Baby

INT. APARTMENT - KITCHEN - DAY

In a small apartment kitchen

PALMER (28), an average and intelligent computer programmer with an easy-going but sometimes reserved demeanor. He lives alone, occasionally dates and is generally liked by his peers.

chops away at store-bought chicken using a meat cleaver, so he can package them for a later date. He glances over at a pot of beans heating up on the stove when the door buzzer suddenly goes off. 

INT. APARTMENT - ENTRANCE - DAY

Palmer opens the door to find his friend

JUSTIN (27), a thin young man, of Filipino descent, who works in the computer business as well. He's good-natured, misguided and easily manipulated by others. Today, he's not himself.

...cradling a baby doll in his arms and smiling. Though this specific smile isn't one that Palmer recognizes. 

JUSTIN
(a mild, unnoticed perspiration)
How's it going, Palmer?

PALMER

Oh, hey, Justin. Good to see you. Though, I wasn't expecting you? What's up with the baby?

JUSTIN

I'm taking a parenting course on Avenue Road. It starts next week.

PALMER

...But, why? You don't even have a reason to? Or a girlfriend?

JUSTIN

No really; I'm genuinely interested in parenting. It's such an amazing opportunity to do some good in the world.

Palmer just shakes his head of it and lets him in. 

Palmer walks back into the kitchen to resume his previous task.

PALMER
Anyway, come in. You want some of the food I'm making?

Justin is mentally preoccupied when Palmer's not looking. 

While Justin enters:

JUSTIN

Sure. Thanks.

INT. APARTMENT - KITCHEN & LIVING ROOM 

Justin walks into the main Living room area, where a couch sits. His mind is racing 100 kilometres a second. He hesitates sitting. 

Palmer chops his food in the Kitchen.

PALMER

So how was the trip to the home-country? How's the family? That must've been some flight.

Justin stressfully and carefully places the baby on the couch.

JUSTIN

(distracted)

The family's doing great. I actually got the baby from my cousin there. 

Justin gets mentally irritated by putting the baby down, and quickly rushes to the bathroom and stares at himself in the mirror. 

INT. APARTMENT - KITCHEN & BATHROOM

Justin leaves the door open, allowing the baby to see him in the bathroom. 

JUSTIN (CONT'D)

She was taking a parenting course too.

Palmer continues from the kitchen. He just gives a facial "umm okay" reaction to himself while chopping.

Meanwhile, Justin's separation from the baby seems to be causing elevated stress. 

JUSTIN

(distracted)

Hey, have you ever heard of a myth called the Tiyanak? It's about a demonic creature that preys on people from the forest.

Palmer pauses chopping.

PALMER

(disturbed and worried for his friend)

No... Can't say that I've heard of that one...

Justin begins to drip blood down his forehead as his stress reaches a high point. He turns red and his skin starts to bubble.

JUSTIN

(to himself)

What if this creature wanted to leave its home...? Escape...?

INT. APARTMENT - KITCHEN

Palmer still chopping, and before he can answer, hears Justin scream.

JUSTIN (O.S.)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Palmer drops the knife and runs out to the bathroom.

INT. APARTMENT - BATHROOM

Palmer finds Justin, dead on the floor; eyes open, skin ruined and blood pouring out his ears.

CUT TO BLACK:

(HOLD BLACK, LONG)

FADE IN:

EXT.  CEMETERY - DAY

Palmer is alone. He stands in front of Justin's grave and places a bouquet of flowers on it.

PALMER

I can't believe it's only been a week. The doctor's still don't know what caused your nervous system to overload like that. I hope they find something soon.

(pause)

Well, rest in peace, buddy.

FADE TO BLACK.

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

Palmer enters his apartment and hangs his coat. He then immediately notices the baby is still on the couch. 

He mindlessly picks it up and starts cradling it. 

Suddenly unsure as why he's doing that, he places the baby back down on the couch, quickly. Disturbed by his friend's remnant, he walks away trying to forget.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

After heating a pot of beans, he casually walks over and takes a seat at his couch, having forgotten about the baby.

Moments later, after having taken a few bites, he glances over at the baby and places his food on the floor. 

Palmer picks the baby up and cradles it for a second before he throws it across the room.

PALMER

What the hell??

Palmer gets up, a little more disturbed and confused than before, forgets his food and walks away to his bedroom.

