INT. FORREST - LARGE CABIN BY THE RIVER Tom and Deon have barricaded the door and shut themselves inside. They're very miserable. Deon walks over to a bench and sits on it, looking very sad... almost depressed. Tom tries to make amends.
Tom: I'm sorry about Mitch
Deon: Whatever... No. No, not whatever. Why'd you leave my uncle? Back at the stream?
Tom sees the tension in the situation, so he tries to throw it off.
Tom: Mitch got bit.
Deon: What?
Tom: He was bitten. He wasn't going to make it.
Deon stays silent for a while.
Tom: What do we do now?
Deon: I don't care.
Tom: If we're stuck here, we should at least look around. We could find a different way out.
Deon: Knock yourself out... (literally.)
After this comment, Tom realizes that Deon is a lost cause at this moment. He sighs and walks onwards through the small shack. He comes across a weird machine. He looks at it curiously.
Deon: It's a still.
Tom: I know what it is.
Deon: The fuck you do.
Tom: All right, what then?
Deon: It's for makin' booze. But that rig ain't fit to piss in. Y'know what... we should just wait.
Tom: Wait? For what?
Deon: For those fuckers outside to piss off.
Tom: That won't happen. They know we're in here. They smell us.
Deon: Well, if you got a better idea, let me know.
Tom continues searching around for a while, and finds nothing. He sighs, walks over to Deon and sits down next to him.
4 HOURS LATER
Tom is woken up by the loud shattering of glass.
Tom: (small yelp)
He looks around the small shack and sees a half-empty box full of alcohol. Deon is sitting in the corner of the room with dozens of empty bottles all over the floor. He'd found a cupboard full of alcohol and he's now drunk.
Tom: Stop!
Deon throws another glass bottle at the wall and it shatters.
Tom: You're going to draw the PAGANs to us!
Deon picks up another bottle and is about to throw it, but Tom then fires the important question...
Tom: What's your problem?!
Deon pauses... exhales slowly and puts down the bottle gently.
Deon: I had to kill my mum. That sounds weird when I say it out loud, huh?
Tom sits down next to him again.
Deon: Troy always used to push me. I never wanted to go into business with him. I remember when he sold me on it. His "big plan". Some big plan(!) He cracked open a case of beer and said "Dee, we're burnin' daylight!" And that was that. After 9 months... we were flat broke. But I didn't care. We were havin' fun.
Deon chugs down the alcohol in the bottle instead of smashing it.
Deon: I wish I was like him. I wish I could keep movin' all the time. But I'm just not... built like that.
Tom grabs a beer bottle, opens up the lid and starts drinking with Deon.
Tom: Everyone I grew up with... I left them all behind. My family, my friends... everyone.
Tom decides to tell Deon a little about his past without giving him too many details.
Tom: I was taken... kidnapped from my home when I was 5.
Deon: Really? What happened?
Tom: I was raised by my kidnappers. Well, the one who hired the kidnappers. Her name was Angel... For all my life I thought she was my real mum. I loved her. I still do love her, even though she lied to me... I don't know why... but I do.
Deon: Where's she now?
Tom: I don't know. I don't even know if she's alive. But I'm trying to forget about it. I'm trying to find my real family. That's why I'm heading north.
Deon: Sorry.
Tom: Don't be. Out here in this... wasteland... the one thing I must hang on to the most is my humanity. My hope. So far, I've been doing alright, after everything I've seen and done... I don't know if I can manage any longer.
Deon: You have to hang on. You have to find a way to live, not survive.
Tom: Says the guy who's drunk.
Deon: No shit.
Tom: I mean, what's the point? I'll just find some new place and somebody else will die or go missing. It's never going to stop. We're all fucked anyway. If the PAGANs don't kill the last of us, the Combine will. Eventually, there won't be anyone left. What am I saying? I'm getting so caught up in it.
Deon: Want another one? It'll help get rid o' the bad stuff.
Tom: Yeah.
Deon hands Tom a bottle, Tom unscrews the lid and the two sits there like normal people for once.
Deon: To Mitchell Jedidiah Dunbar. The nicest, mean old bastard on this god-fucked Earth.
Tom: Cheers.
The two of them sit there silently for a while. Just gulping down their booze.
Tom: (coughs)
Deon: (chuckles)
Tom puts down the empty bottle and stands up.
Deon: Listen. They're not gonna find us unless we find them. You should go. Run for it.
Tom turns around to face Deon.
Tom: Wh- What are you going to do?
Deon: Stay here. I'm tired. You can go find Troy. And the rest. They'll take care of you. They're good people.
