The Primaries, Part I

17-year-old orphan, Jo, is one year away from leaving The Primaries and claiming her freedom. All she has to do is lay low and stay out trouble… her freedom and life depend on it.

                                           FADE IN:
INT. HOME - NIGHT

We are in an affluent house staring down an empty and
dimly lit hallway. Suddenly a loud scream comes from 
another room in the house. A little GIRL (6) comes 
running down the hallway. Her clothing suggests that 
she comes from a wealthy family.

She runs around another corner and finds a small 
opening that leads her downstairs to a wine cellar. 
The screams get louder. She goes to the back of the 
cellar behind empty boxes.

An elder WOMAN, a house maid, sits there. The little 
girl collapses next to another WOMAN, her mother 
(30s). She is covered in sweat, her stomach is 
exposed and bloody towels are scattered around her
feet with one draped over her lap. She's holding a 
little NEWBORN baby.

                        GIRL
           Mommy! Mommy! I can't find daddy.

Her mother grabs her and covers her mouth with her 
hand tightly.
                        MOTHER
           You can't make a sound! If they 
           hear you they will take you. I 
           need you to be brave for me.

                                                    
A large blast is heard from somewhere in the house. 
The lights flicker. The girl's eyes panic. Her 
mother lets go of her mouth and signals her to stay 
quiet by putting a finger on her lips.
                      MOTHER (CONT'D)
            Say hi to your little brother...

The girl looks at the newborn and brushes its head.

                      MOTHER (CONT'D)
            I know it's scary right now
            sweetie, but I need you to run.

Her mother puts a weak hand on the girl's cheek. She 
is starting to fade. A pool of blood becomes bigger 
where she sits.
                      GIRL (crying)
             Okay then let's go mommy! Get up!

                      MOTHER
             I love you my sweet girl... But
             you have to go without me.

A gunshot and a woman's cry are heard from down 
the hallway, closer to the room now.

                      GIRL 
              What about him?

She rubs the baby's head.

                      HOUSEMAID
              I'll take care of him, 
              don't you worry.

                      MOTHER                             
              Be brave for me.

                      GIRL 
               Mommy, I can't-

                      MOTHER
               You need to go now!

                      GIRL 
                But-

More gunshots.
                      MOTHER
                Now! Run!

She backs up with tears streaming down her face. 
She runs out of the room. Her mother's eyes close 
and her head drops.

                                            CUT TO:
INT. HOME - MOMENTS LATER

The girl is running through the house, she hears men
shouting downstairs. She's out of breath from crying 
and can barely run straight. She hears two loud 
gunshots from the direction she just came. Her mother
is dead.

Suddenly the girl is grabbed and pulled into another
room. She turns around and her FATHER (30s), kneels 
down to her level. His striking green eyes, the exact
same as hers are filled with relief.

                      FATHER 
                 You're okay!

                      GIRL 
                 Daddy!!

She jumps into his arms and they hold each other 
tightly.

                      FATHER 
                Where is your mother?

                       GIRL
                Daddy I have a little brother!

Tears fill the father's eyes.
                         
                     FATHER
                That's amazing sweetie! But 
                your mother, where is she?? 
                Are they alright?

The girl's lips quiver and she cries.

                      GIRL
               There was blood on the floor. 
               She told me to run. I didn't 
               want her to be mad at me.

Her father's eyes drop. He takes a deep breath 
and shakes his head.

                      FATHER
                No... 
                      (beat)
                Come on, there's no time. I 
                need to get you somewhere safe.

                       GIRL
                Who are all those men daddy?? 
                What are those big booms. 
                It hurts my ears.

                      FATHER
                I know it does, I'm sorry 
                sweetie. It'll all be over 
                soon...

Gunshots are heard getting closer now, a WOMAN 
screams in pain. The girl and her father look 
towards the door and listen as the muffled 
shouting gets closer.

                      FATHER (CONT'D)
                 You need to hide sweetie. 
                 There's no more time to run.
     
                       GIRL 
                 But dadd-

                       FATHER
                 Quiet! You need to be 
                 absolutely silent! Hurry, 
                 get under the bed.

He rushes her under the bed and has her scoot as 
far back as she can.
                      FATHER (CONT'D)
                 No matter what, do not 
                 make a sound, do not come 
                 out. When the men leave...
                       (beat)
                 run as fast and as far away 
                 as you can. Here.

He takes off his ring and a necklace. The ring has a 
large silver band with a large ruby stone in the 
middle and the necklace is a simple black chord with
a silver pendant attached. The girl takes the ring 
and necklace, holding them tightly in her small 
hands.
 
                       FATHER (CONT'D)
                   Hold onto those. Keep them 
                   safe for me.

                       GIRL
                   Daddy...

                       FATHER 
                   I love you.

He backs away from the bed and stands up in another 
area in the room. We can only see from the girl's 
point of view.

Her father's feet pace across the room. He stops 
short of the door when the men begin to bang at 
the locked door. They work hard to eventually bust
the door down. 

At least 6 MEN run into the room all shouting 
different things at the father. They drop him to 
his knees. The girl clutches her hand against her
mouth in hopes to stop her from crying.

Another MAN, wearing nicer shoes than the others 
walks in after everyone else.
                
                        MAN
                  Well well well... 
                  what do we have here? 
                  On his knees, begging 
                  for his life. Isn't that 
                  a sight to see.

                        FATHER
                 What do you want from me?

                        MAN
                  See if I tell you then that 
                  takes all the fun out of it. 
                  My friends wouldn't be too 
                  happy if I did that.

He takes a deep breath like he smells something 
amazing.

                        MAN (CONT'D) 
                        (to his men)
                  Find the brat I'll take 
                  care of him.

                        FATHER
                  No! Please don't hur-

Two guards begin beating the father. Kicking him
relentlessly and hitting him with the butts of 
their guns.

                        FATHER (CONT'D) 
                   Please I'm beg-

BANG. A loud gunshot goes off and the girls father
crashes down to the floor. His eyes meet hers one last 
time. She digs her nails into her skin to keep from 
screaming. Her father's eyes shut. One of the men 
pushes her father on his side and extracts blood from 
his lower back with a hand held machine.

All the men exit the room, leaving the door open. 
After a few moments, she crawls out from under the 
bed and lays on her father's chest. A pool of blood 
seeps into the floor.

                        GIRL
               (sobbing under her breath)
                   No, no... daddy...

The room is silent for a beat. Suddenly, she is 
snatched from behind. She tries to scream. We cannot
see the man behind her, only his hand which wears 
a black glove. When he speaks she realizes it's the 
man who spoke to her father just moments ago.

                       MAN
                 Ahhh, there you are little mouse.

He rips the ring and necklace out of her hands.

                      MAN (CONT'D)
                 I have special plans for you...

His hand slips slightly from her mouth. She screams 
bloody murder.

                                      CUT TO BLACK.
            
TITLE CARD: THE PRIMARIES