The Library

TAGLINE: The Library: A late return will cost you more than a fine. TONAL COMPS: Monster House. The Goonies. Jumanji PROTAGONISTS ALEX (12) Small, thin, pale almost emancipated, open and friendly. KATE (13) Friendly though slightly bossy. LUCY (13) Glasses, warm, friendly though shy, love to read. CHUCK (13) Large for his age, strong, muscled, but gentle and protective. CHIP (13) Easy going and affable nature THE BLACK HOUSE 1893 Inside a stone line room, red symbols carved into each stone slab and cover every pillar, pulsate. AUGUSTUS (87), a very tall, skeletal man, chants as he mixes a potion. The symbols blaze and a vortex swirls and spins, drawing in all towards Augustus. Tendrils reach out, searching the house. The energy enters, tendrils snaking out touching each of the Mountfords, drawing their life force from their bodies. Augustus stands, arms out wide as the green energy flows down through the stones. The house shakes. The green energy explodes enveloping the house. PRESENT DAY Alex, recovering from a serious illness, learns that his estranged father, absent for over seven years, is declared dead by the Mountford Estate Solicitors and young Alex has inherited the Mountford ancestral home, together with the family journals. Arriving in Danville, USA and spending the morning unpacking, Alex and his mum head to the local dining seeking work. Sitting in the local diner whilst his mum interviews for a server position, Alex reads his journal. Lucy over hears his mum say they live at the Black House.  Lucy returns to her friends and agrees they must warn him. THE BLACK HOUSE IS HAUNTED Lucy goes over first. The others follow one at a time, curious of his experience within the Black House, what with all the ghosts. Lucy goes onto tell him a little of the history of the house and that they built it over a graveyard. Excited and scared, Lucy and her friends enter the Black House, where Alex shows them around and together they discover THE LIBRARY. A wondrous room filled with books that span three floors from the bottom to the top of the house. Alex picks up a diary written by his dad. As Alex sleeps, the ghosts of the Black House stir. The following morning, his new friends call upon him, inviting him down to the local diner where Alex shares what he has learned from his dad's diary. That Alan Booth, a historian, went missing within the Black House and Alex's dad thinks the key lies with the library book. Convinced his Dad is trapped within the same book, Alex is determined to follow. Returning to the library, unsure where to look, Alex and his friends are startled when a book falls to the floor The ghost of one of Alex's ancestors, Nathanial, appears. Trapped within a library book himself, he wishes them luck. THE TITANIC 1912 Hoping to find his dad and rescue Alan Booth, Alex and his friends enter the book and find themselves on the doomed ship as it strikes the iceberg. Clock ticking, they split up in search of Alex's Dad and Alan Booth. Chuck helps the engineers in the steam room as Alex makes it to the top deck. Shocked and scared, he works his way around the deck until he finds and persuades Alan to return with him. With no sign of his Dad, Alex makes it below and regroups with his friends only to realise they had to return the book not only on time but to a library. Making their way up three decks proves tough going as the ship is sinking, but with time running out they make it to the main deck and the library, returning home wet through but safe and sound. Before ascending, Alan thanks Alex and warns that someone had deliberately trapped him inside the book. Whilst having a picnic in Alex's garden fort, Lucy tells of the Legend of the Black House and the missing Confederate Treasury Gold. Alex shares an entry within his father's diary stating he had found the first clue within Nathanial's diary. The entrance to the graveyard is in the library. THE CATACOMBS Finding the hidden lock that reveals the entrance, Alex and his friends descend. At the lowest level, Alex discovers the body of his Dad, long since dead, together with a taunting note from Nathanial stating he had moved the treasure and left the last ladder weakened to trap any who came after. Angry and determined to avenge his dad, Alex and his friends seek to trap Nathanial within his own book and guess Treasure Island to be the obvious choice for the Confederate Gold. LONDON, ENGLAND 1945 / THE BLITZ Only it is another trap. Entering the book, they find Nathanial had switched book jackets and they arrive in London, England during the Second World War and the blitz. Nathanial steals their book whilst they sleep, forcing Alex and his friends to confront him and take the book back. Making it back home, Alex tears the back pages from the book, believing it will trap Nathanial within. EPILOGUE Alex's 13th birthday party at the diner is in full swing with the girls on one side and the boys on the other. Alex is the first to breach the no-man's-land in the middle and asked Lucy to dance. Ice broken, Chuck asks Katie and soon everyone is dancing and having a great time. Thank you for your time Simon