Tom: You said you wish you could keep moving.
Deon: I can't. I'm done.
Tom: I knew someone like you, mate. He kept fucking up all the time too. But he got through it. He made a change.
Deon: And I'm guessing he's dead.
Tom: You'll be too if you don't get up.
Deon: I didn't ask for any of this.
Tom: Nobody does. But so what? Come back with me. If you're going to die, die nobly.
Deon: What does it matter?
Tom: Troy. Felix, Alvin, Rebecca, her baby. They matter. They need your help to make it now, mate. People who worry about you care about you. You do the same for them… you understand?
Deon: (silence)
Tom: Deon, please.
Deon: ...You're right.
Tom smiles as he watches his new friend pull himself to his feet.
Deon: Look, if we get separated, follow the road back to the cabin. It's only about half a mile from here. You can't miss it.
Tom: There we go, mate.
Deon smiles.
Tom: Ready?
Deon: Hell yeah.
They walk towards the large oak door and strain as they move the barricade away from it.
Tom: Fuck it.
Tom kicks open the door with his kukri knife at arms. Deon points out his rifle ready to shoot. There's nothing out there.
Tom: It's clear. Let's go.
Suddenly out of no-where a PAGAN jumps out from behind the shed and attacks Deon. Deon and the PAGAN brawl until Tom pikes the monster, but as soon as he does, there are a dozen more behind the cabin running straight for Tom and his new asset.
Deon: Tom, get out of here! I'll hold them off.
Tom: What? No, we can take them.
More pagans come out from behind the trees.
Deon: Just get out of here!
Tom hesitates for a few seconds, but them sprints in the opposite direction of the fighting.
10 MINUTES LATER
Tom slams the front door open, alerting everyone in the cabin. Felix runs in the hallway with his gun at hand. Once he realizes it's Tom, he holsters it.
Felix: Thomas! Are you all right?!
He looks at the exhausted boy and sees that he's alone.
Felix: Troy's not with you?
Rebecca enters.
Rebecca: Where's Alvin?!
Felix: What happened? It's been hours, where are they?!
Rebecca: Thomas!
Tom: (panting) We got attacked
Rebecca: By who?!
Tom: PAGANs.
Rebecca: Jesus.
Tom: Mitch got killed.
Felix and Rebecca looked startled and shocked.
Tom: I was with Deon, but...
Felix: My god.
Rebecca: (to Tom) Where were you? Where were you exactly?!
Tom: Down by the swamp river.
Rebecca: (to Felix) We gotta go.
Felix: Just hold on a minute.
Rebecca: My husband is still out there. GET. THE. GUNS.
Felix does exactly that. He exits the room and returns within 5 seconds with a rifle, a pistol, and a micro SMG.
Rebecca: (to Tom) Troy and Alvin went out looking for you. I told them not to go. (to herself) Damnit, Troy.
Felix hands her the rifle and the SMG and she runs out of the cabin immediately as she receives them. Felix turns to Tom before he goes out.
Felix: Thomas, can you... can you please watch the girls?
Tom: Huh?
Felix: They're upstairs. Just distract them. And don't tell them anything!
Tom: Okay... sure. Go, go! Hurry!
"You'll be safe inside! Just don't open the doors for anything!" he shouts as he sprints away. Sam jumps up at Tom's legs and licks his face.
Tom: Hey, boy! Good to see you too.
The scene cuts to Tom walking up the stairs, towards the girl's room. He slowly opens the door, and as he does, Trudy is there with a camera in her hand.
Trudy: (to Tom) Say "cheese!"
She pushes her finger against the button which then jump scares the viewer(s) with a loud, bright flash, at the same time taking a photo of Tom. He stands there startled for a few seconds.
Trudy: I found this in the attic. There were all kinds of old stuff!
The camera prints out Tom's photo. Trudy shows it to him.
Trudy: (laughing) Look at your face!
Tom: I'm not going to lie, you scared me.
Trudy: Oops. Sorry, that was not my intention(!)
Tom: You're mean.
Trudy: I know. Can you take one of me?
Tom: Um... I don't know...
Trudy: C'mon, no one else will know.
Tom: ...Okay, alright then.
Tom picks up the camera.
Tom: Smile.
Trudy: Wait, let me pose, first.
Tom waits about 15 seconds whilst she poses.
Trudy: Okay, I'm ready.
Tom: Smile.
He snaps a shot with the camera, he and Trudy laugh. But it doesn't last when Tom remembers what Felix said the other night. "They're all I have left. And I would prefer that you'd stay away from them."
Trudy: Hey, what's wrong?
