“In the heart of pleasure lies a nightmare; three friends, one terrifying journey, and a Hostel that feeds on fear.”
Watch the original version of Hostel
Prologue:
Just as a dancer pirouettes effortlessly despite the turmoil beneath her smile, Europe too held a perfect, picturesque facade with chaos lurking beneath. Promising endless cultural bounty and limitless hedonistic pleasures, it was a siren’s call to any adventurer, luring them lovingly into its seductive embrace. But just as a siren’s song led sailors to their doom, Europe too held its share of perilous pleasures.
Among its numerous tales, one city stood aloof, a jewel coveted by thrill-seekers worldwide. A picturesque Slovakian city, it was a seemingly innocent lily pad in the vast pond that was Europe. This city, however, was a masquerade, a chameleon seamlessly blending into its surrounding beauty while clutching a gruesome secret close to its bosom. The Hostel stood as the city’s black heart, pulsating ominously, and serving as the portal to its sinister secret. This is a tale steeped in both the intoxicating lure of hedonism and the chilling thrill of pure, unadulterated horror told through the journey of three unsuspecting friends.
Chapter 1: “The Promise of Pleasure”:
Fueled by the anticipation of an adventure and guided by the allure of the unknown, Jack, Alex, and Liam bounded off the plane and into the welcoming heart of Europe. Reconvening after years, theirs was a bond reinforced by beer, laughter, and shared tales of escapades. Now, it was Slovakia, the seductress, who beckoned them towards her.
Journeying towards their destination, they marveled at the Slovakian countryside that graced their path. Verdant hills rolled on, dotted with idyllic cottages and bound by clear streams, while the sapphire sky bore witness to their journey. Their hearts throbbed with an innocent excitement and with the promise of the ecstasy that awaited them. The ride seemed interminable, the distance strengthening their anticipation, their thirst for adventure.
Finally, they arrived in the city. It greeted them like a shy maiden, her secrets veiled under layers of charm. Cobblestone streets wove intricate patterns around rustic buildings, the city’s skyline punctuated with ancient church spires reaching for the heavens. A sense of serenity and age-old wisdom hung in the air, the city’s heartbeat welcoming the trio into its enchanting depths.
Their destination, the Hostel, rested amidst the city’s labyrinthine streets; an old, imposing structure, it whispered tales of a bygone era. As the innkeeper, a grizzled old man with a sly smile and even slyer eyes, handed over the keys, the first threads of unease began to weave their way into their hearts. The Hostel, though quaint, was unsettling, each creak of the floorboards, each groan of the old pipes, echoing a foreboding they couldn’t comprehend. Yet, the fuel of their journey, the promise of pleasure, dulled their senses to the anxiety that brushed their spines.
As they settled in, the city’s radiant nightlife called to them, the promise of endless indulgence hanging in the star-studded sky. Women, wine, and vibrant music filled the nocturnal cityscape, and the trio couldn’t help but respond. Slovakian whispers of pleasure pulled them deeper into the heart of the city, blinding them to the lurking shadows, the obsidian eyes watching their every move. They reveled in the nightlife, toasting to long nights and blurry memories, their laughter echoing through the streets, drowning out the sinister rustles of the Hostel’s secrets.
As the night swallowed the day, and the trio sunk further into the city’s pleasures, the prophaenic words of an old adage seemed to hover around their oblivious selves — “all that glitters is not gold”. But, in their hedonistic haze, the warning fell on deaf ears, leaving them blind and vulnerable to the unfolding nightmare. They were just pawns in a game of grotesque pleasure, their fate sealed under the deceiving glimmer of the city lights. This was just the beginning of their descent into the abyss, the start of a terrifying maze from which escape seemed a distant dream.
As the dawn approached, it carried with it the echoes of the revelry, the whispers of the hedonistic pleasure, and the chilling hint of the impending doom. The stage was set, the pieces were moving, and the horrifying carnival was about to take a terrifying turn.
