He who sees, but is not seen

FADE IN, long shot. Typical Suburban neighborhood. A patch of sprawling farmland extends outwards opposite the row of houses, and a forest borders on that. PAN downwards, three middle school-aged girls walking home from school. Very subtle piano track. Voice over (V.O.) begins, what at first appears to be narration. His voice is deep, but not rough. Age is indeterminable.

V.O.: “Their names are Carli, Jennifer, and Katy.”

CUT to the girls stepping off the road down a dirt path between the farm and the forest. They walk a ways, and, confident they will not be seen, light up a few cigarettes and set about chatting as all girls do.

V.O.: “They are all fifteen years old.”

The sky darkens as a cloud passes in front of the sun, and the girls faces grow somber as they turn to look at the trees.

V.O.: “They all have loving families.”

One of the girls shakes her head at the other two, as if refusing to investigate into the trees.

V.O.: “A mother.”

Another girl, defiantly showing bravery and blind courage, steps out of the group towards the trees. But her face, once out of view of her peers, shows her true fear.

V.O.: “A father.”

She steps into the darkness of the trees and soon vanishes into the shadows.

V.O.: “Brothers.”

The two remaining girls  peer into the trees, trying to make out her shape in the darkness, cigarettes forgotten between their fingers. Nothing.

V.O.: “Sisters.”

CUT to shot of tops of trees, a flock of birds takes flight from the forest. It is unclear whether it is in panic or migration.  This startles the two girls, who stumble backwards.

V.O.: “They are all…”

The cloud passes from in front of the sun, and the trees lighten up. The shadows retreat into the depths and before them stands the girl who went into the woods.

The skin has been torn from her face, hanging in tatters, and her lips pulled off. Tears stream from her eyes.

V.O.: “Happy.”

The two girls who stay behind scream as though it’s going out of style. A shadow appears behind the first girl, a long, lean shadow, man-shaped. It moves behind the first girl and a hand appears, resting gently on her shoulder.

V.O.: “That was yesterday. There’s still blood underneath my fingernails.”

CUT TO BLACK.

HELL YEAH!