EXT. SMALL TOWN - NIGHT

The moon hangs low over a quaint, seemingly serene town. Streetlights flicker, casting eerie shadows. We zoom in on a small carnival that has just set up at the edge of town.

CUT TO:

INT. CARNIVAL - NIGHT

Children laugh and play, their joyful sounds contrasted by the unsettling atmosphere. A creepy vendor stands behind a stall selling balloons. The balloons are shaped like human faces—distorted, grotesque, with twisted, lifelike expressions.

VENDOR

(voice dripping with malice)

Get your face balloons here! Each one has its own unique expression!

ALEX (15), a curious and adventurous teen, approaches the stall. His friend, MIA (15), hesitates behind him.

ALEX

(cheerful)

These are awesome! I’ll take one!

VENDOR

(smiling ominously)

Pick whichever one you like.

Alex picks a balloon with a face twisted in a look of agony. The vendor’s eyes glint with a malevolent glimmer.

VENDOR

(softly)

Be careful. Some faces carry more than just air.

Alex laughs it off and pays. He and Mia leave the stall, the balloon bobbing ominously in the air.

EXT. ALEX'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Alex and Mia arrive at Alex's house. The balloon is still bobbing, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

MIA

(smiling nervously)

That vendor was weird. Do you think it’s just a gimmick?

ALEX

(laughing)

Come on, it’s just a balloon.

Alex heads inside, balloon in tow. Mia waves goodbye and heads to her house next door.

INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Alex places the balloon on his desk. It seems to pulse slightly as if alive. He shakes his head and turns to his homework. The balloon’s face slowly morphs into a sinister grin.

CUT TO:

EXT. MIA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Mia’s house is quiet. She is in her room, trying to sleep. Her eyes dart nervously to the window.

Suddenly, the face balloon floats past the window, its twisted face staring directly at her.

MIA

(screaming)

Alex!

INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Alex is in bed, the balloon still in the room. He hears a strange noise and gets up to investigate.

ALEX

(yawning)

What’s that sound?

He approaches the balloon. It’s now showing a face in utter terror. The balloon seems to grow, filling the room with an oppressive atmosphere.

ALEX

(uneasy)

Okay, this is weird.

He tries to pop it with a pin, but the balloon deflects the pin away. Suddenly, the balloon bursts, releasing a dark mist that envelops the room.

Alex is engulfed by the mist. His screams echo through the house.

EXT. ALEX'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Mia, having seen the balloon at her window, rushes over to Alex’s house. She finds the front door ajar and rushes inside.

MIA

(shouting)

Alex!

INT. ALEX'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Mia finds Alex’s room in disarray. The balloon is gone, but Alex is nowhere to be seen. The walls are smeared with dark, bloody streaks. She notices a shadow moving in the corner.

MIA

(whispering)

Alex? Are you here?

The shadow moves closer, revealing a twisted, grotesque figure with the same face as the balloon. It lunges at Mia.

MIA

(screaming)

No!

EXT. SMALL TOWN - NIGHT

The town is now engulfed in panic. Reports of missing people and gruesome murders spread quickly. The police are on high alert, but there’s no sign of the culprit.

INT. POLICE STATION - NIGHT

DETECTIVE HARRIS (45), a grizzled veteran, examines the crime scene photos. His eyes widen in shock as he looks at the photos of the balloon and the scenes of violence.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(to himself)

This isn’t just a balloon… it’s something else entirely.

EXT. CARNIVAL - NIGHT

The carnival is deserted. The vendor’s stall is empty. The balloon vendor is nowhere to be found. The air is heavy with a sense of foreboding.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(to himself)

We need to find that vendor.

INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

Detective Harris searches the warehouse. He finds a hidden room with dozens of face balloons, each more horrific than the last. The walls are covered in symbols and strange markings.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(whispering)

What kind of sick joke is this?

He hears a whispering voice behind him. He turns to see the balloon vendor, now a grotesque creature, standing in the shadows.

VENDOR

(coldly)

You’ve found my collection. But the real horror is yet to come.

The vendor lunges at Harris, the scene dissolving into chaos.

EXT. SMALL TOWN - DAWN

The sun rises over the town. The once-peaceful place is now a scene of dread and devastation. People are missing, and those who remain are haunted by the memory of the balloon’s horrific face.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(voiceover)

The balloon was just the beginning. The true face of horror has yet to be revealed.

FADE OUT.

Part 2: "String of Death"

EXT. SMALL TOWN - DAY

The sun rises, casting long shadows over the quiet town. Despite the bright morning light, a sense of dread lingers in the air. People move cautiously, whispering among themselves about the mysterious disappearances and murders.

