps.
LIBRARIAN
Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.
LINDSAY blinks in response. She is visibly exhausted.
LIBRARIAN
Have you been in here all night? The library is closed, dear. You can’t be here.
BEAT
LINDSAY
(softly)
Uhh, Oh, sorry.
LIBRARIAN EXIST
LINDSARY starts packing up all of her papers and materials.
As she picks up a book, a newspaper clipping falls onto the floor. It’s the same newspaper clipping that she discovered in the library.
THE CAMERA PANS INTO THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPING LYING ON THE FLOOR.
The newspaper clipping has the same headline as before,”STUDENT BRUTALLY MURDERED AT THE GEORGETOWN LIBRARY"... But this time, it has a picture of Sam Conte.
Lindsay doesn’t notice. She continues to shove her books into the bag, and exists the library.
SINISTER SCORE
FADE OUT.
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