INT. SUBWAY PLATFORM - NIGHT
A dimly lit, eerily quiet subway platform. The electronic
clock of the information board clicks to midnight.
A handful of COMMUTERS wait for the next train along the
platform, including MAYA (20s) meek and nervous sitting
reading ‘The Divine Comedy’ on a bench, subtly scanning her
proximity every few seconds.
Returning to her, someone plonks down on the bench, making
her jolt - this is DAVID (40s) an unkempt veteran. His air of
authority is shrouded with falsities as his troubled gaze
gives away his fragility.
Maya’s uncomfortable shuffle away makes him scoff. As he
passive-aggressively turns the other way, we see a hint of a
gun in his inside pocket.
The quiet is abruptly interrupted by a loud, obnoxious voice
belonging to ETHAN (30s) an investment banker, striding onto
the platform on his cell, ensuring everyone knows he’s the
‘BIG-I-AM.’
ETHAN
(On his cell - amused)
Six figures easy. Like, these
clients? Clueless. Didn’t even have
to try. Honestly, I feel bad
sometimes, but hey, it’s their
money, right?
He listens as he strolls up the platform, reaching Maya and
David’s bench.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
(On his cell)
Malibu? Bro, I just bought a
penthouse downtown. Top floor, all
glass. 360-degree views, baby. I
can see everything.
He gives David the once over.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
(On his cell)
It’s like, people below? Just gross
little ants. You know?... What? I
can’t hear shit...you’re breaking
up. I’ll call you when I get off
the train.
He hangs up, lights up a cigarette and leans on the wall next
to Maya, blowing smoke down across her page which seems to
swirl around the sentence, ‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter
here.’
Feeling his looming presence, she slides her book into her
bag, and nervously clutches it.
Ethan arrogantly sniggers, blowing a smoke ring in her
direction before strolling to the platform edge.
On the platform poster opposite is a message in black bold
letters from a nondescript church, ‘Purification leads to
Redemption.’ His dismissive expression turns to follow the
track towards the tunnel. Leaning over, his feet balance on
the edge...
HOMELESS WOMAN (O.S.)
...Got a smoke?
The homeless woman’s sudden appearance nearly spooks Ethan
over the edge.
ETHAN
You dumb fuck. I nearly tripped.
He looks at the stinking homeless woman up and down. She’s
covered by filthy layers of clothing and an oversized hood
which covers most of her badly scarred face. Ethan can’t hide
his repulsed expression.
The homeless woman touches his suit sleeve, revealing more
heavy burn scars covering her hand and arm.
HOMELESS WOMAN
What about some change?
Whipping his arm away...
ETHAN
(Repulsed)
...Get your disgusting hand off me.
This is a $5000 suit.
Pulling out his wallet and taking out a $50 note.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
I don’t do change.
He tosses it on the track.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
Is your life worth 50 bucks?
The homeless woman swiftly moves away as if disturbed by the
flames.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
I didn’t think so.
Looking down at the track, he sees a badly burnt teddy bear.
It wasn’t there before. There’s something eerily familiar
about it.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
There’s a fucking teddy bear down
here.
Nobody acknowledges him.
His attention is taken by the station’s address system
crackling to life.
STATION ANNOUNCER (O.S.)
Attention, passengers. The next
downtown-bound train will be
arriving in approximately 1 minute.
Please stand clear of the platform
edge and allow passengers to exit
before boarding. For your safety,
do not lean against the doors.
Thank you for riding with us today.
The commuters edge towards the yellow line, apart from Maya
who stays back to avoid a possible rush.
Ethan looks back at the teddy bear but it isn’t there which
for a second wipes away his cocky expression. His eyes search
the track, towards the tunnel which erupts with the
screeching sound of the oncoming train - similar to that of a
little girl screaming.
He sees the homeless woman on the platform’s edge by the
tunnel, looking directly at him. The lights from the train
beam out from the darkness and the screeching sound amplifies
causing Ethan to grimace and cover his ears.
LOUDER...
LOUDER...
LOUDER.
Just as the train is about to break out of the tunnel, the
homeless woman tips sideways in front of it.
Ethan lets out a cry of ‘NO!’ turning his gaze away. When he
opens his eyes again, the train doors are in front of him and
the other commuters are boarding compartment 7, giving him
strange glances.
Bewildered, he checks the front of the train he finds
nothing. With a couple of deep breaths he composes himself
and gets onboard.
Genres:
["Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
Train of Tensions
INT. TRAIN. COMPARTMENT 7 - CONTINUOUS
Shaken, he takes a seat, followed by Maya and David, sitting
well away from each other.
The TRAIN ANNOUNCER sparks to life. Her automated voice is
professional and to the point.
TRAIN ANNOUNCER (O.S.)
Next stop,34th Street. Please stand
clear of the closing doors.
As the doors close, a late teenage runaway, LEAH, forces her
arm between the doors and squeezes in. Running after her are
two SECURITY OFFICERS left stranded on the platform.
She gives them the middle finger before finding a seat on her
own, she takes out a stolen sandwich and devours it, spilling
bits onto the foot of GREG (30s) who is on the phone,
comfortably seated, exuding casual confidence which gives him
away as someone who likes to be in control. Disgusted, he
moves, seeing Maya, he takes a seat where he can get a good
look at her.
His voice low but smooth, the tone unmistakably flirtatious
are he smirks into the phone.
GREG
(Into the phone)
Yeah, well, maybe I’ll let you buy
me a drink next time... if you're
lucky.
His eyes dart to Maya. He pauses, giving her a once-over, the
kind that lingers just a little too long. His smile widens,
predatory, as he locks eyes with her briefly. Then, just as
swiftly, his attention returns to his call.
GREG (CONT’D)
Alright, baby, I’ll see you again,
if you’re lucky.
He hangs up with a satisfied smirk, but barely a beat passes
before his phone buzzes again.
Checking the screen, his expression instantly sours. That’s
when we see his wedding band.
GREG (CONT’D)
(On phone)
Hey, honey...I’m on my way back,
work kept me later than I thought.
Maya has overheard both calls and briefly flicks him a
judgemental glance. He catches her and throws her a cheeky
wink.
He’s clearly uninterested in the call and cuts it short.
GREG (CONT’D)
Gotta go, I’ll be home soon, bye.
He hangs up. His eyes flick back to Maya who is now buried
into her book. He takes his time to examine her like a piece
of meat, more calculating and entirely self-serving.
He catches someone over Maya’s shoulder and looks utterly
repulsed by her, this is EVELYN (40s) hunched against the
window. Her massive frame spills over two seats, and a greasy
snack slops around in her mouth as she takes out a Coke and
chocolate bar in preparation from the packed goody bag
between her thighs.
Her skin is pale, her face flushed, the marks of a life lived
in unchecked excess.
As she chomps into the chocolate bar she catches her
reflection in the train window and for a moment, she is aware
of the mess she’s got herself into. Angrily turning away and
notices some graffiti on the back of the seat - FAT BITCH!
Her mouth drops wide as the train heads into a tunnel,
plunging the compartment into darkness momentarily. Speeding
back out the other side, Evelyn stares in disbelief - the
message isn’t there anymore. Unnerved, she tucks into more
snacks.
The train rattles and screeches along the track. The lighting
in the compartment is harsh and fluorescent, casting a
sterile, unforgiving glare that emphasizes the grime on the
walls and the worn-out seats.
TRAIN ANNOUNCER
This is 34th Street. Please watch
your step as you exit the train.
For passengers continuing, the next
stop is Acheron Avenue.
As it slows to a stop, all commuters apart from David, Maya,
Ethan, Leah, Greg, and Evelyn exit.
The train announcer crackles in...this time her voice is more
human, deliberate and dripping with an unnerving tone.
TRAIN ANNOUNCER (CONT’D)
Hold on and stand clear of the
doors. I would prepare yourselves
for the next stop...
(CRACKLES OFF.)
Only Leah noticed the strange announcement, she scans the
compartment to see if anyone else heard before curling up to
keep warm.
David watches her from afar, he knows this hardship but
ignores any compassion trying to surface. He drifts back to
the window, his eyes reflecting the stations as they zip
past.
As the train approaches another station, he catches a glimpse
of two MIDDLE EASTERN CHILDREN in torn, filthy clothing with
jarring wounds standing holding hands on the platform. They
make eye contact with him as the train rattles into a tunnel.
Startled, he looks back but the darkness is all he sees. He
eases back into the seat - troubled.
Maya looks up at the line destination map and makes her way
to the doors waiting for her stop. Ethan does the same at the
other door, flicking through his phone as he waits.
The train speeds through a tunnel, this time the tunnel wall
lights beam red casting a sinister flickering light show
throughout the compartment.
The train blasts out of the tunnel and speeds past Maya and
Ethan’s station and back into a tunnel.
ETHAN
What the fuck? Hey!
Maya, now more nervous clutches her bag closer.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
(To Maya)
That your stop too?
Maya shyly nods.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
This is bullshit!
DAVID
Quit your shouting and get off at
the next one.
ETHAN
Nobody asked you, pal.
Annoyed, Ethan smacks the door and paces the aisle. Maya
clings to the rail and eagerly looks at the line destination
map.
A simmering tension builds as Ethan angrily walks back and
forth, deliberately knocking David’s shoulder.
DAVID
Do we have a problem?
Agitated, Ethan gets in his face.
ETHAN
Yes, I don’t appreciate homeless
trash talking to me.
David rises, flashing Ethan his gun.
Ethan’s macho persona quickly disappears as he moves back to
the doors.
DAVID
Thought so. In another time, you
would be picking your teeth off the
floor.
Awkward silence as Greg and Leah make their way to the doors.
Maya feels Greg’s presence extremely close behind her.
GREG
(To Maya - quietly)
Do I know you?
Maya shakes her head.
MAYA
(Timidly)
Erm...no.
The train jerks causing Greg to bump into Maya, grabbing her
waist to keep balance.
GREG
Damn trains.
The train shoots out from a tunnel and passes an abandoned,
eerie station. Not somewhere you would like to get off at
anytime.
Back into a tunnel and the red lights illuminate Greg’s
lusting eyes scan Maya. Now unnecessarily close, Leah, who
has been taking note has had enough.
LEAH
(Excited, to Maya)
Molly?
She steps beside Maya who looks confused.
LEAH (CONT’D)
It’s me, Leah...from St. Mary’s...
Leah’s eyes telepathically hint for Maya to play along.
Finally she does...
MAYA
Leah...sorry, I was miles away.
Leah intentionally grabs her and pulls her away from Greg who
looks pretty pissed off.
Leah hugs Maya who tenses up like a plank of wood.
LEAH
(Whispers)
Just play along... This guy is a
creep.
Maya breaks away, forces a smile and nods along. By this
point, Greg has lost interest and is taking photos of Evelyn,
smirking with every click of the camera as she tries to get
out of her seat, leaving the empty treat bag behind.
With an almighty effort, she gets up and plods towards the
door, seeing Greg cruelly taking secret pics she ignores it
as she always does.
Silence apart from the trains thudding and screeching as it
nears the end of a tunnel...
LEAH (CONT’D)
Just stick with me until he’s gone.
Maya nervously nods as Leah examines her.
LEAH (CONT’D)
You have a pretty face, I bet you
get guys after you all the time.
Maya politely shakes her head.
LEAH (CONT’D)
I could be pretty, if I had the
make-up you have. Anybody is pretty
with make-up.
Maya just smiles nervously at the vicious comment.
The trains speeds out of the tunnel and zips passed their
station.
ETHAN
You have got to be kidding me!
Everyone waiting now looks somewhat concerned.
Ethan makes his way over to the train’s communication
terminal and buzzes angrily.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
Hello...Yo, Dipshit! You missed the
stop again!...Hello?!
Buzz...
buzzzzz...
buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
ETHAN (CONT’D)
Piece of shit.
He smacks the terminal.
MAYA
(Anxious)
Why isn’t it stopping?
Leah and Evelyn shrug with unease. Leah sees the other
communication terminal and heads over.
BUZZ...
LEAH
(Into speaker)
...Hello?
A low, monotone female voice answers.
TERMINAL VOICE
...Hello?
LEAH
Guys! I have someone.
Everyone moves towards Leah, apart from David.
LEAH (CONT’D)
(Into speaker)
Yes, the train missed two stops and
some of us are starting to freak
out...hello?
TERMINAL VOICE
...Hello?
LEAH
...Did you hear me? The train isn’t
stopping. We need help.
TERMINAL VOICE
...Help...help...help...
As the voice continues to repeat ‘Help’ it turns into a
girl’s voice screaming in pain for help.
Everyone backs away, scared, until David pushes through and
rips the speaker off the wall with his bare hands.
DAVID
Everybody just relax, the next stop
is coming up, if it doesn’t stop
then, we’ll figure something out.
They all apprehensively wait as the train rattles into a
tunnel and shoots straight past another station.
For the first time there is audible fear.
David jumps into action.
DAVID (CONT’D)
Who has a phone signal?
Everyone checks their phones for a signal, only Evelyn,
holding her phone aloft and displaying one bar of signal
does.
EVELYN
I’ve got one bar!
DAVID
Right, hold it there and call 911.
She does and turns on the loudspeaker.
POLICE OPERATOR (O.S.)
911, What’s your emergency?
DAVID
Yes, we are stuck on a train that
won’t stop, the last station was
34th Street and we are heading
south along the red line.
Long pause.
DAVID (CONT’D)
...Hello! Someone answer me!
The line chews and warps.
POLICE OPERATOR
...Temper...temper...
DAVID
What?
The line makes a swirling sound - almost like helicopter
blades.
