SUNY Potsdam

Miles Ledoux graduated from SUNY Potsdam in 2007 with a major in creative writing and a minor in drama. He then attended grad school at California State University, Northridge, and received a Master's Degree in screenwriting in May 2009.  He plans to apply to a doctoral program in film studies next year. His goal is to become a feature film writer.

Excerpt from The Haunting of Frost

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT

Quivering, Liz presses her back to a thick tree trunk,
clamps a hand over her mouth, stifling her noisy breath.

Slowly she shuffles sideways around the trunk, peering
cautiously past the tree, checking back the other way now
and then.

The streetlights are visible in the distance.

Lowering her hand, taking a deep, shaky breath, Liz steps
away from the trunk toward the lights.

Immediately, the woods seem to come alive with shadows.
Liz lets out a small cry, cowers, clings to the tree.

The lights look farther away; tree branches seem to close
in on her.

Breathing harder and faster, growling through her teeth,
Liz suddenly sprints forward, pushes through low branches
and bushes, trips, recovers, charges past more trees.

EXT. MARY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

She emerges into Mary's backyard, straight into someone's
arms.  She SHRIEKS--

                                        MARY
                  Hey!  It's all right!  It's okay.

Liz realizes it's a police officer, breaks down, crying.

                                        MARY (CONT'D)
                  It's Liz, right?  Tell me what happened.

                                        LIZ
                  Tom, Sally, they're in there, in the
                  living room.

She points at the house.  Mary shakes her head.

                                        MARY
                  I just looked in there.  There's no one.

                                        LIZ
                           (frantic)
                  Oh my God, they took them.  I didn't...
                  I was scared, I just ran--

                                        MARY
                  Shh.  It's not your fault.  You couldn't
                  have helped them.
                           (to herself, ashamed)
                  Oh, damn.  Damn.

She escorts Liz to the front yard.

                                       MARY (CONT'D)
                  Liz, I've got to find their dad, CJ.  Can
                  you get home okay?  I don't think you're
                  in any danger now.

Liz nods shakily.  Mary leads her to the golf cart.

                                        MARY (CONT'D)
                  Just go straight home and lock your door.

                                        LIZ
                          (more in control)
                  Okay.

Mary goes to her car, starts the engine.  Liz does the
same with the golf cart.  Both drive off in the same
direction, disappear down the road.

A couple seconds later, CJ appears from the opposite
direction, running through a yard, across the street, up
to Mary's door, upon which he pounds urgently.

                                        CJ
                  Mary!

INT. MARY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

He bursts inside, balks at the sight of the shambles.

                                       CJ
                  Oh God...  Sally?  Mary?

He shoves a table out of his way, flips on the lights,
glances into the kitchen--does a double take.

An unmoving hand protrudes from behind the counter.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

CJ quickly rounds the counter, breathes a sigh of relief.

It's the plastic hand from the bowl of candy.

CJ turns, fumbles with a door just behind him, opens it.

ROBERT CUST LURCHES TOWARD HIM--

Startled, CJ cries out, shoves Cust away, backs up
against the counter.

Cust's stiff body hits the floor, rolls over, lands with
sightless eyes staring at the ceiling.  He's dead.

                                        CJ
                          (shocked)
                  ...Cust.

He gawks at the body for several moments.  The phone
RINGS.  Distracted, CJ answers on the third ring.

                                        CUST (O.S.)
                  I told you I was dead.

CJ stares at the phone in horrified disbelief.  Then
frowning, he darts to the window, squints.

                                        CJ
                  Who are you?  What have you done with my
kids?

                                        CUST (O.S.)
                  You should've said goodbye to them when
                  you had the chance.

CJ can't see anyone outside.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

CJ goes to the front window; no luck there either.

                                        CJ
                  Rosa...  You  killed Rosa because she
                  could tell me who you really are.  But
                  why did you kill Cust?  How did you even
                  find him?

                                        CUST (O.S.)
                  It'll all make sense once you've found
                  me.

                                        CJ
                  After I've what?

                                        CUST (O.S.)
                  I left you plenty of clues.  Find one and
                  you'll know where I am.

                                        CJ
                  But what about--

                                        CUST (O.S.)
                  I'll be waiting.

The phone CLICKS.  CJ's left alone with the corpse.

