The Circle of Torches

The Circle of Torches

The Circle of Torches

HILLS
CLEARING

OTIS' P.O.V.

Red fog surrounds us as we stand tall over the decimated

corpse of Sara.

A bloody mess of mutilated flesh.

One of our blood spattered hands reaches into view.

We slide a claw into Sara's gaping mouth, push it awkwardly

down her throat. Her dead eyes stare back at us.

KURT (O.S.)

(barely audible)

Amy!?

Our view snaps towards Kurt's voice. Without hesitation, we

rush off in that direction.

END P.O.V.

CAMPSITE
MOMENTS Later

Amy stands just outside the tent, flashlight clutched tight

in her shaky hands.

She keeps watch on the dark woods before her.

Kurt pops his head out of the tent, frustrated.

KURT

I know you hear me, dammit! Which

bag are the keys in!?

AMY

No clue.

Kurt groans as he disappears back into the tent.

Far off behind her, just barely visible deep in the dark

woods, red fog rolls through the trees and brush like a

bloody tidal wave.

17.17.

Amy is oblivious to the rapidly approaching fog.

While keeping watch on the woods, she calls to Kurt inside

the tent.

AMY

Kurt!? You find them yet?

KURT (O.S.)

Fuck no! Why do we need so many

bags for a weekend camping trip!?

It’s fuckin’ retarded!

AMY

Focus!

LARGE TENT

Kurt digs through an open backpack, frantically searches for

the keys. He grows frustrated.

The light from the campfire outside casts Amy's silhouette

across the tent wall behind Kurt.

KURT

Fuck. Where are they!?

AMY (O.S.)

Just hurry up, Kurt!

WOODS
BRUSH

OTIS' P.O.V.

Surrounded by red fog, we run through the thick brush at an

incredible speed, HEAVY FOOTSTEPS below us every step of the

way. We burst out of the still expanding fog.

Twisted branches blur by us as we rush out of the brush and

into the --

CAMPSITE

Up ahead, Amy stands beside the large tent, her back to us.

We rapidly pick up speed, charge towards Amy. Just as we’re

on her, she turns to us. Her eyes go wide with terror.

END P.O.V.

18.18.

LARGE TENT

In the blink of an eye, Amy's silhouette is TORN out of view!

Blood spatters across the outside of the tent.

Kurt whips his head around, stares in horror as fresh blood

drips down the outside of the tent wall.

A long beat. Silence.

KURT

A-Amy? You seriously better not be

fucking with me right now! Amy!?

Hesitantly, he moves for the unzipped tent door as red fog

wafts in through the open door flap.

Very slowly and very carefully, Kurt peeks his head out.

KURT (O.S.)

Amy?

Suddenly, Kurt's body awkwardly JERKS AND TWISTS around

before being violently RIPPED out of the tent.

WET SLASHING and CHOKED SCREAMS from just outside the tent

fills the space as we HOLD ON the blood-drenched tent door.

FADE TO:

BACK ROAD
Nighttime

The old dirt road cuts through a vast, grassy field. Beyond

the field, thick fog blankets heavily wooded hills.

A beat up old sedan rounds a bend, speeds down the road.

RADIO DJ (V.O.)

(overlap)

If you folks haven’t had a chance

to see the blood moon, get outside

and treat yourselves! It’s

absolutely wicked. Never seen one

quite like it. It’s seriously

killer looking!

SEDAN
TRAVELING

Rick drives. He uses the rearview mirror to see as he cleans

his face with a napkin.

19.19.

Travis sits in the passenger seat. Focused and determined, he

scans the area outside as they pass.

Angry PUNK ROCK MUSIC blasts through the speakers. The Radio

DJ continues over the intro of the song.

RADIO DJ (V.O.) (CONT’D)

(through stereo)

And don’t worry! We’ve got some

good tunes to listen to while we

soak in all this crimson moonlight.

Remember, it’s an indie punk rock

weekend here on WBNE eighty-eight

FM. Vernon Grove, Rock.

Rick reaches in the glove box, pulls out a silver flask and

takes a quick swig. With a wince, he twists the cap back on.

TRAVIS

Maybe not the best time to be

having a drink, know what I mean?

Rick lets loose a wet burp.

RICK

You can be a real buzz kill

sometimes, you know that?

Travis gives Rick the side eye.

TRAVIS

You’d better hope Lon Whitmore is

as incompetent as you claim he is.

This goes tits up, Ada’s gonna

blame you.

Rick smirks.

