FADE
IN:
EXT.
HILL - NIGHT (December 30th, 2001)
On
top of a snow-covered hill surrounded by forest, just before
midnight, NOAH, 17, and ANNIE, 17, huddle together to fight off the
wintry chill. Annie's pale cheeks are flushed red, a contrast to
Noah's dark complexion.
(Annie
squirms to get comfortable)
ANNIE
Noah?
NOAH
Yeah?
Annie
gazes out at the forest.
ANNIE
Do
you ever feel like there's something bigger going on, and that you
should be a part of it? Or that you're about to be, but you're not,
so the world doesn't see that you're there?
NOAH
I
used to. Before I met you.
Noah
pauses.
NOAH
(CONT'D)
I
hope that maybe I can help make that feeling go away. You know I can
see you.
Annie
shifts to be closer to Noah, while Noah puts his arm around Annie.
EXT.
FOREST - NIGHT
Annie
and Noah are walking through a forest, Noah's arm is around Annie.
The edge of the forest opens into a stretch of snowy land. There is a
road on the other side of the land, and a suburb of houses with
twinkling lights.
ANNIE
Are
you going to be okay to walk home by yourself?
NOAH
Yeah.
It's good exercise, right?
They
both laugh.
NOAH
(CONT'D)
What
about you? Are you okay?
ANNIE
I'll
be a lot warmer once I'm home, but I can manage until then.
They
linger together.
NOAH
Okay.
I'll see you at the library tomorrow?
Annie
nods.
NOAH
(CONT'D)
(light-hearted)
Try
not to freeze out there.
Noah
starts to leave, but Annie grabs his wrist to stop him. She places a
gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth.
ANNIE
The
library. Tomorrow. I'll be there.
CUT
TO:
Annie
walks alone through the snow-laden forest, her cheeks flushed. The
kiss hadn’t been planned, it had been impulsive.
She
pauses. Looks back in the direction where she’d left Noah. She
lingers. Finally, she moves forward again, reluctant, with a sigh
that sends breath clouding from her mouth.
THE
STRANGER, 30s, dressed in dark winter clothes and ski goggles,
follows behind her. The sound of boots crunching alerts Annie and she
turns, but the Stranger lunges forward and grabs her.
Annie
cries out as the Stranger’s arm loops around her neck. He pulls out
a syringe filled with clear liquid.
She
elbows him hard in the ribs. Startled, the Stranger’s grip slacks
and Annie stomps onto his foot. She breaks free of his grasp and
start running through the trees.
Boots
thudding follows behind her. Annie sprints blindly through the trees.
The
Stranger catches up to Annie and tackles her to the ground.
Annie
turns onto her back beneath him, breathing hard. He holds out the
syringe and she grabs his arm, fighting against him to push it away.
ANNIE
Noah!
Noah!
THE
STRANGER
Shut
up!
He
pries one of her arms away and pins it to the ground. The syringe
dips closer to Annie’s neck and she tries to kick him, misses.
The
Stranger leans on the arm holding the syringe and Annie is unable to
hold its weight. The needle slides into her neck and she cries out
again.
ANNIE
No!
No, get off- get off of me! Get the hell off!
The
Stranger stands up, pocketing the syringe and watching as Annie
scrambles backwards. Her hair and clothes are wet from the snow, and
she visibly shivers.
Annie
starts to get to her feet, never turning away from the Stranger, but
stumbles and falls again. The Stranger follows her slowly, in no
hurry to catch her.
ANNIE
Stay
away- stay away… from me…
She
tries to stand again but collapses into the snow.
Once
she has gone limp, the Stranger pulls out a walkie talkie. He shakes
it. Static hisses out.
THE
STRANGER
Target
is neutralised. I’m going to need the transportation ready to go.
I’m in the Morriston Woods.
The
radio crackles for a moment.
VOICE
(over
radio)
On
my way.
(pause)
VOICE (CONT'D)
How’d
the sedative work?
THE
STRANGER
Fast
as hell. What’d the boys in the lab cook up this time?
VOICE
(over
radio)
No
idea. Marron only said it’d be more potent than your average
anaesthetic. Something about a stronger immune system in the
Subjects. Hypothetically.
The
Stranger scoffs, not pressing the button to talk into the walkie
talkie.
THE
STRANGER
Hypothetically.
I don’t care if it turns her skin blue if this pays off.
VOICE
(over
radio)
It
will. I’m pulling into the west parking lot near the sledding hill.
THE
STRANGER
I’m
on my way. Be there in fifteen minutes.
He
puts away the walkie talkie and approaches Annie. He gathers her up
into a bridal carry and grunts as he lifts her.
The
Stranger carries Annie through the shadow-covered forest. Behind, the
only trace of a struggle behind him are the dents in the snow.
The
Stranger slowly disappears into the trees. The night falls silent
again, as if nothing unusual had taken place. Not even the nocturnal
creatures make any noise.
CROSSFADE
INT.
DUNCAN'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON (October 8th, 2002)
Inside
a dimly-lit house, DUNCAN, a washed up private investigator, 42,
sleeps sitting up on a worn and faded brown sofa.
A
loud knock startles Duncan awake and sitting upright. He sighs and
scrubs at his face, slumping back against the sofa.
The
knock comes again, this time quicker and louder. Duncan groans and
stands up.
DUNCAN
All
right, all right, relax. I'm coming.
(muttering)
Damn
kids.
Duncan
goes to his front door and opens it. Outside, ELENA, 39, has her fist
raised to knock again.
DUNCAN
(wary)
Can
I help you?
ELENA
Yes!
It's early, I know, I'm sorry. It's just- nobody will help me! Nobody
will listen and I need help
because I know I can still find her-
DUNCAN
-slow
down, Miss...?
ELENA
Oh!
My name is Elena O'Connor. And you're Duncan, right? Duncan Sheppard.
You're a private investigator.
DUNCAN
If
you're here for that, you're five years late to the party. That's not
my business anymore.
Duncan
starts to close the door, but Elena catches it.
ELENA
No,
no! Wait, I...please, the cops won't give me the time of day. I heard
you used to be at the top of your field. Please.
I don't know where else to go.
(Beat)
Duncan
sighs.
DUNCAN
Say
what you came for, but I wouldn't hold your breath.
ELENA
Thank
you! Thank you. I-I have a daughter. Her name is Annie- Anastasia,
but everyone calls her Annie. She went missing, and the cops said
they couldn't find anything and that they were marking it as a cold
case because there was no trace of her.
DUNCAN
Just
how long ago did your daughter go missing?
Elena
pauses.
DUNCAN
How
long
has
your daughter been gone?
ELENA
Almost
a year in December.
DUNCAN
Missus
O'Connor, the chances of finding your daughter-
ELENA
-I
know, I know. But I need to find her. Please, I just...I need to know
what happened to her.
Duncan
sighs again, rubbing his face and opening the door to let Elena in.
DUNCAN
(muttering)
I
can't believe I'm doing this.
ELENA
Thank
you.
I promise I will pay you back, whatever you want.
DUNCAN
I
didn't say I was going to find her.
ELENA
I
know.
Elena
steps inside, Duncan shuts the door behind her.
DUNCAN
Come
with me and catch me up on what happened.
Duncan
walks away towards the kitchen. Elena follows right behind him.
ELENA
What
are you going to do?
DUNCAN
You
woke me up. I'm going to make coffee and regret the decision to get
up in the first place.
ELENA
I'm
sorry I woke you up.
DUNCAN
Don't
be. Just start talking.
Points: 2061
Reviews: 54
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