Elsa enters the room and yelps a little bit when she sees Tom.
Elsa: Oh, it's you!
Tom and Trudy start laughing.
Tom: What was that noise?
Elsa: Oh, shut up!
Trudy: I've never heard you do that!
Elsa: I was just scared. Where's dad and the others. I just went out to the water pump, I come back, and they're gone.
Tom: They're just... fishing.
Elsa: I know that's not true.
Tom goes quiet as he doesn't know how to react or what generally to do. Elsa sits down next to him on her bed.
Elsa: What's happened?
Tom: ...I'm not supposed to tell you.
Elsa: What's the worst that could happen?
Tom: I might get kicked out of the group if I don't do what they say. Felix told me not to tell you.
Elsa: Well, that ultimately defeats the purpose, because you've just admitted he told you not to tell us.
Tom: Ah. Right. Okay.
Elsa: Not much in that head, is there?
Tom: Hey, I'm smarter than you think.
Elsa: Sure(!)
Trudy: Anyway, do want me to show you something cool?
Tom: What?
Trudy climbs under her bed whilst Tom and Elsa watch her. Trudy comes out the other side with a pistol in her left hand.
Trudy: I couldn't find any bullets.
Elsa: Hey, whoa, whoa, Rue! Where'd you get that?
Tom: That's enough of that. Put that down.
Trudy: I should know if something's wrong though. What if I have to use one? Tom, can you show me how to use it?
Elsa: NO.
Tom: (to Elsa) In all honesty though, she's got a point.
Elsa: What?
Tom: She's going to need to know at some point.
Trudy: Yes!... Yeah.
Elsa: Okay… but it's not a toy.
Trudy: I know!
Tom: Alright. Stand up straight.
Trudy immediately stands firm and sturdy, her fingers wrapped tightly around the pistol.
Tom: Remember, Rue… it's just a thing.
Trudy dangerously points the gun.
Trudy: What does that mean?
Tom: Um… I don't know.
Trudy: I thought it'd be heavier.
Elsa looks nervous.
Tom: The most important thing is, when you go to the trigger, take a short, deep breath before you tug it.
Trudy inhales very deeply.
Tom: Not that big.
Trudy exhales and pants.
Trudy: (to Elsa) What should I shoot?
She points the gun near Tom's face. Tom ducks down.
Tom: Don't do that!
Trudy: S-sorry, sorry. Maybe I could practice outside?
Trudy walks over to the large window and leans over to peer out it.
Trudy: There's that tree… or that old tractor.
Trudy stands on a table, leans over his shoulder and looks further out.
Trudy: Hey, Troy's back!
She puts the gun down against the window, turns, and jogs out of the room to the stairs.
Elsa: Hey, you! Wait up.
Elsa picks up her sister and carries her downstairs. Tom walks to the window to pick up the pistol, but as he does… he sees that the shadowy figure walking towards the house is armed with a machete and is alarmingly tall. He has no correlation to Troy. Who is he? Tom can't think about it now. He must warn to girls. He quickly revolves and sprints down to the lounge where the girls walk towards the door.
Tom: (Elsa, wait!)
Elsa: Jeez, what?
He grabs the girls and pulls them out of sight from the stranger who's standing at the front door.
Elsa: What's wrong with you?
Tom: That's not Troy.
Trudy slowly peers around the corner and sees the tall man.
Elsa: Tom… I think I know him.
He knocks at the door.
Man: Hello?
Elsa: He can't see us.
Tom: What? Why?
Elsa: You have to make him go away.
Man: (knocking) Hello?
Tom: Okay. Go find somewhere to hide.
Trudy looks around the cabin briefly.
Trudy: Where?!
Man: Hello?
Tom: Elsa, go upstairs.
Elsa: Okay.
Tom strolls toward the door as Elsa yanks her sister to the stairs, but right before they can reach it, the man opens the door before Tom can even reach it. He's a very tall, brawny man dressed in an olive-colored trench coat, with a black sweater underneath. He seems humble, but at the same time dangerous.
Man: Hi there.
Tom: Um… hello.
Man: Mind if I ask your name?
Tom: I'm… North.
Man: North, huh? Nice name.
The two stare each other down for a few seconds before the man asks…
Man: You mind if I come in, North? I've been out all morning and this heat has got me cooked.
He opens the door and steps into the cabin.
Tom: You're wearing a coat and a sweater underneath it. I'm not surprised.
Before Tom can make polite conversation, the man's searching the house.
Man: This is a nice place. Is there anyone else around? You don't usually see cabins out here this big.
Tom: Just me and mum.
