The Darkest Dawn
I am working on a rough script idea! These are the first three scenes.
Scene 1: A street in the suburbs. Lawns are bright and fresh. The noonday sun is out. A few sprinklers are going. Somewhere a dog barks.
A man dressed in mostly brown and dark clothes, including leather gloves, walks down the street very cautiously. He is looking around as he creeps forward, as if expecting something to jump out at him at any moment. This goes on for a long while.
Strange Man: Why? Oh my god, why?
He staggers ahead a little and then stops, looking around terrified. He grabs onto a white fence and pulls himself along slowly, looking wide-eyed.
Strange Man: Why? Why?
He leans against the fence carefully, as if it might burn him. He hangs onto it and pushes himself down the peaceful street a few steps more.
Strange Man: (Muttering feebly) Help! Somebody! Listen!
Scene 2: Billy's house. It is late afternoon.
Billy and Jimmy are playing some Super Nintendo and laughing a lot. Nicole comes in carrying an Operation board game.
Billy: Ugh. Maybe later Nicole!
Nicole: Why don't you guys ever play with me?
Billy: That game is so creepy anyways!
Jimmy: Yeah, that's the game aliens play whenever they abduct someone. (makes weird whoomy saucer noises)
Nicole: You're so mean!
Nicole pouts and sits by the window. They are in a room on the second floor, so she's looking down at the neighbor's house. She watches for a long time, looking puzzled.
Billy: Agh!
Jimmy: Heh heh heh.
Billy: You cheated! You can't do that!
Jimmy: Whatever.
Nicole has a pair of kid binoculars now. She's looking out the window still.
Billy: (To Nicole) What are you looking at?
Nicole: I don't know.
Billy and Jimmy also get up and look out the window. There are three neighbors standing around in the backyard of the next house, wearing dark clothes despite the bright sun. They are mostly just staring ahead.
Jimmy: What a bunch of weirdos. What are they doing?
Nicole: They've been there all day!
Billy: Crazy!
Jimmy: They can't just stand there all day.
Nicole: Why not? It's not against the law.
Jimmy: Who knows? I'd better get home before my mom goes ballistic again.
Jimmy leaves to go home. Billy goes back to playing alone and Nicole is still looking out the window. Then she looks out a different window.
Billy: What are you even looking at now?
Nicole: It's Old Marley! He can't get his car to start again.
Billy goes and looks out the window too. Old Marley is lifting up the hood to his car.
Nicole: Maybe we should help him!
Billy: Nah. He doesn't like us. I don't know anything about cars anyway.
Nicole: I do.
Billy: Like what?
Nicole: You have to check the oil every month.
Billy: That's not exactly going to help him now.
Nicole: Hmm.
Scene 3: Billy's school in a History class.
Billy is extremely bored while the teacher is lecturing in a really dull voice about world history in general. Jimmy is a few seats away.
Teacher: (looking at the board and droning on) Now, today we know a lot more about the history of the entire world than ever before.
Jimmy throws a piece of wadded up paper and it hits Billy on the side of the head. He picks it up and starts opening it.
Teacher: (droning on more tediously than ever and making a list on the board) In the modern world, almost everyone knows all of the important events that have shaped our world. Columbus. Ghengis Khan. The birth of Christ. Stonehenge.
Billy looks at the paper. It shows a funny stick figure of Nicole being chased by a weird alien monster. Billy kind of chuckles.
Teacher: (Sounding a bit world weary) People used to have some strange ideas about how things came to be the way they are. But now, of course, we all know the truth about history. (Writes the word history and underlines it very squeakily)
Billy looks at Jimmy and laughs a little.
Teacher: (Very annoyed) Billy? Is there something you'd like to tell the rest of the whole world?
Billy shakes his head sheepishly and goes back to being aimless.