The phone line changes to that of a US multiband handheld
radio, static now replacing any background noise.
Click...beep...static.
POLICE OPERATOR (O.S.)
...Corporal Hayes...
Click...beep...static.
David’s expression drops in utter disbelief.
POLICE OPERATOR (O.S) (CONT’D)
...Corporal Hayes, come in, over...
Click...beep...and through the static the sound of children
screaming mixed with a cacophony of bullet blasts erupts from
the phone speaker making everyone cover their ears.
Long static...everyone gathers closer to the phone in
disbelief.
Click...
POLICE OPERATOR (O.S.) (CONT’D)
...What did you do?... David.
Enraged, David grabs the phone and smashes it against the
wall. The twisted sounds of children’s cries slowly ebb to a
stop as the phone dies.
Stunned silence.
David can’t contain his rage as he grabs the emergency break
and pulls but it comes off in his hand. He runs to the doors
and tries to pry them open. Ethan and Greg rush to stop him.
ETHAN
Dude, stop! You’ll kill yourself.
They manage to pull him away but David has lost it. He pulls
the gun, waving back and forth between the others who duck
and hide.
DAVID
Who’s doing this!? Who’s fucking
with me!?
Ethan’s true character is revealed by cowedly hiding behind
Greg.
GREG
We’re just as clueless as
you...David? Is that your name?
David’s wild eyes bounce around from person to person.
GREG (CONT’D)
I’m Greg and I wish I knew what was
happening but I don’t. And I don’t
think these other people here do
too. Why don’t you put them gun
away and we can all think of a
plan?
David’s erratic breathing slows but his rage is still
palpable. He stares down Greg and puts the gun away, turning
to kick the doors.
GREG (CONT’D)
Right, okay...I’m going to head to
the driver’s cab and see what’s
going on.
Greg tries the compartment adjoining door but it’s locked.
GREG (CONT’D)
Someone go check the other door.
Leah jumps up and heads over but that’s locked too.
LEAH
It’s locked.
All out of ideas, Greg slumps into a seat.
Silent panic takes hold of them as they watch the train speed
in and out of tunnels, passing more desolate abandoned
stations, each one more decayed than the last.
David is lost staring out of the window. As the train leaves
another tunnel, he sees the two children again, this time
closer. As the train disappears into a tunnel, his haunted
reflection shows a tear rolling down his face.
Leah sees Maya trying to disguise a panic attack and goes to
help.
LEAH (CONT’D)
Everything is going to be fine,
just breathe. What’s your real
name?
Through sharp inhales...
MAYA
...Ma...ya.
LEAH
Listen, Maya...I’ve been in worse
situations than this, believe me.
You’re gonna spoil your make-up.
MAYA
(Panic)
I...I never do this...I never leave
my apartment...I’m safe
there...why?...why did I do it? I
never leave. I told them... I don’t
go outside...but they wouldn’t
listen and threatened to cut my
power off if...if I didn’t
attend...I told them...they made me
come out...
LEAH
Okay...okay...just breath.
Leah sees Maya’s expensive looking bracelet.
LEAH (CONT’D)
Cool bracelet...I’d love one of
those.
Leah looks up and sees Evelyn staring anxiously down at them
as she wipes away sweat from her forehead.
EVELYN
Can I sit with you?
Leah nods and welcomes her in.
LEAH
What’s your name?
EVELYN
Evelyn.
LEAH
I’m Leah, this is Maya.
EVELYN
(To Maya)
Are you okay?
Maya struggles to speak through her panic attack.
LEAH
She’ll be fine...
EVELYN
(Looking at David)
He looks sad. Do you think he’s
sad?
David is still staring numbly out of the window.
LEAH
Sad or not, pulling a gun on a
people is pretty messed up.
EVELYN
The phone call though, with the
police, I didn’t like that, that
was weird, right?
Leah silently agrees.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
Why were those people chasing you?
LEAH
Because I stole a sandwich. I
wasn’t even that hungry but when I
want something, I have to have it.
EVELYN
(Hopeful)
Have you eaten it yet?
LEAH
Afraid so.
Evelyn’s shoulders sink.
EVELYN
Maya, what do you-
MAYA
-Can we give... the questions... a
break.
Evelyn recoils into her seat and wipes her brow.
EVELYN
Is anyone else hot?
MAYA
(Hushed)
Jesus Christ.
Now thinking about it, Leah is. Looking around, she sees
Ethan taking of his jacket and Greg loosening his tie.
LEAH
Yeah, a little.
EVELYN
Why isn’t the train stopping?
LEAH
Maybe a technical fault?
EVELYN
But the track has to stop
somewhere...right?
Alarm, as Leah jumps up looking at the line map.
LEAH
Has anyone noticed the names of any
of the stations we passed?
Her eyes fall back to the 34th Street station, after that,
there should only be two more stations before the line ends.
LEAH (CONT’D)
I think we’re on a different line.
Most of them gather around looking at the line map.
ETHAN
There isn’t another line.
LEAH
Then how are we still passing
stations?
EVELYN
Do you think somehow we went
backwards?
Leah looks at the line map.
LEAH
Even then we would be at the end of
the line.
A confused moment of silence.
LEAH (CONT’D)
Where are we going?
From his seat, David chuckles to himself. His low, raspy
voice is barely audible.
DAVID
Bunch of pussy’s.
Everyone looks towards David.
EVELYN
What did he say?
They cautiously approach.
ETHAN
Hey, what did you just say?
With his head still bowed...
DAVID
I’ve killed more people than I care
to remember and protected this
country and for what, a bunch of
pussy’s crying that a train won’t
stop. I know what I’ve done...and
I’ve been waiting 20 years for the
consequences to come and collect
and I think this is the day. My
sins are horrendous...so for you to
be here, yours must be as equally
bad.
A collective guilt washes over everyone. The more try to hide
their true feelings, the more guilty they look.
ETHAN
Are you high?
LEAH
Don’t be an asshole.
ETHAN
I may be an asshole, but at least
I’m rich...bitch. I don’t have a
clue what this baby killer is
talking about but I sleep perfectly
fine at night in my huge apartment.
If making money is a sin, then I’ll
have a front seat in hell, until
then...(points To David) fuck
you...(points to everyone else) and
fuck you.
Leah steps up to him but Greg intervenes. David simmers with
rage as they argument amplifies.
LEAH
So rich, you’re riding the subway
you miserable prick and FYI it’s
the way you make the money that
makes it a sin, and by the looks of
it, I bet you have put many a good
person on the street.
ETHAN
By the looks of it, the only way
you make money is by petrol station
hand jobs, you slut.
David launches a flying fist into Ethan’s jaw and knocks him
out cold.
Silence apart from David’s heavy breathing.
GREG
What the hell you doing?
Greg attends to Ethan.
EVELYN
(To Greg)
Taking the high road now?
GREG
Who me?
EVELYN
I saw you taking photos of me.
GREG
It was just a bit of fun.
Ethan wakes with a jolt.
EVELYN
(To Greg)
For who?
GREG
I don’t need to justify myself to
you, so sit down...if you can.
Ethan gets to his feet and glares at David.
ETHAN
Big mistake.
LEAH
Go back to sleep.
ETHAN
I am suing your ass! You are going
to prison.
DAVID
(Sullen)
I already am.
David slumps back in his seat, staring at his hands. They’re
calloused, the knuckles scarred from countless fights. He
flexes his fingers, as if trying to shake off an invisible
weight. Greg, slouched nearby, notices and tilts his head.
GREG
Counting your kills or something?
David doesn’t look up.
DAVID
No.
Greg chuckles, the sound hollow.
GREG
Could’ve fooled me. You’ve got that
whole 'silent soldier' vibe going
on.
David finally meets Greg’s gaze, his eyes cold and sharp.
DAVID
You think this is funny?
GREG
(shrugs)
Better than crying about it.
David leans forward, his voice taut with anger.
DAVID
You don’t know what it’s like.
Watching your friends die. Knowing
it’s because of you.
The compartment falls silent. Even Greg seems taken aback by
the raw intensity in David’s tone.
MAYA
(softly)
What happened?
David hesitates, his jaw tightening. He looks away, the mask
of stoicism slipping for just a moment.
DAVID
I followed orders. That’s what you
do in war. You follow orders, even
if they’re wrong. Even if they get
people killed.
His fists clench, his knuckles white.
DAVID (CONT’D)
They told us to take the village.
Said it was clear. It wasn’t.
He exhales sharply, his shoulders slumping.
DAVID (CONT’D)
I told myself I was doing the right
thing. Protecting my unit. But it
didn’t matter. They still died...
because I didn’t question it.
Maya reaches out, but David stands abruptly, pacing the
length of the compartment.
DAVID (CONT’D)
Before a mission I would get this
nervous excitement, fear didn’t
even cross my mind.
The others exchange uneasy glances as David stops, gripping
the edge of a seat, his back to them. His voice is barely
audible.
DAVID (CONT’D)
But being here feels
different...I’m... scared.
Ethan mockingly laughs.
ETHAN
Poor little soldier has feelings
now. You expect us to give a shit
about dumb-assholes like you?
David doesn’t even react but most of the others do.
Insults are thrown back and forth. Maya cradles herself back
in the seat. Nobody has realized the train has stopped, apart
from David.
DAVID (O.S.)
Stop...hey you morons, I said stop!
They turn to see David stood looking out of the open doors
onto a deserted platform.
ETHAN
Finally! Get me the fuck out of
here.
Ethan grabs his jacket and goes to exit, but David stops him.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
Get your hands off me!
David motions to the train windows - the train is still
moving at speed, in and out of tunnels and passed stations.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
What the fuck?
EVELYN
How can it be doing that?
Ethan reaches out through the open doors and is burnt by an
intense heat.
ETHAN
God damnnit!
Looking at his hand, it’s badly burnt and blistered.
MAYA
You need ice.
ETHAN
(Sarcastically)
Great, do you wanna go grab some?
Maya backs down, shaking her head.
David’s gaze is fixed on something the others can’t see.
DAVID
You all see that?
David points out. We see another David standing on the
opposite platform, eerily motioning him. The platform sign
hangs low - PLATFORM 1
LEAH
I don’t see anything.
ETHAN
I told you he was high.
David suddenly reaches out through the doors...
LEAH
Don’t...
Nothing happens. David keeps his hand outstretched, followed
by his leg, then his entire body steps off the train.
As he exits, the doors slam shut behind him.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Echoes of Innocence
INT. PLATFORM 1/BATTLEFIELD - CONTINUOUS
David turns and is met with a brick wall instead of the train
doors.
Looking back, the platform is now a desolate battlefield.
Elements of the platform remain - a white, muddy, bullet-
blasted pillar protrudes out from the slop, the platform
sign, hangs from the ashen sky above.
The only building left standing is an orphanage, now a
skeletal ruin, its charred wooden beams jutting out like
broken bones.
The once proud sign ‘The Dantean Orphanage’ now burnt and
limp. Shattered windows gape like hollow eyes, revealing
nothing but darkness within.
David’s breath catches in his throat as his eyes lock onto
it. A rush of cold sweeps over him as the sight from his past
pulls buried memories to the surface.
His gaze is drawn up to the single window of the attic room.
Small ash handprints have been pressed against the glass.
Static comes from a AN/PRC-152 multiband handheld radio
strapped to David’s tactical belt.
Beep...
HANDHELD RADIO (O.S.)
Bravo team, possible enemy movement
at 2 o'clock, 300 meters. Prepare
to advance with caution. Over.
Static...
David’s fragility pours from his eyes as the instruction
refers to the orphanage’s position.
As he numbly goes to respond, two children rush out from the
rubble and head towards it.
DAVID
Hey! Don’t go in there!
As he goes after them, we see that the badly burnt teddy bear
from the opening scene left by his muddy footprint.
Genres:
["Drama","War","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
Echoes of Destruction
EXT. ORPHANAGE - MOMENTS LATER
David advances, taking up position against the sign. We see
that he is now in full army attire with an M4 assault rifle
in his grasp.
Scattered everywhere are items of clothing, charred and
blackened from the children that once lived here.
HANDHELD RADIO
Bravo team, you are cleared hot.
Engage all hostiles with your
assigned weapons. Use suppressive
fire as needed. Over.
David grabs the radio.
DAVID
(On the radio)
Command, this is Bravo team.
(MORE)
DAVID (CONT’D)
We have visual contact with
civilians in the vicinity of the
target area. Over.
Static...
DAVID (CONT’D)
(On the radio)
I repeat, civilians in the
vicinity...over.
Static...
HANDHELD RADIO
Burn them all...David.
An explosion from inside the orphanage sends BURNING SOLDIERS
flailing out towards David’s position.
The flames reflect in David’s petrified eyes, the more he
watches his men die the more the uncontrollable rage builds.
He see’s silhouetted movement from inside and doesn’t
hesitate to turn his M4 towards the orphanage and open
fire...Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack...it’s relentless.
He eases off the trigger, and peers through the dust cloud
into the darkness of the ruins.
Moving into the building, the only thing he hears are
whimpers on pain.
Genres:
["Drama","War","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
Echoes of Despair
INT. ORPHANAGE - CONTINUOUS
Stopping to scope the area, the whimpers turn to screams from
a WOMAN cradling her DEAD INFANT. More innocent dead WOMEN
and CHILDREN are dotted around the floor.
His expression is harrowing. Behind him, a rubble pile is
disturbed, he turns and sprays bullets everywhere, two small
figures drop to the floor.
EXT. ORPHANAGE/BATTLEFIELD - CONTINUOUS
Moving closer, he sees two dead children, holding hands and
staring up at him with their soulless expressions - it’s the
same children he saw on the platform.