Man: Yeah? And what's her name?
Tom: Claire.
Man: Strong name. I like her already. Where is she?
Tom: She's out.
Man: Well, Tom, I'll cut to the chase; I'm out looking for my people. Eight of them to be exact. They've been gone a long while and… I'm worried they might've gotten lost. Maybe you've seen 'em. A couple of farm boys and an old man. Spanish guy and his daughters. Quiet girls, one quite quiet and the other loudest in history. A tall black guy.
He puts his hands out in front of him to signify how "big" the man he's describing is.
Man: About this big. And a pretty little pregnant lady.
Tom: That's a lot of people to lose.
Man: Tell me about it. This whole damn thing's a pain in the ass.
The man spirals around and enters the next room. Elsa comes out of her hiding spot underneath the couch with Trudy. Tom signals them to go upstairs, they do so. Tom follows the man into the kitchen.
Man: That's a lot of plates for two people. Looks like a tornado ran through here.
Tom: Funny thing is… I'm actually the one who's supposed to do the dishes.
Tom leans against the counter, as he does he spies a large knife on his left on the table.
Man: Just passing through, or you been here a while? Hey, listen, kid. I hope you're not one of those nuts heading up north, looking for Shangri-La.
Tom: Yes. I'm passing through. A lot of people trying to find the Kingdom. I'm one of them.
Man: Folks say it's in the ocean. How do you plan to get there?
Tom: Don't know. It's a long shot, I'll say that.
Man: Me, I don't get it. Just as much nothin' up there as there is down here. And I can't stand that Yankee weather.
Tom: Who've you met going north?
Man: Oh hell, lotta folks.
Tom: Anyone named Liam?
Man: No, not that I can recall. He a friend of yours?
Tom is lost in his thoughts momentarily. Is Liam dead, is he alive? If he is, is he okay? The man spots the knife near Tom. He goes to pick it up.
Man: Where does this go, North?
…He says whilst wielding the blade. Tom hesitates for a couple of seconds, but eventually replies with
Tom: Uh, in the… drawer there.
The man turns to the drawer and gently places the knife in it, the exits the kitchen. Tom exhales slowly as he follows him. They're both in the dining room.
Man: Well this is a real nice place. Kinda cozy.
He walks towards the couch and finds Felix's sweater
Man: I knew a guy that always wore shirts like this. He's a doctor.
The camera angle shows the two sisters slowly crawling up the stairs behind the back of the man's head.
Man: Real smug son of a bitch.
Tom: What's his name?
Man: Felix.
The camera angle returns to Tom and the man's conversation. The man stares at Tom, hoping for a reaction. Tom stands there with a straight face, no expression. Tom glares back at him. The man turns away from Tom and notices a game of Chess on the table.
Man: Well, well. White's in trouble.
Tom: I know.
Both: Three moves away from checkmate…
After a split-second, the two gaze at one another for yet another couple of seconds before Trudie accidentally knocks over a picture frame in the bedroom. The girls quickly find places to hide. The man eyeballs the upstairs landing.
Man: What was that?
Man: (to Tom) I thought you said no-one was home.
Tom: It's Probably just the wind. I left the window open upstairs.
The man returns his attention back to that noise. He draws a 44. Magnum and starts up the stairs. Tom looks very worried. The man walks down the hallway to the bedroom door and opens it quickly. He searches from roof to floor, hoping to find someone. He finds no one. Tom looks very confused until he's signaled by Elsa who's hiding underneath the bed, holding her sister closely. They daren't make a sound.
Tom: I told you. Nobody's here.
The man holster's his weapon.
Man: Seems that way. Sorry, didn't mean to be rude. Couldn't leave you here with a good conscience if someone was poking around, right?
Tom: Sure…
Right before the man is about to leave, he treads on a piece of paper. The man leans down to pick it up, but right before he touches it, he sees that it's a photo. THE photo Tom took of Trudy. The man's caught Tom red-handed.
Man: (to Tom) Who's this?
Tom: …Well, it's a kid.
Man: Yes. Looks like it was taken in this room.
The two once again goggle one another, this time for about 10 seconds. Tom crosses his arm and the man puts the photo in his pocket.
Man: You have no idea who these people are, do you?
Tom: I don't know what you're talking about.
Man: Cat's out the bag, North. Or should I even call you that?
Tom: I know who they are. They're my friends.
Man: "Friends?" Really? Let me ask you this… When you first met them, how much did they trust you?
Tom: Well actually they locked me in a shed. What's your point?
Man: If people don't trust you… how can you trust them?
They stare at each other one final time.
