TRANSITION
A music loving EMT finds saving lives comes at a greater cost than he could ever have imagined.

A stretcher bangs through the entry doors, pushed by an EMT, MAC (28). He’s greeted by a nurse, BETSY (30s) and a DOCTOR who take charge of the thrashing ELDERLY PATIENT.

ELDERLY PATIENT
I must play.

The Nurse attempts to calm him.

BETSY
It’ll be okay. You’re in good hands. You can relax.

ELDERLY PATIENT
The music must be played or it will open.
Every sixth night I must play. No, no, NO!

In a bid to identify their elderly charge, kind hearted Mac returns to the old man’s apartment where he discovers a music stand and chair bolted to the floor of a near empty room.  A further search reveals mysterious sheet music and an antique violin which all proves too much temptation for classical music loving Mac…

Gingerly, he picks up the instrument as if it were a baby.

MAC
A Gagliano? No fucking way.

He tries the light switch on the wall, but nothing, no bulb. There’s a lamp taped to the music stand, he flips it on.

Holding the violin under the light, his eyes widen with amazement confirming it is indeed rare and precious. He lifts it to his ear and plucks a note smiling with satisfaction.

The room darkens.

Through his singular act of curiosity, Mac unwittingly stumbles on the old man’s secret: When music is all that stands between us and a terrible darkness…

…Then the music must be played!

With its roots in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, Chris Keaton’s Transition delivers a chilling short script with universal appeal.  At just 5 pages with minimal locations and some minor effects, this is a great horror short for a creative filmmaker wanting to take their craft to the next level.