Opening shots: Close-ups of an alarm clock, a coffee mug, a man lacing his shoes. The manâs apartment is extremely tidy and he is performing these tasks in a meticulous way. Quiet, ambient music.
EXT. CITY STREET - MORNING
JOHN (early 30s, cleanly shaven, wearing a shirt and tie with a baseball hat, backpack, in shape build,) Leaves his apartment and walks down the same street he takes every day to the bus stop. That's how he gets to work. His routine is methodical and precise.
A seemingly homeless WOMAN (older than John but unclear on how much older, disheveled but with kind eyes) sits on the corner of the street. Sheâs always there in the same spot, writing in an old tattered notebook with a fancy fountain pen.
John glances at the woman briefly, their eyes meet for a moment. They see each other every day in passing and are acquaintances. She gives a small, knowing smile. He smiles back but drops eye contact and looks to the ground as he does. John picks up his pace. He steps onto the bus, the doors close, and it drives away.
Johnâs alarm clock rings again, signifying the next day. John gets out of bed and glances at a picture of him and his dad on the wall embracing at a ball game. He smiles as he puts on his tie and walks out of his apartment.
EXT. CITY STREET - MORNING
John walks his usual route. He listens to music and smiles. Heâs in a very good mood today, but he stops abruptly when the woman is not in her usual spot and hesitates. He takes the airpods/earbuds out of his ears and stuffs them into his pocket. There is a man standing across the street with a broom in his hands. John recognizes the man as a local barber. Heâs a heavy set middle aged man who owns the barber shop right around the corner. John moves his mouth like he is about to call out to the man, but decides against it, letting his arms fall by his side. He looks at the empty space where the woman always sat, then gazes to the ground and continues onward until boarding the bus. The camera pans to the barber and he is watching John from a distance with a raised eyebrow.
The next morning, John is ending a phone call with his dad. They are making dinner plans for the following Saturday. They both wish each other a good day. John sounds happy and hangs up the phone. He continues on his daily route and walks past the spot where the woman usually sits and writes, but the corner is empty like the day before. The woman is still absent from her usual spot, but something else catches his eye.
EXT. CITY STREET - MORNING
In the corner where the woman used to sit, partially hidden under some debris, is her old notebook that she always wrote in. John looks around to see if anyone is watching, no one is, so he picks it up. He mutters an inaudible slur under his breath and his eyes widen as he recognizes the book. He flips through the pages, seeing dates and entries up until the day the woman disappeared. His eyes focus on the words written in the last entry. John reads what it says and reacts by nearly dropping the book while trying to cover his mouth. He fumbles the book around but recovers it before it can drop. The shot is focused on his reaction and doesnât show what the entry says.
John hears a door open from across the street. It's the barber shop owner that he almost called out to the day before. Without giving himself time to think any longer, John stuffs the notebook in his bag, puts his head down, and briskly walks to the bus stop.
Scene 4: Notebook Entries
John sits in his small apartment after work, the room dimly lit. He examines the notebook closely. The camera zooms in on the entry that previously was not shown. It simply says, âIs she dead but not gone yet? Did you kill her? â Itâs written in male handwriting. John thinks it looks like his handwriting.
INT. JOHNâS APARTMENT - NIGHT
John watches the impossible unfold as new entries appear in the notebook. They slowly show up in ink from thin air like an invisible presence is writing the words. He has a bewildered look on his face and begins to sweat. The handwriting isnât the same from the previous entries. The new handwriting that's appearing from thin air is Johnâs handwriting. John holds up a letter he wrote in the past to a family member next to the appearing words in the journal. His eyes race back and forth between the two papers as he compares. He itches the top of his head in a weird frenzy. His face is distorted like tears could be on the horizon. He takes a deep breath. The words appear letter by letter at a snail's pace. He reads a little bit out loud. The words describe actions from Johnâs point of view, saying things like, âI think my boss wants to fire me. He doesnât like me and I donât know why. Doesnât dad know I work in the morning, why would he call so early when he knows Iâm getting ready? Did the barber shop owner see me take the notebook? Why would the woman leave her notebook behind? Where did she go? How dare she interrupt my routine? I wanted to ask her if she was okay. I only gave her money once, but she never really begged for it. I wanted to ask her what she was writing about, but I never even knew her name.â Everything is disjointed but it's all following Johnâs inner thoughts as if it was him writing a diary entry. All things that would be in there if it was his personal diary. More of his thoughts and feelings in real-time. John is both terrified and mesmerized. John sits back in his chair and slicks his sweaty hair back. The notebook continues to write in itself. John takes his phone out and goes to the camera to record what is happening. When he looks at his screen, the new writing only appears when the whole page is complete. The camera doesnât pick up the real time writing. John is confused and defeated. The screen fades to black.
Days pass. John now has a beard. His clothes are dirty. John becomes obsessed with the notebook, his normal routine disrupted. It is implied that it is getting serious when he gets a call from his boss, and he ditches his phone and lets it go to voicemail. Then another missed call from his dad. They miss their dinner plans. Another voicemail. The shot is focused on the phone screen as dad leaves a voicemail. John is immersed with the notebook and staring at it in the background of the shot.
JOHNâS FATHER (V.O.) âJohn, it's Dad, Iâm just checking up. You werenât at the restaurant when I got there. I waited for thirty minutes. That's okay, we all get busy, I get it. I just want to make sure you're okay, son. Anyway, give me a call back when you can, I got a couple slices of french silk in the fridge. You can pick them up whenever you get a minute. After work or something. Okay, love you bud.â
INT. JOHNâS APARTMENT - NIGHT
John is staring at the notebook and a new entry appears.
JOHN (V.O.): "But⊠where?"
Another entry appears before his eyes:
NOTEBOOK: "Sheâs closer than you think."
