Demon Trigonometry
A struggling student summons a demon to help best an academic rival, with unintended consequences.
What wouldn’t a gal do to get an easy A?
Well, except for learning Trigonometry. For fun loving college students, topics like that are a soul-destroying snooze fest. Blech!
Such is the predicament Morgan Philips finds herself in with Professor Louis’ math class. Brown nosers like bookworm Evelyn Branch might groove on Sines, Cosigns and Tangents… but crunching numbers just ain’t Morgan’s thang.
The problem is, there’s a final exam coming up; one which could get Morgan expelled from school if she flunks. The good news: Professor Lewis grades on a curve. The massively crappy news: Evelyn’s smarts are sure to skew the curve upwards… thus ensuring Morgan fails!
After a class where Morgan demonstrates her mathematical ineptitude, the two students exchange bitter words:
EVELYN
That’s a shame about the equation, Morgan.
Embarrassing, really. Don’t you ever
get tired of yelling out the wrong answers
with such confidence?
MORGAN
I don’t know, Evelyn, do you
ever get tired of that stick up your ass
or does it help you sit up straight?
Needless to say, these girls ain’t BFFs. And unless she can master the entire field of trigonometry in a week – Morgan’s academic “career” is sunk!
Morgan soon finds herself at the local library. Dizzied by numbers she can’t comprehend, Morgan plays Solitaire and shoots dirty looks at Evelyn across the room.
MORGAN
I’d do anything to set the grading curve on this test.
I’d literally sell my soul just to see the look on Evelyn’s face.
Ding! Apparently, Amazon or Siri is eavesdropping. Immediately, a shopping recommendation pops up: for an old book called “Grimoire, Book of the Dead.”
Morgan leans forward, clicks on the link, more info is displayed.
MORGAN
Cast spells, sell your soul..
Make all your wildest dreams come true.
She thinks it over.
MORGAN
Thirty-four ninety-nine?
Then she notices:
MORGAN
Oh hell yeah, free shipping.
She presses the “order” button.
Hey, wouldn’t you?
Sooner than you can say “Monkeys Paw”, the book’s delivered to Morgan’s dorm. (Expedited Shipping helps!) That night, she test drives an incantation for summoning a demon. Morgan may not be into studying, but she throws all her energy into this extracurricular project. Pentagrams. Candles. Though her Latin’s rusty, she does her best. But nothing.
Zip. Nada. The book’s a dud. Until… MIDNIGHT rolls along.
That’s when the Demon makes his entrance. A booming voice projects through the pentagram’s fiery plumes:
DEMON
MORGAN PHILIPS — ART THOU THE ONE
WHO HATH CALLED ME FORTH FROM
THE UNHOLY REALM BELOW ALL?
MORGAN
Uh, yeah, that’s me. I did.
DEMON
FOR WHAT DARK PURPOSE HAST THOU
CONJURED ME HERE, MORTAL?
SHALL WE TOPPLE KINGDOMS?
TORCH THE SPIRES OF THE OLD WORLD?
ENSLAVE THE MASSES —
MORGAN
Actually, I just need help passing
my trigonometry final.
The fire EXTINGUISHES. The smoke and mirrors fall away, revealing the demon to be a cartoonishly garish FIEND with GOAT LEGS.
DEMON
Seriously dude? Trigonometry?
That’s it?
MORGAN
Math is hard, okay?
Besides, there’s this nasty little know-it-all
named Evelyn Branch who would
never let me live it down
if she set the grading curve.
Hmmmm – for a demon, rivalries DO spice things up. Bored with his 9-5 back in Hell, the Demon floats a deal:
The Demon fingers a long hair sprouting from his chin, contemplative.
DEMON
Now, there’s an idea...
Every night from midnight until six in the morning,
I get full autonomous control of your body.
And in return, that little devil (literally) agrees to help Morgan set the grading curve on her trig final. All that – with no outright soul exchange?!?
It sounds like Morgan’s the winner here!
….or, maybe not so much?
You know what they say about getting what you ask for.
Apparently, Morgan doesn’t. Trigonometry aside, Literature’s apparently not her thang, either.
Morgan might find Trigometry a bitch… but making deals with demons can be even worse. What will Morgan’s devious calculating ultimately cost? Read Patrick Taylor’s Demon Trigonometry and find out!
Directors who groove on audience pleasers, take note: Demon Trigonometry combines horror and comedy on an easy budget. Unlike Morgan’s horror-show, THIS short is a devious gem that can’t go wrong!