THE BRIAR'S PROJECTS EPISODE ONE

A girl discovers her potentialities.

INT WHITE ROOM-DAY

ANNABELLE wakes up with a start on a small cot in a perfectly white room with no windows and only one white door. She is clearly frightened and seems to have no idea about where she is or how she got there. She brings a hand to her temple and kneeds the skin. She is clearly confused and suffering from a considerably bad headache. After looking around for a moment in an attempt to gain her bearings, she calls out.

ANNABELLE

Hello?

Her voice is timid and vulnerable, but still subtly resistant. She calls out again with a larger hint of desperation in her voice.

ANNABELLE

Hello!?

ANNABELLE struggles to stand from her cot. She loses balance and almost falls to the floor. After holding onto the cot to steady herself and taking a deep breath, she stands and attempts to open the door. It's locked. She becomes more frightened.

ANNABELLE

Hello!? Anybody!? Let me out!

She bangs on the door, kicks it, and even gets a small running start and tries to bash her way through but with no avail.

ANNABELLE

Oh God. LET ME OUT!

ANNABELLE leans against te door, weary with defeat. She closes her eyes and slides down to the floor. We pan across the room to see TYLER who had not previously been in the room. His voice is calm, but his expression is somehwhat untrustworthy.

TYLER

Annabelle Cutter?

ANNABELLE jumps at the sound of her name. She stares at TYLER incredulously.

ANNABELLE

Wha- How did you-?

TYLER

Please don't be alarmed. This room is designed as a zero stimulus environment for new subjects about to be briefed on their current standing in the program.

ANNABELLE

... What?

TYLER

What I'm going to tell you may shock you. I need you to try to remain calm. Breath slowly. In through the nose and out through the mouth.

This just makes ANNABELLE angrier.

ANNABELLE

Where am I? And who the hell are you!?

TYLER

You are in the zero stimulus room of the Chilling Industries funded experimental training program known as the Briars Facility. My name is Tyler Meddin. I'm going to try to answer any questions you may have for me. There's a lot to explain so please try not to interrupt.

ANNABELLE looks at TYLER cautiously. She is suspicious of him, but now innocent;y curious.

TYLER

The Briars Project's purpose is to help gifted young people extend their genetic abilities to their true potential. You are probably aware of some of the superhuman potentialities you posess. Our purpose is to assist you in discovering those potentialities so that you can employ them for the betterment of mankind.

ANNABELLE

You're talking about... I have powers don't I?

TYLER nods. ANNABELLE sits and thinks for a moment.

ANNABELLE

How did I get them?

TYLER takes an exasperated breath and glances at the floor for a moment.

TYLER

In the year 1989 the genetic experimentation department of Chilling Industries began testing a biochemical serum on fetuses of willing participant mothers before the infant's conception. None of the tests were successful out of several thousand, but in the year of 1993 Chilling Industries perfected the serum and began to see results in the children once they reached a young age. Your parents were willing participants of the serum. Now is the moment you need to steel yourself a little because this will come as somewhat of a shock.

ANNABELLE looks confused and afraid.

ANNABELLE

What?

TYLER

Annabelle.

TYLER pauses dramatically. His face expresses utter calmness and indifference.

TYLER

You were not born. You were made.

CU ON ANNABELLE'S FEARFUL EYES

ANNABELLE

Made?

CUT TO:

INT ANNABELLE'S ROOM-MORNING

We see ANNABELLE resting peacefully the previous day. She awakens, yawns, and stretches.

INT KITCHEN-DAY

ANNABELLE strolls sleepily into the KITCHEN for breakfast still in her pajamas. She sees a note on the table from her parents. She reads it and brightens up at the words "Box of Doughnuts." She glances down at the table and sees the aforementioned BOX. She then smiles and sees that her MOM drew a little heart next to her name.

ANNABELLE

Aww, how sweet.

ANNABELLE makes some coffee and starts to eat a doughnut.