Man: Well, I think I've troubled you long enough, "North". I can let myself out.
The man walks out the room and wonders downstairs.
Tom: Wait! Who are you?
Man: You have a really good day, now.
He exits the cabin and disappears in the woods. The girls climb out from underneath the bed.
Elsa: Where is he?
Tom: He's gone.
Trudy: W-what if he comes back?
FADES TO BLACK.
The scene opens in the lounge where Tom is asleep on the sofa with Elsa lying against his shoulder, who's got Trudy lying underneath her arm. The mild period of silence is broken when Tom awakens after he hears a door opening. Tom gently nudges Elsa to wake up and hide, but before they move, Troy, Felix and Rebecca walk into the room.
Troy: Thomas!
Felix: Girls!
The girls run towards their father and give him a loving hug. Tom walks up to Troy and does the same.
Troy: We couldn't find Dee. You were with him, right? We gotta go find him.
Tom: But we all just got back together.
Trudy: A man was here.
They all turn to Trudy.
Felix: What?!
Rebecca: What did she say?
Elsa: Someone came to the cabin.
Alvin and Rebecca: What?!
Trudy: Tom talked to him.
Rebecca: (to Tom) And you just opened the door for him?!
Troy: Calm down, Rebecca…
Rebecca: Calm down?! I am calm! You calm down!
Tom: I didn't open the door! He just came in.
Elsa: He's telling the truth.
Felix: Did he say his name? Did he say what his name was?
Rebecca: Maybe it wasn't him.
Alvin: You know damn well who it was.
Tom: (to Rebecca) Why do you care so much?
Rebecca: Excuse me?
Felix: Look, Tom, just… tell us what he looked like. What was he wearing? Did he sound… different?
Tom: He had a moustache.
Felix: Like mine, or more like Alvin's?
Tom: Um…. It was… droopy?
Elsa: He talked about you, dad.
Trudy: (to Felix) You're not going to hurt anyone, are you?
Troy: Of course he's won't, Trudy, All right? Your dad's the nicest man I know, which is why he's not gonna do anything crazy or… not nice. Right?
Felix: (to Trudy) You know these are bad people, sweetie. They will do or say anything to hurt us.
Alvin: (to Tom) All right, what do you think? Did it seem like he's be coming back?
Tom: … Yeah. I think he is.
Trudy shows her photo to the group.
Trudy: He saw a picture of me.
Felix: A picture?! What were you doing taking pictures?!
Troy: Felix!
Felix: What?!
Troy: You need to calm down, all right? You're scaring your daughter.
Tom: I took the picture.
Felix: I thought so.
Trudy: What? No! Dad, I did it. Not him, it was me!
Elsa: And mine!
Felix: Don't you try and defend him! If that man was who we think he is, Thomas has just given him a calling card! We got lucky. He was scouting. He wasn't expecting to find us. Thomas must have surprised him. If he hadn't been there…
The group look at Tom.
Felix: Well, he was too smart to stick around. But he'll be back with the rest.
Tom: "Rest?" How many is "the rest."
Felix: Too many to fight.
Alvin: He's right. Everyone pack up. We're movin' out.
Alvin leaves the room with Rebecca.
Felix: "We have to leave now, sweetie, before he comes back with more bad guys. But it's going to be okay. Take your sister and go pack up your things. Please?
Elsa: O-okay. C'mon, Rue.
Tom: Where are we going?
Felix: Anywhere but here. Maybe south into the mountains.
Tom: No...! No. We need to go north.
Felix: We can't go north. That's where his camp is.
Tom: ...I need to go north.
Felix: Tom, listen. I don't know why you want to go north, I can tell it's important to you, but it's too risky. Joseph Carver is a dangerous man. He's the leader of a... cult, you could call it. They call themselves the raiders. They have a large camp that they set up about thirty miles up north of the road from here. It's swarming with his people there.
Tom: So... that man that I just spoke to was Carver?
Felix: Supposedly. We can't risk staying here, we have to go. If you want to go north, you can, but I warn you he is very smart. We were lucky to escape from him. If you go north - it'll be your funeral. Look, I'm sorry to involve you, but now that he's seen you, you'll be safer with us. Now let's go.
Felix exits. Only Tom and Troy are left.
Troy: We have to find Deon. You remember where he was when you got seperated, don't you?
Tom: Yes. We were by a small shed by the river.
Later, the group are all packed up and ready to leave. And as they begin walking away from the front door of the cabin down the long road (same road Tom was walking down at the beginning) the camera angle rises above the group for 20 seconds as they disappear in the fog.
TO BE CONTINUED...