The Last Light
The first thing we hear is breathing. Hard. Desperate. Someone is running. Footsteps pound against gravel as three figures race through the darkness between abandoned railroad tracks. We don't see their faces. Only boots hitting the ground. Hands pushing through branches. Shadows moving between the trees. Behind them, the sky is still faintly orange. The last light of the day is disappearing. They don't have much time. Mara suddenly stops. Eli nearly runs straight into her. Ahead of them, through the trees, something enormous begins to take shape. An old circular brick building, almost completely swallowed by overgrowth. Its roof has partially collapsed. Tall black windows stare out from the darkness. And rising above the roofline is an enormous rusted metal framework. An old railroad turntable. Mara knows what this place is. She doesn't explain. She simply starts running toward it. Eli calls after her. “Mara!” She doesn't stop. Behind them, something moves through the trees. They hear it. They don't look back. They run faster. --- THE RAIL YARD — DUSK They cross the abandoned tracks and finally reach the building. Now they can see it clearly. An old railroad roundhouse. Dozens of enormous doors curve around the circular structure. Some hang crooked on their hinges. Others are sealed shut with decades of rust. Dead locomotives sit on the old tracks, their metal bodies being slowly consumed by vines and trees. Nature has begun reclaiming the entire place. A faded sign still hangs above one of the entrances. AUTHORIZED RAIL PERSONNEL ONLY. Mara slows down. But she isn't looking at the doors. She's studying the building itself. The roof. The drainage. The walls. The old service markings. Every detail. Mara has always been good at finding the things other people overlook. And right now, they need somewhere the thing behind them won't find them. Eli looks toward the horizon. The last sunlight is almost gone. “How long?” Mara doesn't answer. She simply points toward the far side of the building. And they move. --- THE HIDDEN ENTRANCE Behind a wall of weeds, Mara finds a small metal door. She brushes the dirt away. Beneath the grime is an old railroad emblem. She tries the handle. Locked. Mara studies the hinges. Then the wall beside the door. She notices a small recessed panel. She opens it. Inside is an old manual release. Mara grips it and pulls. Nothing happens. She pulls harder. Then— CLUNK. The lock releases. Eli looks at her. Beyond the door is nothing but darkness. Mara switches on her flashlight. The beam cuts through the darkness and reveals a narrow service corridor. Pipes run along the ceiling. Electrical conduits disappear into the walls. Old maintenance signs hang crookedly from the concrete. BOILER ROOM. INSPECTION PIT. CREW ACCESS. Mara listens. Nothing. She looks back toward the tracks. The forest. The dying light. Whatever is hunting them is getting closer. There isn't time to find somewhere better. Mara turns to the others. “Hurry. Get inside.” They disappear through the door. --- INSIDE THE ROUNDHOUSE — NIGHT The door closes behind them. CLANG. Darkness. Mara's flashlight moves slowly through the corridor. Dust hangs in the air. The beam passes over old signs and rusted pipes until finally— the corridor opens. And the three of them step into something enormous. The flashlight rises. Higher. And higher. Until the beam disappears into darkness. They are inside the roundhouse. The ceiling must be forty feet above them. Massive wooden beams stretch across the structure. Old train bays curve around the enormous circular building. Rusting locomotives sit silently on their tracks. The old turntable occupies the center. Everything is still. Everything is dead. It feels less like an abandoned building... and more like a dead city. Eli looks around. “We have to hide.” Mara doesn't answer. She's looking at the floor. Old tracks disappear beneath their feet. Beside them are deep inspection pits. Black openings beneath the locomotives. Places workers once used to repair trains. Places where something else could be hiding now. Mara looks upward. Old offices overlook the roundhouse. Then she notices something. A small maintenance platform hidden behind one of the locomotive bays. A narrow steel staircase leads to it. And behind the platform hangs a row of enormous canvas curtains. Thick. Dust-covered. Still smelling faintly of grease and oil. Mara approaches one and pulls it aside. Behind it is a narrow maintenance cavity between the outer wall and the train bay. Barely visible. Barely large enough for three people. But completely hidden. Mara looks at the others. “If we stay behind this, they won't be able to smell us.” Eli looks inside. “You think we'll fit?” Mara looks at all three of them. “We have to.” Then a sound comes from outside. Not close. But closer than before. Mara immediately drops the curtain back into place. “Now.” --- THE HIDING PLACE The three of them squeeze into the narrow space. Mara pulls the heavy canvas curtain closed. Darkness. Complete darkness. They're pressed together between the outer wall and the old curtain. Nobody moves. Nobody speaks. Mara raises one finger. Silence. Then, for just a moment, her flashlight catches the face of the third member of their group. Jack. Young. Exhausted. Terrified. As Jack adjusts their sleeve, something becomes visible on the inside of their wrist. A small black compass. One of its needles is broken. Eli notices it. “What's that?” Jack looks down at the tattoo. For a moment, their expression changes. “My brother gave it to me.” Eli looks at the broken compass. “Why a broken compass?” Jack gives a faint smile. Almost sad. “He said I never could find my way home anyway.” The smile disappears. Because outside— CRUNCH. A footstep on gravel. Jack's expression changes instantly. Mara points into the darkness. Silence. --- THE HUNT Another footstep. CRUNCH. Closer. The footsteps enter the roundhouse. Mara slowly looks through the tiniest gap in the canvas. Her eye catches a sliver of light. Nothing. Only darkness. Then something