15 years ago - Nebraska - Day
An old orphanage stands in the middle of an old field, with a lone dirt road leading up to and from the small building. Three cars are parked in the parking lot. A car drives down the street past the exit road to the orphanage.
MR. SMITH: "You have a nice place here. Do you have the papers ready to sign?"
ESSEX: "Oh, yes. Right this way."
Within the orphanage, DR. NATHANIEL ESSEX - 35 years old with black hair and a goatee - walks down the hall, wearing a coat over his clothes. Walking beside him is a couple in their mid-30s, MR. AND MRS. SMITH.
ESSEX: "I think you'll be good parents to little Jeremy. He's fortunate to find a home with a nice couple like you."
MR. SMITH: "We've always wanted to be parents, Dr. Essex. Ever since Mary here found out she couldn't have kids...well, this orphanage seemed like the best place to come to fix that problem."
ESSEX: "We have a lot of good kids here, Mr. Smith. They should be so lucky to find good folks like you."
Essex opens the door and walks to his office, with the Smiths following him into the room.
In his room, YOUNG SCOTT SUMMERS - 15 years old with brown hair - is thrown against a wall, his eyes already shut tight. Scott hits the wall and hits the floor, flinching. GREG - 15 years old with blond hair - stands before Scott and sneers.
YOUNG SCOTT: (moans) "Stop it, Greg! I don't want to fight you!"
GREG: "And I said I don't care, butt-head! I don't get why Essex spoils you so much! He's always pampering you, taking care of you and doting over you! You think you're so superior than me, you can't even look me in the eye!"
Young Scott stands up and leans back against the wall, feeling around blindly.
YOUNG SCOTT: "Trust me...You don't want me to do that."
Young Scott flinches and holds his head in pain.
GREG: "What? Another headache, Summers? I don't even think you have them! I just think it's an excuse to get Essex to spoil you again!"
Young Scott tries to move, but Greg grabs Scott by the collar and pulls him forward.
GREG: (snaps) "Look at me when I'm talking to you, freak!!"
Greg grabs young Scott's shut eyelids with two fingers and proceeds to lift them up.
YOUNG SCOTT: (yells) "NO! GREG, DON'T DO IT! LET GO OF ME!"
Greg pulls open Scott's eyes with his fingers and reveals white-hot pupils. The second Scott's eyes fly wide open, everything goes RED and --
Back in the hall, Dr. Essex hands Mr. Smith some papers, when the SOUND OF AN EXPLOSION erupts in the hall followed by GREG'S SCREAM. Essex, Mr. and Mrs. Smith turn around in shock and Essex looks in fearful realization.
MRS. SMITH: "My God! What was that?"
ESSEX: (whispers) "Scott?"
In Scott's room, Greg lies unconscious on the ground outside, with blood trickling down his chin. A large hole is blown into the back wall of Scott's bedroom. Essex opens the door from in the hall and runs into the vacant bedroom.
ESSEX: "Scott?"
Essex turns and looks at the hole in the wall. Essex runs over to Greg's side and notices the large bruise on his chest and stomach. Mr. and Mrs. Smith run into the room and they look around.
MR. SMITH: "My God!"
Mrs. Smith notices Essex outside and looking at the wounded boy on the ground.
MRS. SMITH: "Oh, my..."
Mr. and Mrs. Smith run over to Essex. Essex is frantically looking around the back yard. Only tall trees are visible on a hill in the distance.
MR. SMITH: "What happened?"
ESSEX: (yells) "Scott? Where are you, my boy?!?"
Essex lowers Greg on the ground, stands and walks off. Essex looks around, while Mr. and Mrs. Smith crouch by Greg's side.
MRS. SMITH: "Dave, call nine-one-one!"
MR. SMITH: "Dr. Essex, there's a boy hurt here!"
Essex ignores them. He doesn't seem to hear, or care. Essex is looking around the area in panic.
ESSEX: (yells) "SCOTT?" (beat) "SCOTT!!"
At a lone road, far from the orphanage, Scott walks down past the trees, feeling blindly at a tree, and he walks down the grassy, his eyes kept shut tight. Young Scott is silently sobbing, his face red as he breaks down hysterically into tears.
ESSEX: (screams) "SCOOOOOOOTT!!!"
