From Darkness

1 INT. COTTAGE, BEDROOM. WESTERN ISLES - DAWN DAY 1 (06:11) 1

We float in the darkness. We can barely make out where we

are. Somewhere in our mind we can hear the distant sound of

footsteps, whispers that seem to race forward and past us,

muffled arguments and cries that circle and fade like some

harrying birds of prey above. We also hear a constant,

strange, low, electric pulsing hum that builds as we hover

towards a sleeping figure, only just discernible in the

darkness, CLAIRE CHURCH (40). As we move closer and closer to

her the mounting discordant cacophony of sound gains a new

metre, CLAIRE’s rising and falling breath - though it somehow

sounds disembodied from her as it gets faster and stronger.

We glide over her body and face until...

CLAIRE’s eyes suddenly open wide. She’s clammy, febrile,

nauseous but awake, escaped, searching for her place in the

real world.

A breeze blows through the open window: the last vestiges of

moonlight illuminating NORRIE DUNCAN (late 30s) sprawled out,

asleep by her side. It is so early it's still night. We can

hear the sea in the background.

2 EXT. COTTAGE. WESTERN ISLES - DAWN DAY 1 (06:13) 2

We hear a door swing to. Two trainer clad feet step onto the

path as CLAIRE stands outside the tiny cottage surrounded by

the sleeping wild hills of the island, the wind buffeting

her. It’s so early it’s still night but across the hills to

the East the slightest show of sun can be seen rising up over

the mountains.

And that’s what CLAIRE makes for as she runs.

OPENING CREDIT SEQUENCE

3 EXT. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 1 (07:09) 3

We see CLAIRE running hard over marsh, rock and hill. Her

breathing hard but controlled.

As she runs we intercut with the thoughts she’s trying to

chase out of her head: disorienting and disturbing snippets

of the dream she wants to put behind her. So between the

solidity of her feet hitting the earth on the island, we hard

cut to:

4 EXT. WASTELAND, MANCHESTER - NIGHT (DREAMSCAPE) 4

We catch glimpses of shadowy figures at the side of the road,

glowing cigarette butts in railway arches and mocking

laughter/muffled conversation.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

The glare of a LORRY’s headlights, its horn blasting as it

passes.

Scuttling litter in the gutter: porno mags, takeaway cartons

and an old shoe.

A street worker - lit in lurid fluorescent cafe light.

A man and a woman tearing at each other’s clothes before sex;

we do not see who nor can we place them particularly (but

it’s CLAIRE & JOHN IN THE HOTEL ROOM).

Each snippet is punctuated by CLAIRE’s running that is hard

and strong, motivated by her determination to escape these

thoughts. The flashes themselves are short and lack narrative

as we are in CLAIRE’s head. She knows the story behind them

and as soon as they emerge CLAIRE is fighting to shut them

down.

Finally we see a snippet of:

A crying woman (a prostitute) on the street, although the

image is so jumbled and in our face we can barely make it out

now. And strangely there is no sound with it. Just silence.

Then a baby’s scream.

BLACKNESS.

5 EXT. COAST. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 1 (07:16) 5

We hear a deep breath, someone sucking the life back into

themselves after real physical exertion: relieved, reigning

themselves back in, surfacing...

CLAIRE opens her eyes. She is stood in her running gear, bent

over, hands on knees exhausted, looking out at the easterly

most point of the island. The first rays of the day, her

total exhaustion and isolation all reassurance and proof that

she is here now, the past and her dreams need no longer

exist. This is her reality.

6 EXT. COTTAGE, FIELDS. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 1 (08:37) 6

Near the cottage, sheep swarm and scatter, frightened as

NORRIE works CARRICK the sheep dog to herd them up a metal

ramp into a transportation van. It is a loud, noisy and

startling process.

CLAIRE mans the sheep as they clatter up the ramp.

CLAIRE:

Woah there..! Give them a chance!

She waves to slow him down, feeling that he’s pressuring

them too much. NORRIE gives her something of a hangman's

grin as he closes up the transporter. The sheep have no

chance. They are being taken for slaughter.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

BEAT. The last sheep in, he shuts the rear of the van and

heads towards the driver's seat.

NORRIE:

Coming?

CLAIRE shakes her head. NORRIE half smiles and climbs in,

slightly gruffly shouting at CARRICK to stay. CLAIRE heads

up to the driver's window and watches NORRIE prepping to

go.

CLAIRE:

You know, I'm tougher than you

think.

NORRIE looks at her, leans out the window and kisses her,

then starts the engine. CLAIRE steps back, smiling but as he

heads off she looks to the van: the captive animals' noses

and eyes peering through the air vents as they are driven off

to slaughter. CLAIRE turns and looks to the now empty

windswept field:
all life gone, the silence suddenly

deafening. She turns and sees CARRICK pining at the open

gate. She whistles to him, and as he trots up to her, rests

her hand on the old dog’s head.

7 EXT. RED-LIGHT DISTRICT, BUILDING SITE - DAY 1 (18:05) 7

The crash of the waves becomes the roar of the engine and

screech of metal as a bulldozer digs out the foundations for

a new building. Claggy, gritty earth pours out from a bucket,

before the blades plunge down into the ground again.

Over the roar we hear a builder call out. He stares down in

the hole then up to the cab driver, motioning for him to

stop. A scrap of old material flutters on the end of the

digger's blade.

8 INT. JOHN’S HOUSE, HALLWAY - DAY 1 (18:12) 8

JULIE (45, professionally glamorous) greets female guests

at a Breast Cancer Awareness charity sale that she’s

organised:
it’s a girls’ night - pink, glamorous, giggly -

in aid of a good cause.

JULIE:

Hi. Don’t you look gorgeous. Wow!

Go through, grab yourselves a seat.

As her guests mill through to the lounge, she passes each one

a glass of fizz then glances up at JOHN who is trying to

sneak across the stairs to the kitchen without having to

become part of things - not a fan of his wife’s charity

nights...

JULIE:

(whispered/ mouthed)

More wine.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE 3A

JOHN:

Seriously.

She gives him a swift look then heads through to the lounge

to join her guests.

JULIE B.G.

(to guests)

There’s some gorgeous stuff for you

to bid on. Remember it’s all in a

good cause, so don’t be shy...

As JULIE continues to speak in the b.g. JOHN looks down at a

tray of glasses he’s meant to be manning. He picks up one of

the several bottles of PINK CAVA, stacked to the side, pops

the cork and begins to fill the glasses. As he does he hears

a peal of raucous female laughter from the lounge.

JULIE B.G./ CONT’D

...imagine the look on his face

tonight if you go home wearing

this.

He stops pouring, looks at the bottle and rather than fill

the next glass, just knocks back what’s left in it. As he

does, his mobile beeps. John looks at his phone, scowling at

the taste of the sweet pink fizz as he reads the new message.

He puts the bottle down, picks up his keys and heads to the

front door.

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