Chapter 9 (The Wrath of Francis)

Chapter 9 (The Wrath of Francis) is the ninth chapter of The Clearwood Murders: Episode I - The Wrath of Francis and the ninth chapter of the overall Clearwood series. It was written by Donald Newton and was published on May 31, 2020.

Plot
Andrew and friends must save someone close to them.

Full Chapter
We open where Chapter 8 immediately left off. After Scott has been kidnapped by Francis, Andrew gets the call from Francis and discovers that Scott is being held at the abandoned clubhouse called "Woodside", which is where then-Deputy Clarence Carter shot and killed the original Francis killer 10 years ago. Now Andrew, along with his friends, have quested to Woodside in the hopes of saving their friend.

INT. WOODSIDE CLUBHOUSE - NIGHT

The entire group storms into the building. It's dark, empty, dusty, and very eerie. They use the flashlights on their phones to see. But their flashlights are not fully bright enough to see everything.

Andrew can feel the dark and tragic history of this clubhouse. He can hear the screams of the original Francis's victims. He can feel the fear that they felt in their last moments. He can feel the presence of the original Francis even ten years after his death. He can even feel the new Francis's presence. Andrew now feels the fear that the old victims felt before.

MELINA: What do we do?

ANDREW: Scott can be anywhere. So we split up. Chuck and Cheri will stay on this floor. Cassie and Oscar go up to the second floor. Iris and Jeremy go to the top floor. Alice, Melina, and I will go down to the basement. Agree?

EVERYONE: Agree!

So everyone splits up to their respective path. Chuck and Cheri move on to another side of the first floor to look for Scott. The others find a staircase, where Andrew, Alice, and Melina go downstairs and Cassie and Oscar go up stairs. But Jeremy and Iris notice the elevator and are curious about it.

JEREMY: Think it still works?

IRIS: I doubt it. There's no power. But you can try it.

Jeremy presses the up button. And much to their surprise -- IT WORKS. The elevator opens and they both walk into the elevator. As the elevator closes them inside, Iris and Jeremy take each other by the hand and walk in together. It's clear to us that Jeremy will protect Iris, who is frightened by the darkness and with the knowledge of what could be waiting for them.

Chuck and Cheri go through every room in the first floor. But they find nothing.

CHERI: There's nothing here.

CHUCK: I know. What should we do now?

Chuck lights a joint.

CHERI: I guess we wait for the others to search their sections. Maybe this psycho is holding Scott up in another floor.

Chuck takes a hit of the joint.

CHUCK: Or he was lying and Scott isn't really here?

Cheri is hit by this thought. What if they were led on a wild goose chase and their friend isn't really there at all? Chuck passes her the joint.

INT. DARK ROOM

In a PITCH BLACK ROOM -- Scott is lying on the floor. He is weak and hurt. He slowly gets up and feels around for his surroundings. He finds the walls around him. His eyes adjust enough to see the light around the creast of a door. He goes over to the door and attempts to open it. But, of course, it's locked.

SCOTT: HELLO?!! SOMEBODY!! HELP!!!

But he gets no response and gives up.

INT. STAIRCASE/BASEMENT

Andrew, Alice, and Melina are walking down the stairs to the basement. Melina's high-heels are clicking on the floor, which is annoying even to her. But --

INT. DARK ROOM

The clicking is heard by Scott. He recognizes the clicking as Melina's high-heels. He goes up to the door and starts banging at it.

SCOTT: (shouting) MELINA! I'M IN HERE.

INT. BASEMENT

Andrew, Alice, and Melina hear his voice. They run towards his voice.

ANDREW: SCOTT!!!

SCOTT: (off screen) I'M IN HERE!

MELINA: KEEP SCREAMING! WE'RE COMING FOR YOU!

They follow Scott's voice to a door. They try to open the door. But, once again, it's locked. They find a keypad on the door.

MELINA: It's coded. It takes a code to open the door.

ANDREW: How the hell are we suppose to know the code?

Suddenly, Andrew's phone dings. He checks his phone. He has received a text message from Scott's phone.

TEXT MESSAGE: The code is the month and date when Clarence Carter murdered Francis.

ANDREW: The day my dad killed Francis.

Alice quickly takes out her phone and searches it up.

ALICE: (reading) "Clarence Carter shot and killed Francis on October 17th."

Andrew presses the numbers 1017 on the keypad. DING. The door is unlocked. Scott comes out and hugs Melina, who holds him with great relief.

MELINA: Are you okay?

SCOTT: I am now. I'm hurt though. Help me.