PAN OVER PICTURES OF ANNABELLE AND HER FAMILY

We see a small glimpse of ANNABELLE's life through the pictures. It seems to be hopefully displacable. About halfway through her doughnut, ANNABELLE gets a call on her CELLPHONE. Her ringtone is the "THEME FROM THE X-MEN CARTOON." She answers it.

ANNABELLE

Hello?.. Hi Destiny... What's up..? Sure my parents are out of town today and I've really got nothing to do... Okay, what's your ETA?

The DOORBELL rings. ANNABELLE laughs a little and shakes her head. She hangs up and approaches the DOOR.

INT FRONT DOOR-DAY

ANNABELLE opens the door to see DESTINY still on her phone. It takes her a second to notice the door is open. DESTINY seems to be more than just a little ditsy.

DESTINY (INTO PHONE)

Hello? Annabelle? That b***h did not just hang up on- Heyyy!

ANNABELLE smiles at her friend's goofiness.

ANNABELLE

Hey, Destiny.

DESTINY

Sorry I didn't think to call you until I got here.

ANNABELLE

It's fine. Come on in.

DESTINY follows ANNABELLE inside.

EXT BACK PATIO-DAY

PAN ACROSS BACKYARD

We hear a brief moment of ANNABELLE and DESTINY's conversation as the camera gracefully sails past them. The day is bright and beautiful. There is an unignorable feeling of danger or dark negativity communicated through quiet, atmospheric, PIANO MUSIC.

PAN OVER WORM

A small WORM slides across a patch of dirt in the BACKYARD.

CUT TO:

EXT BACK PATIO-DAY

ANNABELLE and DESTINY continue to talk. Both have a doughnut and coffee.

DESTINY

I'm sooo glad summer's finally started. Another week of government would have killed me.

ANNABELLE

No kidding. I'm so done with school it isn't even cute.

DESTINY

Got any plans this week?

ANNABELLE

Well my parents will be out of town until tuesday so I guess I can find something fun to do.

DESTINY

Hunter and I are looking into that music festival this weekend.

DESTINY stands and walks out of the frame.

ANNABELLE

I don't know. Live music has never really been my thing.

DESTINY (FROM OC)

What's this?

ANNABELLE

Jesse's old skateboard. Don't touch it.

WIDE ON BACK PATIO

DESTINY teasingly places a toe on the SKATEBOARD. ANNABELLE can't help but smile and shake her head. DESTINY attempts to balance on the board.

DESTINY

You know, Annabelly, you would have substantially more fun if you went and did things for once.

ANNABELLE

I do stuff! I do plenty of stuff! And don't call me "Annabelly!"

DESTINY

I meant stuff with me! When was the last time we hung out outside of school?

ANNABELLE

Fair enough. It has been awhile.

DESTINY attempts to do a complicated trick on the SKATEBOARD.

DESTINY

I think I'm starting to get the hang of this thing-

DESTINY falls in mid sentance. ANNABELLE winces as an audible crunching sound eminates from DESTINY'S ANKLE.

ANNABELLE

Oh my God Destiny are you okay!?

DESTINY

Damn it damn it damn it! No! I think I definitely just broke my ankle!

ANNABELLE

Okay just just stay calm um I'm gonna go call an ambulance.

DESTINY grabs ANNABELLE'S ARM as she tries to run inside.

DESTINY

No, don't leave me!

ANNABELLE

My phone's inside!

DESTINY holds tightly to ANNABELL'S ARM. Her face is contorted with extreme pain.

DESTINY

No, Annabelle, just listen. Listen to me! I think one of the bones in my ankle just got popped out of place.. I need you to pop it back in.

ANNABELLE makes a face like she's about to puke.

ANNABELLE

Oh God no Destiny don't make me do that!

DESTINY

Annabelle just do it! Please! It hurts!

ANNABELLE fearfully looks over her friend's injury. The ANKLE is twisted at an odd angle and a small lump has appeared.

ANNABELLE

Destiny, I can't-

DESTINY

Please! Just press on it. It'll pop back in.

ANNABELLE

How do you know-

DESTINY

Just do it!

ANNABELLE

Okay! Okay...

ANNABELLE places both hands over the injury. She closes her eyes and readies herself. There is a dramatic pause.

