Head Banger - Horror Short Story

INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Faint crying is heard from the hallway while MARINA (BMT night nurse in her early twenties) rips wings off paper butterflies. Her expression is blank until KRISTEN (a fellow nurse) places a hand on her shoulder, startling her.

KRISTEN

Whoa, easy there. You okay?

Marina hands her the last intact paper butterfly before she can destroy it.

MARINA

Could you put this on room four’s door?

KRISTEN

Nathan’s room? What happened?

MARINA

He’s not gonna make it ‘til morning.

KRISTEN

Damn.

Marina drops her head into her hands. Kristen takes a moment to pull herself together before adding tape to the paper butterfly.

KRISTEN

I never understood why we put brown butterflies on their doors.

(scoffs)

I thought they brought good luck.

MARINA

Not in this hospital.

Kristen looks down the hall. She can hear muffled crying.

KRISTEN

If you need to talk you know where to find me.

Marina simply nods her head.

FLASHBACK: INT. PATIENT ROOM - NIGHT

Nathan (an eight year old boy with leukemia) doesn’t flinch when Marina pierces a needle in his vein. She smiles down at him when she’s done hooking up the medicine, then glances at he’s disheveled parents crammed on a tiny couch

BACK TO PRESENT: HOSPITAL HALLWAY - NIGHT

Kristen trudges over to room 4, the sobs get louder the closer she gets. She pastes the butterfly to the door. A close up is shown on the butterfly, it reads, “Please respect the privacy of this room.”

INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Marina tries not to drift off when she looks down at Nathan’s chart. She brushes one tear away and starts tapping her head with the tip of her pen when her eyes flutter closed. Replaced shortly after with the palm of her hand slapping her head.

MARINA

Wake. Up!

FLASHBACK: INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Marina yawns, squinting at the numbers on his chart and the chemo bag she recently administered, but doesn’t realize the numbers are off.

BACK TO PRESENT: INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Marina continues slapping her head until the numbness kicks in. Once that feeling is gone she tries to bang her head again but her hand goes right through her skull, like a ghost. The crying from the hall earlier comes back to ring in her ears.

MARINA

Sh-shut up!

Making out her reflection on the cold steel desk an idea comes to mind. She whacks her head down on the desk, but it goes through, as if nothing happened.

MARINA

(groans)

- She angles her head toward the corner of the desk and rams it.

- Cut to her actually hitting her head on the corner of the desk, blood soaks in her hair.

- She then stands up to get better leverage, but she doesn’t make a dent.

- Cut to Marina puncturing her skull again, blood drips off the desk.

- She grabs her pen, focusing on it’s pointed end and contemplates. She jams it and twists it into her skull. It does no harm.

- Cut to the pen reaching deep into her brain. Getting tangled in her hair and parts of her scalp each time she rips it out.

- The crying gets louder and louder.

MARINA

(crying)

Defeated she lays her perfectly intact head down on the desk. Turning her face to rest on her cheek.

INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Kristen runs around the corner.

KRISTEN

What’s going on?

Then freezes when she sees Marina’s damaged skull.

KRISTEN

Holy shit... Marina!?

Kristen runs over to check on her. Glancing at the bloody pen.

KRISTEN

What the hell did you do?!

(calls out)

Help!

Kristen desperately dials the medics downstairs. Faint footsteps are heard before a few more nurses run over. Kristen answers their silent question.

KRISTEN

I-I have no idea. I ran in here when I heard something and sh-she was like this!

There is silence when the nurses try to check out Marina until the emergency medics get there. Kristen cries as she holds on to Marina’s hand.

FLASHBACK: INT. PATIENT ROOM - NIGHT

Marina notices tiny crystals in the chemo medicine bag. Something is off. She stops for a moment.

MARINA

Huh?

She yawns and snaps out of it.

MARINA

(to herself)

Jesus, you’re losing your mind.

BACK TO PRESENT: INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Marina is shown still resting her head to one side, but alive and breathing. No one is around her as more tears fall down.

FLASHBACK: INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Marina arrives at her desk, taking a closer look at the numbers one last time and drops it.

MARINA

Shit shit shit.

She darts back to her Nathan’s room.

BACK TO PRESENT: INT. NURSE STATION

The medics lay her down on the floor. Blood runs over her open eyes. It’s too late.

FLASHBACK: INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Marina is telling the family about her mistake. Nathan’s family points their fingers at her. She quickly takes out the medication.

MARINA

Sometimes the pharmacy makes mistakes and gives us the wrong formula.

NATHAN’S MOM

And you didn’t think to double check?!

Marina is at a loss for words.

BACK TO PRESENT: INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Continues to cut between her being unhurt and the reality of her being bludgeoned to death.

CUT TO:

INT. PATIENT ROOM - NIGHT

Thankfully Nathan is still alive and seems completely stable despite his red puffy eyes.

CUT TO:

INT. NURSE STATION - NIGHT

Marina’s perfectly fine head lays on her desk when a small brown butterfly lands on her hand. She looks at it until it eventually flies off.

CUT TO BLACK

END OF STORY