passes between the old locomotives. They don't see the creature. Only its shadow. It moves behind the train cars. Then stops. It is listening. Eli's breathing becomes faster. Mara reaches over and covers his mouth. Don't. Jack begins to tremble. A tiny sound escapes them. Mara immediately raises one finger to her lips. Be silent. Then something happens directly outside the curtain. A slow inhale. Long. Deep. Animalistic. Something is smelling the air. Everyone freezes. Another inhale. The creature moves closer. Slowly. A shadow crosses the floor. Then stops. Right outside the curtain. Mara watches through the gap. She can see the bottom of something standing there. Only the feet. Long. Deformed. Wrong. She doesn't look any higher. She doesn't want to know what they belong to. Jack's eyes fill with tears. Mara presses her hand tighter against their mouth. The thing bends slightly. Its shadow changes. It's searching. Eli grips Mara's wrist. Another long sniff. And then— CLANG. A loud metallic sound echoes from somewhere across the roundhouse. The creature turns toward it. The footsteps move away. Slowly. As it walks, the sound changes. Squelch. Squelch. Its feet are moving through something wet. Mara doesn't move. Neither does Eli. Jack remains completely still. The footsteps stop. Then another metallic sound echoes through the building. The old turntable shifts. Just slightly. The entire building groans. The creature begins moving again. Only this time— it's moving faster. Something crashes. A loud BANG echoes across the roundhouse. A metal toolbox flies across the floor. Another crash. Then silence. Mara looks through the gap. Nothing. She waits. Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty. Still nothing. Then— something moves above them. A scratching sound. Mara slowly looks upward. Dust falls onto her face. The scratching moves directly across the ceiling. Another scratch. Then another. Something is crawling above them. Right above them. A small amount of dust falls through a gap in the roof. Mara stops breathing. The creature is above them. Then comes a low, wheezing growl. Only for a second. And then— it moves away. --- THE WAIT Time passes. The three remain hidden. Nobody speaks. Nobody dares to move. The darkness becomes almost absolute. Eventually, Jack's eyes begin to close. They fight it. Mara notices. She quietly shakes her head. Stay awake. Jack nods. But exhaustion is stronger. Their head slowly drops against the wall. Eli watches them. Mara watches the roundhouse through the tiny gap in the canvas. The creature is gone. For now. Jack is asleep. And the two remaining awake stay completely still. Waiting. Listening. Hoping morning comes before the thing returns. --- FLASHBACK — YEARS EARLIER Mara remains awake. Her eyes stare through the tiny opening in the canvas. The old locomotives sit motionless in the darkness. Something about this place feels familiar. Not the building itself. Something deeper. A memory. A place she hasn't thought about in years. Her eyes slowly close. And the darkness changes. --- COUNTY ROAD — YEARS EARLIER Summer. The world is still normal. Cars move along the highway. Birds call from the trees. Insects buzz in the heat. Wind moves through the grass. Mara is younger. She's standing beside a county maintenance truck wearing a reflective work vest. A clipboard is tucked beneath one arm. She's inspecting an old railroad bridge. A coworker stands beside her. “You sure this is the one?” Mara looks down at the plans. “Bridge twenty-seven.” She points beneath the bridge. “There's an old service tunnel underneath.” Her coworker looks confused. “Why would there be a tunnel?” Mara starts walking. “Rail crews used it for drainage and maintenance.” Then her phone rings. She stops. Answers it. “Hello?” Nothing. Mara looks at the screen. No caller ID. She hangs up. The phone rings again. Same number. Mara answers. “Hello?” This time she hears something. Breathing. Very faint. A man. Then a whisper. “Can you hear me?” Mara looks around. “Who is this?” Silence. Then— “Don't let them see you.” The call ends. Mara stares at the phone. Her coworker looks at her. “Everything okay?” Mara hesitates. “Yeah... let's go.” She puts the phone away. But something about the call stays with her. --- THE TUNNEL Moments later, Mara walks beneath the bridge. Her flashlight sweeps across old concrete. Water stains. Rust. Graffiti. Nothing unusual. Then— a faint scratching sound. Mara stops. She listens. Nothing. She continues walking. Another scratch. This time, deeper inside the tunnel. Mara shines her flashlight into the darkness. Nothing. Then the beam catches something on the wall. Old maintenance markings cover the concrete. Except one isn't old. Someone has recently scratched three words into the wall. THEY COME AT NIGHT. Mara stares at them. Her coworker approaches. “What?” Mara points. He reads the words. Then laughs nervously. “Kids.” Mara doesn't laugh. Something moves at the far end of the tunnel. Too fast to see clearly. She raises the flashlight. Nothing. Then— a voice. Very faint. “Mara...” Her blood runs cold. She looks at her coworker. “Did you hear that?” He looks confused. “Hear what?” The voice comes again. Closer. “Maaaaarrrraaa...” Mara turns toward the darkness. The flashlight flickers. Once. Twice. Then— the tunnel lights come on. Her coworker looks up. “That's weird.” He looks at the lights. “The lights shouldn't—” They suddenly go out. Complete darkness. Mara's flashlight comes back on. The beam lands on the floor. And that's when they see them. Bare footprints in the dust. They begin deep inside the tunnel. They lead toward Mara. Closer. And closer. Until they stop directly in front of her. Her coworker sees them. His smile disappears. “Mara... what...” Something is wrong. Then— a sound behind them. A slow inhale. A long sniffing sound. Mara turns. Her flashlight points into darkness. Nothing. And then, just as sunlight begins creeping into the tunnel from outside— something runs. Not toward them. Away. Fast. Its footsteps echo deeper into the tunnel. Mara looks