Kaley looks at her watch.
The new girl was supposed to log into the Zoom meeting at 10 p.m. sharp.
From her laptop, the other members of the Ocean Club rattle off complaints.
Violet
This is SO insulting.
Violet
She’s late — she’s lost her chance.
Caroline
I agree. It’s an honor to even be considered for our group.
Brynn
Being late to our initiation is like…
Brynn
Totally slapping us in the face!
Announcing a new entry into the meeting.
A grainy image of a brunette in workout gear comes into view.
The house she’s inside is so dark…
That her face is cast in silvery-white tones.
Emma’s nervous, warbly voice comes over the speaker:
Emma
Hello? Is this working?
Brynn
Ugh, FINALLY! We’ve been waiting forever!
Violet
We have lives you know.
Caroline
What took you so long?
Kaley crosses her arms and pins Emma with a glare.
Kaley
I’d very much like to hear the answer to that myself.
Kaley
The girls in our group come from some of the most influential families in the Hamptons.
Kaley
Being a part of the Ocean Club gets you into all of the best parties…
Kaley
And hooks you up with all the right connections.
Kaley
You should be begging to be a part of this group…
Kaley
Not showing up 10 minutes late on your first day.
Emma
You’re right. And I’m SO sorry.
Emma
I got lost, and then Vibert Road was closed with construction.
Emma
It took me forever to bike around another way and—
Emma
My mom needed the car for her night shift at the hospital.
The other girls exchange a look.
Kaley
Not at all. It’s just…different.
Kaley
None of our moms work.
Kaley
But it’s fine, really.
Kaley
We like a hard-working woman.
Kaley
What we DON’T like is tardiness.
Emma’s shoulders deflate.
Emma
Oh. Well I guess I’ll just—
Kaley
As the president of the Ocean Club…
Kaley
I’ll consider looking past this little mistake…
Kaley
IF you perform well tonight.
Emma lets out a huge, relieved breath.
Emma
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Emma
You won’t regret it!
Emma
I’m going to try my hardest and—
Kaley holds up a hand and purses her lips.
Kaley
We get it. Just…get started.
Emma
Okay, so remind me what I have to do again?
Kaley
As I’ve explained to you before…
Kaley
Every new member of the Ocean Club…
Kaley
Is required to complete an initiation challenge.
Violet
I jumped off the River Terrace cliff.
Brynn
I did a striptease at Tristan Baker’s grad party.
Caroline
And we don’t even talk about my dare.
Caroline sends eye daggers to the other girls…
Warning them to keep their mouths shut.
Kaley
Is to break into the old Kinisky house.
Emma
Check! The front door was already busted open.
Kaley
You’re not done yet.
Kaley
That there’s a bedroom on the third floor full of old gowns.
Kaley
You need to wear one of the gowns out of the house.
Emma clicks on a flashlight.
Caroline
Oh, and there’s one more thing:
Violet
No flashlights allowed.
Caroline
That’s way too easy.
Emma peers nervously around the creepy house.
Emma
Are you sure this is safe?
Kaley
Well, the house WAS condemned years ago.
Violet
But that’s part of the fun.
Caroline
You’re not too scared, are you?
Brynn
Because you can back out if you are.
Kaley
Of course, then we wouldn’t be able to accept you into the group.
Violet
Yeah, it’s only fair.
Emma takes a deep breath.
Emma
No. It’s okay. I can do this.
Emma clicks off the flashlight—
Plunging her back into moonlit gloom.
Then she takes another step inside the house.
The floorboards groan under her weight.
Kaley
Make sure we can see what you’re doing!
Emma angles her phone so the others can see her progress.
She bumps into something in the dark and yelps.
Emma
J-just a table. I t-think.
Finally, Emma gets to the staircase.
The stairs are rotten, crooked, and missing big gaps.
And the board creaks loudly.
Emma
This doesn’t seem very stable…
Emma
Can I do a striptease instead?
Caroline
The challenges can’t be changed once assigned.