The four are suddenly joined by Iris, Jeremy, Oscar, Cassie, Chuck, and Cheri, whom all heard their screaming from their above floors. They all help Scott walk.

ANDREW: We're out of here, guys.

JEREMY: Let's take the elevator. It actually works.

The entire group runs to the elevator and press the UP button. They look around them to make sure that Francis isn't nearby. The elevator door opens -- FRANCIS IS THERE. Francis attempts to run out to them. But it takes everyone single one of them -- Andrew, Scott, Melina, Alice, Iris, Jeremy, Cassie, Oscar, Chuck, and Cheri -- to grab at Francis and push the much larger man back into the elevator.

As Francis falls backwards against the elevator wall, the group hauls ass up the stairs. Rather than just follow them up, Francis allows the elevator to close and go back up.

INT. FIRST FLOOR - NIGHT

The entire group makes it up the stairs to the first floor just as the elevator door opens. Francis storms out of the elevator and runs after the group. They all make it to the main entrance and run out of the building. They slam the door into Francis, whacking him in the face. This stops him for a moment.

EXT. WOODSIDE CLUBHOUSE - NIGHT

The group jump into their respective vehicles with Scott joining in Andrew's car. Francis runs out of the clubhouse and sprints to Andrew's car. He makes it to the car and grabs at the passenger door. But before he can open the door -- ANDREW DRIVES OFF.

Both vehicles leaves the clubhouse property, leaving Francis standing there and disappointed.

INT. CARTER RESIDENCE - BASEMENT - NIGHT

The group returns to the Carter house and enter through the basement. Oscar and Jeremy carry the injured Scott onto the couch. Iris attends to his wounds that he received through torture by Francis.

SCOTT: Thanks, Iris. But I'm good. I'm just bruised up.

Scott continues his usual cool, calm, and chill persona even while injured. He acts like it's no big deal.

SCOTT: Thank you all for coming to save me. How did you guys even know where to find me?

ANDREW: Francis called me from your phone and told us where to find you.

SCOTT: Shit! He's got my phone.

ANDREW: Yeah.

SCOTT: I wonder what the point of him kidnapping me only to let you save me was for.

IRIS: He did chase us. Maybe he wanted to take us all out.

ANDREW: RIght. He probably didn't expect a large group.

MELINA: He underestimated us. He depended on his huge body to take out our much smaller bodies out.

SCOTT: So he was being cocky. Great.

JEREMY: But why Scott? Why any of us? What did we do?

IRIS: Andrew...his father. This is about his father. He referenced Sheriff Carter a lot. The place where he was killed by Clarence, the code for the door being the date he was killed, and the fact that he claimed Clarence murdered Francis. The claim of murder sounds like this is personal.

ANDREW: The first victim was the girl that my Dad saved when he killed the real Francis. Killing her was a message. This new Francis is after me, my friends, my family, and my dad...for killing old Francis.

This hits everyone. They're facing someone who is targeting them for revenge for the original Francis. Could this be a friend or a relative of the original Francis? Or a big fan who is copying him? Who is this new Francis?

INT. LANE RESIDENCE - NIGHT

SCOTT'S MOTHER (late 30s) is sitting on the couch; drunk and high. The man sitting with her is NOT her husband. But another man that she's sleeping with while her husband is never home. Scott enters the house to see his mother and her latest fling watching TV.

SCOTT: Hey, Mom.

MOTHER: (not caring) Hey.

SCOTT: You wondering why I'm late?

MOTHER: Not really.

SCOTT: Care to know where I been?

MOTHER: Nope. I could care less if you're ever home or not. Just like your father.

It hits Scott hard that his mother doesn't care about him. He was nearly killed tonight and his mother wouldn't have cared if he lived or die or if he was ever found. His mother cares more about drugs and alcohol than her own son.

SCOTT: Goodnight, Mom.

MOTHER: Whatever.

Scott sadly walks to his bedroom.

INT. SCOTT'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Scott enters his bedroom and heads for his bed where he finds -- HIS PHONE. This shocks Scott. Francis had his phone. So if his phone is on his bed, then that means -- FRANCIS HAS BEEN TO HIS HOUSE. Scott grabs his phone and finds a text message from an UNKNOWN CALLER.

TEXT MESSAGE: You kids got lucky this time. But just so that you know...it's on now. You're all going to die!!! You, your little girlfriend, your little friend, his entire family, and all of your friends!!! - FRANCIS

Scott is horrified by this. This is a declaration of war against the entire Carter family and their inner circle.

Deaths
None.

Trivia

 * First time all of the teens see Francis in person.
 * First appearance of Scott's mother.