at the footprints. Then at the darkness. She doesn't follow. --- BACK TO THE ROUNDHOUSE Mara's eyes open. The roundhouse. The canvas. The darkness. She's back. Eli is still awake. Mara looks through the canvas again. The old building creaks around them. Somewhere far away— clang. Then another. clang. Then another. clang. Mara's eyes remain fixed on the darkness. “I heard them before.” Eli looks at her. “Heard what?” Mara doesn't answer. She closes her eyes. But she doesn't sleep. Beside them, Jack is already asleep. The roundhouse becomes silent again. --- LATER Hours pass. Eventually, exhaustion finally takes Mara. Eli is already asleep. Jack sleeps between them. For a long time, nothing moves. Then— Jack's eyes open. They stare into the darkness. Something woke them. At first, they hear nothing. Then— a voice. Very faint. Somewhere out in the roundhouse. “...help...” Jack slowly sits up. They look toward Mara. She's asleep. They look toward Eli. Still asleep. The voice comes again. “Please...” It sounds human. Weak. Far away. Jack slowly pushes the canvas aside. They step into the roundhouse. They don't turn on the flashlight. They don't want the light. They whisper into the darkness. “Hello?” No answer. Jack listens. Then— “Over here...” Jack turns. They begin walking toward the voice. Slowly. Carefully. Their hand brushes against the side of an old locomotive. They can barely see. Only silhouettes. The voice comes again. Closer. “Please...” Jack stops. “Where are you?” Silence. Then— a sound behind them. A faint shuffle. Jack turns. Nothing. They take another step. The voice comes from somewhere between two old train cars. “I'm here.” Jack moves toward it. Their breathing becomes uneasy. They reach the gap. Nothing. Only darkness. They look down. Bare footprints cross the dust. Fresh. But not quite human. Then the voice speaks again. “Behind you.” Jack freezes. Slowly, they turn. Nothing. The voice comes again. But something has changed. It no longer sounds human. The words are the same. But the voice is wrong. Deep. Animalistic. “Behind you.” Jack takes one step backward. Then another. They turn toward the canvas. Toward Mara and Eli. They start walking back. Faster now. Then— something moves behind them. Jack stops. We don't see what they see. We only see their face. Their eyes widen. Their mouth opens. But no scream comes. Something grabs them from behind. They are pulled backward. Instantly. Violently. Silently. Their feet leave the ground. Their hand reaches forward. Fingers grasping at empty air. The tattoo on their wrist catches the faintest sliver of moonlight. The black compass. The broken needle. Their fingers disappear into the darkness. The last thing visible is the tattooed hand sliding across the concrete floor. And then— nothing. Jack is gone. No scream. No struggle. No sound. The roundhouse becomes completely still again. --- DAWN Gray light begins creeping through the broken windows high above the roundhouse. Mara wakes. Her eyes open slowly. She looks toward Eli. He's asleep. Then she looks toward Jack. Nothing. Mara blinks. She reaches over. Touches the empty space. Her eyes widen. Eli wakes. Mara looks at him. She doesn't say anything. She simply points. Jack is gone. --- THE SEARCH Mara slowly moves the canvas curtain aside. Gray morning light cuts through the broken windows. Dust floats through the beams. In daylight, the roundhouse looks different. But only partially. Huge portions of the building remain swallowed in darkness. Mara steps out. Eli follows. Neither speaks. They look around. No Jack. Mara scans the floor. Nothing. Then— a distant clang. Deep inside the building. They freeze. Another rattling sound echoes from farther away. Mara looks toward the main doors. Daylight. Freedom. Then she looks back toward the darkness. They need to find Jack. Mara starts moving. Eli follows. They move quietly between the dead locomotives. “Stay close,” Eli whispers. They reach the central turntable. Morning light is stronger here. The huge doors are only fifty yards away. They can see the outside. They can almost feel the morning air. Eli looks back toward the darkness. “We need to go.” Mara nods. They start toward the doors. Then— a wet, scraping crunch comes from behind them. They stop. Silence. Mara slowly turns. Nothing. Only the dark rows of locomotives. Eli whispers her name. “Mara...” She looks. Nothing. Then— something moves. Not the creature. Not all of it. Just a hand. A pale hand slowly appears from behind one of the locomotives. It grips the edge. For a moment, it remains there. Then— it disappears. Mara grabs Eli. “Run.” They sprint toward the light. Ten yards. Five. They're almost outside. Then a sound comes from behind them. Not footsteps. Something dragging across the floor. A long scrape of flesh against concrete. They don't look back. They're almost outside. And then— Mara hears something. A familiar voice. Weak. Barely audible. “Mara...” She stops. Eli stops with her. They turn. The roundhouse behind them is dark. Nothing moves. Then— an arm appears from the darkness. Jack's arm. The tattoo is clearly visible. The black compass. The broken needle. The arm is being dragged backward into the darkness. Mara's face changes. “No.” She starts toward it. Eli grabs her. “Mara!” The arm disappears. Completely. Silence. Mara stares into the darkness. Then— something moves behind the locomotive. Just barely. A shape rises. We don't see its face. We don't see its entire body. Only a portion of it. It slowly turns. And looks directly toward them. Mara freezes. The creature doesn't chase them. It doesn't attack. It simply watches. Then— its head tilts slightly. Almost like a curious animal studying something it has never seen before. Mara grabs Eli. They run. Out into the morning light. The camera remains behind. The roundhouse stays dark. The creature's shape is barely visible among the shadows. Watching. Waiting. And as the screen fades to black— we are left with one final thought: They made it out of the roundhouse. But something followed them into the light. CUT TO BLACK.