Dropping to his knees, we see that David is back in civilian
attire. Shock has taken hold as he gently shakes one of them.
DAVID
Please wake up...I’m sorry...I’m so
sorry.
From the orphanage doorway, the girl’s voice from the phone
call earlier - known as the BURNT GIRL, cuts through the
silence - a chilling whisper, thin and crackling like embers.
BURNT GIRL (O.S.)
I’ll make you feel the flames I
still carry...one by one until your
screams match mine.
David jumps out of his skin as he sees the horrific sight of
a severely burnt girl (10) clutching the equally burnt teddy
bear. Her skin is a patchwork of scorched flesh, twisted and
charred, with raw, crimson patches where the fire burned
deepest. Her eyes, though sunken, burn with a fury.
BURNT GIRL (CONT’D)
The lives you all lived, were
carved from my pain.
David shrieks in terror, picking himself up to run back
across the battlefield, followed by her menacing giggle being
carried on the breeze.
AHEAD
The train doors stand like a monolith. He screams towards it
and has he reaches, they open and he falls back into the
compartment.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Horror"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
Descent into Chaos
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Everyone is startled as a terrified David pulsates with utter
despair, cradling himself on the floor. The doors close and
the train sets off.
The group surround him.
GREG
What happened? Where did you go?
David is too traumatized to hear anyone.
Leah tries to comfort him but he screams and they back away.
ETHAN
What did you see?
David stands, his face pale, eyes hollowed by fear. His voice
trembles, barely above a whisper, as the train clatters
beneath him.
DAVID
It was her all along...she did
this!
LEAH
Her? Who is her?
DAVID
I was right. It’s a punishment.
Whatever you do, don’t get off the
train.
ETHAN
This is bullshit!
David takes off his dog tags and forces them into Maya’s
hand. The group talk over one another trying to calm him.
DAVID
- The Dantean Orphanage.
There is instant silence as the name pulls out deep hidden
meaning amongst the group.
DAVID (CONT’D)
(Erratic)
She’s coming for us all...
He then pulls out his gun, sticks it in his mouth and the
gunshot rings through the compartment, a final, chilling
punctuation to his cryptic warning.
Maya’s scream is the first thing we hear, followed by sheer
panic. Some are covered in his brains, others disappear into
shock.
Leah attends to David, but it’s too late. As she
compassionately straightens him up, she notices heavy burn
scars running from his lower neck down his chest.
A solemn Evelyn watches over her shoulder and sees Leah’s
fascination with them.
Evelyn takes off her coat, revealing that she has heavy burn
scars across her back.
EVELYN
To cover him up.
Leah places it over David’s face.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
I wonder how he got those scars?
Leah seems caught off guard by the comment and makes sure her
arms are concealed
LEAH
Looks like he was in the forces.
EVELYN
I’m scared.
Leah comforts her.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
What did he mean by a punishment? A
punishment for what? I’ve never
hurt anyone.
LEAH
He wasn’t thinking straight.
EVELYN
...What if he was? Have you done
anything wrong?
Leah avoids her gaze.
Evelyn stares curiously at Leah.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
Have you?
Leah looks purposefully at her.
LEAH
No.
Evelyn glares into her eyes.
EVELYN
You look so familiar. I felt it
when I first saw you. Have we met
before?
LEAH
No, I don’t think so.
EVELYN
Where did you grow up?
LEAH
I don’t wanna talk about it.
EVELYN
Why not?
Leah pushes passed her to avoid answering. Evelyn follows.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
Just tell me where you grew up.
Others begin to notice the confrontation.
LEAH
Leave me alone.
MAYA
(Quietly)
She doesn’t want to tell you.
EVELYN
What about you...where did you grow
up?
Maya goes to answer but the words stick in her throat.
GREG
(Gesturing to David)
Guys, a little respect.
EVELYN
What about you, Greg, where did you
live?
ETHAN
Hey, Moby...sit your fat ass down
and shut the fuck up.
She flicks up her middle finger.
EVELYN
That name, that place I know
it...and I think you all do too.
Don’t you feel it? We’re connected
somehow. Whatever happened to David
is gonna happen to us. We need to
figure this out!
A silent exchange of furtive glances.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
And what about these?
Turning to reveal her scars.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
I don’t know where I got them from.
And David had them too, so who else
has them? Come on...show me.
There is a collective reluctance amongst the group, each
comforting different parts of their bodies as Evelyn wipes
away the increasing sweat beads dripping from her head.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
And why is it so fucking hot!
She crumbles into a seat and cries.
The train rumbles on as Leah stares through the condensed
window, the compartment is steadily rising in temperature and
she’s is desperate not to take off her coat.
Murmurs of conversations carry on in the background, but she
wants no part of it.
Leah stares at her hands. They’re shaking slightly, and she
rubs them together as if trying to erase an invisible stain.
Maya notices and approaches cautiously.
MAYA
You okay?
Leah snaps her head up, her eyes hard.
LEAH
I’m fine.
MAYA
(sitting down next to her)
You don’t look fine.
Leah glares at her but doesn’t move away. After a moment, she
exhales sharply.
LEAH
I don’t like being here. Trapped.
Reminds me of... never mind.
Maya waits, sensing there’s more.
MAYA
It’s okay. You can talk about it.
Leah shakes her head, her jaw clenched.
LEAH
There’s nothing to talk about. I
did what I did. And if that makes
me a bad person... so be it.
Her voice wavers, betraying the confidence in her words. She
looks away, refusing to let Maya see the tears welling in her
eyes she turns to look out of the window.
The train speeds out of a tunnel and there on the
agricultural looking platform with rusted farming equipment
and burning hay bails is a BOY (6.) His complexion is pale
blue with deep sucken eyes that peer straight at her. His
clothing, hair and boots are dripping wet.
Leah comes alive with panic but the train enters a tunnel and
see loses sight of him.
Fearing for her sanity she backs away, lost and with a
million questions running through her head.
LEAH (CONT’D)
Did anyone else see that?
MAYA
See what?
LEAH
A boy, on one of the platforms.
Nobody did.
ETHAN
Did you take some of David’s stash?
MAYA
Oh, shut up.
ETHAN
It finally speaks. I’ll let you off
because you’re kinda hot.
MAYA
Eat shit.
ETHAN
You into that? The quiet ones are
always the most disturbed. What
happened...did Daddy make you do
stuff?
Greg steps between them.
GREG
Enough. Just stop talking.
ETHAN
Sure thing playboy. She’s all
yours. Hey, if things go to shit,
I’ll have seconds on her.
Maya recoils back into herself.
ETHAN (CONT’D)
There we go...nice and quiet...just
like daddy wanted.
Maya hides her dismay as Greg tries to console her.
GREG
Hey, he’s not worth it. You’re
better than him in everyway.
Maya manages a rye smile as a jealous Leah looks on.
LEAH
She thinks you’re a creep, back
off.
GREG
Oh, someone's jealous.
Leah rears up to him, anger teetering on the surface.
LEAH
Listen fuck boy, I could have you
in a heart beat and your world
would be rocked. Admit it, you
would rather have me than her. I
bet you prefer them young.
Greg mockingly laughs.
GREG
You’re not a patch on her.
Leah’s rage burns in her eyes as Greg sits down next to Maya -
chuckling to himself.
LEAH
Yeah, well, losers like you have no
taste.
She sulks away.
As the train enters a tunnel, the red lights illuminate his
true desires. He runs his eyes across Maya’s breasts, lusting
over every part of her.
GREG
You’re sweet. Beautiful in fact.
He rubs up her leg. Maya freezes, totally helpless.
GREG (CONT’D)
(Hushed)
I wish we could go somewhere
private. Would you like that?
The rubbing becomes more intense as Maya’s inaction and shock
lets it happen.
GREG (CONT’D)
(Hushed)
Tell me what you like...come
on...tease me.
The train speeds out of the tunnel and he quickly pulls his
hand away. Tears swell in Maya’s eyes as she looks around for
help but everyone is distracted, apart from Leah who lets out
a smirk at Maya’s distress.
He leans into her ear.
GREG (CONT’D)
(Whisper)
I’ll be thinking about you.
He licks her ear lobe causing her to stiffen like a board. He
throws her a wink as he drifts away, bumping into Leah who is
walking down the aisle.
As she turns to confront him she comes face-to-face with the
boy from the platform. She lets out a blood-curdling scream,
tripping as she stumbles away.
EVELYN
What is it?
Leah points in the direction of the boy but all she sees is a
confused Greg looking down at her. The group anxiously stare
passed Greg.
GREG
Why are you staring at me?
Looking behind him, he sees the doors are open. Again, the
windows show the train still moving at speed.
The group gather around the doors. Each with different
expressions of fear and trepidation.
EVELYN
I’m not sticking my hand through
there.
ETHAN
Well, someone's gotta.
MAYA
How do we know who can get off?
GREG
Have you all forgotten what David
said...don’t get off the train.
ETHAN
So, we just stay in here?
GREG
That’s exactly what we’re gonna do.
Everyone with me?
Everyone agrees apart from Leah who gaze is fixed on another
Leah across the platform gesturing her to come. The platform
sign says ‘Platform 2.’
GREG (CONT’D)
(To Leah)
You...agree?
Leah snaps out of it and shakily nods.
GREG (CONT’D)
Alright, now we just wait and see
what happens.
As his words barely leave his mouth the temperature in the
compartment begins to increase.
ETHAN
...Can anyone else feel that?
They all can as they peel off items of clothing. Greg rolls
up his sleeves which reveals heavy burn scarring. Maya is
down to a vest which reveals burn scarring across her
shoulders and the back of neck.
EVELYN
It’ s so hot.
Finally, the heat forces Leah to take her coat off which
reveals burn scars all along her arms.
MAYA
I can’t breath...I can’t breath!
Everyone suffers from the heat. Leah knows she has to do
something.
LEAH
It’s going to keep getting hotter
until someone gets off.
ETHAN
Fuck that...I’m not burning myself
up again.
EVELYN
Well, we’ll burn up in here if we
all stay.
LEAH
It’s my stop!
Silence as Leah drags herself up, closes her eyes and steps
out of the train. The doors close behind her as the
temperature cools back down.
EVELYN
It worked.
Maya gingerly moves to the door and peers out. The platform
is empty.
MAYA
I hope she’s okay.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
Echoes of the Past
INT. PLATFORM 2/FARMHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
Leah finds herself facing her childhood home - a rural
farmhouse. The exterior is warped, decayed and eerie. Above
the ramshackle door is a sign that reads - PLATFORM 2.
Her fear makes her turns and run but no matter what direction
she goes, the farmhouse stands before her.
Disorientated, she makes her way inside, passing a burnt
teddy bear nailed to the door arch.
INT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Stepping inside, her trepidation is all consuming. The walls
sag unnaturally, furniture is misshapen, and like a
nightmare, shadows move in the corner of her eye.
A faint laughter echoes from the upstairs hallway. It's
innocent, playful - her younger brother's voice - JAMES (6.)
Leah freezes, wide-eyed.
LEAH
(Whispering to herself,
shaken)
James?
The house twists and rooms change position - like a Rubix
Cube being moved.
The door to her brother’s old bedroom now stands before her,
it creaks open, and we see it’s deserted, decayed and
lifeless but something beckons her in. Her legs feel like
lead, but she moves toward it, almost against her will.
INT. JAMES’ BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
As she steps inside, the room transforms, like a memory
coming to life. It’s now pristine, exactly as it was in their
childhood. James sits in the center, surrounded by toys and
their MOTHER and FATHER joyfully playing with him.
YOUNG LEAH (11 years old), stands nearby, seething with
jealousy, watching the attention James receives. Her face
hardens as her mother embraces James, cooing over him.
MOTHER
My sweet boy. We love you so much.
Young Leah storms out and slams the door.
The image flickers, and the room decays once more - dust
coating every surface, toys strewn like debris. Leah clutches
her head as if trying to block out the memory.
LEAH
It wasn’t my fault.
The walls shift again, and her younger brother James
reappears, standing at the window. But this time, his form is
shadowy, almost ghost-like. His once innocent eyes are dull,
accusing, it’s the same boy she saw on the platform.
He starts to choke himself, water pours from his mouth and
his eyes bulge in fear.
LEAH (CONT’D)
Stop! Stop doing that!
She rushes towards him but as she reaches out, the house
quickly shifts and she finds herself outside, scowling as
their mother and father play fight and chase each other.
They wave to young Leah and gesture to look after him as they
merrily head back to the house.
Young Leah’s eyes burn with rage as she stares down at her
brother. Her envy is all-consuming.
EXT. RIVER - LATER
Young Leah holds James’ hand as the look out over the river.
He lovingly smiles up at her but she gives him nothing back.
EXT. FARMHOUSE - LATER
Leah, soaking wet calmly walks back to the house and shuts
the front door. Moments later, her mother and father rush out
in panic and race towards the river.
Young Leah, with a cold heartless expression sits on the
porch rocking chair and gentle rocks back and forth. Her gaze
fixed into the distance.
The screams from her mother sends birds flying out from the
tall grass.
EXT. RIVER - SAME
Floating face down in the river is James - dead. His father
wades through the water, scooping him up as the mother sobs
and wails from the banking.
EXT. FARMHOUSE - SAME
Young Leah lets out a smirk and we see it twist and spiral
back to Leah in the farmhouse collapsing to her knees, tears
streaming down her face.
INT. FARMHOUSE - SAME
The walls creak and groan as if the house itself is alive,
feeding off her guilt. Her brother’s shadowed figure steps
toward her, reaching out a hand.