INT. POLICE STATION - DAY

Detective Harris sits at his desk, looking exhausted. The events of the previous night weigh heavily on him. Crime scene photos and reports are scattered across his desk, each more disturbing than the last.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(frustrated, to himself)

What the hell is happening in this town? These balloons... this vendor... it doesn't make any sense.

His partner, OFFICER RILEY (30), enters the room, carrying a fresh cup of coffee.

OFFICER RILEY

(sitting down)

Any leads?

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(shaking his head)

Nothing solid. Just more bodies, more missing people. But I did find something at the warehouse. There was a hidden room, filled with those face balloons.

OFFICER RILEY

(confused)

What do you think it means?

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(sighing)

I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s dangerous. We need to find that vendor before more people get hurt.

Riley nods in agreement. Suddenly, the lights flicker, and the room gets colder. A sense of dread fills the air. Harris stands up, alert.

OFFICER RILEY

(nervously)

What was that?

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(grabbing his gun)

Stay here. I’m going to check it out.

Harris exits the room, leaving Riley behind.

INT. POLICE STATION - HALLWAY - DAY

Harris moves cautiously through the dimly lit hallway. The air is thick with tension. He hears a faint whispering sound, barely audible but unmistakably sinister.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(calling out)

Who’s there?

The whispering grows louder, echoing through the hallway. Harris follows the sound, leading him to a storage closet at the end of the hall. He opens the door slowly.

INT. STORAGE CLOSET - DAY

Inside, he finds a single face balloon, floating in the middle of the room. Its expression is one of pure malice, with a twisted grin and hollow, staring eyes.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(trembling)

What the hell…

Suddenly, the balloon's string begins to move on its own, slowly snaking through the air like a living thing. It winds around Harris’s arm tightly, cutting into his skin.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(grunting)

What the—!

He tries to pull the string off, but it only tightens, cutting deeper into his flesh. Blood starts to drip down his arm. The string is impossibly sharp, like a thin wire.

Harris reaches for his gun, but the string wraps around his neck, pulling tighter and tighter. His eyes widen in terror as he realizes what's happening.

DETECTIVE HARRIS

(choking)

No…!

The string pulls tighter with a sickening force. Harris's face turns red, then purple, as he struggles to breathe. The string digs deeper into his neck, cutting through skin and muscle.

With one final, brutal snap, the string slices through his neck, severing his head cleanly from his body. His head falls to the floor with a thud, his eyes still wide open in shock.

INT. POLICE STATION - DAY

Officer Riley, still in the office, hears the thud and the strange noises from the hallway. Her eyes widen in fear. She grabs her gun and cautiously makes her way towards the storage closet.

OFFICER RILEY

(whispering)

Harris? Are you okay?

As she approaches, she sees a dark pool of blood seeping out from under the door. Her breath catches in her throat.

OFFICER RILEY

(terrified)

Oh my God…

She pushes the door open, revealing the gruesome scene. Harris’s body is slumped against the wall, headless. The face balloon floats above, its twisted grin wider than ever.

OFFICER RILEY

(screaming)

No!

The balloon suddenly darts toward Riley, its string reaching out like a snake. She fires her gun, but the bullets pass through the balloon as if it were made of smoke.

OFFICER RILEY

(panicking)

What the hell are you?!

The string wraps around her gun, yanking it out of her hand. Riley stumbles back, falling to the floor. The balloon hovers above her, its expression changing to one of hunger and malice.

OFFICER RILEY

(sobbing)

Please… no…

The string lunges at her, but she manages to roll out of the way just in time. She scrambles to her feet and runs out of the closet, slamming the door behind her.

EXT. POLICE STATION - DAY

Riley bursts out of the police station, breathing heavily. She looks around, her eyes wide with fear. She knows she has to warn the town.

OFFICER RILEY

(shouting)

Everyone, get inside! Lock your doors!

People around the station look confused and frightened, but they heed her warning. Riley runs down the street, her mind racing.

OFFICER RILEY

(to herself)

I have to find that vendor… I have to stop this…

She glances back at the police station, seeing the balloon's sinister face watching her from the window. The town is no longer safe.

FADE OUT.

ROLL CREDITS.

To be continued...

EXT. SMALL TOWN - NIGHT

The town is in chaos. Police barricades are set up, but the fear among the townsfolk is palpable. People are huddled indoors, peeking out through windows, dreading the next attack.

INT. OFFICER RILEY’S HOUSE - NIGHT

OFFICER RILEY sits at her kitchen table, her face pale and drawn. She’s been researching the face balloons, but her efforts seem in vain. The sound of a balloon popping outside causes her to jump.