CHARACTERS
Mara
protagonist
Jack
other
Eli
protagonist
Dale
minor
PAGE 1
Panel 1:Extreme low angle shot of three pairs of boots pounding across gravel between rusted abandoned railroad tracks. Motion blur on the feet. Loose stones scatter. No faces visible — only legs and the ground rushing past.
Panel 2:Wide shot from behind the three runners — Mara in front, Eli close behind, Jack last. They push through overgrown branches. The sky above is a deep burning orange strip along the horizon, fading to purple overhead. Silhouettes of dead trees frame them on both sides.
Panel 3:Insert panel — close on the treeline behind them. Something large moves between the trunks: the outline of a tall, human-like figure with elongated but recognizably human shoulders, arms, and legs. Only a dark silhouette is visible, partially obscured by branches. No face or surface details are shown. The orange light catches the edge of something pale.
Panel 4:Medium shot — Mara skids to a stop, one arm thrown out to her side. Eli nearly collides with her back, grabbing her shoulder to steady himself. Jack pulls up short behind them both. All three faces turned forward, eyes wide. Through the trees ahead, the enormous silhouette of a circular brick building rises from the overgrowth.
Panel 5:Establishing shot — the old railroad roundhouse looms through the trees. An enormous circular brick structure, roof partially collapsed, tall black arched windows staring out like empty eyes. A rusted metal turntable framework rises above the roofline. Vines and trees have swallowed half the building. A faded sign above one entrance reads AUTHORIZED RAIL PERSONNEL ONLY. The sky behind it is dark purple.
Narrator:“The last light was almost gone.”
Panel 6:Medium close shot of Mara from the front. She stares at the roundhouse ahead, jaw set, breathing hard. She does not hesitate — she turns and breaks into a run directly toward it. Behind her, Eli raises one hand toward her departing back.
“Eli: Mara!”
PAGE 2
Panel 1:Wide shot — Mara, Eli, and Jack reach the far side of the roundhouse. The curved brick wall is consumed by tall weeds and climbing vines. Rusted locomotive hulks sit on dead tracks nearby, their bodies wrapped in vegetation. The three figures press against the wall, scanning it. Mara runs her hand along the brick surface, eyes moving methodically across every detail.
“Eli: How long do we have?”
Panel 2:Close-up on Mara's hands pushing thick weeds aside from the wall. Behind the vegetation, a small metal door is revealed — dull, corroded, set flush into the brick. At its center, barely legible beneath grime, is an old railroad emblem: a wheel and crossed tracks.
Panel 3:Medium shot — Mara examines the wall beside the door. Her flashlight finds a small recessed panel, a square of metal set into the brick. She pries it open with her fingers. Inside: a rusted manual release lever.
Panel 4:Close-up on Mara's hands gripping the lever with both hands, straining. Her knuckles whiten. Veins stand out on her forearms. Then — a large CLUNK sound effect fills the panel gutter.
Panel 5:Medium shot — the service door swings open. Beyond it: absolute darkness. A narrow concrete corridor swallows the flashlight beam. Eli and Jack stand behind Mara, staring into the black opening. Behind them, far in the treeline, branches move.
“Mara: Inside. Now.”
PAGE 3
Panel 1:Wide shot inside the service corridor. Mara leads with her flashlight. The beam sweeps over pipes running along a low ceiling, electrical conduits bolted to concrete walls, and old maintenance signs hanging at crooked angles. The signs read: BOILER ROOM, INSPECTION PIT, CREW ACCESS. Eli follows close behind Mara; Jack pulls the door shut. A heavy metallic CLANG reverberates.
Panel 2:Over-shoulder shot from behind Mara. The corridor ends ahead — the narrow walls open suddenly into an enormous space. The flashlight beam shoots forward into a vast interior and disappears into darkness high above. The scale dwarfs the three figures at the threshold.
Panel 3:Full establishing shot — the interior of the roundhouse. Mara's flashlight sweeps upward to reveal massive wooden beams crossing forty feet above. Old train bays curve around the circular building. Rusting locomotives sit silently on their tracks, wrapped in vines, their headlamps dark. Deep inspection pits gape between the tracks. The enormous central turntable occupies the middle of the space. Everything is still. Everything is dead.
“Eli: It's like a dead city.”
Panel 4:Medium shot — Mara sweeps her flashlight to the right, toward a narrow maintenance platform set behind one of the locomotive bays. A rusted steel staircase leads up to it. Behind the platform hangs a row of enormous canvas curtains, thick and dust-covered, draped floor to ceiling.