LEAH
(Sobbing)
I didn’t... I didn’t want this.
(MORE)
LEAH (CONT’D)
I was just... I was just angry. I
never thought...
The house pulses with tension as James’ shadow moves closer,
his face unreadable. The sound of a train horn echoes faintly
in the distance, reminding Leah of the present, but she can’t
escape this nightmare.
JAMES
(Voice lowering to a
whisper)
You’re the reason I never came
back.
Leah, broken and trembling, reaches out toward James as if to
apologize. But as her hand inches closer, his form flickers -
the shadowy figure of James distorts and warps, his features
melting away and in his place, a new figure materializes -
The Burnt Girl. Her eyes - deep, hollow pits - lock onto Leah
with an eerie intensity.
BURNT GIRL
(In a raspy, echoing
voice, dripping with
malice)
Do you think you're the only one
with regrets, Leah? I know what
it’s like to burn... because of
someone else’s sins.
Leah gasps, recoiling in horror as she realizes she’s no
longer facing her brother. The air around them grows
stiflingly hot, the walls blistering as if set alight by an
unseen flame.
LEAH
(Whispering, terrified)
Who... who are you?
The house peels away to reveal the interior of the burnt out
orphanage.
BURNT GIRL
(Leaning closer, her burnt
lips cracking as she
speaks)
You’ll find out soon enough. But
for now... run.
The Burnt Girl’s voice trails off into a sinister crackle.
Maya scrambles backward, desperate to escape. The Burnt Girl
stares, unblinking, as Leah scrambles through the door and
falls onto the platform.
INT. PLATFORM 2 - CONTINUOUS
Leah is face down, drenched in sweat, the memory of the Burnt
Girl still echoing in her ears. The train doors loom open
before her as she rushes towards it.
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
As Leah falls through the door, Maya is there waiting to
help.
MAYA
You’re back....
Leah’s devastation reflects in her eyes as she clings to
Maya.
The others gather around, knowing that something terrible has
happened.
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - LATER
The train lights flicker, casting erratic shadows along the
twisted walls. The metal groans as if alive, and every
movement feels slow and heavy.
More items of clothing have been taken off and make-shift
fans are being used.
Leah rests her head on the window ledge, lost in thought, her
face pale and traumatized.
Her return has cast a strange, quiet tension over the group.
The other passengers - Greg, Evelyn, Maya and Ethan sit
scattered around the compartment, but they’re no longer
strangers. Something has shifted, and they all sense it.
LEAH
(Softly, but the words
carry weight)
There’s something we're missing.
Something from our past.
Greg fidgets nervously, his eyes darting around, stopping on
Evelyn who chews her fingernails, feeling her stomach growl
from the hunger.
Maya is hunched in her seat, staring at the floor, her
fingers twisting a frayed piece of fabric as Ethan stares out
of the window at the passing red lights.
GREG
It’s just a goddamn train ride,
that’s all it is.
Leah locks eyes with him, her expression grim.
LEAH
It’s not just a train ride...you
know that, we all do.
Maya lifts her head, her voice quiet but cutting through the
tension.
MAYA
(Whispering)
The orphanage.
The compartment goes deathly silent for a moment.
MAYA (CONT’D)
What David saw, and what Leah
saw...it’s connected to that
orphanage.
EVELYN
(Shaken, her voice
cracking)
No... no, I...I don’t remember an
orphanage. I never lived in an
orphanage.
ETHAN
I have a family, okay? A real
family, blood...so this theory that
we all came from an orphanage is
bullshit.
LEAH
Is it? Just because we can’t
remember doesn't mean it never
happened. What about our scars? And
don’t try to hide yours because I
know we all have them.
The ones yet to reveal secretly comfort their scars.
LEAH (CONT’D)
So scars and the orphanage is how
we’re connected...but how? What are
we missing?
ETHAN
I never stayed in an orphanage!
Listen to yourself...it’s fucking
crazy.
As he turns away in disgust he catches the homeless woman
from the first scene staring at him from the platform. Her
expression burns with fury as the two trash bags she’s
holding split open and piles of $100 dollar bills pour out
covered in blood.
The train zips into a tunnel, leaving Ethan bewildered as he
presses his face against the window trying to look back.
From the darkness, the Burnt Girl springs forward, sending
Ethan scurrying across the floor. Looking back up she’s gone.
EVELYN
What did you see?
Ethan fearfully shakes his head, composes himself and puts on
a brave face.
ETHAN
Just your ugly fat ass in the
reflection.
EVELYN
(Angry)
I hope you’re next.
ETHAN
(Unnerved)
Well if it is me, I’m not leaving
this fucking train. Do you hear
me!? You’ll have to drag me off
this bitch.
Alarm bells for the rest of the group knowing the
consequences of that.
INT. COMPARTMENT - LATER
Genres:
["Drama","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
Confrontation and Isolation
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT – NIGHT
Ethan sits across from Greg, arms crossed, his foot tapping
nervously on the floor. The tension between them is thick,
unspoken but palpable as Greg intense stare finally gets to
him.
ETHAN
What the fuck are you staring at?
GREG
(smirking)
You’re twitchy. What’s the matter?
Train not up to your standards?
Ethan shoots him a glare but doesn’t respond. Greg leans
forward.
GREG (CONT’D)
So, you really not getting off?
A defiant stare looks back at him.
ETHAN
No.
GREG
You guys are all the same.
ETHAN
You guys?
GREG
Rich kids.
ETHAN
I worked for everything I’ve got.
GREG
Sure. With some help. Let me guess.
Fancy house growing up, fancy
school. Mommy and Daddy never said
no. That about right?
ETHAN
(quietly, but cutting)
What do you want, Greg?
GREG
(grinning)
Just making conversation. Trying to
figure out how someone like you
ended up... here.
Ethan’s jaw tightens. He looks out the window, avoiding
Greg’s piercing gaze.
ETHAN
I don’t owe you an explanation.
Greg leans back, arms stretched out across the seats.
GREG
Fair enough. But I’ve been watching
you, Ethan. You’ve got this...
thing about you. Like you’re too
good for the rest of us.
Ethan snaps his head toward Greg, his voice rising.
ETHAN
I am!
Ethan’s face flushes, his foot tapping faster. He opens his
mouth to respond, but Greg cuts him off.
GREG
Let me tell you something, rich
boy. Wherever you came from,
whatever you had, it didn’t save
you, did it? You’re here. Same as
the rest of us.
Ethan stands abruptly, his fists clenched.
ETHAN
You don’t know anything about me.
Greg rises too, closing the space between them. He looms over
Ethan, his tone mocking but laced with a dangerous edge.
GREG
Maybe not. But I know people like
you. Always thinking you’re above
the rules. And by the way, you’re
getting off this train whether you
like it or not.
Ethan shakes his head, turning away. His voice drops, barely
a whisper.
ETHAN
We’ll see about that.
Greg watches him for a moment, his smirk fading. He sits back
down.
Ethan sinks into his seat, folding into himself as Greg
studies him silently. The rhythmic clatter of the train fills
the heavy silence between them.
The train lurches, the lights flicker violently, and a deep,
echoing creak reverberates through the compartment. Everyone
grips their seats.
The flickering lights reveal a figure standing in the corner
of the train, half-hidden by the shadows that only Ethan can
see - the homeless woman, or at least, it looks like her.
Her face is scarred and twisted, but still recognizable.
Ethan’s breath catches in her throat as he looks around for
help, but nobody can see what he can.
The homeless woman shuffles menacingly forward, but as the
lights flicker again, her face melts away, revealing the
Burnt Girl eerily moving towards him.
THE BURNT GIRL
(In a raspy, haunting
voice)
You left me. You all left me to
burn.
Ethan stumbles backwards towards the doors, which we see are
open, his face contorted in terror.
ETHAN
(Screaming)
No! No, I didn’t! I didn’t know!
The Burnt Girl moves closer, her skin crackling with every
step, pushing Ethan, unbeknownst to him, out onto the
platform. Her presence fills the air with an overwhelming
heat as she leans in, her breath searing.
THE BURNT GIRL
(Softly, but full of
malice)
I’ll make you remember.
Ethan cowers, peering through his hand he sees the train
doors close, leaving he stranded on the platform.
Panic as he rushes to the doors, pounding on them but they
don’t budge. A realization that he’s alone dawns on him as he
turns to see the platform sign - PLATFORM 3.
Looking out, he sees...
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Horror"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
The Price of Greed
INT. DECREPIT OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
...a dark, decrepit office building that once screamed wealth
and power. Shattered glass lines the floor, and the walls,
once adorned with lavish art, are cracked and peeling.
He catches himself in a cracked window, a crumpled, expensive
suit that now hangs loosely on his frame.
His once sharp appearance has been dulled, his face gaunt,
his eyes darting in panic as he stumbles through the wreckage
of his life.
He grips a briefcase as if it’s his only lifeline, but the
contents spill out - worthless, torn contracts, fake gold
watches and the burnt teddy bear.
ETHAN
(Muttering to himself,
panicked)
No... no, this isn’t right. I built
this. I made this happen. This was
mine.
He trips over the debris of his former success - a leather
chair, toppled and ripped apart, a nameplate that reads -
‘Ethan Davenport, CEO,’ shattered in two. He tries to piece
the nameplate together, but it slips through his fingers,
cutting his skin.
HOMELESS WOMAN (O.S.)
(Cold, hollow tone)
You can’t take it with you, Ethan.
Not even your name.
Ethan whips around, his breathing shallow. From the shadows
emerges the homeless woman, looking pristine with beautiful
hair, make-up and style.
She holds out a crumpled eviction notice.
ETHAN
(Backing away, stammering)
Listen, that was business. It was
just - just part of the deal.
HOMELESS WOMAN
(Stepping forward, her
voice steady and cold)
I had nowhere to go. My children
had nowhere to live.
She moves closer. Ethan stumbles over his words, trying to
justify his actions.
ETHAN
(Desperately)
I didn’t know! I didn’t know it
would turn out like that. It was -
it was just another project.
As the light hits her, we see that her appearance is
drastically changing - her cloths begin to dull and sag, her
hair greasy and grey, her face thin and fragile.
HOMELESS WOMAN
(Her tone turning sharper,
filled with venom)
All you saw was money, and you
destroyed our lives for it.
Ethan turns to leave, but the once luxurious hallway warps
around him. He’s trapped. The briefcase in his hand becomes
heavier, dragging him down.
He looks back to see the homeless woman as we have come to
see her, her eyes burning with rage, vanishing into the dark.
Money begins raining down from the ceiling - dollar bills at
first, then coins, but they are all torn, blood-stained, and
burnt. Ethan tries to grab them, but they disintegrate in his
hands.
He falls to his knees, his hands shake as he desperately
tries to collect the ruined money.
ETHAN
(Manic, shouting to the
void)
I worked for this! I earned this!
You can’t take it away!
The more he grasps for the money, the more it slips through
his fingers, as if greed itself has become his curse.
The office walls shift into a fiery horizon. The cracked
marble floor morphs into burnt wood, charred and broken.
INT. ORPHANAGE. ATTIC - CONTINUOUS
Ethan gasps, his surroundings turning more haunting. The
luxurious office fully transforms into the attic ruins of the
orphanage — burnt beams, scattered toys, the smell of ash and
smoke thick in the air. Old, discarded newspapers are bunched
in a corner.
The single broken attic window overlooks a playground
followed by an abyss of darkness. The wind flutters the
newspapers in stares down mortified at his surroundings.
The attic door bursts open and in comes six CHILDREN, aged
between 6 and 14, teasing and pushing a girl into the room. A
couple of them hold handheld gas lanterns to guide the way.
They all giggle and mock her as she lands on the hard floor.
Ethan is dumbstruck at the sight as it plays out like an home
movie. Looking at one of the BOYS (12,) he recognizes
himself.
YOUNG ETHAN
(To the girl)
Freaks belong in the attic.
The girl cowers away, clutching onto her teddy bear - the
same burnt one from earlier.
YOUNG ETHAN (CONT’D)
What do you think chubs?
A chubby girl (13) stares at the girl with distain - it’s
Evelyn.
YOUNG EVELYN
I think she needs a time out.
David (14,) steps forward, crouching down in front of the
girl with a flick knife.
YOUNG DAVID
Or we could just beat her up.
The shyest of the group, a pale, meek girl, peers out from
behind - this is Maya (8.)
YOUNG MAYA
What if we put her in there.
They all look to small door to a wall storage unit. A padlock
hangs loose.
They all menacingly turn to look at older Ethan.
YOUNG ETHAN
What about you?
Ethan falls back in terror, clamping his eyes shut in
disbelief. When he looks again, they’re gone, leaving only
the charred blackened wall storage door in his view.
The door jolts and bangs, the only thing stopping it from
opening is the padlock.
Ethan attempts to run but they’re aren't any doors. The door
bangs louder and harder until it gives, revealing a dark
cavity.
Frozen with fear, Ethan peers into the darkness, hearing a
strange distorted whine of pain.
Out of the dark slides the burnt teddy bear which lands at
his feet, its face half-melted. Ethan stares at it,
remembering the fire that consumed his past. But this time,
the flames feel alive, creeping closer, licking at the walls
as if seeking him.
A burnt hand reaches around the wall storage door frame.
Ethan screams, backing against away as the Burnt Girl drags
herself out from the wall space, pulling herself towards him.
She’s silent at first, but her eyes are eerily clear, focused
directly on Ethan. He freezes in terror.
THE BURNT GIRL
(Softly, full of malice)
You took everything. And now, I’ll
take what’s left of you.
ETHAN
(Staggering back,
horrified)
No...I didn’t - I didn’t mean for
this to happen!
