3-Character Trio Cast 6 - 9 Minutes Horror/Supernatural
Echoes in the Elevator
Full Shooting Script in Industry Courier Monospace Format
FADE IN:
INT. RESIDENTIAL BUILDING ELEVATOR - NIGHT
A stalled elevator between floors. Emergency RED STRIPS glow. A DIM CEILING PANEL flickers unpredictably. Mirrored walls multiply the space into a crowd of reflections.
VIKRAM (38), loosened tie, sweaty and shaken, jabs at the ELEVATOR PANEL.
LEELA (46), khaki security uniform, hard-eyed, clutches a KEY RING.
ANANYA (27), rain-damp coat, pale face, stands calm in the corner.
VIKRAM
Arre yaar, bas ek minute. Technical fault hai. Kuchh serious nahi.
INTERCOM buzzes.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Technical fault hai. Kuchh serious nahi.
Vikram freezes.
LEELA
(under her breath)
Bola tha na. Yeh building seedhi nahi hai.
VIKRAM
Kya? Echo hua hoga. Wiring issue.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Wiring issue.
Leela looks at Vikram, unimpressed.
LEELA
Main security supervisor hoon. Lift ka yeh mood pehle bhi dekha hai.
She points at the FLOOR DIRECTORY.
LEELA (CONT’D)
Teen saal pehle bhi isi shaft mein... kuchh hua tha.
VIKRAM
Kuchh hua tha matlab?
LEELA
Matlab jo log sach se bhaagte hain, unko building yaad dila deti hai.
Intercom crackles.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Building yaad dila deti hai.
Vikram glares at the speaker.
VIKRAM
Stop doing that.
ANANYA
Main nahi kar rahi.
Silence.
Vikram turns to Ananya for the first time.
VIKRAM
Toh tum kaun ho?
ANANYA
Resident.
LEELA
Kaunsi floor?
ANANYA
Jahan lift ruk jaaye.
Beat.
Vikram presses the emergency button. Nothing.
VIKRAM
Phone bhi no signal.
He lifts his phone. One bar disappears.
VIKRAM (CONT’D)
Great.
LEELA
Phone ka kya karoge? Sach bol do, shayad nikal jaayein.
VIKRAM
Main sach hi bol raha hoon.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Main sach hi bol raha hoon.
Vikram stares at the intercom.
VIKRAM
Nahi yaar. Yeh— yeh feedback loop hai.
LEELA
Loop? Haan, life bhi loop hi hai. Jhooth, phir aur jhooth.
Ananya tilts her head.
ANANYA
Yeh lift unko trap karti hai jo jhooth bolte hain.
VIKRAM
(half-laugh)
Wah. Horror movie ka dialogue.
ANANYA
Horror ka part abhi aaya nahi.
A flicker. In the mirrored walls, Ananya’s reflection is slightly delayed.
Vikram notices. Swallows.
VIKRAM
Theek hai. Sach. Main bolta hoon.
He takes a breath.
VIKRAM (CONT’D)
Main maintenance complaints time par forward nahi karta.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Main maintenance complaints time par forward nahi karta.
VIKRAM
Kyunki budget report chhupani thi.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Budget report chhupani thi.
LEELA smirks, then her face hardens.
LEELA
Meri turn?
VIKRAM
Aapka bhi sach hai?
LEELA
Do mahine pehle basement mein ek incident hua tha.
She grips the key ring tighter.
LEELA (CONT’D)
Main ne report mein “accidental death” likha.
VIKRAM
Kya?
LEELA
Kyuki maine kisi ko lift shaft ke paas dhakka dete dekha tha.
Beat.
LEELA (CONT’D)
Aur report badal di.
VIKRAM
Kaun tha?
LEELA
Mera hi aadmi.
She means someone she protected.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Mera hi aadmi.
Leela flinches.
ANANYA
Ab asli baat.
VIKRAM
Tumhari baat ka matlab kya hai?
ANANYA
Mujhse pooch rahe ho?
She slowly reaches into her coat and pulls out a WET HOSPITAL BAND.
On it: the building address.
ANANYA (CONT’D)
Main yahin thi. Us raat.
Leela goes pale.
LEELA
Nahi...
ANANYA
Lift ruk gayi thi. Power cut hua tha.
VIKRAM
Tum... us incident mein thi?
ANANYA
Main us incident mein thi.
She looks at both of them.
ANANYA (CONT’D)
Aur tum dono ne mujhe paperwork mein gaayab kar diya.
A heavy beat.
VIKRAM
Main... main office manager hoon. Mujhe bas files...
ANANYA
Close karni thi.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Close karni thi.
Leela steps back.
LEELA
Main ne bas order follow kiya.
ANANYA
Aur sach?
Leela has no answer.
The ELEVATOR PANEL lights blink rapidly by themselves.
VIKRAM
This is impossible.
ANANYA
Nahi. Yeh bas inconvenient hai.
The ceiling panel flickers brighter. In the mirrors, ANANYA’S REFLECTION smiles a fraction too late.
VIKRAM
(terrified)
Tum... tum ho kaun?
ANANYA
Jo tum dono ne lift mein chhod diya tha.
A LOW METALLIC GROAN. The elevator suddenly DROPS a few inches.
LEELA
Arre! Hold on!
She loses balance. The KEY RING falls to the floor with a CLATTER.
The keys slide and stop near the wall mirror.
Vikram looks down.
On the key ring is an old NAME TAG:
ANANYA R.
Vikram’s face drains.
VIKRAM
No...
ANANYA steps forward. Calm. Unblinking.
ANANYA
Ab samjhe?
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Ab samjhe?
LEELA
(whispers)
Tu...
ANANYA
Main mar chuki hoon.
Silence.
The elevator panel flashes FLOOR NUMBERS in reverse.
VIKRAM
Toh hum—
ANANYA
Tum log neeche nahi ja rahe.
She points at them, one by one.
ANANYA (CONT’D)
Tum dono apne jhooth ke saath ja rahe ho.
The doors begin to OPEN.
VIKRAM and LEELA brace for a corridor.
Instead, the doors reveal only DARKNESS — another shaft, another impossible drop.
VIKRAM
(voice breaking)
Yeh... yeh floor nahi hai.
ANANYA
Nahi.
Beat.
ANANYA (CONT’D)
Yeh sach hai.
INTERCOM (V.O.)
Sach hai.
Vikram stares at the mirror. His reflection does NOT blink.
Leela sees it too.
LEELA
(frozen)
Vikram...
VIKRAM
Main... main saans...
He can’t finish.
Ananya’s reflection now stands a fraction behind her.
ANANYA
Ab bolo.
The elevator SHUDDERS.
BLACKOUT.
END.
---