Panel 5:Close-up on Mara's face as she stares at the canvas curtains. Her expression is focused — calculating. Her lips press together in a thin line. She has made a decision.
“Mara: There.”
PAGE 4
Panel 1:Medium shot — Mara approaches the canvas curtains. She grips the edge of one and pulls it aside. The flashlight beam cuts into the space behind it: a narrow maintenance cavity between the outer brick wall and the back of a locomotive bay. Barely wide enough for three people. Old tools hang on rusted hooks. The smell of grease and oil is implied by Mara's slight wince as she leans in.
Panel 2:Over-shoulder shot — Eli and Jack look into the cavity over Mara's shoulder. The space is tight, claustrophobic. Eli's expression is uncertain. Jack stares into the dark gap.
“Eli: You think we'll fit? Mara: We have to.”
Panel 3:Insert panel — a sound from outside the building. Through a gap in the roundhouse wall high above, a branch snaps in the darkness outside. The sound is represented by a jagged sound effect. Nothing is visible through the gap — only darkness.
Panel 4:Medium close shot — Mara's head snaps toward the sound. Her eyes go wide for one beat. She kills the flashlight instantly. The panel goes almost completely black — only the faintest ambient light from above outlines three standing figures.
“Mara: Go. Behind the curtain.”
Panel 5:Wide shot in deep shadow — the three figures squeeze into the narrow cavity behind the canvas curtain. Mara goes last, pulling the heavy canvas back into place behind her. The curtain falls. The space is swallowed in complete darkness. Only the faintest outline of the canvas edge is visible.
Panel 6:Close-up on the canvas curtain from inside the cavity. Still. Heavy. A thin vertical sliver of darkness is visible at the curtain's edge — the roundhouse beyond. Silence. Nothing moves.
PAGE 5
Panel 1:Medium shot inside the cavity — all three pressed together in the narrow space. Mara in front, closest to the curtain. Eli pressed against the brick wall. Jack between them. Mara raises one finger directly in front of her lips. Her eyes are locked forward.
Panel 2:Close-up — Mara clicks the flashlight on for just a moment, angling it downward and away from the curtain. The brief beam catches Jack's face: young, hollow-eyed with exhaustion, cheeks streaked with dirt. Jack's jaw is clenched. Their eyes are wide and wet. The light also catches Jack's wrist — a small black compass tattoo, one needle snapped at an angle, clearly broken.
Panel 3:Insert panel — extreme close-up on the compass tattoo on Jack's inner wrist. The black ink is stark against pale skin. One needle is cleanly broken, pointing nowhere.
Panel 4:Medium close shot — Eli leans slightly toward Jack, eyes on the tattoo, mouth barely open. Jack looks down at their own wrist. Their expression shifts — something behind the fear, briefly visible.
“Eli: What is that? Jack: My brother gave it to me.”
Panel 5:Close-up on Jack's face. A faint, sad smile crosses their mouth — there and gone in one panel. Their eyes are distant for just a moment.
“Eli: Why a broken compass? Jack: He said I could never find my way home anyway.”
Panel 6:Wide panel — all three figures freeze simultaneously. The smile is gone from Jack's face. Their eyes lock forward. From outside the curtain: a single heavy footstep on gravel. CRUNCH. The sound effect is rendered in jagged, sharp lettering across the bottom of the panel.
PAGE 6
Panel 1:Wide shot inside the roundhouse from Mara's POV through the thin gap in the canvas. The gap is a vertical sliver. Through it: the dark roundhouse floor, the flanks of old locomotives, pools of shadow. A second heavy footstep echoes. CRUNCH. Then silence.
Panel 2:Insert panel — through the canvas gap, a dark human-like silhouette moves between two locomotive hulks. Only a shadow is visible: a tall figure with a narrow torso and unnaturally elongated limbs, no face or details. It slides between the train cars and stops. The silhouette is wrong in its proportions: too long, too low.
Panel 3:Medium shot inside the cavity — Eli's breathing is visible as quick, shallow movement in his chest and shoulders. His eyes are wide, fixed forward. Mara's hand shoots out and covers his mouth firmly. Her eyes stay locked on the gap in the canvas. She does not look at him.
Panel 4:Close-up on Jack's hands pressed flat against the brick wall. Their fingers are trembling visibly. Their knuckles are white. The broken compass tattoo is barely visible in the darkness.
Panel 5:Wide shot — POV from inside the cavity looking at the canvas curtain. The curtain bulges very slightly inward — something on the other side is close. At the bottom of the curtain, visible below the hem: two feet. Long. Pale. The toes are wrong — too many joints, bent at unnatural angles. They do not move.
Panel 6:Extreme close-up on Mara's single eye pressed to the gap in the canvas. Her eye is wide open, the pupil huge in the darkness. Below in the gap, the pale deformed feet are visible on the roundhouse floor. Mara does not blink. Her eye does not move.
PAGE 7
Panel 1:Insert panel — the pale deformed feet outside the curtain. They shift. One foot rotates slowly. The creature is turning. A long, wet inhale sound fills the panel gutter — SNNFFF — in rough lettering.
Panel 2:Wide shot — from across the roundhouse, a loud metallic CLANG rings out. A sound effect bursts from the far side of the building. The pale feet outside the curtain go still for one beat — then pivot and step away. The curtain stops bulging.
