First Script

OPENING SCENE

Black. Beat. The sound of scene panting slowly fills the screen. Sharp cut to a POV shot of someone running, the sounds of the woods around them filling overwhelmingly. There are heavy, plodding footstep in the background, something chasing them. The feet trip over a branch and fall. The ground rushes up, a flash of gold.

Cut to MS-EL of Octavia sitting up in bed, panting. WS-EL/LA of Octavia sitting up in bed, shoulder rising up and down. She tilts their head back and falls back into the bed. Cut to the title card. The Golden Crown.

KITCHEN

Cut to MS-EL of Octavia eating breakfast, dressed for school. Octavia looks bored, tired. Her mom bustles around before sitting down next to her

MOM

Hey baby, you good?

OCTAVIA

Yeah, I guess. I had the dream again

MOM

Oh.

Beat.

OCTAVIA

Is it bad that is doesn't

Beat

Scare me?

MOM

What do you mean baby?

OCTAVIA

(shrugs) I like it

She swallows her food and leans back, pulling her knees to her chest

The running - the adrenaline. Its

Beat

New.

SCHOOL (V1)

Cut to black, school bell rings, Octavia wakes up, slumped over a desk. She stands up to gather her stuff, the teacher calling out to her

TEACHER

Octavia, can you please stay for a second?

Octavia grimaces, picking up her stuff and walking up to the teacher

OCTAVIA

Yes Ms.?

TEACHER

You keep dozing off in class. What's going on?

OCTAVIA

I'm sorry I just haven't been sleeping-

The teacher cuts her off with a wave of her hand

TEACHER

Its not just that, you're

She pauses to consider

Different. Like you're fading away. Is everything okay at home?

Octavia nods her head quickly

OCTAVIA

Of course! Everything's fine!

The teacher isn't buying it, but doesn't press, sighing to herself.

TEACHER

Okay, but you need to do something about this. You have potential, you can't keep sleeping through class.

Octavia nods quickly

OCTAVIA

Yes ma'am, I will, don't worry about it

The teacher sighs and smiles quietly

TEACHER

Alright, well I've kept you long enough. Go on home, and think about what we talked about.

OCTAVIA

I will, Thank you

The camera follows octavia as she walks out of the class, around to the front. She walks a few steps (hallway empty) before hearing something drop. She turns around and sees a ring on the floor.

SCHOOL (V2)

Octavia gazes off CS-EL, everything is kind of quiet, slowly you can hear someone calling Octavia's name. Her head whips back. CU to friend, looking worried.

FRIEND

Are you ok? I've been calling your name for like 10 minutes

OCTAVIA

Huh? Yea I'm fine

MS-EL, friend picks up her stuff and moves over to sit next to OCtavia, TS-MS-EL

FRIEND

You've been weird lately. Not talking, dozing off. It's like, idk, you're fading away.

Octavia bites her lip and looks down, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

OCTAVIA

I don't know, it just all seems so

Beat

Empty

FRIEND

What do you mean?

Octavia shrugs, looking away

OCTAVIA

Life. There's no fun. No adrenaline

Beat

No adventure


FRIEND

Huh

Silence. Phone rings

FRIEND

Shit, its my mum, I have to go.

She gathers her stuff

I'll see you tomorrow, yea? Don't give up yet. You'll find an adventure.

She stands up, turns away, hesitates, then turns back, bending over and kissing Octavia's head, making Octavia smile. Friend leaves and Octavia looks down, smiling.

Montage of her in different wacky positions. Eventually, her phone rings and she stands up to go, slinging her bag over her should. She hears something drop and turns around slowly, seeing a ring on the floor

THE RING

Octavia approaches it cautiously, crouching down to pick it up. She studies it for a second, then looks around but sees no one. Shrugging, she stand up and slips the ring (MS/CU-HA)

Cut to Octavia in a forest. She looks up and around the camera following her gaze in a circle.

OCTAVIA

What?

She looks odwn at the ring, then looks up to see a crown on a rock in front of her. She looks down in a tranc and takes the rign off

Cut. She's back in the school hallway, phone ringing. She gasps and drops the ring on the floor.

OCTAVIA

O-oh my god

suddenly a smile lights up on her face

Oh my god!

She grabs the ring, shoving it in her pocket and running down the hall.

Cut

FOLDING LAUNDRY

Octavia's mom is sitting on the couch, folding laundry, WS-EL. Octavia comes in and sits down next to her. Beat. Octavia scoots closer, resting her head on Mom's shoulder.

OCTAVIA

Mom?

MOM

Yes baby?

OCTAVIA

If you had the choice to go on an adventure, when you were my age, would you go?

Beat. Mom sets the laundry down on her lap, thinking, then smiling.

MOM

Yea, definitely.

OCTAVIA

Why?

She sighs nostalgically

MOM

When I was your age, I hated everything around me. It was just - suffocating. There wasn't anything to do, no adventures to go on. I wanted to be like the kids in all the fantasy books that got to go off on some amazing quest. So yea definitely. Why?

Octavia shakes her head

OCTAVIA

No reason

Cut

BEDROOM

Octavia sits on her bed, MS-LA, looking at the ring. She thinks for a second, then reaches out to put it on. Cut

Octavia sits on the floor fo the forest, looking up. She stand up in awe, brushing off her clothes, only to discover she's wearing new clothes, and the gold crown is sitting in front of her on the rock. With a smile, she picks up the crown and puts it on.

The sound of heavy footsteps sound behind her CS-EL, she whirls around to look at it scared/panting at first, before smiling wide.

END