The Burnt Girl steps closer, and as she does, the room around
them bursts into flames, the fire spreading rapidly. The heat
becomes unbearable, but Ethan can’t escape. He’s paralyzed by
the overwhelming fear. The flames flicker in her eyes as she
moves closer, her burnt hand reaching for him.
BURNT GIRL
(Dark, ominous whisper)
Greed... burns everything it
touches.
As she reaches out, the fire consumes the room entirely,
engulfing the twisted remains of the orphanage.
Ethan screams as he swallows the flames...
INT. PLATFORM 3 - CONTINUOUS
...we traverse back out of his mouth and find ourselves back
on platform 3. No fire, no orphanage, just Ethan screaming on
a lonely platform. When he finally realizes, the relief is
audible.
The train doors beckon him. Mortified, he runs towards them.
INT. COMPARTMENT - LATER
The compartment feels tighter, more claustrophobic, the once
flickering lights are now dim.
Ethan sits in a seat, drenched in sweat, shaking slightly,
still shell-shocked from what he saw. His eyes dart nervously
to the others, who sense that something is deeply wrong.
MAYA
(Quietly)
What... what did you see?
Ethan shakes his head, refusing to look up. His face is pale,
his hands trembling as they grip the seat tightly.
ETHAN
(Softly, shaking)
The orphanage... I was there...we
all were. There must have been a
fire.
The words hang in the air, heavy and suffocating. Leah leans
forward, eyes wide with unease. She glances at Greg, who’s
unusually quiet.
LEAH
(Whispering, almost to
herself)
Why don’t we remember?
EVELYN
(Uncertain, murmuring)
I remember the fire... but not the
details. I don’t know why I was
there.
She begins to cry.
GREG
We did something... to that girl.
All eyes on Greg who stares motionless ahead.
GREG (CONT’D)
It’s like I’m remembering snap
shots, but I’ve no idea what
happened or ever leaving that
place.
EVELYN
(Shaking, breathless)
We’re not just remembering, we’re
reliving it.
GREG
(Frantic, voice cracking)
So what? We just sit here and wait
for... that to come for us?
Frustrated, he jumps up and leans against the wall, fidgeting
with a coin in his hand, flipping it over and over. The
steady clink fills the silence. He looks tense, his usual
bravado replaced by unease.
LEAH
(Irritated)
Could you not? Some of us are
trying to think.
Greg smirks but doesn’t stop.
GREG
Thinking’s overrated. Besides, it’s
not like we’ve got much else to do.
Leah glares at him, but Greg keeps flipping the coin. After a
moment, his smirk fades, and he stares at the coin, lost in
thought.
MAYA
(gently)
What’s with the coin?
Greg hesitates, then shrugs, trying to play it off.
GREG
Just... something I used to do back
when I was a kid. Helps me think.
LEAH
(dryly)
Thought you said thinking was
overrated.
Greg gives her a weak smile, but there’s no humour in it. He
flips the coin one more time and catches it, clenching it
tightly in his fist.
GREG
(quietly)
Sometimes, I wonder if things
would’ve turned out different... if
I’d made a different choice.
His voice trails off, and he pockets the coin, refusing to
elaborate.
The train lurches, throwing them off balance. The lights
flicker, showing glimpses of the charred orphanage, the
crumbling walls, the twisted remnants of their childhood
home, and the Burnt Girl’s figure, stood in the shadows.
The train plunges into darkness. Only the odd flicker of
passing light enters the train as the Burnt Girl edges
freakily towards a terrified Greg. The lights, almost
strobing her movement towards him.
Over black...
THE BURNT GIRL (O.S.)
So handsome....
The light flickers to reveal the Burnt Girl inches from
Greg’s face.
She touches his face and before he can scream, the lights
come back on, and looking around the compartment, we only see
Maya, Evelyn, Ethan and Leah. Greg is outside the doors. They
rush to him but the doors close, leaving staring back in fear
at them.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
Echoes of Home
INT. PLATFORM 4/SUBURBAN HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Greg turns and see the sign - PLATFORM 4 hanging on a wall in
a warped version of a suburban house - his house. The
interior, once pristine, are decayed and cracked. Family
photos line the walls, but the faces are blurred, smeared
with ash.
A heavy silence presses down on him, broken only by faint,
distant laughter - his children's laughter, haunting and
hollow.
GREG
(Softly, to himself)
This can’t be real...
He moves cautiously through the house. The laughter fades,
replaced by whispers that grow louder with each step he
takes. He catches glimpses of figures passing from room to
room - WOMEN, their faces distorted, familiar and unfamiliar.
Genres:
["Horror","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
Nightmare of Guilt
INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
He looks up and sees his family photos again. His wife’s face
is faded, the children’s eyes are scratched out. Next to the
frame is the burnt teddy bear.
Then he sees his wife - LILY.
GREG
(Desperation growing)
Lily? Where are the kids?!
Lily stands with her back to him, facing a shattered mirror.
Her form is distorted, like the house itself, warped by time
and neglect. Greg’s heart pounds as he inches closer.
GREG (CONT’D)
(Voice trembling)
Lily... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
hurt you... I just—
Lily turns, but her face is twisted, monstrous - a blend of
sorrow and fury.
LILY (FIGURE)
(Whisper, cold and
distorted)
You left us.
Her wedding ring bubbles and melts away, taking her finger
with it.
Greg backs away, but as he does, the room shifts violently.
The walls crumble, revealing the hellish abyss below. Flames
lick the floorboards, casting long shadows that reach for
him.
The women from his past - the ones he cheated with - emerge
from the darkness, their eyes hollow, their faces flickering
in and out of focus. They surround him, suffocating him with
guilt.
WOMAN'S VOICE 1 (DISTORTED)
(Haunting whisper)
Love me, Greg...
WOMAN’S VOICE 2 (DISTORTED)
Kiss me...
WOMAN’S VOICE 3 (DISTORTED)
I want you...
The women close in on him, their hands reaching out, brushing
against his skin with cold, lifeless fingers. Greg stumbles,
nearly falling into the fiery abyss. The floor beneath him
begins to crack and crumble further. The room collapses
around him.
GREG
(Frantic, desperate)
No! This isn’t real!
WOMAN’S VOICE (O.S)
(From the shadows)
You only took. You gave nothing.
He’s running now, blindly, through the collapsing house. But
the further he runs, the more the setting starts to shift.
The suburban house melts away into a darker, more sinister
landscape. He stops dead in his tracks as the realization
hits him.
INT. ORPHANAGE - CONTINUOUS
He’s not in the house anymore. He’s back in the burnt-out
orphanage. He staggers forward, heart pounding, his skin cold
with sweat. The weight of guilt and dread crushes him.
GREG
(Horrified)
Not here... no...
A chilling breeze sweeps through the room...
THE BURNT GIRL (O.S.)
(Eerily calm, echoing
through the air)
...You wanted more, Greg. But you
lost everything that mattered.
He runs through what was once a vibrant dormitory, now
nothing more than a graveyard. As he pushes open different
bedroom doors shadows looming on the beds begin to take
shape, revealing the charred remnants of the other children,
their ghostly faces twisted in pain and longing.
Rushing through another door, his heart drops. There, lying
motionless on the ground, is a small, charred figure - his
younger self, aged 11.
He approaches his remains, the figure is unrecognizable,
engulfed in blackened skin, and yet a flicker of familiarity
stirs within him.
GREG
(Voice trembling)
No... It can’t be...
As he kneels beside the body, he sees the boys distinctive
chain around his neck - a scorched silver cross and on the
back the initials G.M. Greg’s breath hitches as he pulls out
his chain, turns the cross to see that exact same initials.
Greg falls back, grappling with the truth - he never made it
out.
The burnt girl lingers in the shadows, watching, waiting for
him to fully understand. The room darkens further, the walls
closing in as the weight of his past crushes him, and he is
left alone with his tears.
INT. PLATFORM 4 - CONTINUOUS
Light breaks through his tears and he realizes he’s back on
the platform.
The train doors open and waiting for him, but he hesitates,
the truth is too over-powering. His eyes falls to the floor
and between his legs is David’s gun. He picks it up and walks
inside the compartment.
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Greg steps back into the compartment, his face pale and eyes
wild. He holds David’s gun tightly in his hand, his knuckles
white with tension. Everyone turns to him, sensing something
is terribly wrong.
GREG
(Breathing heavily, voice
shaky)
None of this is real.
The others stare at him in confusion. Evelyn shifts
uncomfortably, clutching her arm, while Maya, tense, takes a
step toward Greg.
MAYA
(Soft but firm)
Greg, put the gun down. You don’t
have to-
GREG
(Interrupts, louder,
frantic)
No! You don’t understand! None of
us are supposed to be here
because... because we’re dead.
The group falls silent, tension thickening the air. Greg
paces, holding the gun up as if it could ward off the truth.
He looks desperate, as if grasping at the final thread of
sanity.
EVELYN
(Nervous)
What are you talking about?
GREG
The fire... I never made it out!
None of us did!
ETHAN
Dude, relax... it’s fucked up, I’ve
seen it, but you’re not talking
straight right now.
GREG
You don’t believe me?
Nobody does.
GREG (CONT’D)
(Eyes wild)
I have to prove it.
He aims the gun at Evelyn and pulls the trigger, the bullet
blasted out of the chamber but before it reaches her, it
erodes and turns to ash.
Evelyn’s breath comes in sharp gasps, her eyes wide with
terror, but she remains unharmed. Greg, shaking, lowers the
gun, his face twisting in frustration.
GREG (CONT’D)
(Defeated)
See...
ETHAN
What the hell happened to the
bullet?
GREG
Bullets can’t kill the dead...
MAYA
Will you stop saying that...maybe
it was faulty?
Greg’s mocking laughter fill the compartment.
GREG
(Explosive)
WE. ARE. ALL. DEAD!!!
MAYA
Greg-
GREG
-The fire at the orphanage. We had
something to do with it and killed
that girl. Some how she created all
of this to punish us. Our entire
lives are a lie... they never
happened.
EVELYN
(Realization dawning)
We’re really... dead?
ETHAN
Come on...you don’t believe him, do
you? Pathetic.
GREG
It still doesn’t explain how David
shot himself.
DAVID (O.S.)
When did I do that?
Greg spins to see David sat in a seat behind him.
GREG
That’s not possible...
He looks to the spot David died, then back at David.
Turning to the group.
GREG (CONT’D)
We all saw him do it...
Blank, confused faces stare back at him.
LEAH
That never happened.
MAYA
He’s been with us all this time.
GREG
(Erratic)
No... no... he came back from his
stop, said a bunch of weird shit
and shot himself...we all saw.
David walks over to Greg and slaps him across the face.
DAVID
Feel that?
A bewildered Greg drops the gun and slumps back into a seat.
DAVID (CONT’D)
Then get a grip of yourself and
shut the fuck up...all of you. Yes,
we we’re all there, and don’t none
of you try to deny it, and there
was a fire but no matter what this
pussy says, I didn’t die...neither
did any of you. If that little
bitch wants a war, she’s gonna get
it.
David strolls back to his seat and sits, lost in his own
thoughts.
Maya sits rigidly, staring into space. She grips the edges of
the seat with white knuckles, trembling.
To calm her anxiety she pulls out her book, ‘The Divine
Comedy.’ Her fingers trace the edges of the pages, her eyes
scanning the lines with deep concentration.
The dim overhead light casts flickering shadows, making the
text feel alive. Leah walks by and notices the book.
LEAH
(curious)
Is this situation boring you?
MAYA
It helps me...reading...it helps me
to relax.
LEAH
What is it?
MAYA
(without looking up)
Dante. The Divine Comedy.
Leah smirks, sitting across from her.
LEAH
Heavy reading for a train ride.
Maya finally looks up, her expression solemn.
MAYA
It feels... appropriate.
LEAH
(raising an eyebrow)
Appropriate? For what?
Maya closes the book, her fingers resting on the cover. She
hesitates before speaking, her voice low and reflective.
MAYA
The journey. Through hell,
purgatory, and... maybe, paradise.
Each soul confronting what they’ve
done, what they’ve become.
Leah fidgets uncomfortably, crossing her arms.
LEAH
That’s... a bit dramatic, don’t you
think?
Maya shakes her head, her gaze piercing.
MAYA
Is it? Doesn’t it sound familiar?
Leah scoffs, leaning back.
LEAH
You’re saying this is... what,
divine punishment?"
Maya tilts her head, her expression unreadable.
MAYA
I don’t know. But Dante wrote that
you can’t ascend without facing the
truth. And maybe that’s why we’re
here — to face ours.
Leah stares at her for a long moment, her smirk fading.
Finally, Leah stands, brushing herself off.
LEAH
Well, I don’t think any of us will
be seeing paradise, Maya.
Maya watches her leave, her fingers nervously brushing the
book’s cover.
The lights flicker violently. Her breath catches in her
throat, but when the lights return, her eyes lock onto
something new and deeply unsettling in the aisle.
A blackened, lone children’s swing hangs impossibly in the
middle of the train compartment. It creaks as it sways gently
back and forth. The ropes are frayed, the seat charred, as if
plucked straight from the ruins of the orphanage.
Maya’s heart pounds as panic takes over. She looks around for
help — but she’s alone. The entire compartment is empty.
She stumbles to her feet, her legs weak, and cautiously
approaches the swing. The train feels longer than before, the
space stretched out like an endless corridor.
The swing creaks louder now, swaying back and forth, back and
forth. Maya hesitates but forces herself forward, reaching
out a trembling hand. She grabs hold of the swing, stopping
its movement.
For a moment, all is still.