Brynn
But you don’t have to do it if you don’t feel comfortable.
Violet
Of course she has to do it.
Kaley
You’re already halfway there.
Caroline
And don’t take all night.
When there’s a loud crack.
Before the phone clatters to the ground—
The screen stares up at a set of rafters.
Violet
No, don’t even say it!
Caroline
Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?
Caroline
She isn’t getting up!
Brynn
We need to call the police!
Kaley
All right, everyone quiet down.
Kaley’s shout silences the group.
She leans into the screen.
Caroline
I’m telling you, she’s dead, or unconscious.
And Violet keeps saying “oh my god” over and over.
Kaley
Just shut up for a minute so I can think!
Kaley presses her fingers to her temples.
Kaley
Okay, so it’s clear Emma died or she’s seriously injured.
Kaley
That’s awful, and we never intended for it to happen.
Kaley looks from girl to girl on the screen.
Kaley
But we can’t call the police.
Kaley
We told Emma to go to the Kinisky house—
Kaley
And everyone around here knows that it’s condemned.
Kaley
She said she didn’t want to do it, and we forced her.
Caroline
We didn’t force her!
Violet
She could have backed out any time!
Kaley
That’s not how a prosecutor is going to see it.
Kaley
They might think she couldn’t back out of the dare…
Kaley
Without being kicked out of the group.
Kaley
We’re all complicit.
Brynn
My dad’s a senator! This could ruin his life!
Kaley
This could ruin ALL of our lives.
Violet
But how will anyone even know?
Caroline
That’s a good point.
Caroline
We can just leave her body there, right?
Caroline
No one will know why she was inside the house.
Kaley
But Emma’s phone is there.
Kaley
When they find her, they’ll find EVERYTHING.
Kaley
All the proof of why she’s there and what we did.
Kaley
We need to get that phone and destroy it.
Caroline
And what if Emma is just unconscious?
Kaley
We need to destroy her, too.
Kaley
Okay, so who’s going to volunteer?
Caroline shifts uncomfortably.
Violet pretends to pick lint off her sweater.
Brynn
I have tennis early in the morning.
Violet
It should probably be the president’s job, anyway.
Kaley throws up her hands.
Kaley
I have to do everything myself.
Kaley
Can everyone see me?
A chorus of agreement comes from the phone.
Kaley
Good. I’m going in.
Violet
Just be careful, Kaley!
Caroline
And don’t go up those stairs.
Kaley
Don’t worry. I’m not as stupid as Emma.
Kaley walks through the dark house—
Her flashlight darting over the wreckage.
Brynn
Just get the phone and get out of there!
Kaley
I’m looking. I don’t see it anywhere.
Violet
There it is! In the corner!
Kaley whips the flashlight into the corner.
Sure enough, the phone is there.
Kaley lets out a relieved breath and picks it up.
Kaley
Perfect. I’m out of here.
Caroline
Where’s her body?
Caroline
Emma’s body. I don’t see it.
But Emma is nowhere to be found.
Brynn, Violet, and Caroline shriek and scream.
Caroline
Kaley, are you okay?
Brynn
Say something, Kaley!
Someone picks up the phone.
Emma smiles into the screen.
Blood streaks from a cut in her head.
Caroline
Oh my god, you’re, you’re—
Emma
Not dead. Just passed out.
Emma
But thanks for leaving me to rot out here.
Brynn
I wanted to call the police.
Violet
You went along with it just like the rest of us.
Brynn
What happened to Kaley?
Violet
You know we didn’t really plan to leave you there, right?
Caroline
How much do you want to keep quiet?
Violet, Caroline, and Brynn go silent…
And exchange shocked looks.
Emma
I’m taking her cell.
Emma
No one will ever know what happened to her…
Emma
Or why she came to this house…
Emma
Or what you did to me.
Emma
You get to keep your perfect little lives.
The other girls nod nervously.
Emma
It will be just like before.
Emma
Except for one thing:
Emma
I’M the president of the Ocean Club now.
