Main Characters-
• PAYTON
• ACE
• ELLA
• MOM
• FOSTER MOM
• GUYs

Synopsis-
Payton, an orphan, struggles with her life pre-apocalypse as she accidentally kills her only family. Struggling with her abusive foster family, she runs away and lives on the streets.

BEGIN FLASHBACK:
1 EXT: UNKNOWN ROAD – NIGHT

An old bronze Hyundai drives down an empty, small road.

2 INT: HYUNDAI – NIGHT

Two kids are in the backseat. PAYTON (6) is playing with her buckle and ELLA (12) is watching the trees goby outside the window.

PAYTON

Look, ELLA! There’s a goat outside!

ELLA

(Not turning around, flat)

Cool, Paypay.

PAYTON
(Pointing)

And another, and another, and another, and-
ELLA

(Annoyed)

We get it Payton! Why do you have to be so irritating.

PAYTON
(pouting)

Why are you always so mean?

MOM
(tired)
ELLA, don’t be rude.

ELLA

(Looking back outside, muttering)

Whatever

PAYTON sticks her tongue out

ELLA
(At PAYTON)

She’s an obnoxious brat-

MOM

ELLA! Knock it off.

ELLA and MOM are fighting while PAYTON keeps playing with her seat belt. Suddenly it snaps open. Unknown to ELLA and the MOM, they all sit in silence for a while until PAYTON decides to give her MOM a hug to make her less stressed. PAYTON pushes her hands off the wheel to give her a hug

MOM

PAYTON! Get back in your seat-

3 EXT: UNKNOWN ROAD – NIGHT

The car swerves and flips off the street into a ditch. Everything is silent, we see ELLA and the MOM dead and get a close up of PAYTON covered in blood. She opens her eyes.

Morph:

Morph:
1 INT: TOYOTA – DAY

Continues with face close up. Five years later, PAYTON (10) with her FOSTER MOM and STEPBROTHER (9), driving in silence. Suddenly the car stops.

FOSTER MOM

(Sternly)

Get out.

PAYTON

(Wide eyed)

But-

FOSTER MOM

Now.

PAYTON gets out of the car and STEPBROTHER sticks his tongue out. PAYTON leaves and walks into asupermarket.

2 INT SUPERMARKET – DAY

PAYTON walks inside the supermarket. She starts going up to different people and pickpocketing them (3). The next person she tries to pickpocket is a man that notices her. She walks up to him and tries to grab something from his pocket when he suddenly turns around and grabs her wrist.

SECURITY GUARD

Now, what do you think you’re doing?

PAYTON

(Trying to get out of his grip)

Let go of me-

SECURITY GUARD

(Speaking on a walkie-talkie)

I need assistance, there seems to be a loose pickpocketer in the aisle 5-Wait come back here!

3 EXT STREET – DAY

PAYTON runs away, out of the store. She sees her FOSTER MOM driving away, while security chases PAYTON.
FADE OUT

FADE IN:

1 INT HOUSE – SUNDOWN

PAYTON, exhausted and dirty, walks into the house. Her STEPBROTHER is playing videos games and yelling at the screen when her FOSTER MOM comes up to her.

FOSTER MOM

(angry)

Where have you been?! You were supposed to make dinner two hours ago!

PAYTON
(tired)

You left me being chased by security guards; do you remember that?

FOSTER MOM

(Slaps PAYTON and she falls to the ground)

Are you calling me stupid!? Go to the kitchen, now!

PAYTON, with watering eyes, goes to the kitchen and starts making their dinner. The brother keeps yelling at the screen and PAYTON gets frustrated.

PAYTON

(Whispering)

I don’t know why I just can’t get a win-

FOSTER MOM

That’s the way your life works, honey. You will never win. People like you always end up at the bottom. No matter how hard you try, you will always be a loser…

FADE OUT

FADE IN:

1 INT ATTIC – NIGHT

PAYTON is sitting in her bed around old, dusty furniture covered with blankets. This is her bedroom. She is crying with her head in between her knees. Suddenly, she slaps a stuffed bunny away and panics. She runs to grab it and hug it. She turns around and sees a window.

