Elgin's Enigma ✔

Part 2

EXT. OUTSIDE CITY HALL - DAY

RANDI sits on the steps as people walk by. The teenager watches the streets as a foot shakes in anticipation and has a crumpled piece of paper in one hand. VANESSA rushes to a long line of children for what seems to be a post board. Papers can be seen in all of the children's hands as well. A yellow tattoo of an eye is on the side of Randi's neck and Vanessa has a blue tattoo of a ring on her forearm.

RANDI (stands up): Hey! Careful there! I'm waiting for something!

VANESSA (is confused): What are you waiting for?

RANDI (huffs): You children wouldn't understand.

VANESSA: Aren't you eighteen?

RANDI: Yeah, I'm a legal adult. You aren't. All you have to know is that he only comes at eleven sharp for five minutes and I need that goat lover to answer questions.

VANESSA: There's a long line of people who need their questions answered, you can't just-

RANDI: Shut up. I might miss my chance.

DARCY enters the scene with a sandwich in one hand before approaching Vanessa. GOAT MAN appears and is wearing a white cloak, goat horns and a veil covering his eyes. Randi rushes up to the man while shouting loudly. The man easily dodges the angry teen and summons a goat to make the teen stay at a distance.

VANESSA: Hi, Darcy.

DARCY: Hey, Vanessa. What's up with Randi today?

VANESSA: That crude nut? I think he's still obsessing over the marks again.

DARCY (takes a bite): Marks are weird. I don't know why we have them honestly. To tell people we're foreigners?

VANESSA: Yeah, I don't understand why no one is worried about going back home either. You would think people would try but no, they aren't questioning anything.

DARCY: Dude, this is like an alternate dimension stuck in the past but they have magic. Like, no one is getting answers from anybody on a way back. The line there says it all. (Points to the line-up of children)

VANESSA: I know but why the hell are we here? I tried asking Goat Man for the past several days but I never got a reply.

DARCY: Maybe we'll get answers soon.

VANESSA: I hope. I want them fast.

Randi continues to yell at Goat Man and eventually Goat Man disappears into the fog. The line of the post board groans in unison and the crowd disperses. ERLE waves to the two kids and they wave back.

ERLE: I saw the commotion Randi is causing. I guess Randi really isn't letting go of that note, eh?

DARCY (finishes eating): Note?

ERLE: Yeah. 'Parently received a note with "Quiet Mystic" on the wax seal. Saying something about seeing stuff since they both glimpsed the light.

VANESSA: Isn't that the name of the mark on the nut's neck?

ERLE: Oh yeah. My Elgin family has clearance to the public records. I know the descriptions and how to get them. Only two people have that mark from what I read.

VANESSA: But why all the fuss with Goat Man still?

ERLE: Before Randi got the glimpsed light mark, it was a false prophet mark on that neck there.

DARCY: Seems to be a case of wanting to be special.

ERLE: Yep. Wanted two marks but only got the other replaced. Doesn't seem too happy about it either.

VANESSA: So Goat man also gives the marks right? What's with the marks?

ERLE: I think he uh... gives the goat ones and someone else gives the machine mark. It's a little tricky since not all the details were in the records.

DARCY: Machine mark?

ERLE: Yeah, I know how to get it too. There's a robot statue that's randomly in a field. It gives you the mark if you pull its lever.

VANESSA: I want to see how to get it, but I'm pretty happy with my wandering soul mark in all honesty...

ERLE: I've been meaning to get it anyways. You can come watch me get it. Who knows, we might be able to explore more territory here. I've been itching to see what's beyond this city.

DARCY: The whole city is surrounded by forest and fog. There's no way that you can explore more than what we already did.

ERLE: Who knows, maybe we can find another city or something. It can't be that impossible to find.

DARCY: Dude, this place has a magic Goat Man where people have to sacrifice goat drawings every so often to make him happy. It might as well be impossible.

VANESSA: Well attempting to find something is better than watching the nut having a temper tantrum honestly.

DARCY: True. Let's go then.

Randi walks to Vanessa furiously.

RANDI: It's because of you that I didn't get-

VANESSA (raises hand): Can it, Randi. I was about to leave anyways.

RANDI: You freaking owe me-

VANESSA: Nothing. I owe you nothing. You got to annoy Goat Man and you got nothing. I'm not putting up with this since I needed to talk to him too but it's whatever. I don't need to talk to him anymore. I have other things to do anyways with Erle and Darcy.

ERLE: Yeah, we're doing something productive. We're going to check out how to get the machine mark. Only two other people have it and I want to get it.

RANDI: You're going to that dispenser? It only gives you one mark unlike Goat Man.

ERLE: Well, whatever. I want to know what the machine mark is about, you can come if you want but you're probably too old to be cool.

RANDI (waves the letter): You children have fun then. I'll go get my false prophet mark back.

VANESSA (laughs): I doubt you will!

Darcy, Vanessa and Erle walk away, leaving Randi to read over the letter again.

RANDI: What the hell is the Curio shop? There's no goddamn map in the letter too...