Chapter 2: Arrival at the Den
The train’s shrill whistle echoed through the largely deserted station. Its screeching brakes filled the cold air, sending a shiver down the spines of the three backpackers. Jack, Alex, and Liam stepped onto the platform, their faces aglow with voracious anticipation. Grinning like vultures circling a highly anticipated feast, they entered the city which promised to satiate their deepest desires. The city of the last delights – Slovakia.
The cobblestone streets of the city painted a quaint picture, a deceptive magnetism that drew the friends further into its maze. With their backpacks filled to the brim, their spirits high, they made their way towards their temporary home – the Hostel. Secluded amidst narrow lanes, dwarfed by time-worn buildings, the Hostel stood tall, an uncanny air surrounding it.
They were greeted by the innkeeper, a burly, bald man with strange tattoos snaking up his arms. His smile revealed a set of yellowed teeth, and his eyes sparkled with an eerie delight. But the warmth of his welcome, like a well-practiced script, melted their initial apprehensions.
The inside of the Hostel walked a delicate line between charming and antiquated. Wooden beams arched overhead, dusty chandeliers flickered in the dim light, casting long, dancing shadows on the walls. Time seemed to have stood still within these walls, preserving a period that the city had long forgotten or perhaps, chosen to forget.
Their dormitory was a small room filled with creaky bunk beds and musty linens, tolerable to those seeking nothing more than a bed after a night of reckless abandon. Jack, the more adventurous of the three, claimed the top bunk as his own, while Alex, the pragmatic, chose the bottom. Liam, ever the mediator, took the one in the middle, content with his position between his two best friends.
Their first night in the dorm was filled with raucous laughter and beer toasts to their incredible journey ahead. The fellow backpackers, a motley group from different corners of the world, filled the room with their tales of travel and debauchery. Within the confines of those aged walls, an unspoken bond was forming amongst these unacquainted souls, united by the shared promise of hedonism in an unfamiliar city.
As the moon reached its zenith and alcohol flowed freely, the backpackers succumbed to the weight of their jet lag one by one, the Hostel’s many rooms plunging into the pregnant silence of the night.
But beyond the laughter, beneath the flowing spirits, strange happenings were brewing in the Hostel. A whisper passed amongst the newcomers of doors that creaked open mysteriously, shadowy figures that moved in the corners of one’s eye, and the curious incident of disappearing backpackers. Despite the creeping unease, the boys shrugged it off, attributing it to the Hostel’s antiquated charm.
As their debut night in Slovakia ended, they sank deep into their beds, visions of the promised hedonism dancing in their dreams. The city’s allure, tinged with a hint of the unknown, called to them like a siren song. The boys were ready, oblivious of the shadows that lurked in the corners, waiting to pull them into the darkness.
Unbeknownst to them, they’d stepped into the den of the wolf, mistaking it for a haven. Their initial thrill was being overshadowed by a creeping dread, a silent alarm that had started to ring in the basement of their hearts. The real game was about to begin, the dormant city was waking up, and its secrets were preparing to unfold. The Hostel, which promised a gateway to pleasure, was instead an entrance to a horrifying labyrinth they would soon find themselves lost in.
Chapter 2 had ended, but the tale of the Hostel was just beginning. The true face of the city was yet to reveal itself—a visage of horror that would shake their world to its very core. But for now, they slept, silently marching towards the unfathomable abyss that awaited them.
Chapter 3: “The Velvet Trap”
The chapter starts on a grim note, the three friends – Jack, Alex, and Liam, waking up with unease in their eerie rooms. The discomfort felt almost tangible as the suspiciously cheery innkeeper slid them their breakfast. However, the anxiety of the new place wanes as the day unfolds, the excitement of the hedonistic pleasures awaiting them takes the forefront.
The trio set off into the city, feeling curiously liberated as they walked further away from the Hostel. The streets thrummed with an unspoken energy. As dusk fell, the city began to awaken, its nocturnal vibrance captivating the friends. They found themselves drawn into the mystique of the city’s nightlife, and resisting felt futile.