ANNABELLE

Okay... One... Two...

A soft glow appears at the point where ANNABELLE'S HANDS touch DESTINY'S ANKLE. Both girls stare in wonder. The glow fades and DESTINY moves her ankle as though it was entirely unhurt. All pain has gone from her voice as she speaks.

DESTINY

Annabelle. What did you just do?

ANNABELLE looks utterly terrified at what she has just done. She looks at her hands.

ANNABELLE

I... I don't know...

CUT TO:

INT WHITE ROOM-DAY

ANNABELLE sits against the door. She looks substantially more relaxed.

TYLER

As you discovered yesterday, you have the ability to ameliorate damaged cells in other human beings through physical contact, but that's not all you can do, is it?

ANNABELLE looks shaken but still remarkably resilient.

ANNABELLE

No. I never thought it was a power but there is one other thing I can do.

TYLER

Tell me about it.

ANNABELLE

A few years ago I went to visit my uncle at Hickory Point.

CUT TO:

EXT DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD-NIGHT

We hear ANNABELLE'S VO as her younger self walks a bag of trash to a DUMPSTER in a very scary looking neighborhood alone at night.

ANNABELLE VO

He lived in a pretty dangerous neighborhood. It was pretty scary. Especially at night.

As ANNABELLE heaves the bag of trash into the DUMPSTER a pair of hands appear from the dark and pull her out of the frame. She is pinned against a tall, wooden fence. We see her attacker is a MUGGER wearing ski mask and wielding a KNIFE. ANNABELLE cowers in fear as the MUGGER stabs the KNIFE into the FENCE by her head.

MUGGER

Got any money?

ANNABELLE frantically tries to escape. The MUGGER overpowers her and keeps her where she is.

MUGGER

Don't move or I swear to God I'll cut you open, and don't scream.

ANNABELLE immediately tries to scream. The MUGGER covers her mouth and brings the KNIFE close to her face.

MUGGER

Do you want to die tonight!?

ANNABELLE spits in the MUGGER'S EYES. The MUGGER drops the KNIFE to wipe the spit away. He roars angrily and brings his fist back to punch her in the face. ANNABELLE squeezes her eyes shut tight. The MUGGER throws his punch, but hits a strange, opaque barrier just inches from her face. We hear loud pop as his knuckles break. The MUGGER recoils in terror and holds his decimated hand. His fingers stick out at odd angles as he tries to repair them. He tries to move his middle finger but it makes a crackling sound and will not budge. The MUGGER leans against the dumpster in pain and disbelief. He stares at ANNABELLE who is just as confused as she is.

MUGGER

What the hell are you!?

ANNABELLE runs as fast as she can back the way she came.

ANNABELLE

I always thought it was some kind of act of God.

CUT TO:

INT WHITE ROOM-DAY

TYLER laughs amusedly at ANNABELLE's story. She gives him a dissapproving look.

TYLER

What it was was a projection of kinetic space alteration. A "force field" if you will.

ANNABELLE

Whatever it was I haven't been able to do it since.

TYLER

That's why you're here. Briars will teach you to control your potentialities.

ANNABELLE

What about my parents? What about my life?

TYLER

Your parents gave consent for you to be here. They will recieve periodic information regarding your progress.

ANNABELLE

Will I get to see them again?

TYLER

When you graduate from Briars.

ANNABELLE

And what exactly does that require?

TYLER

Doctor Dante usually likes to explain that. I'll let him tell you when you meet him. Doctor Dante is the head facilitator here at Briars. You'll like him. He's a nice guy.

ANNABELLE

So there are other people here? People like me?

TYLER

Sure are. If you take my hand I'll introduce you.

TYLER crosses the room to ANNABELLE. He extends his hand with a smile.

TYLER

Welcome to Briars, Annabelle.

ANNABELLE considers him for a moment and then cautiously takes his hand. Suddenly both of them vanish.

Author's Note

A friend of mine asked me to help her revise a screenplay for the first two episodes of a web series she was working on and I ended up totally rewriting the entire thing. I'm not proud of it, but it is better than the original.