This is the first time the book has answered him like that. John is paranoid and scared. He jolts up from his seat and closes the blinds.
John, determined to understand, returns to the spot where the woman used to sit.
The street is eerily quiet. John looks around, the notebook clutched in his hand. A chill runs down his spine. Suddenly, he hears a whisper. It could be a womanâs voice but it is unclear.
WHISPER (V.O.): "John..."
John spins around, but no one is there. Silence and street lights. He starts to walk away when he hears the whisper again, abrupt and louder this time.
WHISPER (V.O.) : âThis way John, this way.â
Scene 7: Ghost Confrontation
John, terrified but determined, follows the whispers to an old abandoned building nearby. He walks past the barber shop on the way.
INT. ABANDONED BUILDING - NIGHT
John steps inside, the whispers growing louder and more insistent. The building is dark, with only the faint light from his phone guiding the way. He steps on trash, then squirrels and rabbits run past. An owl howls. He sees a shadowy figure at the end of the hallway. He jumps a little but he calms down and takes a deep breath.
JOHN: "Who is it? Whoâs there?"
The figure steps forwardâitâs the woman, her eyes hollow and haunting. She points to the notebook in his hand.
WOMAN: "I knew you would find and I was hoping you would take."
JOHN: âThis? Listen, Rachel, right?"
John rifles through the book only to end up on the first page. He points at the name in the front of the book. It says âRachelâ and she smiles.
The woman steps closer, her face gnarled in a ghostly grimace.
RACHEL: "The book is yours now and forever. Or⊠until it's time to pass it along."
John takes a moment, his awareness heightened.
JOHN: âWell, Iâm passing it to you then, because I donât want it. At all.â
John reaches to give the book back, but Rachel doesnât accept it.
RACHEL: âYou canât give it to the previous keeper. When the time is right, you will know who to give it to.â
JOHN: âI donât want your noteâyour diary.â
RACHEL: âIt looks like your handwriting, Johny, I believe it's your diary, not mine. Are you sure you donât want it? Is it because you are such a routine-based man, Johnny? Did I interrupt your routine?â
JOHN: âHow do youâŠâ
Rachel interrupts. She has more energy.
RACHEL: âAnd what a grand similarity we have! Because, I was a very routine-based young lady. I had such a comfy daily routine⊠just⊠like⊠you. A loner too. The notebook is great for introverts. Yes, far more upside for folks like us. But, if IâŠcanâŠbeâŠfrank⊠with you for a moment. Call your father back, Johny, would you? Right away. Heâs worried because you only ever wait no more than thirty minutes to call him back. Your father loves you and he is a very polite man as well.â
JOHN: âHow do you know all of that? How do you know my dad?â
RACHEL: âYour father and I knew each other on a first name basis.â
Rachel stares deadpan. John shakes his head in confusion.
JOHN: âWhatever. When the book writes in itself, I hate it. It's like there's an imposter in my brain. Like Iâm not alone in my own head. I hate it. Iâll just burn the goddamn book if you wonât take it. That's what Iâll do.â
RACHEL: âYouâŠwonâtâŠdare. Thatâs not how it works, Johnny. The book has a keeper, and the keeper is you.â
Rachel points a gnarled finger at John. John is scared like heâs truly noticing her appearance for the first time.
JOHN: âAre you dead?â
Rachel ignores the question.
RACHEL: âYouâll know when the next keeper comes along. IF⊠the next keeper comes along. As I knew with you. You walked by me every single day without so much as learning my name. But I knew what is rightfully yours all the same. Now, open the book again, Johny. Open it again and look inside.â
John opens the book to the front page again where it had just said Rachelâs name. Now it says âJohnyâ. Suddenly, the notebook begins to burn John's hands. He screams, trying to drop it, but it sticks to his skin. Rachelâs face distorts into a horrific smile as she fades away, leaving John alone and screaming.
The alarm clock rings again, signifying a new day.
INT. JOHNâS APARTMENT - MORNING John sits up in bed, his face pale and haunted. He seems alarmed for a moment as he looks at his hands, but then he relaxes. The notebook sits on his bedside table, pristine and untouched. He reaches for it, hands trembling. He puts it in his bag. John dresses in his usual work shirt and tie, puts his backpack on and laces his shoes like he a regular work day. Then John calls his dad. They are talking on the phone as he walks outside his apartment. He assures his dad that he is ok and that heâs had a rough week at work but that heâs going to be fine now.
JOHN: âDad, I have a question. In the past, did you ever go out with a girl named Rachel? Or, is the name Rachel important to you?â
DAD: âI donât believe so. Maybe a long time ago. Why?â
JOHN: âIâll tell you at dinner tomorrow night. Think about it, okay?â
DAD: âSounds great, son. Iâll see you tomorrow. Rachel⊠Rachel⊠you know what, now that I think about itââ
JOHN: âThatâs okay, Dad. Think about it some more. We will talk tomorrow.â
He hangs up the phone mid stride. Instead of walking to the bus stop, he stops at Rachelâs old spot where he found the notebook. John sits in her spot and begins to write a new entry in the notebook with a fancy fountain pen.
JOHN (V.O.): He writes, "Every day, the same routine. But now, I know that must change."
The camera zooms in on John manically writing in the notebook, then fades out until we see the man across the street, the barber shop owner. He has a broom in his hands. He puts the broom against the wall and cups his hands like he is about to call out to John. Before he can, John looks up at him and they make eye contact. John has a small smile on his face, looks down again, and goes back to writing. The barberâs hands hover in the air, frozen. The man opens his mouth as if he's about to yell something at John, but decides against it. The barber drops his hands below his waist and walks back inside. The camera pans to the bus leaving without John. The sound is enhanced on the bus door closing and the engine rumbling.