The first spot they hit was an underground club, renowned for its electrifying music and exclusive clientele. The hypnotic lights, intoxicating music, copious amounts of alcohol, and gorgeous women were a powerful cocktail. The boys felt an unparalleled euphoria, a sense of invincibility washing over them.
In the intoxicating haze of the night, they were introduced to Natassia and Elena, two mesmerizing local women. Their beauty was otherworldly, their allure almost unnatural. As the night thickened, so did their attachment to these two enchantresses. The women led them into an unknown world of pleasure, obliterating any traces of uncertainty.
The boys found themselves submitting to the city’s hypnotic rhythm, a rhythm that was harmoniously enhanced by Natassia and Elena’s presence. Their senses were heightened; every touch felt like electricity coursing their veins, the whispers of temptation were deafeningly loud.
At this point, Jack, Alex, and Liam had wholly succumbed to their desires. The women were more than just beautiful strangers; they were the personification of the city’s bewitching allure. The boys’ hearts thudded wildly as they navigated through the labyrinth of the city’s after-dark delights, the women guiding them deeper into the maze.
Simultaneously, the city seemed to transform its façade; the pulsating city lights seemed livelier, the streets more mysterious, and the air filled with a tantalizing aroma. Their hedonistic desires were spiraling into a whirlpool of deep-set passions. The night was an unending carousel of laughter, dances, and lingering gazes.
However, beneath the surface of this hedonistic feast, there was an undercurrent of unease. The feeling stirred in the depths of their awareness, ignored but persistent. The women’s silken seduction was veiling unidentified apprehensions, and the city’s charm was slowly obscuring the reality of their situation.
As the night bled into the early morning, the boys, under a bewitched spell, stumbled back to their unnerving accommodations. Their heads buzzed not only from the alcohol but also from the mind-boggling experiences they’d just encountered. They sank into their seemingly soft beds, their minds a swirl of indulgent memories.
On the surface, everything seemed too good to be true. Yet, their minds hinted at a lurking dread, the anticipation of something they did not dare to acknowledge. They fell asleep to the melody of their own rapid breaths, each of them individually grappling with the unforeseen climax of the night’s events.
The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, hinting at the impending doom that awaits them in the city that promised to cater to their wildest dreams. The so-called Velvet Trap had been sprung, and the boys, unknowingly, were right in the middle of it.
Chapter 4: “The Unseen Shadows”
Slovak night fell swiftly, casting an ominous pallor over the quaint city. Jack, Alex, and Liam returned to their Hostel amidst the encroaching shadows. A strange sense of dread began to crawl under their skins, unsettling their intoxicated spirits. Their once charming abode now appeared foreboding in the diffused moonlight.
The innkeeper, who wore a permanent plastered grin, greeted them. He watched with a strange fascination as the boys staggered up to their room, his laughter echoing eerily through the cold, stone corridors. His look unsettled them, yet they chalked it up to their overactive, alcohol-induced imaginations.
Awakening the next day, the hostel seemed to be functioning normally. Yet, a creeping shadow had begun to make itself felt. The boys could not shake off the suspicion that the friendly faces around them hid a possible threat. The innkeeper. The housekeeper. The bartender. They all seemed to partake in an unspoken secret, their eyes concealing more than they revealed.
While nursing hangovers, Jack noticed something odd. The German backpacker who’d been in the next room and with whom they’d shared drinks the previous night was nowhere to be seen. His absence was filled with a strange sense of foreboding.
They inquired about him but all they received were nonchalant shrugs and vague replies. “He must’ve continued his journey,” said a housemaid. Later that night, his hauntingly empty bed and untouched belongings suggested an abrupt departure – a departure that was eerily silent and unnoticed.