Then, without warning, the swing bursts into flames, the fire
crackling to life with a vicious roar. The flames crawl
rapidly along the ropes, leaping to the seats, devouring the
compartment with terrifying speed.
Maya stumbles, coughing as she desperately searches for an
escape. Her only option lies ahead - the train doors, which
are now mysteriously open, offering her a way out. She
doesn’t hesitate.
She crawls on hands and knees, pushing herself forward with
all her strength and finally bursts through the doors,
falling onto the platform outside.
INT. PLATFORM 5 - CONTINUOUS
Safe on the platform, Maya looks back and sees the closed
doors - no smoke or fire.
Her gaze drifts upwards, drawn to the station sign above her.
It hangs precariously, rusted and peeling, its edges
blackened as if touched by the fire - PLATFORM 5.
Beneath that is an apartment door with the number 5 - it’s
her apartment.
Shrouded in confusion, she heads to it, pushing the door open
and entering.
INT. MAYA’S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Suddenly, Maya jolts upright in her bed, gasping. She
clutches her chest, her breath ragged, her sheets drenched in
cold sweat.
Her bedroom is bathed in the soft morning light seeping
through the blinds, comforting in its normalcy.
Maya’s heart races as she scans the room, her mind scrambling
to piece together the awful nightmare.
She wipes her forehead, exhaling deeply, her body beginning
to relax. The nightmare fades into the back of her mind,
replaced by the familiar routines of her reclusive life.
She slowly rises from the bed, stretching as she pads into
the kitchen. Her apartment is quiet, the only sound the soft
hum of the refrigerator.
She feeds her cat, who rubs against her legs affectionately.
Maya smiles faintly, the warmth of the moment grounding her
in reality.
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
Maya pours herself a cup of coffee - a comforting smell. She
moves with the ease of routine, feeding her cat and glancing
at the fridge where some take-out menus are pinned.
Her cat rubs against her leg, purring softly, and she gives
it a gentle scratch behind the ear.
Maya picks up her phone, scrolling through notifications
absently, before pressing call. After a few moments, a
familiar voice answers on the other end.
MOM (O.S.)
(Cheerful)
Hey sweetie! How are you this
morning?
MAYA
(Smiling, relaxed)
Hey, Mom. I’m good...I just woke up
from the weirdest dream, but, you
know...everything’s fine now.
MOM (O.S.)
(Laughing)
Well, thank goodness for that. What
kind of dream?
MAYA
(Chuckling, shaking her
head)
Ugh, It was just one of those
nightmares that feels too real, you
know? I was stuck on the subway
with these other people and, you
know what, I don’t want to talk
about it.
MOM (O.S.)
I’ve had those. You wake up and
it’s like you’re still stuck in it.
You want to come over later? We
could have lunch or something.
MAYA
You know that I won’t.
MOM (O.S.)
Sweetie, you can’t stay in your
apartment your entire life, it’s
bad for your health.
The phone line chews and warps.
MAYA
Mom?... You’re breaking up.
MOM (O.S.)
Do...something with...your life...
The line warps further, then cuts out.
MAYA
Mom?... Hello?
She hangs up and settles down at the table, flipping on the
TV. The morning news plays in the background, the soft murmur
of the anchor comforting. Everything feels normal.
ON TV
A NEWS REPORTER stands in front of a burnt out building - the
orphanage.
NEWS REPORTER (O.S.)
Some victims were as young as six
have been reported to our news
room...
In the background of the reporter, the Burnt Girl stands
ominously still, almost staring through the screen at Maya.
Her cat curls around her leg but as she goes to stroke it,
the cat isn’t there.
MAYA
Jerry?
Looking around the cat is nowhere to been seen. Shrugging it
off, she picks up a news paper, which has images that
indicate to the subway train.
NEWS REPORTER (O.S.)
...Leah Jones, Ethan Bruce and Maya-
With the names not registering, she switches off the TV and
heads into the living room.
INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The curtains are still drawn but you can hear a busy city.
Relaxing on the sofa, sipping her coffee, something catches
her eye. A crumpled piece of paper on the table - yellowed
and fragile. She frowns. It wasn’t there before. Slowly, she
reaches out to touch it, unfolding it carefully.
It’s an old drawing, childish and crude two stick figures
standing hand in hand, a blazing fire drawn in thick red
crayon surrounding them.
Her hands tremble as she places the drawing down, the edges
of her vision beginning to blur with anxiety.
MAYA
(Whispers)
What...?
She stands abruptly, her heart pounding again. Trying to
shake it off, she walks to the window, needing air, but as
she pulls back the curtain, she freezes.
Outside her window is not the familiar city street. Instead,
she sees a playground - the orphanage playground. Rusted,
abandoned, the swings creaking in the wind.
She stumbles back from the window, panic rising. This can’t
be real.
Her cat curls around her leg but as she touches it, all she
feels is ash.
MAYA (CONT’D)
(Frantically, to herself)
No... no... it’s not real. It was
just a dream... it’s over...
But it isn’t. Everywhere she turns, the apartment shifts in
subtle, terrifying ways. The burnt teddy bear appears on the
couch. The smell of smoke starts to creep in from the walls,
faint but growing stronger.
The walls around her warp, melting away to reveal the old,
blackened beams of the orphanage.
In the corner of the room, the faint laughter of children
echoes, growing louder as the walls close in.
Maya turns in circles, her mind racing. She stumbles
backward, hitting a wall - but it’s not a wall anymore. It’s
a door - an old, wooden door with blackened edges.
Her hand moves toward it instinctively, her fingers brushing
the wood. She knows where it leads.
INT. ORPHANAGE ATTIC – NIGHT
She steps through the door, Her memories rush back, hitting
her like a tidal wave.
As the memory overtakes her, she sees herself as a child
again - A YOUNG MAYA, standing by the attic door, trembling,
wanting to stop the other children from locking the Burnt
Girl inside the wall storage door, but she remains quiet.
YOUNG DAVID
Have a nice sleep, weirdo.
The all laugh apart from young Maya who holds back her tears.
The sound of footsteps coming from the corridor below
startles the young group and they flee out of the attic,
leaving the gas lanterns behind and passed a traumatized
Maya.
Angry shouts from the WARDEN aimed at the children make Maya
follow.
Genres:
["Horror","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
Confronting the Flames of Guilt
INT. DORMITORY CORRIDOR - MOMENTS LATER
The warden closes each of their doors and locks them all in
their rooms.
WARDEN
A night locked in your rooms will
teach you all a lesson.
The Warden strides away.
MAYA
Wait... there’s someone in the
attic.
The warden can’t hear her as she gives chase - the corridor
stretches on for eternity and every turn leads her back to
the dormitory corridor where smoke has started to filter down
from the attic stairs.
The fire spreads quickly, flames licking at the dormitory
walls and devouring everything in their path.
Screams from the children locked in their rooms meets Maya’s
ears, she turns to run, but her legs are rooted to the
ground. She feels the heat on her skin, the suffocating smoke
in her lungs.
Behind her, she sees her younger self -standing in the middle
of the flames, her small figure consumed by the fire. And
beside her, the burnt girl, her hollow eyes staring back at
Maya.
BURNT GIRL
(Voice soft, haunting)
You did nothing to save me...
The burnt girl steps forward, her charred face twisted in a
ghostly smile. Maya’s heart pounds in her chest as she
realizes the truth: she didn’t save anyone - not herself, not
the other children.
On the floor is the newspaper she was reading in her
apartment - The headline reads ‘FIRE AT LOCAL ORPHANAGE: NO
SURVIVORS.’ She picks it up...
Genres:
["Horror","Drama","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
Echoes of Guilt
INT. MAYA'S APARTMENT. LIVING ROOM – CONTINUOUS
Maya stands frozen, staring at the old newspaper. Her breath
hitches, eyes wide with disbelief as the sound of her
mother’s voice from the phone makes her realizes she’s back
in her apartment.
MAYA
(To herself)
This can’t be... I’m not...
Her heart races as her surroundings start to feel
suffocating. The apartment walls creak, stretching, twisting
unnaturally. The warm, comforting light from her lamp
flickers violently, casting eerie shadows across the room.
MOM'S VOICE (V.O.)
Maya? Maya, are you there?
(distorted, crackling)
Why didn’t you save her?
The words twist into something malevolent. Maya drops the
phone, its clatter deafening in the now - silent room.
The room plunges into darkness.
MAYA
(whispering)
No...
INT. PLATFORM 5 – CONTINUOUS
Maya's hand grabs the rough edge of the platform as she pulls
herself out of the darkness and onto the cold, empty station.
She sees the train doors looming in front of her, her body
shivers uncontrollably as she claws her way towards it.
MAYA
(whispering)
It’s not real... none of this is
real.
But deep down, she knows the truth. A sense of resignation
fills her. She stands, and drags herself back to the train
and steps inside.
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT – CONTINUOUS
The train car is darker now, oppressive and suffocating. Maya
clutches the seat next to her as the ground beneath her feet
begins to vibrate. The train lurches forward.
Her eyes drift down the aisle.
There, sitting where no one sat before, is a burnt girl, her
skin charred and peeling, her eyes hollow and accusing.
Maya’s heart skips a beat, dread clawing up her spine.
BURNT GIRL
(softly, with venom)
Why didn’t you stop it, Maya?
Maya opens her mouth to speak, but ash pours out. The burnt
girl stands, her movements jerky and unnatural, as she steps
closer.
BURNT GIRL (CONT’D)
(mocking)
You did nothing... and now look
where you are.
Maya backs up against the train window, trembling, her eyes
wide with terror. The girl gets closer, the heat from her
body unbearable.
MAYA
(barely audible)
I’m sorry...
The burnt girl’s lips curl into a twisted smile.
BURNT GIRL
Too late.
The train erupts into flames. Maya screams, but the sound is
drowned out by the roar of the fire as it consumes the seats,
the walls, everything.
Her vision blurs as the world around her turns to ash.
Darkness. Silence.
EXT. PLATFORM 5 – MOMENTS LATER
Maya collapses back onto the platform, gasping for air. She
looks back - there’s no fire, no charred remains. The train
doors are open, the carriage silent. It’s as if nothing
happened.
Her gaze lingers on the train, knowing that no matter how far
she runs, this hellish journey is far from over.
MAYA
(whispering to herself)
There's no way out.
She makes her way into the train.
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Maya steps back into the train, her body trembling. The door
hisses shut behind her. The air is thick, heavy with dread,
and the train feels different now - unbearably hot, darker.
They all turn to her as she enters, each wearing the same
mask of fear and confusion.
LEAH
You’ve been gone for hours.
She races over and hugs her, but Maya is too numb to feel
anything.
LEAH (CONT’D)
(urgent, almost
whispering)
Did you see her?
MAYA
(hoarse, barely audible)
She knows... she knows everything.
GREG
(muttering to himself,
then louder)
What does that mean? What does she
want from us?
MAYA
(struggling to speak,
voice shaking)
She wants us to remember. She...
she’s here because of what we
did... because we killed her.
The silence that follows is suffocating, thick with unsaid
words and buried guilt.
EVELYN
(defensive, her voice
cracking)
No, no... I didn’t do anything!
LEAH
(interrupting, furious)
Shut up, Evelyn! You locked her in
that attic too... all of us did. We
left her there!
Leah’s voice trembles with the weight of her own admission.
Greg’s head jerks up, his face pale.
DAVID
(snapping)
It wasn’t just us! Everyone in that
orphanage is to blame! The adults,
the staff...
MAYA
(softly, her voice hollow)
But we’re the ones who locked the
door. Evelyn, you haven’t been out
there, but you’ll see, she’ll make
you see.
Evelyn stoic expression faulters as she drops into the seat
sobbing.
EVELYN
(panicking, voice high-
pitched)
It wasn’t supposed to happen! We
just wanted to scare her, to keep
her away from us. She... she was
always watching us, always creeping
around.
(MORE)
EVELYN (CONT’D)
(screaming, breaking down)
It was just a joke!
The accusation is like a match to gasoline. David lunges
forward, grabbing Evelyn by the shoulders, shaking her
violently.
DAVID
Does this look like a joke to you!?
Everyone rushes to get him off her.
EVELYN
I’m sorry...
ETHAN
Just shut your whaling!
GREG
You can tell that to her face when
you see her...next stop...Evelyn.
EVELYN
(Sobbing)
No...! Please...I don’t want to get
off...
ETHAN
You’re getting off, believe me.
Evelyn sits by the window, staring out at the blackness
beyond. She clutches a small locket around her neck, opening
it to reveal a faded photo of her younger self. Her fingers
tremble as she traces the image.
MAYA
(sitting across from her,
watching)
Who’s that?
Evelyn snaps the locket shut, her expression defensive.
EVELYN
No one. Just... someone I used to
know.
Maya narrows her eyes, sensing the weight behind Evelyn’s
words.
MAYA
She looks like—
EVELYN
(cutting her off, voice
sharp)
She’s no one. Just drop it.
There’s a moment of tense silence. Evelyn shifts
uncomfortably, her foot tapping against the floor. Her face
softens for a moment as she glances back at the locket.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
(barely a whisper)
I didn’t mean for any of this to
happen... I just wanted to be safe.
The train glides past a dimly lit platform. As it does,
Evelyn's gaze snaps to a large, brightly lit sign on the
platform that reads ‘FAT BITCH!’ The walls are covered in
graffiti that all say - FAT BITCH!
Beneath it, a grotesque display showcases a buffet table
overflowing with lavishly arranged food - piles of decadent
pastries, glistening meats, and mountains of desserts.