-Time skip-

Blankets are tied together out the window, and she climbs down with a backpack full of her stuff. She starts running (10 seconds)

2 EXT TOWNSQUARE – NIGHT

She is directly in the street with cars swerving around her as she apologies and bangs into pedestrians crossing the street. People are yelling at her, and she runs away. While somewhere with less people, she calms down, until she sees a border collie kicked out of a car with a screaming owner. Once the owner leaves, the puppy is scared, standing in the street between traffic. PAYTON rushes in to save the dog and carries him to safety. They both run away to an ally.

3 EXT ALLY – NIGHT

PAYTON

(Exhausted, turning around)

Oh-you’re still here? Well, I can’t take care of you so…bye?

A few steps later.

PAYTON
(Turning around)

Seriously, scram dog. I got to fend for myself as it is. (Quietly) Why did I have to do this-

Suddenly, the puppy starts growling at the dark end of the alley. A bunch of guys with tattoos arrive.

GANG MEMBER 1

(Teasing)

Well, look at this? A little girl and her puppy-scared and alone-in an ally. You know, you shouldn’t be alone in an ally kid, it’s dangerous.

PAYTON

Well, good thing I was just leaving sir-

GUY 1

Aw, don’t leave yet. I have a son about your age. You wanna meet him, name’s CAIUS.

PAYTON

Umm, no thank you-

GUY 1

You know, we have a bunch of fun games and treats at
our hangout, too. You should join us. It’ll only be a sec.

PAYTON

I don’t think I have the time-

GUY 1

(Grabbing PAYTON’s arm)

Well, make the time kid. We own this ally, and you decided to join us.

PAYTON

You can’t really own an ally-

GUY 1

Well, you made the mistake walking in here.

PAYTON stomps on the member’s foot

The members start to grab PAYTON and yank her arms and hair. GANG MEMBER 2 hits her in the head, and she almost gets knocked out. The puppy starts biting their ankles and GANG MEMBER 3 kicks him. PAYTON is furious and tries to fight back. GANG MEMBER 1 holds her in the air by her neck. When in the air, she grabs a pipe in reach and bangs him on the head. She escapes by running away and hides in another ally. While gasping for air, she holds her neck looking in front of her. Behind her, GANG MEMBER 1 kicks her in the back to the ground. He grabs two daggers from under his coat. PAYTON, on the ground, crawls backwards trying to get away. The puppy jumps up and bites his arm. While he is distracted, she escapes in between his legs and before the member can hurt the puppy, she tackles him to the ground. The rest of the gang are heard to be close looking for her, so she runs away with the puppy.

Once she finds an underground space, she breaks down crying with her new puppy.

PAYTON

(stuttering and sobbing)

You are an ace dog, buddy. We are in this together.

FADE OUT

Biography

Hi! My name is Gabby Duman, and I’m a freshman. I love singing and perform in concerts regularly, and music is such a huge part of my life (it’s basically my whole world). Apart from writing music, I also enjoy writing short stories, especially in script format. But, I am definitely more of a math and science girl, so sometimes I’m not the best at figuring out what an author’s deep symbolism is—so that’s exactly why I love writing my own stories. I’d rather be the “confuser” than the “confusee.” I love anything that lets me be creative.

What is your main source of inspiration?

My biggest source of inspiration was the fact that I could never find a TV show, movie, or book that felt exactly right for me. I always loved survival stories, emotional character arcs, and intense action, but there was always something missing from the stories I watched or read. Eventually, I realized that if I wanted a story that truly captured everything I loved, I would have to create it myself. I also knew I wasn’t going to grow into a better writer by simply scrolling through Netflix, so I decided to build my own world.

What motivated you to write this piece, and what is its message?

What motivated me to write this piece was the idea that real change takes time. I wanted to put my characters in situations that challenge them emotionally and physically so they could gradually become better versions of themselves. That idea also reflects my own journey with the series. This has taken up about a third of my life, with hundreds of pages of delicate planning, writing, and rewriting. What you are seeing now is only a small glimpse into a much larger story with many episodes and years of work behind it. Just like my characters, I’ve grown alongside this project. Every page continues to make me a better writer and my characters more complete versions of themselves. The message of the series is that growth, healing, and becoming who you are meant to be is a slow process. Whether in fiction or in real life, meaningful change is something built over time.