Days turned into nights but the wave of unease refused to subside. Alex, the most pragmatic of the trio, started picking up on more sinister clues. Whispers in hushed tones, sudden silences upon their entry, the uncomfortable glances. It was as if the Hostel and its inhabitants were playing a twisted game.
Then Liam disappeared. Vanished without a trace, engulfed by the Shadow that was looming over them. “He must’ve found some local beauty,” Jack suggested, masking his rising fear. But Alex wasn’t convinced. Liam wouldn’t just leave without a word. Something was amiss.
Their search for Liam led them deeper into the city’s entrails where the quaint charm gave way to decrepit buildings and an eerie silence. Each corner they turned seemed like a mirror image of the last, tightening the knot of fear in their stomachs. The labyrinthine alleyways seemed to guide them further into the heart of the city, yet away from its soul.
Back at the Hostel, their inquiries about Liam were met with feigned ignorance. “He must’ve taken off,” the innkeeper said, his grin wider, eyes gleaming with a dark satisfaction. The walls of the Hostel seemed to close in on them, whispering grotesque secrets.
The veil was lifting. Behind the lure of hedonism, the city bore the scars of a monstrous secret. The Hostel, the innkeeper, the inhabitants were all puppets, dancing at the grotesque carnival of unseen shadows. The unsettling disappearances were not mere coincidence; they were part of an intricate, terrifying design.
The underbelly of the city was a maze of horrific revelations, where pleasure was just the bait, and they, unsuspecting backpackers, were the prey. The hedonistic paradise was morphing into a chilling nightmare. The unseen shadows were, in reality, lurking monsters thirsty for terror.
As the horrific reality began to unveil itself, Jack and Alex found themselves on the precipice of an abyss. The disappearance of their friend wasn’t just an isolated incident. They were caught in the web of the same ominous pattern; Liam was missing, and they were next on the list.
The unseen shadows were closing in. Jack and Alex would have to muster their courage to confront the gruesome reality. Their hedonistic escapade was spiralling into a chilling tale of horror, leaving them on the precipice of despair, in a city where pleasure was a camouflage for the horrifying, blood-curdling truth.
Chapter 5: “Into the Depths”
The opaque darkness of the night began to seep into the city, swallowing the last remnants of daylight. The quiet laughter and drinking that had once echoed as a constant hum from the hostel’s common room seemed to have diminished into an eerie silence. An uneasy chill snaked down their spines as the clock ticked on. Hidden behind the city’s fair façade, its grim underbelly began to squirm.
The three friends, Jack, Alex, and Liam, had grown restless. The lopsided smiles and vacant stares of their co-travelers in the hostel were unsettling. One by one, their fellow backpackers had vanished, swallowed up by the city’s cruel jaws. An invisible predator seemed to stalk the hostel’s corridors, its presence manifesting as an oppressive dread that could be felt but not seen, something sinister lurking in the unseen shadows.
One night, a shrill scream pierced the silence. It was followed by a sinister silence that fed their growing dread. Liam, the youngest and bravest of the trio, decided to investigate. With Jack and Alex trailing behind, they ventured toward an obscure door in the basement, a door they hadn’t noticed before.
The door creaked open to reveal an antiquated staircase spiraling into absolute darkness; a descent into the city’s shadowy underbelly. Trepidation gnawed at their nerves, but they ventured forward, led by the flickering light of their torches and a morbid curiosity.
As they delved deeper, they came upon unexpected horrors. The basement transformed into a desolate labyrinth of rusted iron and sickeningly sterile medical implements. The grotesque spectacle of a bloody operating table caught their eyes, instruments of torture lined up meticulously. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, so potent they could taste it on their tongues.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the gloom. A masked man, adorned with a blood-soaked apron, and his eyes bore a monstrous glint. The trio froze, their hearts hammering against their chests. They were caught. Brutally, they were separated, each dragged into distinctly horrifying chambers.
Jack found himself strapped to a chair, the leather biting into his flesh. Terrifying contraptions lined the room, instruments of terror that promised a painful destiny. A solitary, dimly lit bulb swung overhead, punctuating the terrifying darkness with flashes of chilling detail.