RICK

Lon is a total dumb shit. Whatever

he’s got planned, he’s gonna fuck

it up. And he’ll probably shit his

pants in the process.

Travis doesn’t seem so convinced. Then, his eyes light up. He

points at something up ahead.

TRAVIS

There! That’s theirs, right?

A shit eating grin spreads across Rick’s face.

20.20.

RICK

Yep! Sure is! Dumbass couldn’t even

hide his camper well. Told you that

he’d fuck up!

Travis rolls his eyes.

BACK ROAD

The sedan slows, pulls off onto the grassy field beside the

dirt road. It stops behind a parked old camper van.

The engine shuts off, then Rick and Travis step out.

Without closing his door, Rick walks from his sedan, around

to the side of the camper van.

Travis waits by the sedan.

Rick peers in through the camper van’s windows.

Nothing of any interest.

RICK

(under his breath)

Yep, this is definitely Lon’s. What

a fuckin’ loser.

(to Travis)

They’re not here.

TRAVIS

Figured that much.

Travis steps away from the sedan, moves farther into the

field. He glares out at the fog covered hills beyond.

CLOSE ON his intense eyes.

TRAVIS

(under his breath)

They’re really gonna do it. Those

crazy bastards.

RICK (O.S.)

So, we’re just gonna kill them all?

Travis looks back to Rick, who moves back to his sedan and

reaches inside the open driver’s door.

RICK

Lon and whoever’s helping him. They

have to die. Right?

21.21.

Rick grabs a pistol and a flashlight out of the sedan. He

holsters his pistol, closes the car door.

Travis nods as he unclips a flashlight from his belt.

TRAVIS

What they are trying to do here is

unforgivable. Evil.

(beat)

Yes. They have to die.

RICK

You know, Travis, you don’t have to

do this. You’ve done more than

enough. This is my mess. I can

clean this up myself.

TRAVIS

We’ll clean this up together.

Then... You’re gonna owe me.

RICK

(smirks)

Fair enough. Alright. Let’s boogie

then. Clock’s tickin’!

TRAVIS

(under his breath)

Assuming we’re not already too

late...

Rick steps away from his sedan, leads Travis through the

grassy field, towards the foggy woods beyond.

Two men on a mission.

FADE TO:

— ③

1.

EXT. HILLS - CLEARING

OTIS' P.O.V.

Red fog surrounds us as we stand tall over the decimated

corpse of Sara.

A bloody mess of mutilated flesh.

One of our blood spattered hands reaches into view.

We slide a claw into Sara's gaping mouth, push it awkwardly

down her throat. Her dead eyes stare back at us.

KURT (O.S.)

(barely audible)

Amy!?

Our view snaps towards Kurt's voice. Without hesitation, we

rush off in that direction.

END P.O.V.

EXT. CAMPSITE - MOMENTS LATER

Amy stands just outside the tent, flashlight clutched tight

in her shaky hands.

She keeps watch on the dark woods before her.

Kurt pops his head out of the tent, frustrated.

KURT

I know you hear me, dammit! Which

bag are the keys in!?

AMY

No clue.

Kurt groans as he disappears back into the tent.

Far off behind her, just barely visible deep in the dark

woods, red fog rolls through the trees and brush like a

bloody tidal wave.

17.17.

Amy is oblivious to the rapidly approaching fog.

While keeping watch on the woods, she calls to Kurt inside

the tent.

AMY

Kurt!? You find them yet?

KURT (O.S.)

Fuck no! Why do we need so many

bags for a weekend camping trip!?

It’s fuckin’ retarded!

AMY

Focus!

INT. LARGE TENT

Kurt digs through an open backpack, frantically searches for

the keys. He grows frustrated.

The light from the campfire outside casts Amy's silhouette

across the tent wall behind Kurt.

KURT

Fuck. Where are they!?

AMY (O.S.)

Just hurry up, Kurt!

EXT. WOODS - BRUSH

OTIS' P.O.V.

Surrounded by red fog, we run through the thick brush at an

incredible speed, HEAVY FOOTSTEPS below us every step of the

way. We burst out of the still expanding fog.

Twisted branches blur by us as we rush out of the brush and

into the --

EXT. CAMPSITE

Up ahead, Amy stands beside the large tent, her back to us.

We rapidly pick up speed, charge towards Amy. Just as we’re

on her, she turns to us. Her eyes go wide with terror.

END P.O.V.

18.18.

INT. LARGE TENT

In the blink of an eye, Amy's silhouette is TORN out of view!

