Marked By Darwin

Written by Hamish Lancaster

DRAFT 4
June 2012
© Hamish Lancaster

Marked By Darwin - Page1.

EXT. BACKYARD - DAY (Opening Credits Sequence)

Concrete moves by, leading to grass, dirt and shadows. A clothes line spins slowly in the breeze. Near the back of the yard a group of guys are standing around a swimming pool. A clear liquid flows through the air towards the pool. Droplets fall from the edge of the now empty kerosene can. Clumsy hands strike at a match, a first time, a second, then a third until the match ignites. The match is dropped.

After a small burst of fire the flames spread across the surface of the water in slow motion. The fire builds in intensity as it spreads, then reaches a crescendo as it rises up and engulfs the air above the pool with a Huge Ball of flame. The guys shield their faces from the heat of the explosion, and stumble backwards, some falling onto the grass behind them.

INT. BEDROOM - DAY

A small boy is sitting slouched up against a wall, he looks too young to be capable of reading, but he has Charles Darwin's “On The Origin Of Species" upside down in his hands, he browses the pages as if it were a picture book.

There is a sudden increase in sound as a group of older boys enter the house, as they pass the small boy's room one drops a backpack, and a mini DV camera falls halfway out. The small boy notices the camera, and moves towards it.

FADE OUT.

INT. LOUNGE ROOM - DAY

Two of the older boys can be heard entering the house; their voices get louder as they enter the room.

GLENN
And then we set the layer of

kerosene on the top of the pool on fire. Man.. The Flames were huge!

STEVE
Why are you always doing that kind

of stuff Man? Doesn't it ever seem like a bad idea in hindsight?

GLENN
(Slowly and confused)

I guess so. . .

Marked By Darwin - Page 2.

Glenn rummages through his bag, and notices the digital video camera out of place.

GLENN (CONT'D) (cont’d) Did someone use this while I was

gone?

STEVE
Maybe your little brother got bored

and made a movie of the cat's food bowl again.

GLENN
The tapes got an extra 20 minutes

recorded on it. That little Freak. I told him not to touch my camera.

The Two Guys set the camera up with the Television and view the footage.

INT. EMPTY GARAGE - DAY

The point of view shakes and stumbles across the garage, finally resting near the garage doorway. Footsteps can be heard leaving.

The little brother returns after a short while and drops a bunch of objects on the ground. He faces the camera.

LITTLE BROTHER (in a dramatic voice)

Behold the amazing light bulbs of doom! Marvel at the bravery of these foam pieces and aluminium cans. The Garage Door Crushing Events are about to begin!

The little boy then lines up light bulbs, pieces of polystyrene foam from appliance packaging, and aluminium cans, all directly underneath the garage door. He presses a button, and the door descends.

LITTLE BROTHER (cont’d) DOOM ! DOOM ! DOOM !

One by one, the objects crumple and give way to the door, first the foam, cracking and flying off in shattered chunks. Then the aluminium cans collapse and fall to the side. And finally the light bulbs explode with a sharp popping sound as the door finally reaches the ground with a steady "Boom".

BRUCE
So I was just using the buzz saw

like I usually do, but the damn thing got stuck into the wood didn't it. I didn't think to turn it off but, just grabbed onto it and started pulling...

INT. ROYAL DARWIN HOSPITAL O.R. - DAY

FADE TO:

Marked By Darwin

Page3.

GLENN
Holy crap! That's awesome. We have

to try that man...

STEVE
Much better than the cat food video

that's for sure. How strong is your garage door?

GLENN
Let’s find out, can you get the

watermelon out of the fridge?

STEVE Sure thing.

INT. ROYAL DARWIN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM - DAY

Glenn is rushed in on a stretcher, and taken through a doorway; he can be heard screaming as he goes.

Steve is stopped at the doorway and told to wait at reception. Steve sits in amongst others in the waiting room. A strange assortment of people fill the other seats. A man is at the reception desk explaining his ailment. He clasps his knee with a tight grip, as if to keep it from coming apart, blood dripping from his hands occasionally.