Alex was thrown into a room with walls covered in photographs. The smiling faces of backpackers were pinned like butterflies, their joyous innocence captured before the city devoured their bliss. As he struggled, he caught his reflection on a polished scalpel on the table — a sight that sent icy shivers down his spine.
Liam ended up in the belly of the beast, a room that oozed malevolence. Chains hung from the ceiling, their icy touch sending shivers of dread through him. The sounds of muffled sobs resonated from a corner, hinting at the presence of fellow victims. His mind raced with desperate plans for escape.
As the doors to their individual chambers of horror slammed shut, the reality of their plight hit with an almost physical force. Their hedonistic dreams had twisted into a hideous reality. The city they had been so enamored by was a malevolent predator, and its Hostel, the beast’s den. It wasn’t just a building; it was a trap, a slaughterhouse for the unwary, cloaked in the allure of desire.
One by one, their torturers approached. The dread was almost palpable, a living entity that twisted the air around them into a suffocating vice. They were plunged into a physical and psychological nightmare of unimaginable proportions, where their humanity was stripped away in favor of primal terror.
Unbeknownst to them, their nightmarish journey was just beginning. The hedonism they had coveted had thrown them into a pit of horror from which there was no apparent escape. As they were plunged deeper into the bowels of the monstrous city, they realized too late – the Slovakia they saw was a façade, a beautiful trap beckoning the unsuspecting. Now they were in its clutches, their fates locked away in the merciless hands of their captors. As the unseen hands of horror closed around them, they were dragged deeper into the depths of terror.
Chapter 6: “The Survival Game”
Drugged and disoriented, the trio found themselves in separate dark chambers. The transition from the psychedelic club to this real-life nightmare was shockingly abrupt. Their hedonistic high was replaced by an intoxicating terror.
Jack awoke first, his head throbbing. He was in a small, grimy room, lit by a dim, overhead bulb. Cold, metallic walls closed in on him, echoing his shallow breaths back at him. He felt nauseous, yet amidst the haze of confusion, he noticed the blood stains on the floor. An icy dread crept through his veins.
Alex and Liam found themselves in similar situations. Stripped of their belongings, handcuffed to grimy metal pipes, they were rats in a trap. Panic set in, their hearts pounded like war drums, and each passing second felt like a tightening noose.
Jack, the most resilient of the three, was the first to act. He recalled his training as a boy scout – self-defense lessons, wilderness survival; skills he never thought he’d have to use in an urban setting. He began to assess his surroundings, his mind working furiously in overdrive.
Meanwhile, Alex laid bare his charm – his ticket so far in life – to win sympathy from his captors. In one such attempt, he was introduced to the horrifying sight of his abductor – a hideous man with a disfigured face, whose deep, hollow laugh sent chills down Alex’s spine. His charm fell on deaf ears; the man seemed to derive a perverse pleasure from Alex’s pleas.
As for Liam, he curled up, a pitiable figure, sobbing and praying for salvation. The sight of an impending scalpel made him scream, his cries echoing through the labyrinthine underground of the Hostel.
Back in Jack’s cell, any sliver of hope diminished when he heard a door creaking open. Two men entered, their faces disguised by grotesque masks, their intentions communicated through their threatening stance. A surge of adrenaline flooded Jack, and he lunged at the men, using the element of surprise.
In the ensuing struggle, Jack managed to break free, his raw determination overpowering his fear. He knocked one of the captors unconscious, taking his keys in the process, but not without sustaining a deep cut across his forearm.
Back with Alex, his abductor had returned with a wicked grin, brandishing a sickening array of instruments. In a fit of desperation, Alex feigned an epileptic attack, seizing the momentary distraction to lunge at his captor, taking him by surprise.
Liam, who had been praying fervently, took the scalpel left carelessly by his captor and cut himself free. He sneaked out of the chamber and began navigating the labyrinth of the underground.