INT. APARTMENT - AFTERNOON

The next day, Palmer comes home from work, hangs his coat and looks at the baby on the floor again. Something is drawing him to it, and he can't think properly. 

He picks it up off the floor and starts cradling it. 

Fighting for his own mind, Palmer quickly locks the baby into a nearby cupboard and hastily attends to his Kitchen. 

After a scattered memory of pacing and fidgeting, he returns to the Living room to find the baby on the couch again.

PALMER

(scared)

That's impossible.

(pause)

I think I'll go out for dinner.

Palmer puts his coat back on and leaves.

 

INT. RESTAURANT - EVENING

DOLLY IN.

Palmer sits alone at a table, tapping his knife against the surface, nervously.

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING

After dinner, acting completely naturally, Palmer enters his apartment, hangs up his coat and picks up the baby.

Suddenly unsure how he got into this situation, Palmer falls to his knees in shock. 

He throws the baby across the room again, but is still compelled to pick it up. Palmer makes his way across the room, picks it up and cradles it. 

From his onward gaze of disbelief, he notices the window. In a last ditch effort, Palmer runs over to the window and throws the baby out of it.

PALMER

AAuuuguguggg!!!

Struggling to maintain sanity, Palmer begins to knock things over, around his apartment.

After a few moments, he snaps and bursts out his door!

INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - HALLWAYS & STAIRS

Palmer runs down his hallways, pushing passed people.

He runs down the stairs and knocks over someone.

EXT. APARTMENT - FRONT YARD - EVENING

Palmer runs outside, desperately. He looks up at his apartment window and then runs toward a gathering of bushes below it! 

He jumps in and digs branches away until he finds the baby doll, cradling and hushing it to sleep.

INT. APARTMENT - MORNING

PAN FROM WINDOW.

The next day, his apartment gets a phone call, and his answering machine picks up. The voice on the phone is his boss...

MARK (45) - A blue-collar, opinionated man with a power complex.

MARK (V.O.) 

Palmer, where the hell have you been? I've been leaving you messages all morning! This blatant, rude behaviour won't go unpunished. 

As Mark is yelling, Palmer sits on the floor with the baby in his arms, feeding bottled milk into its nonresponsive face.

MARK (V.O. CONT'D)

When I'm through with you, all that that'll be left of your sorry career will be a myth!

Mark hangs up and the click awakens Palmer's mind.

PALMER

Justin mentioned a...

His phone rings again and the answering machine picks up Justin's grandmother...

Elaine (78) - A spiritually aware and cautious old women of Filipino descent.

ELAINE (V.O.)

Palmer, I'm Justin's grandmother. I'm calling to offer you a warning. It's about a demon creature from the Philippines that may have taken a vessel. We call it the Tiyanak. I think this being used Justin to leave the islands when he was visiting. If this is true, this thing requires a vessel and the proximity of a juman to keep it alive. Stay away from this object that may carry this spirit.

(long pause)

One more thing. 

(pause)

If you have already encountered him, I'm afraid it's too late. The demon will not allow you to break free.

Now breathing heavily, Palmer understands what this is. He is filled with desperation and fear as he launches himself to his knees and then his feet. 

Almost in tears, Palmer runs into the Kitchen and slams the baby down onto the cutting board. His forehead gets sweaty and bubbles start to form on his right arm as it picks up the butcher knife.

Palmer holds it up in the air, about to attack, but hesitates out of stress and confusion. Palmer's skin starts to go red and blood pours down his forehead.

In response, the baby just stares blankly and inanimate.

PALMER

AAaaaauuuuuhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

With the baby in his psyche, he shrieks and jams the blade into the baby's head; right down the middle.

Palmer staggers away in physical and mental pain until collapsing to the floor.

Now physically deformed and weak, Palmer realizes he can't take it anymore. He then begins dragging his bloody body across the floor, back into the Kitchen.

PALMER

(pleading)

I'm coming. I'm coming.

With his last ounce of strength, he gets his head and arms onto the edge of the counter and grabs the baby.

PALMER

Everything's going to be okay. She was wrong. You're not bad. You're not bad. 

Falling back to a sitting position on the floor, he cradles and cradles the baby; the progression of deformities on his body stop, leaving him an ugly, changed man.

PALMER

I've got you now.

FADE OUT.