EXT. LIZ'S HOUSE - NIGHT

The golf cart pulls up to the curb.  Dazed, Liz heads up
to her porch, unlocks the door, opens it, sees a note
taped to it: "I'll be back around midnight - Mom".

The wind blows the note out of her hand, to the left.
She looks sideways, sees the decrepit house next door.

                                        NORTH (V.O.)
                          (echo/flashback)
                  They tried to get Sally, too, over at
                  Death's House.

Liz gulps.

                                        LIZ (V.O.)
                          (echo/flashback)
                  He's dead, but I keep seeing him.  He
                  won't go away.

Slowly but firmly, she shuts her door.

EXT. DEATH'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

Liz's feet tread hesitantly up the porch steps,
Her shaking hand grasps the doorknob.

She swings the door open, looks a the blackness
within... and steps inside.

INT. DEATH'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

By moonlight, Liz observes the decaying, cobweb-covered
furniture.  Taking care to avoid holes in the floor, she
heads to the other side of the room, turns about.

                                        LIZ
                  Dad, I need to talk to you.

A noiseless breeze stirs the cobwebs.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                  I want to help Tom, and I have a feeling
                  there's something here that'll help me do
                  that.  But I can't find it if I'm afraid.

She takes two steps forward.

                                       LIZ (CONT'D)
                  I can't do it if I'm always terrified of
                  seeing you again.

She waits, looks around.  It's completely still.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                  The one time I ask to see you...

She shakes her head, wanders to the left, passes through
a gigantic hole in a crumbling wall.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                  I remember how that creepy guy at school
                  asked me out to the spring dance.  I said
                  I was going with someone else.  With Tom.

She circles what used to be a dining table.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                  I said it because I was sure Tom wasn't
                  interested in me.  But then he told me
                  he'd liked me since--

She jumps as she notices her father on the opposite side
of the table, glaring at her.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                  I knew it.  I see you when I feel happy.
                  When I'm looking forward to something.
                  Why?

She comes out from behind the table.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                  Why do you have to ruin it?

Her father steps forward, his eyes filled with cold fury.

                                    LIZ'S FATHER
                          (menacing)
                  You know you have to ask permission when
                  you want something.

                                        LIZ
                  You're dead.  I don't need your
                  permission for any--

                                        LIZ'S FATHER
                          (roars)
                  Don't you dare talk back to me!  I said,
                  you need to ask permission!!

Liz cowers down, squealing like a little girl.

--And for a split second, she is a little girl, crawling
backwards, away from the advancing man.  Her back hits
the wall.  She stands--

She's herself again.  She tries to control her voice.

                                       LIZ
                          (her voice cracking)
                  Why?  Why can't I just live my life?

                                        LIZ'S FATHER
                  I don't tolerate whiners!

The last word is so sharp it slams Liz against the wall.
She squeezes her eyes shut, grits her teeth.  Her breath
begins to steady.  She opens her eyes, swallows.

                                        LIZ
                          (evenly)
                  Please, Dad.  Please tell me why you're
                  doing this.

The fury in his eyes dims.

                                        LIZ'S FATHER
                  Because if you don't follow the rules,
                  you could get hurt.

                                      LIZ
                          (incredulous, furious)
                  Get hurt?!  You--  I don't--  If you
                  cared, how could you--?

She brushes hair out of her eyes, notices her sleeve is
torn; her elbow's bleeding.  She clutches her elbow,
stares at the floor; gradually her breath steadies.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                  Was that how you thought you should take
                  care of me?  Was that you... showing that
                  you loved me?  How could you not see how
                  much it hurt?  All the shouting and the
                  punishments for the stupidest things--how
                  am I supposed to forgive you?

She shakes her head, dumbfounded.  Then she looks up.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                  I love you.  And I know... you loved me.
                  But you're gone.  I have to do this on my
                  own.  Without you.  ...Without him.

Beat.  There's no one in front of her.  She's alone.

Now calm, Liz takes a step forward.  Something CRINKLES
beneath her foot.  Liz stoops, picks up a piece of paper,
goes to the window to let the moonlight shine on it.

It's the other half of the paper CJ found at the library.

                                        LIZ (CONT'D)
                          (reading from it)
                  "Death's House.  Rainbow Video.
                  ...Fourteen Church Street."

She frowns.  Why does that address seem familiar?