(Scene opens on the side of a country road. An attractive blonde stands by the side of the road holding a sign that reads "HOLLYWOOD OR BUST!", the blonde's name is DAPHNE. A yellow FORD pick up drives passed and hits the brakes, skidding a little way on the dirt road before stopping. DAPHNE walks over to the FORD, as its door opens she steps inside....)
(After a Time Lapse, Inside car DAPHNE turns to Driver...)
Daphne- (frantic) Where the hell are we?!
Driver- (remains unmoved)
Daphne- (distress) You're not going to Hollywood are you?
Driver- (Nods silently)
Daphne- Let mE OUT!
(The doors on the FORD lock, DAPHNE rattles the handle, and tries to unlock the door but it is of no use. She is trapped!)
Driver- (worried look, as he sees a signpost on the side of the road that reads "YOU ARE ENTERING Saqual RIDGE)
Daphne- (scared, but with cheek) Saqual RIDGE... What kind of town is this?
(The FORD abruptly stops, reverses, turns around and continues driving)
Daphne- You don't even know where we are... (more cheek) Do you?
(The car continues down the road, but they do not pass the sign again, it is gone.. Frustrated the DRIVER turns the car around again in search of an exit form Saqual RIDGE.)
Daphne- (no longer scared) Great... I'm being kidnapped by a man, who typically does not know where he is going.
(the DRIVER elbows DAPHNE in the face, knocking her out cold... He stops the car and grabs a MAP from the glove box. The DRIVER gets out of the car and unfolds the map on the bonnet of his car, grabs some stones from nearby, and weighs down the paper... The Sun has set to much for any detail to be seen. So the DRIVER takes a lighter from his pocket and runs it along the index of the map looking for "Saqual RIDGE", it isn't on the map.)
Driver- (in bitter anger) Fuck!
(DAPHNE remains knocked out as headlights from another car appear on the horizon.. The DRIVER goes to the drivers cabin, and turns the key, so as to turn the lights on, to signal the oncoming car. The DRIVER also grabs a knife and puts it in his back pocket. The other car a CHEV stops, and the drivers cabin is filled with light as the door opens. The Driver of the CHEV is wearing a tour guide outfit with a name tag on the shirt, "TERENCE". He walks toward the DRIVER, and the audience sees a hand gun protruding from the back of his pants, unseen by the DRIVER.)
Driver- Hey buddy, we're lost... Do you know your way around here?
Terence- No... (smiles) Just jokes... I know exactly where we are. I'm basically the authority on the area.
Driver- How do I get back on the main roads and out of here?
Terence- You can't leave..
Driver- (anxious) I can do as I please..
Terence- You can leave, but first you need to eat something.. You two must have been here a while.
Driver- What makes you say that?
Terence- Your wife is asleep. (pointing toward car)
Driver- Oh yeah.. My wife.. She was really tired. We've been visiting relatives. We're on our way back to Hollywood.
Terence- Movie people huh?
Driver- She is, I'm not so much-any-or-all-of-that.
Terence- I always wanted to be an actor. Like Clark Gable, but I didn't have the ears for it (impersonating Gable, while grabbing DRIVER), "You're mine, and I want you!".
Driver- (humored) I'm sorry.. I don't think I saw that one..
Terence- Not many people your generation did (note TERENCE and DRIVER both look mid twenties). Your generation is all "Don't fucking move or I'll blow your fucking head off!".
Driver- I don't think I saw that one either.
Terence- Let me refresh your memory...
(Pulls the gun from his pants, and fires a shot that hits the DRIVER between the eyes. The DRIVER slides down the bonnet of the car, blood floats across the map, the DRIVERS dieing hand grabs the map and rips it. The light comes on in the drivers cabin of the FORD, DAPHNE was awoken by the gun shot, she takes off out of the car and into the woods.)
Terence- Don't fucking run.. Make it easier on yourself, (to self) and me.. Where is there to run to??? Nowhere, TRUST ME, I've been here for the longest time.
(DAPHNE runs deep into the woods, away from the headlights of the CHEV. Her eyes are panic and spell fear more than her adrenalin forced actions. She runs into a clearing, a house stands, warming electrical lights welcome DAPHNE, she runs up to the Door and beats on it frantically.)
Daphne- Let me IN!!! Help me someone is trying to kill me!
(The Door opens a MAID appears behind a screen door)
Maid- Lady are you okay? (opens screen door)
Daphne- (entering house) Now I am thank you. (to MAID) Have you got a phone I can use?
Maid- Sure it's over by the Hall.
(As DAPHNE walks down the hall the light go out.)
Maid- Dammit!
Daphne- (in screech) Oh my god he's here!
Maid- Who's here?
Daphne- (picking up the phone) It's not working..
Maid- (lighting candles around the living room, prepared for such an event.) Sorry Dear. It's hands free. It won't work without power. The electrician is currently rewiring upstairs.
Daphne- I'll be safe. Statistically I'm less susceptible to crime if there is no power.
Maid- Thieves don't operate in the dark... (changing to an eerie tone) But psychos do... I remember when I first came to Saqual RIDGE, a maid went psycho in the dark, I had to kill her. It was me or her... Someday I wish she killed me. It's all an experiment in human survival..
Daphne- What is?
Electrician- (entering pliers in hand) Sorry about the blackout, I'll have the power on soon. Before Charlie gets home. (leaves).
Daphne- Who's Charlie?
Maid- (walking to the kitchen) He's a fisherman, he owns this place.. Do you want some cake?
Daphne- Yes please..
Maid- (returns with a cake on plate, and a kitchen knife) We all work for Charlie, he's an old man single ---never married-- loads of money but never buys anything.
Daphne- Anyone else around here?
Maid- Well there's the Chef, he's asleep upstairs 1000 recipes for fish each one better than the next. And there's a hobo that sneaks in at night and sleeps in the shed.
Daphne-Anyone else?
(The CHEV pulls up outside of the house)
Maid- There's Terence.. He's our tour guide.. Saqual RIDGE is a confusing place.. we need one.
Daphne- That's the car.. the killer (panting) you're in on it (to the MAID, while DAPHNE grabs the knife from the plate)
Maid- Of course I am, its a test, it'll be over soon.
(Daphne Runs at the door as TERENCE opens the door, DAPHNE slices at his throat, cutting it wide open, blood spurts from the wound. TERENCE falls to the ground, in his last breath he looks into Daphne's eyes)
Terence- Thank you.
(As TERENCE dies, DAPHNE's clothes change into a tour guide outfit)
Daphne- What the hell is happening to me?
Maid- You're one of us now..
Daphne- What?
Maid- You're part of Saqual RIDGE, 'Survival comes through killing'.
Daphne- I don't understand..
Maid- You're now mortally frozen, you can only die at the hands of another human being. You can't leave Saqual, until the experiment is over, at which point you can recieve prosperity and immortality, Terry has been here since the 40s and he doesn't look a day over 24. (lights come back on). Oh the lights are back..
Daphne- Are you sure there is no other way out?
Maid- Death is the only other way out. And if we don't kill interlopers or keep the population at six (6) within six (6) days... We all 'burn'. It's in your manual, top right pocket.
Daphne- (reaching for the manual) Is that all there is? Is this the rest of my life?
Maid- Yes.. There's cable in the end room.. Everything you see is yours.. If you want something just ask for it and you will recieve....