TMNT: Raph and The Secret Door

Exploring the House

(Next morning it's pouring out. Raph looks out a window at the dead-looking garden, and places packets of seeds on the sill. He's developed a rash due to the poison oak on one hand. The main floor kitchen, like most things in the Pink Palace, is barely maintained, and looks worn and faded. Raph's brothers who are all the same age are doing their own things. Leo's trying to stay awake, Mikey's reading a comic and has on a neck brace, and Donnie is typing away on his laptop)

Raph-I almost fell down a well yesterday, guys.

Leo-(tired) Uh huh.

Raph-I would have died.

Mikey-That's nice dude.

Raph-You guys wanna go out?

Donnie-Rain makes mud. Mud makes a mess. We just moved.

Raph-I can't believe it -- you get paid to write about plants and you hate dirt.

(Donnie stops typing and loses his patience)

Donnie-Look, I don't have time for this right now. And we still have unpacking to do. Lots of unpacking. (Goes to his room)

Raph-That sounds exciting.

(Leo remembers something)

Leo-Oh, some girl left this on the front porch. Angie, Adeline...

Raph-Angel? (He is handed a newspaper wrapped package. Attached note reads:

Angel (V.O.)-Hey Hamato, look what I found in Gramma's trunk. Look familiar?

(He rips open the package and finds the button-eyed, red mask donning, sai carrying doll)

Raph-A doll that looks like me? That's weird. (He crumples the note, both annoyed and charmed)

Leo-What's her name, anyway?

Raph-Angel. And I don't play with dolls. (But he takes it with him and leaves the room. IHe goes upstairs and stands by the doorway leading to Donnie's room)

(Donnie is still typing on his laptop, surrounded by boxes of gardening magazines and empty coffee cups. Raph, with the doll, opens the squeaky door. He doesn't turn)

Raph-Hey Don, how's the writing going?... Donnie! (He ignores his reflection in the computer screen as he types away)... Hey April.

Donnie-April?! (Just sees Raph) Oh, hey Raph. (notices doll) And... Weird doll?...

Raph-Wanna go outside?

Donnie-What'd the boss say?

Raph-"Don't even think about going out, Raph."

Donnie-Nice try.

(Upset, he makes the door squeak, opening and shutting it till he can't take any more. He spins his chair around)

Donnie-Uhhh, you know, this house is a hundred and fifty years old.

Raph-So?

Donnie-So explore it! Just so you can stop bugging me. You don't see Mikey doing that. (Raph rolls his eyes, and leaves)

SAME HALLWAY NEAR STAIRS

(Raph, with the doll, jumps on a bump in carpet that moves with each jump)

LAUNDRY ROOM

(He wipes off the misted glass so he can see out. A drop of water lands on his shoulder)

HALLWAY NEAR STAIRS

(Raph jumps the carpet bump again and walks up the stairs)

LEO'S ROOM

(Zoom in on a picture frame: It shows younger, happier brothers with sensei in the lair)

(Raph decides to check out the bathroom. When he pulls aside the shower curtain he finds a hundred skittering silverfish bugs)

Raph-Ugh! (Disgusted, he jumps into the tub gets out his sais and stabs as many as she can. He turns on the faucet to wash them, only to get soaked with rusty water from the shower head) Ahh!! (He wrings out his mask)

HALLWAY NEAR STAIRS

(Raph walks down the stairs, spots the carpet bump again in the hallway and jumps on it. A closet door opens, a light on inside, and he goes to check it out)

WATER HEATER CLOSET

(Before he leaves, he flicks off the light switch, not noticing a note taped beside it that says: Do not turn off!)

DONNIE'S ROOM

(The lights flicker and then Donnie's laptop dies)

Donnie-No, no, no, no, no; GAAAA--

(Back with Raph)

Donnie-AAAAAAA!

(Raph reacts, runs back to the closet and spots the Do not turn off note. He flips the light switch back on and runs out of there)

(LIVING ROOM)

(The room is faded and cold with bare windows looking out on rain and gray. The floor is covered with moving boxes, and a few pieces of furniture. Raph enters, and sets the doll on a low table near a box. The box is filled with a collection of snowglobes. He takes out his favorite - The one of Times Square. He sets it carefully on the fireplace mantel, then unwraps the rest of the snowglobes and places them beside it. Over the mantel hangs a painting of a crying boy wearing blue- a scoop of ice cream melting on his shirt, his hand holding an empty cone)

Raph-What kind of person would paint that?

(He turns to grab the doll off the table. It's gone)

Raph-What the shell? (Scanning the room, he spots the doll looking out from behind the mattress box leaned against the corner wall. Confused, he walks over and kneels down to grab the doll when he notices something on the wall behind the box. He shoves the box aside, and discovers the outline of a small door that's been wallpapered over) What the?... Hey Leo...

KITCHEN

(Leo who is making coffee, ignores him)

Raoh-(offscreen) Where does this door go?

Leo-I'm really, really busy!

LIVING ROOM

(Raph tries to open it but there's no handle)

Raph-Ugh. It's locked. Come on Leo!

(Leo gets up, really annoyed)

Leo-(sigh) He walks over to Raph, looks at the outline of the door in the ratty old wallpaper) Will you stop bothering me if I do this for you? (Raph nods) Fine. (He heads back to the kitchen, pulls open a drawer, pushes a bunch of loose brass and nickel keys aside to find a small, sharp black key and goes in the living room with Raph)

(Leo cuts the wallpaper around the door and sticks the key in the lock. Raph looks on with anticipation, the doll at his side. Leo turns the key, unlocks the door, and pulls it open to reveal ... a brick wall. Raph is so disappointed)

Raph-Bricks? I don't get it. (He scratches his wrist rash with annoyance)

Leo-They must have closed this off when they divided up the house. (He gets up to leave)

Raph-You're kidding? And why is the door so small?

Leo-We made a deal! (Leaves the room)

Raph-... You didn't lock it.

Leo-(offscreen) Aaaaah!!!

(Raph pushes the little door shut)

Sorry this took so long, I had a lot of homework. (Homework is the main reason why I hate school)