Breathless and bleeding, the trio managed to find each other in the maze of horror. They limped through the darkened hallways, tortured cries serving as a grisly chorus to their desperate escape. Their hearts beat to the rhythm of fear-laden suspense, each moment a delicate dance between life and death.
As they neared the exit, they found themselves face-to-face with their initial captors. A final showdown ensued, in a grotesque ballet of violence and survival instinct. The friends fought back with raw ferocity, their will to live fuelling their actions.
One by one, they took down their captors. Jack neutralized his tormentor with a well-aimed punch; Alex, using a concealed blade, squirmed free and plunged it into his captor’s thigh; Liam, with an unexpected surge of courage, hurtled his captor to the ground.
Battered and bruised, the friends limped towards the exit, the clamor of the city outside calling their names. They had faced the unthinkable, their survival game reaching its climactic end. Freedom was just within their grasp.
Just as they neared the exit, the disfigured man from Alex’s nightmare emerged, standing between them and their way out. The trio steeled themselves for a final fight. They had survived so far. They weren’t about to lose now.
The heart-stopping climax of this chapter sets the stage for an unforgettable finale, as the friends are tested beyond their limits in their bid to escape the terrifying Hostel. Their fight is far from over. Will they make it out alive? The next chapter holds the answer.
Chapter 7: “Escape from Hell”
Sweat seeped from Jack’s furrowed brow as he strained against the binds that held him captive. The cold, sterile room seemed to close in on him, the bare walls reflecting his stark terror. “Hold on,” he whispered, forcing the words to crawl through his gritted teeth. This wasn’t the end, it couldn’t be.
In the neighboring room, Alex, too, was battling his own demons. The once vibrant color had drained from his face and each breath was a victory against the paralyzing fear gripping him. However, beneath the mounting terror trickled a steady stream of resolve.
Liam found himself isolated in the heart of the city’s chilling underbelly. His usual jovial demeanor had dissolved into a hardened determination. The echoing screams of his friends ricocheting in his mind pushed him to plot his desperate escape, fueling his resolve with a sharp urgency.
Each of them, once tied by the threads of friendship and shared dreams, was now bound by a common nightmare. Their shared goal: survival. Their shared enemy: a city that promised pleasure but delivered sheer terror.
Meanwhile, the innkeeper, the spider at the center of this horrifying web, watched with a perverse satisfaction. His dark, beady eyes gleamed with sadistic anticipation, basking in the haunted despair that filled his gruesome chambers.
Jack was the first to break free. The binds that had once seemed insurmountable loosened under his relentless struggle. He stumbled through the dimly lit corridors, every shadow morphing into a monstrous figure, each sound amplifying his frantic heartbeat.
Alex, fuelled by the deafening silence in his chamber, managed to break his constraints. He found himself in a maze of terror, navigating through a labyrinth of desolate rooms echoing with pain. His adrenaline blurred his senses, morphing each space into a disorienting puzzle.
Liam, though battered and bruised, used his wit to outmaneuver his captors. A silver lining to his grim situation: his cell overlooked the city’s maze-like streets. Observing the guards’ routines, the city’s layout, he began piecing together a daring escape plan.
Back at their cells, Jack and Alex found clues left unintentionally by their captors. Bits of conversations, a hastily discarded map, the frequency of patrols – all pieced together in their minds, forming a shaky path towards their potential salvation.
Simultaneously, their plans were set into motion. Jack attacked his route with desperation, his fear propelling him forward. He snuck down dim hallways, his senses sharpened by his will to survive.
Alex, on the other hand, moved with caution. Every sensation was heightened; each creak of the floorboard under his weight sounded like a thunderclap. His journey was fraught with close calls, but his determination kept him moving.
And Liam, seizing a moment of distraction, slipped from his cell, his plan unravelling with a surreal precision. However, the city was a living beast, its veins pulsing with malevolent intent. This was not just a physical escape, but a psychological one as well.
