Maria finds a USB stick containing secret videos of her missing best friend Ashley. In one video, Ashley is upset and agrees to meet someone. Kyle tells Maria he overheard Ashley was meeting Kieran that night. Maria warns Sara, Ashley's twin, about Kieran but Sara takes her into the woods. Sara admits to killing Ashley out of jealousy over the attention Ashley received. A fight ensues and Maria knocks Sara unconscious before escaping.

1. SMALL TOWN SECRETS
By
Caitlin Howard
howardc.student@ringwood.hants.sch.uk
Parsonage Barn Ln, Ringwood
BH24 1SE
01425 481273
This is the property of Moonlight Productions and is intended solely for
educational purposes for studio personnel.

2. FADE IN:
SCENE 1: EXT. CLEARING IN FOREST – DAYTIME
A clearing in the woods. It’s sunny and tranquil, with no
noise apart from birds tweeting.
MARIA WALKER, teen, is lying down on a picnic blanket next to
best friend ASHLEY, same age.
MARIA laughs then ASHLEY points at a cloud.
ASHLEY
Okay, what about that one?
MARIA
Kind of looks like a dog to me.
ASHLEY
Yeah, I can see that.
MARIA
Oh, by the way, when were you
gonna tell me about Kieran? I
saw the look you two shared on
Friday.
ASHLEY sits up, giggling.
ASHLEY
A lady never tells.
MARIA rolls her eyes and gently shoves ASHLEY.
MARIA
Oh, har-har! Come on, tell me! As
your best friend I need to know!
ASHLEY
Fine, fine! So he may or may
not have asked me to prom, and
I may have said yes?
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3. MARIA
MARIA squeals and hugs ASHLEY
Oh my god, I knew it! Ash, I’m
so happy for you!
ASHLEY
Thanks Ri.
Okay, enough talk about boys,
let’s do something fun.
MARIA
Like what?
ASHLEY
Catch me!
ASHLEY runs off towards the forest. MARIA stands up,
surprised.
MARIA
Ash! What the hell? How old are
We?
Laughing she follows ASHLEY
SCENE 2: EXT. FOREST – DAYTIME
MARIA
Aash! Where are you?
MARIA continues walking.
I’m going home now, so unless
you plan to spend the night
here…
MARIA goes deeper into the forest and the sun begins to set.
She rubs her arms.
MARIA
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4. Not funny anymore, Ash. I’m
freezing!
A twig snaps to the right of MARIA. MARIA turns around,
startled.
Ash?
A distant scream is heard.
MARIA
ASHLEY!
MARIA is frantic now as she tries to find ASHLEY.
Where are you?
ASHLEY
(Off screen, distant) HELP!
SOMEBODY!
MARIA
Oh my god, ASHLEY! I’m coming!
MARIA starts running towards ASHLEY’S voice.
MARIA
ASHLEY!
MARIA hears something behind her and stops. When she turns
around again, ASHLEY is there. She’s wounded, covered in blood
and dirt.
ASHLEY
Help me…
END OF SCENE
SCENE 3: INT: BEDROOM – NIGHTIME
A typical teenager’s bedroom with a dressing table, bed and
drawers. Side light is the only light source.
MARIA wakes up gasping in bed. After a few minutes, she checks
the time on her phone. It’s 3am.
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5. MARIA (VOICE OVER)
Dear Ash. It’s been a month
since you vanished. I’ve had
the same nightmare again.
MARIA is seated at her desk, typing on her laptop. It’s an
email to Ashley.
MARIA (VO)
When it ends, I wake up and
for a second let myself believe
that you’re still here, and the
last month was part of my
twisted dream. But it isn’t.
Montage of MARIA getting ready for school.
MARIA (VO)
I saw your sister yesterday,
with Kieran.
SCENE 4: EXT. TOWN CENTRE – DAYTIME - FLASHBACK
MARIA is walking, headphones in and shopping bags in her hand.
She sees SARA consoling Kieran.
He was a mess, Ash. God, even
when you aren’t here, you know
how to leave an impression on
people.
END OF FLASHBACK
SCENE 5: INT. KITCHEN - MORNING
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6. MARIA reads a note left by her dad. ‘Gone to work early. Don’t
wake your mother.’. MARIA sighs, takes out milk from fridge.
SCENE 6: INT. MARIA’S PARENT’S BEDROOM
MARIA goes to her parents’ room. MOTHER is asleep under the
covers, curled up. MARIA looks at her, hesitates then shuts
the door.
MARIA (V0)
Mum and dad haven’t changed,
she’s still delusional about
him and he’s still the same
asshole who loves screwing his
secretary. (Bitter sarcasm) a
perfect family.
SCENE 7: EXT. FOREST PATH - DAYTIME
MARIA shuts her front door, puts her headphones in then starts
walking to school. Music starts to play
MARIA (VO)
I miss you. You don’t know how
much. Love, Ri.
SCENE 8: EXT. SCHOOL ENTRANCE
MARIA arrives at the gates of her school. People stare and
whisper. MARIA looks down and continues.
EXTRA #1
I heard she was the last one
who saw Ashley.
EXTRA #2
How can she even show her face?
We all know she killed her.
EXTRA #1
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7. Well without a body the police
can’t charge her.
As MARIA walks, she sees SARA WEST, ASHLEY’S twin, who is with
KIERAN. SARA waves sadly to MARIA. MARIA gives her a small
smile.
SCENE 9: INT. ART ROOM – AFTERNOON
MARIA is alone in an art room, headphones still in. Music
fades as she paints. She stops painting when she gets a text
from her mum which says ‘Please come home. It’s getting late
xx’. She packs up and heads to her locker.
SCENE 10: INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – LATE AFTERNOON
MARIA walks to her locker. She thinks she hears a noise but
nothing’s there. Suspense music increases as she opens her
locker. There’s a letter signed to ‘RiRi’. Dazed, she opens
it, inside it reads ‘play me’. There’s a USB inside.
SCENE 11: EXT. FRONT OF SCHOOL – NIGHTIME
MARIA gets her phone out, visibly shaking. She phones her dad.
He picks up after a few rings
MARIA (PHONE)
Dad, I was hoping you could
pick me up- (a woman is
laughing in the background)
FATHER
I’m busy at work. Phone one of
your friends.
MARIA
That’s fine. I’ll walk. What
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8. time will you-
FATHER
WOMAN laughs and tells him to hang up.
Look, I’ve got to go.
MARIA
See you at home then.
FATHER
(Hangs up)
MARIA
Asshole.
MARIA looks around. She puts her headphones in, looks around
warily and walks home. She arrives home, a medium sized modern
apartment.
SCENE 12: INT. HALLWAY
MARIA
Mum?
MOTHER
MOTHER talks from another room.
(From another room) In the
kitchen, love. Just making
dinner.
MARIA
I’ll be in my room if you need
me!
SCENE 13: INT. BEDROOM
Key’s jingle in door. FATHER comes in. Maria overhears her
mother and father talking in the next room..

