Elgin's Enigma ✔

Part 10

INT. CLASSROOM–DAY (DREAM SEQUENCE)

VANESSA stands amongst a group of people, whose faces can't be seen. GOAT MAN stands in front of the crowd and rows of desks can be seen facing the left side of the room. There are ten wooden boxes with locks.

GOAT MAN: Get into groups.

The crowd scatters into small groups to hover over the boxes. Goat man gives Vanessa a key before leaving the room. She looks at the key in confusion while everyone else talks in excitement. A GIRL looks at Vanessa in expectation. The unknown girl looks to be under the age of twelve.

VANESSA: We need to unlock the box?

GIRL: It's hard to unlock.

Vanessa tries to unlock the box with the key but it doesn't unlock. She shakes the box but it is still stubbornly shut tight. She looks at the other groups and one of them managed to open the box.

VANESSA: Why isn't it opening?

GIRL: Guess my age.

VANESSA: What?

GIRL: Guess my age!

VANESSA (jokes): Thirty?

GIRL (gasps): You got it right!

Vanessa is confused at the response while the girl pays no mind as she walks away happily. Goat Man approaches her group.

GOAT MAN: How is everyone feeling?

A number of voices give generic answers such as "good" or "tired" and Vanessa stares at the key in her hand.

VANESSA: Useless.

A BOY approaches Vanessa and grabs her shoulder aggressively. Vanessa spins her head to him. His smug expression annoys her. She slaps his hand away before taking a defensive stance.

BOY: You're under arrest.

VANESSA: Why?

BOY: You're wearing pants.

VANESSA: I'm wearing a dress. I'm not wearing pants at all.

BOY (gives her a small shove): You have to leave. You're not allowed to be here anymore.

VANESSA: I can be wherever I want to be. You have no reason to arrest me!

BOY (yells): I don't care about your goddamn feelings. You're coming with me so you can get locked up!

The boy slams Vanessa into the wall and attempts to choke her. She pushes him away forcefully.

VANESSA: If you want me to just leave you can just say so!

Vanessa storms out of the classroom while crying. The girl runs after her and grabs her arm.

GIRL: It's alright. The game is over anyways. I turned your desk for you too.

VANESSA (stops crying): What?

GIRL: Come see!

They walk back into the classroom and the desks are now facing the right side of the room. The boxes are gone and everyone is sitting in the desks.

VANESSA: What was in the box? Is it really over?

GOAT MAN: Is everything alright?

VANESSA (devastated): No... no. I missed everything. Why did it end so fast?

GOAT MAN: Baaaa!

The chatter starts to become deafening to Vanessa and she covers her ears to block out the noise. She slowly falls to her knees as tears stream down her face. The chatter turns into a low rumbling sound.

VANESSA: Was I...ever needed?

The floor is littered with dead bodies. Vanessa stares at it from her position and all she can do is cry.

The roof suddenly collapses.