Their paths collided in the city’s underbelly. Startled, they regarded each other, not as friends but as survivors. Each bore the grim mark of their nightmarish experience. The moment was short-lived as they realized the guards were closing in.
Their escape turned into an exhilarating chase – a twisted game of cat and mouse echoing through the city’s labyrinth. The innkeeper, realizing his prisoners had escaped, unleashed his hounds of hell, the city responding with a brutal obedience.
The climax was tangible, the trio’s desperation palpable, their will indomitable. They fought their way through the city, their path punctuated by exhilarating close calls and heart-stopping moments. They navigated the city’s twisted streets, its dark alleyways concealing them from their relentless pursuers.
Their journey, once filled with joyous anticipation, had turned into a hellish ordeal, a desperate flight from a city once believed to be a paradise.
In the face of absolute terror, they found an unyielding strength within themselves. Broken and battered, but not defeated, they managed to evade their captors. The city limits approached, the sight of freedom nothing but a hazy promise on the horizon.
As they crossed the city line, chased by the echoes of their nightmarish journey, they left behind the once alluring city. Their last look at it was a grim reflection of their haunted countenances – a city of horrors, a Hostel of ghastly nightmares.
Their ordeal had ended, but the scars they bore were a constant reminder of the hell they had navigated. They had escaped, but a part of them would forever remain trapped within the sinister corridors of the Slovakian city’s Hostel. They had survived, but the Hostel had irrevocably consumed a part of them — their innocence, their trust, their hedonistic dreams.
Some scenes from the movie Hostel written by A.I.
Scene 1
FADE IN:
INT. JACK’S APARTMENT – DAY.
JACK, late 20s, adrenaline junkie, is packing his backpack. Alex, a geeky intellectual, and Liam, an outgoing party animal, enter carrying beers.
ALEX
Are we really doing this, Jack? Slovakia?
JACK
(smiling)
Why not? Imagine the fun!
Liam throws himself onto the couch and takes a sip of his beer.
LIAM
I’m in. Beats another boring summer.
EXT. AIRPORT – DAY
They board the plane, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. SLOVAKIAN TRAIN STATION – DAY
The train comes to a halt. The doors open, releasing the three friends into a new world. They look around, taking in the sight of the strangely quiet city.
JACK
(looking around)
This is it, boys!
They move towards a taxi stand, their backpacks bouncing with their steps and their faces lighted up with excitement.
FADE TO:
EXT. HOSTEL – DAY
An old, almost decrepit, building stands before them. The Innkeeper, a large man with a sinister smile, greets them.
INNKEEPER
(smiling)
Welcome, gentlemen. Your dreams await you here.
They exchange hesitant glances but step in, unaware of the horror that awaits.
FADE OUT.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Scene 2
INT. TRAIN – DAY
Three men, JACK, ALEX, and LIAM, mid-20s, good-looking and full of life, laugh and joke around. Their excitement is palpable.
EXT. SLOVAKIAN CITY – DAY
The train pulls into a charming, antiquated station. They disembark, backpacks slung over shoulders, and look around with awe and anticipation.
JACK
(Grinning)
This is it, guys. The promised land.
EXT. STREETS – DAY
They walk down cobblestone streets lined with rustic houses. The city is picturesque, but there’s an eerie silence.
INT. HOSTEL – DAY
The boys enter the Hostel. It’s dimly lit, with antique furnishings. The smell of old wood and mothballs fills the air. A grinning INNKEEPER greets them.
INNKEEPER
(In Slovak, subtitled)
Welcome, gentlemen.
Alex looks around, shivers a bit, and then tries to laugh it off.
ALEX
(Whispering to Jack)
Did you notice, man? This place is creepy.
JACK
(Laughs)
Don’t be a wimp, Alex.
They exchange uneasy looks but shrug it off, looking forward to the pleasures that supposedly await them in the city. Unbeknownst to them, their journey into the unknown has just begun.