9. MOTHER
Where were you honey, it’s
almost 9?
FATHER
I stayed late at work, like I
told you this morning. Do I
need your permission now?
MOTHER
I just forgot you told me! I
wasn’t trying to-
FATHER
Yeah yeah, you weren’t trying
to start anything. Like always
it’s my fault, right? Give me
a break!
MARIA puts her headphones in to drown out their arguing. Her
music fades in. She remembers the letter, takes out the disk
and puts it in her computer.
The disk is full of videos under the name ‘ASHLEY’. She clicks
on one. The recording is shaky, it’s of her and Ashley at the
park laughing and talking.
MARIA
(whispers) Oh my god…
MARIA clicks on the video which was the date Ashley
disappeared. ASHLEY is alone at the local park, talking on the
phone to someone. She seems distraught. After agreeing to meet
the person at ‘our spot’ in half an hour, she starts to leave
and the video cuts off. MARIA looks shocked.
MARIA is in bed, staring at her ceiling. Music gets more
intense. After a few moments, she turns to her side. Music
cuts off as the screen goes black.
CUT TO NEXT SCENE

10. SCENE 14: INT. CAR – DAYTIME
MARIA is in the car with MARIA’S FATHER. It’s completely
silent. They arrive at her school. After a pause, she gets
out.
FATHER
I’ll be staying late at work.
You’ll have to walk home.
MARIA
Okay.
SCENE 15: EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT
MARIA shuts the door and he drives off. She heads to school.
SCENE 16: INT. STUDY ROOM AFTERNOON
MARIA is studying. She gets up to get some water. When she
arrives back at her desk, there’s a note on her desk reading,
‘meet me by the bridge after school. I’ll tell you what
happened to Ashley.’
SCENE 17: EXT. BRIDGE OVER STREAM
MARIA takes out her phone and waits. Soon, a man wearing a
hoodie arrives. As he gets closer, she recognizes him.
MARIA
Kyle? What the hell is going
on?
MARIA loosens her grip on her phone.
KYLE
I can explain. Everything.
MARIA

11. Go ahead.
SCENE 18: EXT. BENCH NEXT TO RIVER
MARIA and KYLE are sitting on a bench.
KYLE
I loved her. Still remember the
day I fell for her. Halfway
through year 1, my family moved
us to this dead-end town, and I
started school as the outsider.
Kieran and his posse were being
dicks, and as usual, I ignored
them. But Ashley noticed. She
walked straight up to Kieran,
looked him dead in the eye, and
told him to leave me alone. He
listened. Nobody’d stood up for
me, nobody cared enough, until
her.
MARIA
She never told me about that.
Doesn’t excuse you filming her,
Though. You know how creepy
that is?
KYLE
I know how it looks, trust me.
But I wasn’t trying to be a
creep. There was a film school
I wanted to get into this
summer and they wanted us to
make a film. My concept was
hidden beauty. She was part of