OFFICER RILEY

(whispering to herself)

There has to be a way to stop this...

Suddenly, her phone rings. It’s a call from an unknown number. She answers cautiously.

OFFICER RILEY

(into phone)

Hello?

A distorted voice, full of malice, speaks through the line.

VENDOR

(coldly)

You’re getting close, but not close enough. Your friends are already part of my collection.

OFFICER RILEY

(frightened)

What do you want from us?

VENDOR

(ominously)

You’ll find out soon enough. But first, a demonstration.

The call abruptly ends. Riley looks out her window, seeing the face balloons floating ominously in the distance.

INT. ABANDONED FACTORY - NIGHT

The factory is decrepit and dark, filled with old machinery and broken equipment. In a large, eerie room, JASON (30), a local mechanic, is tied to a metal chair, his eyes wide with terror.

JASON

(struggling)

Let me go! Please!

The Vendor, now fully transformed into a grotesque, otherworldly entity, hovers nearby, a balloon with a face of cruel delight floating beside him.

VENDOR

(coldly)

You will serve as an example to others.

The balloon’s string, razor-sharp and unnaturally long, is used to drag Jason to a large vat of boiling liquid. His screams echo through the factory.

INT. FACTORY - BOILING ROOM - NIGHT

The room is filled with the stench of burning chemicals. The boiling vat bubbles violently. Jason is pushed toward the vat, his face contorted in horror.

JASON

(screaming)

No! Please!

The string wraps around his body, lifting him over the vat. The balloon floats above, its expression one of sadistic pleasure.

VENDOR

(coldly)

Suffer well.

The string releases, and Jason plunges into the vat of boiling liquid. His screams intensify as the scalding liquid envelops him, his skin bubbling and peeling away. The camera lingers on the horrific scene as Jason’s screams fade into the bubbling noise of the vat.

INT. FACTORY - FLAYING ROOM - NIGHT

In another room of the factory, LUCY (25), a local journalist, is strapped to a table. The walls are adorned with grotesque tools and instruments designed for torture.

LUCY

(crying)

Please, no...

The Vendor’s balloon floats beside her, its face twisted into a cruel smile. A sharp, metal contraption is brought into the room. It’s designed for flaying, with razor-sharp blades and gears.

VENDOR

(ominously)

You will experience the true meaning of fear.

The contraption is activated, and the blades begin to spin. The Vendor’s laughter echoes through the room as Lucy’s skin is slowly peeled away by the cruel mechanism. Her screams are heart-wrenching, filling the air with horror.

INT. FACTORY - ENTOMBMENT ROOM - NIGHT

In a dark, cavernous room, SAM (35), a former soldier, is encased in a giant, metal cage. The cage is then filled with a thick, tar-like substance that hardens over time.

SAM

(angrily)

You think this will stop me?

VENDOR

(smirking)

This is only the beginning.

The substance starts to harden rapidly, encasing Sam completely. His desperate struggles are futile as he becomes immobile, his body trapped in the tar.

The Vendor’s balloon floats near, its face showing an expression of cruel satisfaction.

SAM

(screaming muffled)

Help! Someone, please!

The substance hardens fully, leaving Sam entombed and silent. The camera lingers on the eerie, solidified cage, a chilling reminder of the Vendor’s power.

EXT. SMALL TOWN - NIGHT

Riley, now desperate, searches for the Vendor’s hideout. She stops in front of the abandoned factory, seeing the sinister glow coming from within. Her resolve hardens as she approaches the entrance.

OFFICER RILEY

(determined)

This ends tonight.

She enters the factory, her flashlight cutting through the darkness. The sounds of the factory’s horror fill the air—screams, the hissing of boiling liquid, and the grinding of metal.

INT. FACTORY - MAIN ROOM - NIGHT

Riley finds herself in the main room, where the Vendor waits with a new face balloon. The grotesque entity hovers menacingly.

VENDOR

(coldly)

You’re too late. Your town will be my masterpiece.

Riley takes a deep breath, her fear turning into fierce determination.

OFFICER RILEY

(angrily)

I won’t let you get away with this!

The final confrontation begins. Riley fights bravely against the Vendor’s attacks, using every ounce of her strength and willpower.

Despite her efforts, the Vendor’s powers seem overwhelming. The face balloons float menacingly, each one a symbol of the terror they’ve unleashed.

EXT. FACTORY - DAWN

As dawn breaks, the factory stands silent. The horrors within are hidden from the light of day. The town, still in shock, begins to emerge cautiously.

The camera pans out, showing the factory as a dark silhouette against the rising sun, a chilling reminder of the terror that once reigned.

FADE OUT.