Panel 3:Medium shot — the central turntable in the middle of the roundhouse shifts. Its massive metal frame grinds and groans. Dust rains down from the beams above. The whole building shudders. A toolbox flies off a shelf somewhere in the darkness with a loud BANG.
Panel 4:Close-up on Mara's eye at the canvas gap. She waits. Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty. Her eye scans left, then right. Nothing moves in the visible sliver of the roundhouse. She holds her breath.
Panel 5:Wide shot inside the cavity — all three look upward simultaneously. From directly above them: a scratching sound. Dust and fine grit fall from the ceiling onto their upturned faces. The scratching moves — slow, deliberate — directly across the ceiling above their heads.
Panel 6:Medium close shot — Mara, Eli, and Jack pressed against the wall, all three faces tilted upward, covered in fine dust. A low wheezing growl resonates from above — only for a second. Then the scratching moves away across the ceiling and fades. Their expressions do not change. They do not move.
Narrator:“Then it moved away.”
PAGE 8
Panel 1:Wide shot — the three figures remain pressed in the cavity. Complete stillness. No movement. The canvas curtain hangs motionless. Time has passed — their postures have stiffened, their faces gone blank with exhaustion and vigilance.
Narrator:“Time passed. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.”
Panel 2:Medium close shot — Jack's head droops forward, then snaps back up. Their eyes flutter — half-closed, then forced open. Their face is slack with exhaustion, cheeks hollow, eyes red-rimmed. They press their back harder against the wall, trying to keep upright.
Panel 3:Close-up on Mara's hand — she reaches out and touches Jack's shoulder. Her fingers grip it firmly. Her other hand comes up, one finger raised: stay awake. She does not look at Jack. Her eyes remain fixed on the canvas gap.
Panel 4:Wide shot — Jack's head drops one final time and does not rise. They are asleep, slumped against the wall. Their tattooed wrist rests visible in their lap. Mara and Eli remain upright on either side of Jack, both staring forward into the darkness. The roundhouse beyond the curtain is silent.
Narrator:“Morning did not come.”
PAGE 9
Panel 1:Close-up on Mara's eyes in the darkness of the cavity. They are open, unblinking, staring through the gap in the canvas. Then — her eyelids grow heavy. Her gaze goes distant, unfocused. Her eyes are no longer seeing the roundhouse. They are somewhere else.
Narrator:“Years earlier.”
Panel 2:Establishing shot — a county road in full summer daylight. Heat shimmer rises off the asphalt. A yellow county maintenance truck is parked on the gravel shoulder. Mara stands beside it, younger — her face unlined, her hair tied back. She wears a bright reflective work vest over a plain shirt, a clipboard tucked under one arm. Beside her stands a man in a matching vest — her coworker, Dale. A railroad bridge spans a creek ahead of them. Insects fill the air.
Panel 3:Medium shot — Mara looks down at a paper plan on her clipboard. She points toward the underside of the bridge where it crosses the creek. Dale squints toward it, shading his eyes.
“Dale: You sure this is the one? Mara: Bridge twenty-seven. There's a service tunnel underneath.”
Panel 4:Medium close shot — Mara's phone screen lights up in her hand. The caller ID field is blank — no number, no name. Just a white rectangle. Mara stares at it, thumb hovering.
Panel 5:Close-up on Mara's face as she holds the phone to her ear. Her expression shifts from confusion to alert. She turns away from Dale slightly, one hand raised to her other ear to block ambient sound. Her brow furrows.
“Mara: Hello?”
Panel 6:Extreme close-up on Mara's ear and the phone pressed against it. From the speaker: the faintest representation of a man's slow breathing — rendered as thin wavy lines near the phone speaker. Then a whispered caption box: DON'T LET THEM SEE YOU. The call ends. Silence.
Narrator:“Don't let them see you.”
PAGE 10
Panel 1:Wide shot — Mara and Dale walk beneath the railroad bridge into the service tunnel entrance. The tunnel mouth is a dark concrete arch set into the embankment below the bridge. Mara leads with a flashlight. The summer daylight is bright behind them; the tunnel ahead is dark. Water stains streak the concrete walls. Old graffiti covers the entrance arch.
Panel 2:Medium shot — Mara's flashlight beam sweeps across the tunnel wall. Old maintenance markings cover the concrete in faded paint. But among them, one marking is new and raw: three words scratched deeply into the wall by something sharp. THEY COME AT NIGHT. The scratches are jagged, urgent, carved into the surface recently — the concrete dust still white around the cuts.
Panel 3:Over-shoulder shot — Dale leans in beside Mara to read the scratched words. He straightens up and shakes his head with a dismissive expression, arms crossing.
“Dale: Kids. Mara: Maybe.”
Panel 4:Medium close shot — Mara stares into the dark tunnel ahead, flashlight raised. From the deep darkness at the far end of the tunnel, very faint: a voice. Mara's expression freezes. Her jaw tightens. She turns to look at Dale.
“Mara: Did you hear that? Dale: Hear what?”
Panel 5:Wide shot — the tunnel lights along the ceiling flicker on all at once with a harsh buzz. White fluorescent light floods the tunnel for one beat. Then — they cut out. Complete darkness. Mara's flashlight snaps back on immediately. Both Mara and Dale stand rigid, staring ahead.
