Pendulum's Promise

FADE IN:
INT. STORAGE CLOSET
Only a beam of yellow light coming in from under the door
lights the room. A frantic stampede of footsteps are heard
approaching with rapid succession. The door swings open,
illuminating the room to reveal a large wool sack stamped
SALT in black ink. A hand snatches the sack.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
DAVID, a well-built grizzly man shakes the salt sack, pouring
salt along the windowsill. His eyes reveal determination as
he pours the salt along the next windowsill.
EXT. CROSSROADS - NIGHT
DAVID stumbles out of the forest looking as though he'd just
been in an accident. Looking delirious yet determined, he
drops to the centre of the crossroads and buries a sealed
container in the ground using his hands. Suddenly a DEMON
revealed as a woman materializes behind him.
DAVID
You've got to help me! My wife,
she's... We were in an accident,
and she's... she's...
DEMON
Gone belly up? Picking turnips with
a step ladder? Decided that Hell's
got a better HR policy than the
office? It's okay. That's why I'm
here. Let me guess, you want me to
bring her back?
DAVID
You can have me. When I die, I'm
all yours. No strings.
DEMON
Hmm. Tempting, but... Oh, I don't
know. I have quotas to meet. Gotta
win that trip to Hawaii.
DAVID
What.. What do you want then?

---

2.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
DAVID continues to frantically pour salt, this time in front
of the doorways. Eventually, he opens a large bottle of rum
and pours himself a shot. As he takes the shot of rum, he
picks up a picture of his eife. Just as he begins to
reminisce, a loud howl is heard in the distance.
EXT. CROSSROADS - NIGHT
The DEMON and DAVID continue their showdown.
DEMON
I'll bring back your wife. Fix her
all up, good as new. You'll get one
year, and one year only.
DAVID
And then?
DEMON
Then I sick the dogs on you.
DAVID
Fine. Just bring her back.
DEMON
So eager to jump into the pit. I
love it.
DAVID
How do we do this?
DEMON
Well, we usually seal the deal with
a kiss, but, you wouldn't want to
cheat on the corpse, would you?
The Demon takes her index finger, wipes a smear of blood off
David's forehead, and gives it a taste.
DEMON (CONT'D)
Mmm. That'll do. Seeya in a year,
David. Don't wait up.
And just like that, the Demon is gone. David looks around
puzzled.
DAVID'S WIFE (O.S.)
David? David!?

---

3.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
In the distance he hears howls, which grow louder until
eventually, he hears them right outside his home. Scratching,
clawing, and panting can be heard as the man looks wildly
around the room trying to follow the sounds. Frightened, he
backs up into the desk, knocking the bottle of rum to the
ground. The sounds become less aggressive until there is only
silence. Cautiously, he opens the front door to see fresh
scratches and claw marks. He kneels down to run his hand over
them when he hears a loud snarl right beside him. His hair
blows back with each heavy breath the hound takes. Locked in
a stare with the invisible creature, we see a traveling
stream of rum coming from the spilled bottle. The stream
creeps up behind the man and passes through beneath his feet,
breaking the salt line. A few seconds of terror pass before
we hear the beast growl and pounce forward.

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