Misplaced
A young boy explores the rows of an old antique store and finds something unexpected.
The ambience of an antique store, with its treasures of days past, provides an alluring mix of charm and magic to even a seasoned shopper. But add a chained entrance to a back room that warns with a “Do Not Enter” sign, and the temptation can be too much, especially for a six-year-old boy.
In Misplaced, when Max’s mother brings him along to “Grand Antiques” to get an offer for an heirloom, he marvels at the many rows and shelves of knick knacks and thingamajigs. And even though the antique dealer, with his disfigured face, gruffly warns the child not to go into the back, Max can’t help himself when he hears a jingling sound coming from the chained off room.
After he discovers the source of the sound, he finds himself in a seemingly innocent game of “Monkey See, Monkey Do.” However, things are not always what they seem, as shown in the script segment below.
Max reaches out and their hands are within centimeters of touching. Max is suddenly jerked backwards and is face to face with the Antiques Man.
Max freezes with fear as he stares at the Antiques Man terrifying scowl. A deep scar runs up his right cheek, over his dead eye and up over his forehead.
ANTIQUES MAN
I told you to stay out of here.
Max can’t respond as he trembles. The Antiques Man takes a good look at him.
ANTIQUES MAN
Do I scare you Max?
Max nods.
ANTIQUES MAN
Then your fear is sorely misplaced, boy.
Max is frozen to the spot. The Antiques Man releases him.
.
ANTIQUES MAN
Get out of here.
The Antiques Man watches Max run and disappear through the shelves.
For directors who want to express a “Twilight Zone” type of horror through the eyes of a child, this one will meet the mark. With its detailed visuals and a well executed play on the innocence of youthful curiosity, audiences will certainly recall their own childhood fears. And if that isn’t enough, the ending creates an image that will haunt long after the credits roll.