Panel 6:Low angle close-up on the tunnel floor. The flashlight beam hits the concrete. Bare footprints are clearly visible in the thick dust — they begin deep inside the tunnel and lead toward the camera. The prints are large, slightly too wide, the toe impressions subtly wrong. They lead forward, closer, and closer — and stop directly at the bottom edge of the panel, right where Mara would be standing.
Narrator:“They led toward her. And stopped.”
PAGE 11
Panel 1:Inside the tunnel — younger Mara and Dale stand back to back, both rigid. Mara's flashlight points into the dark tunnel interior. The beam finds only empty concrete. Dale's head is turned the other way, toward the tunnel mouth. Their breath mists in the cool air. The bare footprints on the floor between them are sharply lit by the flashlight beam.
Panel 2:Extreme close-up — Mara's ear and the side of her face. Her jaw is locked. Her eyes are cut sideways. Behind her, barely visible at the edge of the panel, is the narrow outline of a tall human-like figure, its head and shoulders slightly thicker than the surrounding darkness. No face or other details are visible. A faint wavy line near her ear represents a slow, deep inhale from directly behind her.
Panel 3:Wide shot — the tunnel mouth behind Mara and Dale. A blade of bright summer daylight cuts across the concrete floor. From deep inside the tunnel, something moves — fast — away from them. Only the blur of motion, the scatter of dust, and the receding echo of rapid footfalls deeper into the dark. Mara and Dale spin toward it.
Panel 4:Medium shot — Mara stands at the tunnel entrance, one hand on the concrete arch, staring into the darkness inside. Dale is beside her, one hand on her arm. Mara does not step forward. She stares into the dark. Her flashlight is in her other hand, beam pointed at the floor. She does not follow.
“Dale: Mara. We're leaving.”
Panel 5:Close-up on Mara's face in the present — the roundhouse. Her eyes are open, staring through the canvas gap. The memory is gone. She is back. Her face is older, harder. A thin line of gray roundhouse light catches her eye through the slit in the canvas. Eli sits beside her, awake. Jack sleeps slumped against the wall between them.
“Mara: I've heard them before.”
Narrator:“The roundhouse. Now.”
Panel 6:Medium shot — Eli turns his head slowly toward Mara. His face is drawn and pale with exhaustion. He stares at her profile. She does not look back at him. Her eyes stay fixed on the canvas gap. Between them, Jack's tattooed wrist rests in their lap, the broken compass barely visible. From somewhere far across the roundhouse: a distant metallic clang.
“Eli: Heard what?”
PAGE 12
Panel 1:Wide shot — the hidden cavity. All three figures are now slumped against the wall in various states of sleep. Mara's head has dropped forward onto her chest. Eli is leaned sideways against the brick. Jack sits between them, motionless. Complete darkness. Then — Jack's eyes open. Wide. Staring straight ahead.
Panel 2:Close-up on Jack's face. Their eyes are open and alert, head tilted slightly. They are listening. Their lips are parted. Sweat on their forehead. Their expression is focused — they have heard something.
Panel 3:Medium shot — Jack looks from Mara to Eli. Both are asleep. Jack's hand hovers near Mara's shoulder, not quite touching. They pull their hand back. They rise slowly to their feet, pressing their back against the wall to move without sound.
Panel 4:Wide shot — Jack steps through the canvas curtain into the roundhouse interior. No flashlight. Only the faint gray ambient from broken windows far above. The dead locomotives are massive silhouettes. Jack stands at the curtain edge, one hand still on the canvas, peering into the dark building. On the floor ahead: fresh bare footprints cross the dust, slightly too wide, the toe impressions wrong.
“Jack: Hello?”
Panel 5:Insert panel — extreme close-up on the fresh footprints in the dust on the roundhouse floor. The prints are bare, large, the toe marks splayed at unnatural angles. The dust around them is recently disturbed. They lead between two locomotive hulks.
Panel 6:Medium close shot — Jack stands between two massive locomotive hulks. Their hand is pressed against the rusted flank of one train. They stare into the gap ahead. A voice comes from the darkness between the cars. Jack's head turns toward it. Their expression tightens.
“Jack: Where are you?”
Narrator:“The voice was weak. It sounded human.”
PAGE 13
Panel 1:Medium shot — Jack stands between two locomotives, facing away from the canvas curtain. They have turned toward a dark gap between two train cars. Their hand is at their side. The footprints on the floor around them are visible. From somewhere in that darkness, a voice comes. The panel gutter carries the words in distorted lettering.
Narrator:“Behind you.”
Panel 2:Close-up on Jack's face. They have turned to look back over their shoulder. Their eyes are wide. Their mouth is open. Their expression is one of raw, disbelieving fear — eyes locked on something just outside the panel frame behind them. The voice comes again, lower, rougher, from somewhere very close.
Narrator:“Behind you. The words were right. The voice was wrong.”
Panel 3:Wide shot — Jack backs toward the canvas curtain, one arm extended behind them feeling for it. Their eyes are locked forward on a human-like silhouette in the darkness ahead: a tall figure with a recognizable head, shoulders, torso, and long arms, but no visible face or surface detail. Massive locomotive hulks frame the figure on either side.