12. my film. Obviously, I can’t
submit it now.
MARIA
Obviously. A Stalker film of
A missing girl would be sure to
land you on the police’s radar.
MARIA frowns, realising something.
According to the police, I was
the last person to see her.
That day, I walked with her to
the park but left early. You
know that though, you were
there. Do you know what
happened to her?
Kyle
Not really. After she left the
park, I got a call from my dad.
It was the day of my mum’s car
accident.
KYLE looks away.
KYLE
I headed straight to the
hospital, got the news that my
mum sustained severe brain
damage from the collision and
stayed with my dad by her side
all night. I only heard about
Ashley’s disappearance a few
days later.
MARIA
Losing two people you care

13. about at the same time… I can’t
imagine.
KYLE
Be glad you don’t have to.
MARIA
(Tentatively) you said you knew
what happened to Ashley.
KYLE
Yeah. I overheard her say who
she was meeting that night.
MARIA
Who?
Kyle
Kieran. He’s started getting
close to her twin, as I’m sure
you’ve noticed. I can’t figure
out why.
MARIA
(Disbelief) I can’t believe
he’d do this. He seemed so
upset the other day, when he
was with- Sara. I need to warn
her.
END OF SCENE
SCENE 19: INT. MARIA’S BEDROOM
MARIA is on her laptop. She sends a message to SARA on
Facebook messenger.
MARIA (MESSAGE)
Hi Sara. I know we haven’t
talked since Ash disappeared,

14. but I need to talk to you.
SARA (MESSAGE)
Is everything okay?
MARIA (MESSAGE)
It’s about Kieran. You can’t
trust him. I think he had
something to do with Ashley’s
disappearance.
SARA (MESSAGE)
Okay. Meet me by Ash’s spot in
10?
MARIA (MESSAGE)
See you then.
MARIA grabs her coat and heads out. As she leaves, her phone.
Starts to buzz. Kyle leaves a string of texts: ‘Maria, it’s
Kyle’, ‘answer your phone.’, ‘I was wrong, she never met
Kieran that night.’ ‘Don’t go near Sara. She’s dangerous.’
SCENE 20: EXT. WOODS – LATE AFTERNOON
MARIA is walking to Ashley’s spot. She checks her pockets for
her phone then realises she doesn’t have it.
MARIA
(Under her breath) Shit. Sara?
No response. A branch snaps somewhere behind her. She turns
around and there’s nothing there. She reaches the clearing.
Sara isn’t there.
SARA
You know you really should
invest in a torch.
MARIA
You scared me!
SARA
Sorry. So, what do you know?
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15. MARIA
About Kieran? Only what I’ve
heard. He was supposed to meet
up with her here, the same
night she disappeared. They
were arguing before she saw him.
I think he did something to
Ashley.
SARA
Wow. Are you sure it was him
she was meeting?
SARA walks to the edge of the clearing. MARIA follows.
MARIA
I’m sure. I’m sorry you had to
find out like this.
SARA
This was our spot, you know.
Mine and Ashley’s.
They walk deeper into the woods. MARIA starts to get
suspicious.
MARIA
Where are we going?
ASHLEY ignores her.
SARA
Everyone remembers it as hers
though. Anything that Ashley
wanted, Ashley got. She had
everyone wrapped around her
little finger: our parents,
friends, Kieran.

16. SARA abruptly stops. Ahead of her, there’s a fresh pile of
dirt. MARIA notices and stumbles in shock. She stifles a cry.
MARIA
(Cries out)No! No… What did you
do?
SARA
Nothing she didn’t deserve.
MARIA
How could you?
SARA
How could I? How could she! My
whole life, I lived in the
shadows of my perfect, shining
star of a sister. She took
everything that should’ve been
mine, everything she wanted and
you all let her! I just
returned the favour.
MARIA
You’re a monster!
SARA
Don’t worry, you won’t have to
See much of me soon. Say hi to
Ashley for me.
SARA hits Maria over the head with a rock. Ringing is heard
and MARIA goes unconscious. She wakes up to see SARA digging.
MARIA throws herself at unsuspecting SARA. SARA falls and hits
her head.
MARIA
(Out of breath) Go to hell.
SCENE 21: EXT EDGE OF WOODS – NIGHTTIME

17. MARIA stumbles out of the forest. She reaches a road as a car
approaches. The car stops and someone gets out to help.
THE END