The sight is both enticing and repulsive. The overwhelming
aromas seem to waft through the air vents, teasing her
senses, invoking a craving deep within her
She shifts in her seat, wrestling with the temptation as the
train begins to stop. But then, as if the universe has
conspired against her, a strong, invisible force pushes
against her chest, compelling her to rise.
EVELYN (CONT’D)
(struggling)
No! I don’t want to get off!
The group look at her, confused.
LEAH
You okay?
Fear pours from Evelyn’s eyes as she is forced towards the
doors.
EVELYN
Help me!
The doors slide open with a harsh hiss, and Evelyn is yanked
out.
INT. PLATFORM 6 - CONTINUOUS
The gaudy platform is filled with laughter and chatter. A
grotesque, smiling CARNIVAL BARKER in a stained tuxedo
appears on the platform, his voice booming as he strangely
dances towards her. His teeth are unnaturally large, his
smile wide and sinister.
CARNIVAL BARKER
(enticingly)
Step right up, folks! Indulge your
senses and satisfy your cravings!
Don’t be shy - this feast awaits
you!
Evelyn shakes her head, retreating further back, but the
doors are closed.
EVELYN
(frantically)
Please, I can’t! Let me back in!
CARNIVAL BARKER
(Menacingly)
Oh, but we insist...
He grabs her shoulder and spins her to face...
Genres:
["Horror","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
30 -
The Feast of Despair
INT. FOODHALL - CONTINUOUS
...a vast, decayed food hall. The ceiling is adorned with
chandeliers, now twisted, melted and dripping with rotten
food. The walls are lined with once - beautiful wallpaper,
now peeling and covered in soot and ash.
Long tables stretch out endlessly, filled with plates of food
- roasted meats, piles of bread, and overflowing platters of
cakes.
The sign hangs from endless chains that reach the white
nothingness above - PLATFORM 6.
As she moves deeper into the hall, she notices hooded figures
standing by the buffet table - the children from the
orphanage. They stand eerily still, waiting for something.
CARNIVAL BARKER (O.S.)
(cheerful, sinister)
Step right up, Evelyn! Tonight’s
feast is just for you!
He gestures grandly to the array of food before her. He rings
a tarnished silver bell.
The moment the bell chimes, the children remove their hoods.
Their bodies are grotesque and misshapen, their faces half-
burnt, with skin charred and flaking.
They don’t walk toward her; they shuffle, like corpses
dragged forward by some unseen force. Their eyes remain fixed
on her as they slowly close the distance.
Evelyn’s heart races, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
EVELYN
(panicking)
No... No, stop! I don’t want it!
But the children keep moving, emotionless.
One of the children steps forward, a BOY. His face is a
mixture of flesh and raw, blackened bone, his hands trembling
as he holds a plate piled high with rotten, maggot-infested
meat. The stench makes her gag.
BOY WITH SCARS
(emotionless)
Eat.
Evelyn stares at the plate, bile rising in her throat. She
tries to step back, but her feet feel rooted to the spot. The
child lifts the plate higher, forcing the food toward her
mouth.
BOY WITH SCARS (CONT’D)
Eat.
The boy’s dead, unblinking eyes show no mercy. He presses the
plate into her hands, and despite her resistance, her body
betrays her. Her trembling fingers grab the food, and she
takes a bite with no control.
The taste is vile. Rotting meat, thick with blood and decay,
coats her mouth. She retches but can’t spit it out. As she
chews, the faces of the children surrounding her become even
more grotesque, their burnt skin peeling, their eyes hollow
pits of blackness.
The next child steps forward - a GIRL with half her face
melted away. She hands Evelyn a plate of what looks like
dripping, uncooked dough, writhing with insects.
MELTED GIRL
(whispers)
More.
Evelyn tries to scream, but the girl shoves the food into her
mouth, Evelyn can’t stop herself - she chews, swallows, over
and over - each bite more revolting than the last. Her
stomach churns, threatening to heave, but no matter how much
she eats, the food never stops coming.
The more she eats, the thinner and sicker the children become
until they begin to drop dead like flies with the more she
consumes.
The line of children stretches out endlessly. Dozens, maybe
hundreds, all waiting their turn. Each child presses more and
more food into her hands, forcing it down her throat.
Under the pressure, Evelyn suddenly remembers something - the
attic.
Genres:
["Horror","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
31 -
The Attic's Flames
INT. ORPHANAGE. ATTIC - FLASHBACK
Ten-year-old Evelyn stands at the wall storage door, her
hands shaking as she pushes the padlock into place. Behind
her, the young group children watches - amused. From the door
comes a desperate pounding - a voice muffled by the thick
wood.
BURNT GIRL (O.S.)
(screaming)
Let me out! Please, Evelyn, help
me!
But Evelyn doesn’t. She presses her weight against the door.
EVELYN
(Coldly)
Enjoy your night alone, weirdo.
The young group hear footsteps coming from the corridor below
and rush out passed a young Maya who reluctantly follows
them. The gas lanterns they brought with them continue to
burn.
Over the pounding, the wind from outside picks up, blowing
through the open attic window.
BURNT GIRL (O.S.)
Let me out! Please...I’m scared!
A gust of wind blows in and tips the gas lantern over,
spilling it’s content across the floor and towards the
newspaper pile. It doesn’t take long before it’s all engulfed
in flames, spreading across the walls and against the wall
compartment door. Smoke seeping under the gap - choking the
burnt girl.
The flames takes control of the entire room as the burnt
girl’s scream shudder the very fabric of the orphanage.
The fire pours down the attic stairs and towards the
dormitory corridor, quickly devouring everything in it’s path
as the screams from the locked in children echo out into the
night.
Young Evelyn, pounds on the door as the smoke seeps into her
room, quickly followed by the flames which eat her alive.
END OF FLASHBACK.
Genres:
["Horror","Drama","Psychological"]
Ratings
Scene
32 -
Inferno of Guilt
INT. FOOD HALL - NIGHT
Evelyn gasps, guilt flooding her. She locked the burnt girl
in the attic.
The Carnival Barker reappears, clapping his hands slowly. The
children step back as he approaches, his wide grin dripping
with malice.
CARNIVAL BARKER
(mocking)
Ah, Evelyn, how cruel you were to
do that...kind of backfired, don’t
you think? You left her there...
and what a feast she’s prepared for
you!
He steps aside, and from behind him, the burnt girl emerges.
She is fully aflame, her body charred and blackened, her hair
singed to the scalp. Her eyes, however, are alive - piercing
with a burning hatred. She steps toward Evelyn, each movement
crackling with the sound of smouldering flesh.
BURNT GIRL
(voice crackling with
fire)
You locked me in. You let me burn."
EVELYN
(sobbing, falling to her
knees)
I didn’t mean to.... it was just a
game.
The burnt girl steps closer, towering over her. The children
begin to chant, louder and louder.
CHILDREN
Eat... eat... eat...
The food piles higher around her, threatening to smother her
under its grotesque weight. Evelyn sobs uncontrollably,
choking on her tears.
BURNT GIRL
(whispering)
You'll never stop. You'll always
want more.
The burnt girl reaches out, her hand still blazing with fire,
and touches Evelyn’s face. The flames leap to her skin,
spreading instantly.
Evelyn screams, but it’s too late. The fire engulfs her,
consuming her like the gluttony she could never control. She
burns, as the children continue to chant.
The food hall melts away in the heat, the walls turning to
ash as the orphanage burns once more around her. The flames
dance higher, consuming everything, including Evelyn, who is
left to burn in the same fire she once helped create.
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Evelyn screams in pain as the others rush around her.
MAYA
What is it? Evelyn!
Evelyn opens her eyes and realizes sees okay and safe. She
sobs uncontrollably.
EVELYN
It’s...all... true.
ETHAN
That’s it right? We’ve all had to
get off so maybe we can go home?
DAVID
Have you not been listening? We
don’t have homes...nothing we knew
ever existed.
ETHAN
But it must do! I didn’t get to
where I am and it means nothing. I
worked my ass off.
LEAH
You still don’t get it, do you? Our
lives were her punishment...and
this... this is some redemption
bullshit.
GREG
Well, something must happen...
Maya notices the train speeding up, the tunnel lights
blurring and twisting.
The faster it goes, parts of the train begin to fall away.
MAYA
(Scared)
Guys...
Everyone stares in shock as more of the train crumbles away.
GREG
Hold on to something.
The all grab hold of whatever they can.
The horrendous churning of metal, mixed with children’s
laughter is overwhelming until it all stops.
INT. PLATFORM 7 - CONTINUOUS
A cloud of mist covers everything. Through it, we see the
platform sign - PLATFORM 7.
The mist lifts to reveal the group on the platform. The track
and train are no more. Looking around the platform, it’s as
if all the previous stops - the food hall, the suburban
house, Maya’s apartment, David’s war, the orphanage have been
stitched together in a grotesque mosaic.
MAYA
What is this place?
The platform ahead is fragmented, jagged like broken glass.
Every few steps reveal twisted versions of their past lives.
They hesitate, the weight of what’s coming pressing down on
them. There’s no turning back.
EVELYN
(quiet, almost pleading)
I can’t... I’ve seen enough.
She takes a step back, but Maya grabs her arm.
MAYA
(firm, though her voice
wavers)
No more running.
They step forward together, cautiously. As their feet hit the
ground, the world shifts around them.
Genres:
["Horror","Fantasy","Psychological"]
Ratings
Scene
35 -
Confronting the Past
INT. FOOD HALL – CONTINUOUS
They’re now in Evelyn’s decayed food hall. The long, rotting
tables stretch out before them, filled with piles of spoiled,
half-eaten food. The sight makes Evelyn tremble. The
children’s shadowy figures stand in a haunting queue. They
hold plates.
EVELYN
(whispers, horrified)
No... not again...
As they approach, the children turn toward Evelyn. They lift
their hands, offering her the rotting food. Their eyes are
empty, their mouths murmuring accusations that only Evelyn
can hear.
CHILDREN (O.S.)
(chanting, softly)
You locked the door... You left
me...
Evelyn stumbles back, but Maya grabs her before she can flee.
MAYA
(urgently)
Evelyn, don’t run. You need to face
this.
Evelyn’s eyes fill with tears, but she swallows her pride and
steps forward. She faces the children.
EVELYN
(sobbing)
I’m sorry. I locked the door...I
deserve all of this...
The children’s murmurs grow louder, echoing in the decayed
hall. Evelyn collapses to her knees, her hands shaking as she
finally admits what she’s held back all these years. She was
responsible. Her pride, her belief that she deserved more
than the others, led to their deaths and a life of gluttony.
The children fade into the mist, and the food hall dissolves
around them.
Genres:
["Horror","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
36 -
Confronting the Flames of Guilt
EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE – CONTINUOUS
The scene changes again. They’re standing in front of Greg’s
suburban home. The windows are dark, and the shadows inside
twist unnaturally. A soft crying comes from within, the sound
of his wife and children.
GREG
I... I tried to make it right. I
did everything I could, but it was
too late.
MAYA
(Firm, but gentle)
It wasn’t enough, Greg. You never
stopped thinking about yourself.
Even now... you’re too proud to
admit you broke them.
Greg stares at the house, frozen in place. He can see the
flicker of light through the window, his wife’s silhouette
waiting for him, the kids huddled behind her. They’re waiting
for him to come home, but he never will.
Greg’s pride won’t let him move. He stands rigid, refusing to
take the step toward them.
MAYA (CONT’D)
(yells, desperate)
Greg! You have to admit it! You’re
dead! They’re gone, and it’s
because of you!
Greg trembles, and refuses to break - until the house begins
to burn. The flames curl up around the walls, slowly eating
away at the foundation. His family’s screams fill the air,
louder and louder. He buckles under the weight, tears falling
from his eyes.
GREG
(voice cracking)
I did it. I destroyed them. I
destroyed everything because I was
too selfish to stop. I killed
them... I killed my family.
As soon as the words leave his mouth, the fire vanishes. The
house fades, and Greg collapses into a heap.
The platform trembles beneath their feet as they continue
their journey toward the light. But as they move forward, the
atmosphere shifts.
EXT. BATTLEFIELD - CONTINUOUS
The platform splits apart, revealing a war-torn battlefield.
The ground is littered with blood-stained mud, shattered
weapons, and fallen soldiers, and civilians all of whom lay
twisted in agony.
David stands frozen, his eyes wide as the scene unfolds
around him.
The acrid scent of smoke fills the air, and the sounds of war
echo in the distance - artillery fire, distant screams, and
the clashing of metal.
GREG
(hushed)
What is this?
But before Greg can finish, the bodies of the two children
that haunt David begin to stir, rising slowly from the mud,
their faces etched in pain and fury.
LITTLE GIRL
(accusing)
You killed us...
David’s chest tightens. His fists clench.
DAVID
(muttering)
I didn’t know...I was following
orders...
His voice cracks as the dead soldiers from his unit rise up
from the ground and begin to shamble toward him, their
lifeless eyes burning with betrayal.
The battlefield warps, and they find themselves in the center
of a firefight, bullets whizzing past him.
David watches himself - younger, more reckless - charging
into battle, his face contorted with rage. He remembers that
rage - how it consumed him, how it drove him to fight
blindly, recklessly.
The soldiers close in on him, their voices echoing louder.
LITTLE BOY
(hissing)
Your anger killed me.
David stumbles back, shaking his head - refusing to admit.
DAVID
(Broken)
I was wrong... my men were dying
and I couldn’t control myself... I
was so angry, I couldn’t stop it.
The battlefield begins to crumble, and the children’s voices
fade into the wind. David falls to his knees, his breath
shaky as he finally releases the anger he’s held onto for so
long.
Genres:
["Drama","War","Psychological"]
Ratings
Scene
38 -
Drowning in Jealousy
EXT. RIVERBANK - CONTINUOUS
The scene shifts again, and now they are standing by a quiet
riverbank. The water flows gently. The peaceful scene is a
sharp contrast to the horror of what’s about to unfold.
Leah stares at the river, her body tense. She knows this
place. It’s the place where she lost her brother.
A child’s laughter fills the air. Leah’s nervously turns to
see her younger self, no more than 11 years old, standing by
the water’s edge. And there, beside her, is her younger
brother, his face beaming with innocent joy.
YOUNGER LEAH
(Menacingly)
Come on, let’s play by the water!
Leah watches, frozen, as the scene replays. The jealousy she
felt, the resentment she harboured toward her brother, it all
comes rushing back. The bitterness had consumed her even as a
child.
The memory shifts, and Leah watches as her younger self
pushes her brother into the river. It’s subtle at first - a
playful shove - but the boy stumbles but manages to claw
himself back towards younger Leah but instead of helping, she
forces him under water and holds him there.
LEAH
(screaming)
No! No, stop!
But she’s powerless to stop it. Her younger self, using all
of her strength holds him down - unmoved, as he flails in the
water, gasping for air, her envy coursing through her body.
The water around her brother’s body stills. He’s dead.
Younger Leah turns to present Leah.
YOUNGER LEAH (O.S.)
(whispering)
They always loved him more than us.
Leah collapses to her knees, her hands trembling.
LEAH
(sobbing)
I’m so sorry... I was jealous... I
never wanted it to end like this.
As her words echo across the river, the water fades, and the
riverbank dissolves into mist.
INT. MAYA’S APARTMENT – CONTINUOUS
The ethereal light blinks again, and suddenly, they are
inside Maya’s lonely apartment. The dim glow of the
television flickers in the background. It feels suffocating.
Maya stands in the center of the room. The reminders of her
past are scattered all around her - the unopened letters, the
neglected phone calls, the half-finished projects. She never
moved forward, never took action.
EVELYN
(Gently)
This feels like a prison, Maya.
The apartment darkens, the walls closing in. The shadows grow
longer, thicker, as Maya struggles to breathe.
The shadows morph, turning into the faces of the people she
left behind - her family, her friends. But the most haunting
face of all is her own younger self, standing by the window.
The burnt girl, her skin charred and twisted, stares back at
her.
BURNT GIRL
(whispering)
You chose to do nothing.
The words cut through Maya like a blade. The fire from the
orphanage flickers in the distance, creeping toward the
apartment, consuming the walls, but Maya doesn’t move. She
watches as the flames crawl closer, engulfing her entire life
— one marked by sloth and passivity — burns away before her
eyes.
GREG
(from behind, desperate)
Maya, you have to face this!
The heat is unbearable now, but Maya finally steps forward.
Her voice cracks as she confronts the truth.
MAYA
(softly, broken)
I never tried... I never fought. I
was too afraid to change, too
afraid to do anything.
The flames roar, but they don’t burn her. Instead, they begin
to fade, leaving only silence in their wake.
Genres:
["Drama","Psychological","Horror"]
Ratings
Scene
40 -
Confronting the Ashes of Greed
INT. PLATFORM 7 - CONTINUOUS
The group stands on the platform, each of them having
confronted their sins, yet Ethan remains silent. The others
watch him, knowing that his trial still lies ahead.
The platform shifts again, twisting into a new form - the
nightmarish version of Ethan’s former life.
INT. TWISTED OFFICE – CONTINUOUS
They are now inside a massive, once - luxurious office
building, but everything is distorted. The grand walls are
cracked, the chandeliers flicker with a ghostly light, and
the leather chairs and wooden desks are rotting.
Ethan stands at the center of it all, breathing heavily. This
was once his world - the world he dominated, the one he
sacrificed everything for.
Piles of money are stacked on the desks, spilling onto the
floor. But the money is blackened, charred, and worthless.
The walls are adorned with portraits — not of family or loved
ones, but of himself. They loom large and imposing, as if to
remind him of his own ego.
The doors slam open, and FIGURES begin pouring into the room -
people he once worked with, people he ruined. They move in
slow, eerie motions, their faces twisted with bitterness,
anger, and sorrow.
EVELYN
(Backing up, nervous)
Who are they?
ETHAN
(Defiant)
People I destroyed.
Ethan backs away as the figures approach him, whispering
accusations.
FIGURE 1 (O.S.)
(whispering)
You took everything from me.
FIGURE 2 (O.S.)
(hissing)
You ruined my life.
The voices grow louder, more venomous. The ghosts of his past
surround him, each one representing someone who suffered
because of his greed.
The homeless woman, ragged and hollow-eyed, steps forward,
her hands trembling as she reaches for him.
HOMELESS WOMAN
(Rasping)
Please don’t do this...I just need
more time.
Ethan’s face twists in agony as the memory resurfaces.
ETHAN
(Defiant)
I... I was just doing what I had
to... I wasn’t the only one!
Her eyes burn with anger, and she screams, her voice a
haunting wail that sends chills down his spine.
The figures close in, their hands reaching for him, pulling
at his clothes, dragging him down to his knees.
GREG
(helpless)
Ethan...
The floor beneath Ethan begins to crumble, and he’s sinking
into it, into the piles of money and ash, as if being
swallowed by his own greed. The voices grow louder, more
accusatory.
FIGURES (O.S.)
(In unison)
You took everything!
Ethan struggles, but the weight of his actions is too much.
The portraits of himself hanging on the walls begin to burn,
their eyes glowing with fire as the flames spread across the
office. The room is collapsing, and the figures continue to
drag Ethan into the floor.
EVELYN
(Horrified)
Ethan, you have to let go! Admit
what you did!
The office is now fully engulfed in flames, the wealth and
power Ethan once coveted burning away, turning to dust before
his eyes. He’s choking, gasping for air, as the realization
of what he’s done crashes down on him.
ETHAN
(Angry)
I... I didn’t care... I only wanted
more. More power, more money, more
control... I didn’t care who I
hurt.
The figures slowly release their grip, fading into the
shadows as Ethan’s admission echoes through the burning
office.
The flames die out, and the office crumbles into dust. The
floor collapses beneath Ethan, and they fall.
INT. PLATFORM 7 – CONTINUOUS
Ethan hits the ground, landing back on the platform with the
others. He’s gasping, covered in ash. The others watch in
silence as he slowly stands, his eyes still full of anger.
MAYA
(softly)
You did it.
Ethan nods.
ETHAN
I said what I had to say to get out
of there.
The platform begins to shimmer, a strange light pulsing from
the far end.
INT. PLATFORM 7 – CONTINUOUS
The group gathers themselves, standing shoulder to shoulder
as they look ahead.
The light grows stronger, beckoning them forward. The train,
the platforms, the horrors they’ve faced — it’s all led to
this final moment. Pride.
They step forward, knowing this is the final trial. Their
ultimate sin, the one that fuelled all the others.
ETHAN
(quietly)
What now?
DAVID
Let’s go find out.
They walk together, toward the swirling reflective light -
like a giant mirror - one final test to determine whether
they’ll be free or lost forever.
Genres:
["Horror","Fantasy","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
Reflections of Change
INT. MIRROR - CONTINUOUS
They stop and look at themselves and the vastness of the
mirror.
MAYA
(Looking at the others)
We’re keeping ourselves here.
Evelyn nods slowly, tears in her eyes. Greg looks down at his
hands, finally realizing his selfishness. David and Leah,
too, stare at their reflections, finally understanding.
Ethan, however can’t fully let go and avoids looking at
himself.
MAYA (CONT’D)
(Determined)
We have to let it go.
Everyone agrees, apart from Ethan, his eyes giving away his
reluctance. As one, the step through the mirror, ready to
face whatever awaits them beyond the light.
Genres:
["Drama","Fantasy","Psychological"]
Ratings
Scene
43 -
Confronting the Flames of Guilt
INT. ORPHANAGE. ATTIC – NIGHT
The group stands in the attic. Their younger dead selves are
laid out in front of them.
Maya, Greg, David, Evelyn, and Leah all stare in horror,
their faces pale, reflecting the weight of what’s to come.
They know they must confront their final truth.
But Ethan lingers behind, his expression tight and
unreadable.
MAYA
(Quietly, trembling)
This is where it all started.
The Burnt Girl, her presence palpable yet unseen, watches
them, lingering just beyond the shadows, waiting for the
truth to emerge.
EVELYN
(Voice cracking)
We have to face it. The fire. What
we did...
Her gaze drops to the blackened floor, and the night of the
fire rushes back to her in fragments: locking the attic door,
the children’s cries, and her own hands trembling as she
selfishly prioritized her safety over theirs. Her role in
locking the Burnt Girl in the attic looms like a dark cloud
over her.
GREG
(looking around, haunted)
We locked her up... and left her to
die.
His voice breaks as the memories flood back. The laughter,
the decision they made, and the flames that consumed it all.
Suddenly, the air grows colder, and the shadows shift.
The Burnt Girl emerges from the darkness, her figure charred
and ghostly, her eyes hollow with sorrow and fury. Her gaze
pierces through them, her mere presence a chilling reminder
of their sins.
BURNT GIRL
(Whispering)
You left me. Burned me. You think
saying sorry is enough?
The group flinches at her voice, so filled with anger and
betrayal.
MAYA
(Tears falling)
We were children... We didn’t know
what would happen—
BURNT GIRL
(Cutting her off, voice
rising)
But you knew. You chose.
She steps closer, her burnt skin crackling with every
movement. Maya, Greg, and Evelyn instinctively take a step
back, guilt carving deep lines into their faces.
GREG
(Quietly, voice raw)
We were afraid... We thought—
BURNT GIRL
You thought about yourselves. You
never thought about me.
Her words hit them like a blow. Leah is trembling, but she
nods.
LEAH
(Breaking down)
We were wrong. We’re sorry. We’ve
been living with this guilt, all of
us. We know what we did.
The Burnt Girl’s eyes flicker with a sad sort of
understanding. Slowly, she turns to Ethan, who remains
silent, standing apart from the others.
BURNT GIRL
(Focusing on him, coldly)
And you... What do you have to say,
Ethan?
Ethan’s jaw tightens, his gaze dropping to the ground. His
face is rigid, hiding the conflict beneath. The others watch
him, holding their breath, knowing what’s at stake.
MAYA
(Pleading)
Ethan, you have to admit it. We all
have to.
GREG
(Desperate)
Just... Just say it, man. We’re all
guilty.
But Ethan doesn’t move. His lips press into a thin line, his
fists clenched at his sides. He refuses to meet their eyes.
ETHAN
(Slowly, barely audible)
I’m... I’m not like you. I didn’t
want this... It was a fucking
accident...you can’t do this to me!
BURNT GIRL
(Stepping forward,
darkening)
But I can, and will continue to do
so, until you all admit it.
The room shifts, growing darker and more oppressive. The
burnt remnants of the orphanage flicker in and out of focus,
the space around them warping.
The shadows twist, stretching across the floor like a web
trapping them in place.
EVELYN
(Terrified)
Ethan, please... You have to admit
it. Or we’ll be trapped here
forever!
ETHAN
(Voice breaking, defiant)
No! I didn’t cause the fire. I
didn’t... I didn’t kill her!
The floor beneath them begins to crack, the air growing
heavier with each passing second. Ethan’s refusal to accept
responsibility is tearing the world apart, and the others
feel the ground pulling them down.
MAYA
Ethan! We won’t get out if you
don’t admit it!
The walls of the orphanage crumble, and fire flickers from
the corners of the room, licking up the walls as they begin
to close in.
Ethan’s face twists with stubbornness, unable to break
through his own pride. The flames grow higher, and the Burnt
Girl watches them coldly, her presence all-encompassing now.
ETHAN
No!
BURNT GIRL
(Whispering darkly)
Then you will burn...over and over
again.
The fire explodes around them, engulfing the room in flames.
The group screams, their bodies consumed by the heat as the
orphanage disintegrates into blinding light.
Genres:
["Horror","Drama","Fantasy"]
Ratings
Scene
44 -
Midnight Indifference
INT. SUBWAY PLATFORM - NIGHT
The electronic clock of the information board clicks to
midnight.
Maya reads ‘The Divine Comedy’ on a bench, subtly scanning
her proximity every few seconds. David plonks himself next to
her and she uncomfortably shuffles away. David scoffs and
Ethan heads into the platform on his phone.
ETHAN
(On his cell - amused)
Six figures easy. Like, these
clients? Clueless. Didn’t even have
to try. Honestly, I feel bad
sometimes, but hey, it’s their
money, right?
The homeless woman knocks into him.
HOMELESS WOMAN
Got any change, sir?
Ethan stares directly at her.
ETHAN
Fuck off.
STATION ANNOUNCER (O.S.)
Attention, passengers. The next
downtown-bound train will be
arriving in approximately 1 minute.
Please stand clear of the platform
edge and allow passengers to exit
before boarding. For your safety,
do not lean against the doors.
Thank you for riding with us today.
Further up the platform, Greg and Evelyn wait next to each
other like perfect strangers. Behind them and hiding is Leah,
keeping a look out for security.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
45 -
Tunnel of Uncertainty
INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - LATER
The train is on it’s way with our six passengers unaware of
what is about to happen.
TRAIN ANNOUNCER (O.S.)
Welcome back passengers. Hold on
and prepare yourselves for the next
stop...I would.
The announcement got everyone’s attention. They share
confused glances between them before the speed into a
tunnel...
...BLACKOUT
THE END.