Boonville Prologue

Prologue

EXT. CAMPGROUND IN THE WOODS. NIGHT.

Soft focus on the full moon slowly sharpens until craters are visible. Pan down slowly across stars to tree-tops, zooming out as camera moves, reaching a small campfire. A green tent is in the background, at the edge of the light. A man and his son sit on stools cooking hot dogs over the fire.

The boy is TRAVIS, approximately ten years old.

The man is his FATHER. They are making hotdogs over the campfire.

Text on screen:

30 YEARS AGO

TRAVIS: It’s turning black, Dad.

FATHER: They’re best when they’re black and crunchy. You can’t get them like that in the oven, and if you did, your mother would never let you eat them. Give it a few more seconds and... now!

Father hands Travis a slice of bread and a bottle of ketchup.

FATHER: Do you want relish?

TRAVIS: Mom said it’s gross.

FATHER: Your mom doesn’t know anything about camping. The relish is the best part. That’s why it’s called relish. Here, try a little.

TRAVIS: That IS good! It tastes like pickles.

FATHER: Better than pickles.

TRAVIS: When are we going to make marshmallows?

FATHER: The rules of camping say you can’t roast marshmallows until after the ghost stories. You don’t want me to get arrested by the park wardens, do you?

TRAVIS: Sorry, Dad.

FATHER: It’s okay, you didn’t know. Are you going to tell the first story?

TRAVIS: I don’t know any ghost stories.

FATHER: Don’t know any ghost stories? What has that TV been teaching you? Probably just spend all your time watching cartoons, huh?

TRAVIS: Do you know any, Dad?

FATHER: Of course I do! I was the Tri-State Ghost Story Champion three years running back when I wasn’t much older than you. I know all the good ones, so I guess I’ll have to pass them along... if you’re not too scared.

TRAVIS: I’m not scared.

FATHER: Of course not, my son would never be scared, though after this story, I don’t know. I’m  going to tell you the story of the Loup Garou.

TRAVIS: You’re being silly!

FATHER: I’m not. I’ve seen this monster with my own two eyes. It walks on its hind legs and has hands and feet like a man, but terrible, terrible claws and the head of a beast.

TRAVIS: Like a werewolf!

FATHER: In olden times, evil wizards would make magical belts and coats from the skin of a wolf that would allow them to change into monsters. These wizards didn’t realize it changed them and their children forever. Their children, their grandchildren, and their grand children’s grand children all lived as wolf men, unable to control their desire to devour human flesh!

TRAVIS: That’s not true. You saw one?

FATHER: I did. Right in these woods.

TRAVIS: Did it see you?

FATHER: If it did, I never would have made it out alive. (Taking necklace out of his shirt.) Luckily I was wearing this.

Father hands the necklace to Travis, who looks it over in awe and puts it over his head.

TRAVIS: Is it magic?

FATHER: It’s ordinary silver, the one thing that can stop a Loup Garou. He knew I was there, but the silver disguised me, and I got away.

TRAVIS: Do you think it’s still here, Dad?

FATHER: Probably.

TRAVIS: I’m glad you’ve got that silver.

FATHER: It’s your turn to tell me a story now.

TRAVIS: Okay... let me think... I’ll tell you the story of the... of the White Bigfoot.

FATHER: Sounds scary.

TRAVIS: And I saw it with my own eyes! Right in our backyard! It was two years ago after you got home from work. You were at the barn with the dogs feeding the horse and I walked on the back porch. You were cooking steaks on the grill. I heard a noise behind the wood pile, and when I turned to look, I could see it looking at me over the top of the wood. It must have been ten feet tall and covered with white hair. It’s eyes glowed in the moonlight, and it growled at me. Then it turned and walked away, and I never saw it again.

FATHER: Good thing you didn’t tell me, or I wouldn’t have been able to sleep that night.

TRAVIS: I was scared, but I knew I had to be brave.

OS: A woman screams shrilly.

TRAVIS: What was that, Dad?

Father stands, unsure.

FATHER: I don’t know. (Looks around) Go inside the tent.

Travis goes in the tent and sits curled up on his sleeping bag. He whimpers quietly at every noise from the woods. An uncomfortable amount of time passes before Father returns. He is clearly upset.

TRAVIS: What is it, Dad?

FATHER: Come with me, we’ve got to get out of here.

Travis starts to gather his belongings.

FATHER: We don’t have time for that, we need to go now!

TRAVIS: Is it the Loo Guru?

FATHER: Hurry!

Father cries out as something outside the tent grabs him.

He reaches for Travis, but is yanked back. His screams mask snarls and growls.

Through the unzipped flap in the tent, we can see flashes of Father struggling with a dark shape. Father’s screams quiet, and we can hear sounds of an animal feeding.

Fade to black on the sound of snarls and Travis whimpering.

ROLL OPENING CREDITS.

Beginning 3/15