Mind Trap

Abstract

Logline: A man is forced to confront his inner demons when the house he moves into becomes more sinister than he ever could have imagined. One paragraph synopsis: William has always struggled with his mental health but for once, things seem to be looking up for him. He is newly married, employed, and has just moved into his dream home. His stability doesn't last too long though because soon, he is plagued by nightmares, his marriage starts falling apart and his job security becomes more and more uncertain. As the nightmares he experiences quickly turn more sinister, morphing into sleep paralysis, dragging him under night after night, things from his past resurface, and he is forced to confront what has remained buried for years. Is his paralysis caused by his deteriorating mental health or is something more insidious to blame? One page synopsis: Newlyweds William and Amy move into a quaint, suburban house right outside of a large city. They've used their entire life savings to afford it and though it will take some work, they look forward to spending the rest of their lives there. It isn't long before their neighbors turn up on their doorstep, bearing casserole and tales of previous owners. They learn about several deaths that occurred on the property and even in the house as well as the mysterious things that start to happen that drive the house's inhabitants to quickly flee. William soon begins experiencing nightmares, terrible ones of being chased and choked and killed that cause him to wake up sweating and out of breath. He doesn't think anything of it and assumes they are caused by the stress of moving. Amy agrees and encourages him to start therapy. He does and this exacerbates the nightmares, turning them into full-blown sleep paralysis. The things that chase and injure him surround him in the waking world, grinning and walking toward him, while he is unable to move and break the paralysis. When he's finally able to jolt awake, he is spooked. He doesn't sleep for days on end and he refuses to tell Amy what has happened. He becomes paranoid and irritable which causes marital issues. They argue about him going back to therapy and his mental health until he finally relents when he falls asleep and experiences the sleep paralysis yet again, this time more real than ever before. His new therapist, Dr. Dawgen, is a reformed drug loving hippie who has radical ideas. She convinces William that what he's seeing are not only entities tied to the house but a specific old flame that isn't quite done with him yet. She suggests a cleansing is needed of the house and offers to do it for him. William follows Dr. Dawgen's advice and allows his house to get cleansed. He is finally able to have a peaceful night's sleep, but it isn't long until his wife wakes up screaming, staring at forces unseen around her. And the things she's kept buried might be even darker than her husband's.