Blood spatters across the outside of the tent.

Kurt whips his head around, stares in horror as fresh blood

drips down the outside of the tent wall.

A long beat. Silence.

KURT

A-Amy? You seriously better not be

fucking with me right now! Amy!?

Hesitantly, he moves for the unzipped tent door as red fog

wafts in through the open door flap.

Very slowly and very carefully, Kurt peeks his head out.

KURT (O.S.)

Amy?

Suddenly, Kurt's body awkwardly JERKS AND TWISTS around

before being violently RIPPED out of the tent.

WET SLASHING and CHOKED SCREAMS from just outside the tent

fills the space as we HOLD ON the blood-drenched tent door.

FADE TO:

EXT. BACK ROAD - NIGHT

The old dirt road cuts through a vast, grassy field. Beyond

the field, thick fog blankets heavily wooded hills.

A beat up old sedan rounds a bend, speeds down the road.

RADIO DJ (V.O.)

(overlap)

If you folks haven’t had a chance

to see the blood moon, get outside

and treat yourselves! It’s

absolutely wicked. Never seen one

quite like it. It’s seriously

killer looking!

INT. SEDAN - TRAVELING

Rick drives. He uses the rearview mirror to see as he cleans

his face with a napkin.

19.19.

Travis sits in the passenger seat. Focused and determined, he

scans the area outside as they pass.

Angry PUNK ROCK MUSIC blasts through the speakers. The Radio

DJ continues over the intro of the song.

RADIO DJ (V.O.) (CONT’D)

(through stereo)

And don’t worry! We’ve got some

good tunes to listen to while we

soak in all this crimson moonlight.

Remember, it’s an indie punk rock

weekend here on WBNE eighty-eight

FM. Vernon Grove, Rock.

Rick reaches in the glove box, pulls out a silver flask and

takes a quick swig. With a wince, he twists the cap back on.

TRAVIS

Maybe not the best time to be

having a drink, know what I mean?

Rick lets loose a wet burp.

RICK

You can be a real buzz kill

sometimes, you know that?

Travis gives Rick the side eye.

TRAVIS

You’d better hope Lon Whitmore is

as incompetent as you claim he is.

This goes tits up, Ada’s gonna

blame you.

Rick smirks.

RICK

Lon is a total dumb shit. Whatever

he’s got planned, he’s gonna fuck

it up. And he’ll probably shit his

pants in the process.

Travis doesn’t seem so convinced. Then, his eyes light up. He

points at something up ahead.

TRAVIS

There! That’s theirs, right?

A shit eating grin spreads across Rick’s face.

20.20.

RICK

Yep! Sure is! Dumbass couldn’t even

hide his camper well. Told you that

he’d fuck up!

Travis rolls his eyes.

EXT. BACK ROAD

The sedan slows, pulls off onto the grassy field beside the

dirt road. It stops behind a parked old camper van.

The engine shuts off, then Rick and Travis step out.

Without closing his door, Rick walks from his sedan, around

to the side of the camper van.

Travis waits by the sedan.

Rick peers in through the camper van’s windows.

Nothing of any interest.

RICK

(under his breath)

Yep, this is definitely Lon’s. What

a fuckin’ loser.

(to Travis)

They’re not here.

TRAVIS

Figured that much.

Travis steps away from the sedan, moves farther into the

field. He glares out at the fog covered hills beyond.

CLOSE ON his intense eyes.

TRAVIS

(under his breath)

They’re really gonna do it. Those

crazy bastards.

RICK (O.S.)

So, we’re just gonna kill them all?

Travis looks back to Rick, who moves back to his sedan and

reaches inside the open driver’s door.

RICK

Lon and whoever’s helping him. They

have to die. Right?

21.21.

Rick grabs a pistol and a flashlight out of the sedan. He

holsters his pistol, closes the car door.

Travis nods as he unclips a flashlight from his belt.

TRAVIS

What they are trying to do here is

unforgivable. Evil.

(beat)

Yes. They have to die.

RICK

You know, Travis, you don’t have to

do this. You’ve done more than

enough. This is my mess. I can

clean this up myself.

TRAVIS

We’ll clean this up together.

Then... You’re gonna owe me.

RICK

(smirks)

Fair enough. Alright. Let’s boogie

then. Clock’s tickin’!

TRAVIS

(under his breath)

Assuming we’re not already too

late...

Rick steps away from his sedan, leads Travis through the

grassy field, towards the foggy woods beyond.

Two men on a mission.

FADE TO: