Druid

By
Zachary Kingham-Seagle

2018
 FADE IN
1 EXT. BALTIMORE - DAY 1
A MISSING POSTER flaps in the wind. A child is missing.

2 INT. HOUSE - NIGHT 2

MATT sits in his house playing with SMALL FIGURINES, their
shadows cascading onto a barren wall.

Matt cuddles up next to someone while holding up a GLASS ORB

that sends sparkles like stars onto the ceiling.
TITLE
3 EXT. DRUID HILL PARK - AFTERNOON 3

Matt looks up at someone, maybe surprised.

4 EXT. DRUID HILL PARK - AFTERNOON CONTINUOUS 4
Matt walks out of the woods with a SMALL GLASS BALL in his
hand and hops on his BIKE.
5 EXT. HOUSE - EVENING CONTINUOUS 5
Matt rides up to his house near Reservoir Hill.

6 INT. HOUSE - NIGHT 6

Matt creeps through his house. A floorboard SQUEAKS, so he
covers his mouth and stops. Matt can hear someone SNORING
thru a cracked door in the room ahead. Matt peaks thru the
doorway and inside his MOTHER sleeps. He sneaks over towards
her bed and carefully opens the cabinet next to her. Inside
is a half empty BOTTLE OF WINE. He picks it up and crawls
out of his mother’s room.
7 INT./EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT CONTINUOUS 7

Matt opens a door and steps outside. Sirens SOUND in the

distance. Matt pours out the wine. Something outside rustles
in the bushes, so Matt stands and waits.
8 INT. HOUSE - NIGHT CONTINUOUS 8

Matt enters his bedroom and opens a BOOK with a tiger on the
cover. Matt’s room is a collection of TOYS, VIDEO GAMES,
SPORTS MEMORABILIA and several FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS. The wall
next to him seems indented, like someone always used to sit
there. His book hides his face.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 2.

MATTHEW V.O.
The little tiger slunked through-
(beat)
The little tiger slinked?

VOICE V.O.
Mhm.
9 EXT. WOODS - NIGHT 9
Stars twinkle as something slinks through the woods.

10 INT. HOUSE - MORNING 10

Matt wakes up to closing doors and the sound of his mother’s
voice in the other room.

MOM
Leaving for work.
Matt walks through his house located near Druid Hill Park.
The house is beginning to fall apart and the backyard is
full of debris.

MONTAGE:
- Inside Matt watches television and looks through a BOX. He
pulls out several SMALL ANIMAL FIGURINES and a JAR.

- He watches a SPIDER creep along his windowsill before

carefully enclosing it inside of a jar.
- Matt sits outside on the patio looking out towards the
bushes.

11 EXT./INT. HOUSE - DAY 11

Two boys SAM and TY rest on their BIKES outside.
SAM
Matt!

Matt hears his friends and slams the book closed. He grabs
his BACKPACK, flies out the door and hops on his BIKE. They
ride down the street.

TY V.O.
I don’t think it’ll work Matt.
 3.

12 EXT. BALTIMORE - DAY 12

The boys ride past people sitting on stoops and walking in
and out of corner stores.
MATTHEW
Why would he lie?
SAM
Why wouldn’t he?

A GUNSHOT rings out and the boys look back towards the
sound. After a few moments they settle back into riding.
TY
Did you bring it?

13 EXT. BALTIMORE - DAY 13

The three boys sit on a grassy field near Hanlon Lake.
Matthew pulls out the glass jar with the spider in it. Ty
plops the trapped spider into a small dugout hole and the
boys spread dirt over top of it.

TY
Now what?
MATTHEW
Wait and see.

14 EXT. BALTIMORE - DAY 14

The trio ride their bikes down city streets in Reservoir
Hill near Druid Hill Park.

TY
Which animal would you pick?
SAM
Hippo.

TY
A hippo?
SAM
Better than a spider.

TY
I don’t think it worked Matt.
MATTHEW
Let’s try again in the park.
 4.

The boys ride past a sign that reads: DRUID HILL PARK and
see signs for the zoo. They can hear the SOUNDS of the zoo
coming from the other side.

15 EXT. ZOO - DAY CONTINUOUS 15

The kids peak over the zoo walls.
SAM
I told you no one was here.
16 EXT. DRUID HILL PARK - EVENING CONTINUOUS 16
Ty, Sam, and Matt see several POLICE OFFICERS searching the
area just past the zoo.

TY
That must be on account of the
tiger.
SAM
I didn’t hear about that.
TY
It ate a guy.
SAM
Why do you always lie Ty?
TY
I’m not lying.
(beat)
Go ask them.

SAM
(groaning)
What are they going to tell us?
(beat)
You lying?
An officer YELLS towards the boys. The three of them peel
out and back towards their homes in the city.
17 INT./EXT. BUILDING - EVENING 17

The kids ride through Baltimore and stop at an old abandoned

building. It’s busted and old and planks of wood lay on the
floor. The boys walk around, Ty pretends to be a spider.
TY
Look it worked.
Sam laughs, Ty attacks Sam as a spider and pretends to bite
him.
 5.

18 EXT. BUILDING - EVENING 18

Ty and Sam stand outside of the building waiting for Matt.

SAM
Matt!
Sam and Ty grow nervous before Matt finally emerges from the
shadows.

19 EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT 19

Crickets CHIRP somewhere on the outskirts of Baltimore. The
humidity is palpable and reflects in the glow of the yard
light revealing trash strewn on a grassy lawn.

20 INT. HOUSE - NIGHT 20

A ceiling fan spins. Matt looks out his room and through the
doorway. His mother, Claire, snuggles next to TOM. WINE
GLASSES sit in front of them. Matt’s box sits next to him.
Matt can hear his mother laughing with Tom in the other room
as they watch the news. Matt moves several items in his box,
there’s a TIGER FIGURINE and a PHOTO of him with someone
that isn’t Tom.
CLAIRE
(yelling)
Want to come in here Matt?
Claire peels Tom’s arm off from around her shoulder. As she
stands its clear she’s a bit tipsy.

21 INT. HOUSE - NIGHT CONTINUOUS 21

Claire comes into Matt’s room. Matt motions for her to close
the door. She does and sits next to Matt.

MATTHEW
Did a tiger escape from the zoo?
CLAIRE
Who told you that?

Matt can smell the wine on her breath.

MATTHEW
Ty.
CLAIRE
That boy lies.
Claire sees Matt’s box. He pushes it under the bed. She
moves towards it.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 6.

CLAIRE
Want to come in with us?
Matt reads his book. Claire leaves, dejected.

VOICE V.O.
The little tiger stopped at a large
river, not knowing if it should
cross.
22 EXT. DRUID HILL - DAY 22

The sun blares causing the boys to squint. Matt rides his
bike towards Druid Hill Park with Ty and Sam.
SAM
What’re you gonna do for us if
you’re lying?
TY
Just because we don’t find anything
doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

The boys slide into the spot and begin to search the area.
TY
What if we find a body?
(beat)
Do you think we can sell it?
SAM
You’re stupid.
TY
Your mom doesn’t think so.
Sam pushes Ty. They’re quiet for a minute. Ty crouches
perched up on a hill behind Sam. Ty pounces. Matt finds a
SHIRT with blood on it and looks around to see if the other
boys noticed, but they’re too busy fighting each other. Matt
puts the shirt in his BACKPACK and looks into the woods.
23 EXT. DRUID HILL PARK - EVENING 23
The boys ride off. Matt looks back

24 INT. HOUSE - NIGHT 24

Tom and Claire sit in the other room. Tom looks over at
Matt. Matt closes his door, pulls out his box and stuffs the
bloody shirt inside. The ceiling fan spins overhead. Matt
sits on his bed, like he did at the start, with his book.
Claire walks in.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 7.

CLAIRE
What are you doing?
Matt pushes the box underneath his bed with his foot.
Claire motions towards Matt’s book and sits down next to
Matt. He tries to pry it out of her hands, but can’t.
25 EXT. BALTIMORE ZOO - EVENING 25
Matt and Ty hang out around the Baltimore Zoo again.
Articles of trash are strewn about. Crickets HUM inside the
darkening woods.
26 EXT. DRUID HILL PARK - EVENING CONTINUOUS 26
TY
I think we should go.
(beat)
Mom’s making dinner.
Ty watches as Matt, wearing a BACKPACK, wanders through the
woods. Matt looks back towards Ty. Ty stares into the woods
as Matt goes deeper. After awhile he can’t see Matt.
TY
Matt!
Off in the distance the zoo can be heard.

27 EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT 27

Matt looks at his house from the outside. He creeps in and
past his mother unconscious on the couch. He opens his box.

28 EXT. WOODS - NIGHT 28

MONTAGE:
- An empty zoo.

- The woods.
- Something slinking in the darkness.
VOICE V.O.
The little tiger slinked through
the jungle and all the animals
hooted and hollered, but then it
heard a roar.
 8.

29 EXT. BALTIMORE STREET - DAY 29

A missing poster blows in the wind. Matt is missing.
30 INT. HOUSE - NIGHT 30

Claire rummages through Matt’s room. She pulls out his box
and opens it, the figurine, the shirt, and the photo are
missing.
VOICE V.O.
And another.
31 EXT. DRUID HILL PARK - DUSK 31
Sam and Ty ride by the park, they yell into the woods and go
in. Sam looks down and sees disturbed earth. He moves some
of the dirt away and sees Matt’s backpack. He finds the
shirt inside and runs. He and Ty ride their bikes away.
VOICE V.O.
And another.

32 EXT. DRUID HILL PARK - EVENING 32

A skyline shot of the woods.
33 EXT. BALTIMORE - NIGHT 33

Matt reads a book with someone on his bed. Matt smiles.

VOICE
Until it found its way home.
34 EXT. WOODS - NIGHT 34

A roar echoes above Druid Hill Park.

FADE OUT