BLACK: Hear soft eerie wind chimes. CUT TO:
EXT. HOUSE – AFTERNOON
Push across a brown grass field to find a boy 17, with spiky hair, staring at an abandoned Victorian house that has fallen into grave disrepair. Shutters missing, paint peeling... an ingénue turned dowager by the march of time.
Suddenly the camera turns and with the building still in sight, we see the back of DONOVAN He is holding a rucksack and wearing a baseball cap backwards. He is on the phone.
Donovan
Yeah, Yeah I'm here now.
Pause
Yeah, yeah, dude you sure this is it?
Pause
It's nothing like the pic's
Pause
Okay, how long will you be?
Pause
Alright ill go on in then
Pause
Okay, see ya!
Cut To: INT. HOUSE –Afternoon
'VALENTENO' from the score of American Horror Story: Hotel is played as we see DONOVAN enter the building and walk to reception. Different camera angles of the lobby are shown. As DONOVAN enters he walks past the grand staircase and stops and looks up. The music spikes at this point although nothing occurs. The camera switches to a shot of the staircase. The camera turns back to DONOVAN walking past the staircase. The music is also played as he talks to the receptionist.
Donovan
Here, I made a booking
Sally
Name?
SALLY appears emotionless. She is checking through her book. There are no electronic devices in sight.
At this point DONOVAN's friends arrive. They walk through the door with their rucksacks on their back. They are in outdoorsy type clothes. Their names are ALEX, WILL and VIOLET.
Donovan
You took your time
Will
Well, we're here now, ain't we?
DONOVAN rolls his eyes at JAKE.
Sally
What name did you make the booking under?
SALLY'S confidence has somehow grown as DONOVAN'S friends have arrived. DONOVAN is about to ask his friends when WILL steps in.
Will
Wilson.
Sally
Do you have a surname? Or are you too cool for that?
SALLY laughs towards the end of her line. ALEX raises her eyebrows at SALLY but nothing is said.
Will
James.
Sally
James, huh? We don't get many of them around here.
Will
Why's that?
Sally
They're afraid they won't leave.
SALLY stops what she is doing and looks at WILL dead in the eye.
Sally
But for all the wrong reasons.
The kids look at each other terrified.
Sally
Follow me please, ill show you your dorm.
Violet
Dorms? Isn't this a hotel? what kinda hotel has dorms?
Sally
No my darling. This is the Arden house. Much better than any old, hotel.
As they leave the front desk 'Tear you apart' by SHE Want's Revenge starts to play. The camera shows us different angles of them walking down similar hallways to their room. SALLY is leading the others walk behind tilting their heads with curiosity as they walk to their room.
When they finally reach their room there is an unpleasant smell.
Alex
Oh my God! What is that stench?
The others are all holding their breath and coughing due to the smell. SALLY is not aware of the smell.
Sally
After 15 years, you get used to it.