Programming Forums - PHP Counter Script

I just got started with PHP and I am loving it. I have made a PHP script where it counts the number of users entering a web page for a web site. Now, I would like to call the script so that the counter get updates. I stored the contents in a file "count.txt" and have set the perimission to "777". ow for some reason, it shows the PHP source in the web page.

I called the script "counter.php". I tried putting
[PHP]
<?php include("counter.php"); ?>
[/PHP]
in the <head> tag and the below the <body> tag and all over the webpage. The source still shows.

Here is the PHP script source
[PHP]
$file = "count.txt";

if (is_writable($file)
{
$file_contents = file_get_contents($file);

if (!empty($file_contents))
{
$new_content = $file_contents + 1;
}
else
{
$new_content = 1;
}

$file_handle = fopen($file, "w+");
$write = fwrite($file_handle, $new_content);
fclosoe($file_handle );

if(!$write)
{
echo("Error updaing counter");
}
else
{
echo("Counter Updated!");
}
}
else
{
$file2 = "error.txt";
$file_handle = fopen($file2, "w+");
$today = date("n:j:Y");
$messages = "Unable to date counter"
$write = fwrite($file_handle, $messages);
fclosoe($file_handle );
}
[/PHP]

How can I call the script without having to actually see the source within my web page. I want to see "Counter Updated" instead of the source.