Panel 4:Extreme close-up — Jack's tattooed wrist and hand, fingers splayed, reaching backward. The broken compass tattoo is clearly lit by a sliver of moonlight from above. The fingers are grasping at air. Then — an unseen force grabs the arm from behind. The skin around the wrist compresses. The hand is wrenched violently backward.
Panel 5:Low angle wide shot — the roundhouse floor. Jack's body is gone. Only their tattooed hand remains visible, fingers spread flat, dragging across the concrete floor. The broken compass tattoo scrapes the ground. Dust scatters from the fingertips. Then the hand slides out of frame into darkness. The roundhouse is completely still.
Panel 6:Wide establishing shot — the roundhouse interior. The canvas curtain hangs undisturbed at the far end. The dead locomotives stand in their rows. The floor is empty. No Jack. No movement. No sound. Total stillness. The building is a dead, dark cathedral.
PAGE 14
Panel 1:Wide shot — gray morning light pours through broken windows high on the roundhouse walls. Dust floats in the beams. The canvas curtain moves. Mara pushes it aside and steps out into the roundhouse. She is disheveled, her face rigid. She looks left, then right. The space beside her in the cavity is empty.
Narrator:“Dawn.”
Panel 2:Close-up on Mara's face. Her eyes are locked on the empty space where Jack was. Her jaw is set. Her expression is hard and controlled, but her eyes are wet at the edges. She reaches out one hand and touches the floor where Jack slept — the faint impression in the dust where their body rested.
Panel 3:Medium shot — Eli stands behind Mara in the roundhouse interior. He follows her gaze to the empty floor. He looks toward the main doors — the huge roundhouse entrance doors, where pale daylight and the shapes of trees outside are visible through the gaps. He looks back at Mara.
“Eli: Mara. The doors are right there.”
Panel 4:Wide shot — Mara walks away from Eli, deeper into the roundhouse interior, between two massive locomotive hulks. She scans the floor as she moves. Her head turns methodically. Eli stands behind her, watching her go, one hand half-raised. From somewhere deep inside the building: a distant clang.
“Mara: We find Jack.”
PAGE 15
Panel 1:Wide establishing shot — the central turntable. Mara and Eli stand at its edge. The turntable's massive iron frame is corroded and still. Beyond it, the main roundhouse doors are open — real morning light floods through, golden and clear. Trees are visible outside. The exit is fifty yards away. Mara stares back into the darkness. Eli stares at the doors.
“Eli: Look. We can go right now. We have to leave, Mara.”
Panel 2:Close-up on Mara's face, turned back toward the dark interior of the roundhouse. Her eyes scan the rows of dead locomotives. Her lips press together. She does not move toward the doors.
Panel 3:Medium shot — both Mara and Eli freeze simultaneously. A wet, scraping crunch sounds from behind them. They both turn. The panel shows their backs — they face the dark rows of locomotives. Nothing is visible. Only shadow between the train hulks.
Panel 4:Insert panel — extreme close-up. From behind the flank of the nearest locomotive, a pale hand appears. The fingers are long, the knuckles wrong. The hand grips the edge of the locomotive's rusted body. The fingers tighten on the metal. Then — the hand pulls back and disappears behind the train car.
Panel 5:Wide shot — Mara grabs Eli by the wrist and pulls him hard toward the open doors. Both sprint across the turntable floor. The open doors ahead blaze with morning light. Behind them, in the darkness between the locomotives, a long dragging sound — flesh against concrete — follows them. They do not look back.
“Mara: Run.”
PAGE 16
Panel 1:Medium shot — Mara and Eli near the open roundhouse doors. Morning light is right there. Mara's hand is on the door frame. Then she stops. Her head turns back into the building. Eli, half a step ahead, turns back to look at her.
Panel 2:Wide shot — deep inside the roundhouse, from the darkness between two locomotives, an arm appears. It extends into the faint light. The broken compass tattoo on the wrist is unmistakable. The arm is being pulled backward, dragged toward the darkness behind the locomotive. The fingers are spread wide, reaching toward the doors.
“Jack: Mara...”
Panel 3:Medium close shot — Mara takes one full step back into the roundhouse, her face forward, eyes locked on Jack's arm. Eli's hands grab her from behind — both arms around her shoulders, hauling her back. His face is desperate and wild-eyed. Mara strains against him, one arm extended toward the darkness.
“Mara: No— Eli: Mara, don't!”
Panel 4:Insert panel — Jack's tattooed hand on the concrete floor, fingers flat. The broken compass tattoo faces up. The hand slides backward across the floor and disappears into shadow behind the locomotive. The roundhouse floor is empty. The hand is gone.
Panel 5:Wide shot from inside the roundhouse looking out — Mara and Eli burst through the open doors into full morning sunlight. They are silhouetted against a blazing golden exterior. Trees and sky are visible. The roundhouse interior is behind them, dark. Deep in that darkness, behind a locomotive, the partial outline of a tall human-like figure rises: one shoulder, a tilted head, and the suggestion of long arms. No face, fangs, or other vampire features are visible. It watches them go. It does not follow.
Panel 6:Final panel — wide shot of the roundhouse exterior in morning light. The enormous circular brick building sits in full daylight, overgrown and still. The open door is a black rectangle in the sunlit wall. Mara and Eli are small figures running away across the old tracks into the treeline. The roundhouse stays dark behind them. Nothing else moves. The building is silent.
Narrator:“They made it out. But something followed them into the light.”