FADE OUT.
Scene 3
FADE IN:
INT. SLOVAKIAN NIGHT CLUB – NIGHT
Loud MUSIC blares through the speakers. The dance floor is full of PEOPLE swaying, flirting, and laughing. At a table, JACK, ALEX, and LIAM are taking in the spectacle.
ALEX
(to Jack and Liam)
Did you ever imagine anything like this?
JACK
(shakes his head)
Everything’s too perfect. It’s like a dream.
Liam lifts his drink, grinning.
LIAM
(raising his glass)
To dreams that come true!
They CHEER and down their shots, laughing. The waiter brings another round. As they drink, THREE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN approach their table.
WOMAN 1
(In Slovakian, subtitled)
May we join you?
They invite the women to sit. Alex flashes them a winning smile.
ALEX
Ladies, welcome to our humble table.
CUT TO:
INT. NIGHT CLUB – LATER
Jack, Alex, and Liam are dancing with the women, uninhibited, the attraction palpable.
They’re intoxicated by the music, the women, the entire surreal experience. As the night progresses, they’re drawn deeper into the intoxicating allure of this foreign city.
Liam and Woman 1 disappear into the crowd; Jack and Woman 2 get closer, whispering words we can’t hear; Alex is entranced by Woman 3’s beauty.
FADE OUT:
TO BE CONTINUED…
Scene 4
FADE IN:
INT. HOSTEL – NIGHT
JACK (early 20s, adventurer) cautiously peers around a corner, his heart pounding in his chest. He turns back to ALEX (mid 20s, intellectual) and LIAM (early 20s, fun-loving), both wide-eyed with fear.
JACK
(whispers)
Stay close and quiet.
They tread slowly down a dark corridor, passing by empty rooms. Suddenly, they hear a DOOR CREAKING open.
INT. HOSTEL ROOM – NIGHT
ALEX
(startled)
What was that?
JACK
(listening)
Quiet, Alex!
The EERIE SILENCE amplifies their terror.
INT. HOSTEL CORRIDOR – NIGHT
They continue down the corridor, the CREAKING SOUND persists. They see a faint light from an ajar door, they approach it nervously.
INT. HOSTEL ROOM – NIGHT
The room is EMPTY, but a window is wide open, the wind is blowing the curtains. Alex steps towards it when suddenly the door behind them SLAMS shut.
ALL THREE
(scream)
They turn around, petrified, when they hear WHISPERING VOICES outside the door.
LIAM
(whispering)
Someone’s outside.
JACK
(whispering)
Hide!
They hurriedly hide behind the furniture. The door creaks open, JACK, ALEX, and LIAM hold their breath. A Dark Figure enters, rummages, then leaves. The trio emerges from hiding, terrified.
ALEX
(whispering)
We need to get out of here.
FADE OUT.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Scene 5
INT. HOSTEL – NIGHT
A dimly lit room. JACK, ALEX, and LIAM awaken, bound and separated. Their joyous faces, replaced by terror. The room is filled with an ominous, menacing presence.
LIAM
(whispering)
Guys, what the hell is going on?
JACK
(struggling with the bonds)
I don’t know, but we need to get out of here.
Suddenly, a CREAK echoes through the room. The door swings open. A silhouette of a LARGE, INTIMIDATING FIGURE looms in the doorway. Jack tries to scream, but it’s muffled by a gag.
The figure steps into the room. It’s the INNKEEPER from the Hostel, smiling menacingly.
INNKEEPER
(grinning, almost cherishing the moment)
Welcome to the real hospitality of Slovakia, gentlemen.
He removes the gag from Alex.
ALEX
(angry and defiant)
What do you want from us?
INNKEEPER
(chuckles)
Oh, it’s not about what I want, it’s about what they want.
As he gestures towards a hidden camera, revealing the dark truth behind their predicament. They’re not only captives, they’re main cast in a horrifying live show.
FADE OUT. TO BE CONTINUED…
