Jackie-O-Lantern

This is a Halloween themed psychological horror/thriller about running from the metaphorical monster representing your loneliness... it's totally not a real monster, right?

The script:

It was a dark, chilly night.

The moon was full, with thick clouds blocking out the stars.

Although, even without the help of the clouds, you wouldn’t have been able to see anything other than the inky black void of space thanks to the flickering street lights around you.

It was the curse of living in the city.

That, and the perpetual feeling of loneliness that followed everyone around like a monster looking for its next meal.

One that would never be satiated and that no one could escape.

Despite the crowds of people that surrounded you, all you could feel was the cold breath of it on your heels.

As you looked around at the hauntingly decorated houses in the neighborhood, you adjusted the ties of your cape.

You felt suffocated.

The other costumed people milling from house to house, collecting their sugary rewards paid you no mind.

The city was always like that.

People were always busy with their own lives and problems.

It wasn’t fair to expect them to notice you and yours.

You had chosen a college in the city to get away from your small town, where everyone made it their business to know yours.

That was suffocating in an entirely different way.

You supposed there wasn’t an in between. You would just have to choose.

Sighing, you checked your phone, hoping your friends were having more fun than you.

You had hoped you could all hang out for your first halloween at college.

But they had all already made plans of their own and you were left with nothing to do.

Back home you would always go trick-or-treating with your friends and family.

Doing it alone in an unfamiliar city felt different.

You didn’t want to continue standing on the sidewalk moping. 

This wasn’t going to make you feel better and if you stood still any longer you knew the monster over your shoulder would catch you.

   Menu:

You went home. [END: you go home and the monster gets you]

You started walking down the sidewalk. [CONTINUE: you bump into Jackie]