EXT. BUCHTTON WOODS- MORNING Two foxes slink out from behind bare dark brown trees that protrude from the white snow. Their amber eyes reflect the early morning sun and their paws make barely a sound against the frost. One of them, a female with fur slightly more orange than the other, pauses. She tilts her head toward the wind and breathes in the frosty air. She nods to her companion and the two pick up their pace and dash out of sight. INT. GOLD FAMILY DINING ROOM- MORNING A large dark brown dining table sits in the center of a bright, spacious room. Light shimmers through the glass windows and focuses on two children, a nine-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl. AMELIE Ezra, we should check on them. EZRA Mom and Dad are going to kill us if we go outside. AMELIE Yeah, but we can't just stay in this ginormous house all day when they need our help! EZRA We should stay, Amelie. Amelie groans and stares out the window at the trees. EXT. CLEARING OF BUCHTTON WOODS- LATE MORNING Large human footprints are stamped into the snow, yet no person is visible. A tree shivers as a squirrel scurries across its limbs. A low growl can be heard coming from the forest floor. The squirrel freezes before leaping from tree to tree. AMETHYST (O.S.) We've already gotten three squirrels. I don't think I have the energy to hunt anymore. The two foxes from earlier stop at the bottom of the tree. The squirrel peers down at them and chatters at them. The darker orange fox, Amethyst, snarls. AMETHYST Now this one is mocking us. CRYSTAL Well, we have a whole pack to feed, Amethyst. AMETHYST Right, Crystal...and I just chased away that squirrel. Sorry. CRYSTAL It's okay. Remember to pause. It'll give you clarity. We must go find more prey. Crystal turns around. Her fur bristles as her gaze washes over the footprints before her. AMETHYST A human. CRYSTAL Let's walk away slowly. INT. GOLD FAMILY DINING ROOM- LATE MORNING Amelie and Ezra are still sitting at the dark brown dining table. Ezra now has a book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, open, but Amelie continues to stare out the window. EZRA Ah, this part is so funny. Aru is saying she's an "A student" because her first name starts with an "A." AMELIE Who cares, Ezra? I'm going to check on the foxes. EZRA Oh, and she's also saying she's a "genius" just because her teacher called her that sarcastically. Amelie is shaking her head at her brother. Sighing, she gets up from the table and leaves Ezra alone in the sunlit room. EXT. BUCHTTON WOODS- LATE MORNING The two foxes are padding away from the footprints. Their feet create little marks in the snow. AMETHYST Why are we heading in this direction? This isn't toward home. CRYSTAL The human will follow our footsteps. We must lead them in one direction and then flee. AMETHYST What about our prey? CRYSTAL We'll get them later. For now, we survive. The foxes continue weaving through the trees. The sun rises around them and the trees become more starkly contrasted against the white snow. A MALE VOICE (O.S.) Stop there, foxes! EXT. CLEARING OF BUCHTTON WOODS- SAME TIME Amelie stomps through the snow in a bright purple coat. The woods embrace her, but the outline of her house, a mansion, can be seen in the distance. AMELIE Where could those foxes be? She pauses and looks around her. She is in the same clearing as the large human footprints. There are more of them now and they trace the direction of Crystal's and Amethyst's pawprints. Amelie kneels down and peers at the foxes' little footprints. Smiling, she stands and follows the tracks. Her own steps leave imprints beside the foxes'. Moments after Amelie leaves the clearing, the trees tremble as Ezra rushes into the scene. His black winter jacket is unzipped and his gray hat is lopsided on his head. His eyes wash over the four sets of footprints, all heading in the same direction. EZRA Who made those big ones? He looks up and sees Amelie walking in the distance. He scurries off after his sister, whose purple jacket is quite visible against the brown trees. EZRA Amelie! Stop! Amelie twists around to see her brother dashing toward her. AMELIE Ezra! I thought you were reading your book. EZRA I was, but I noticed you had disappeared. AMELIE I had to check on the foxes. Growling breaks through the atmosphere. The two siblings share a glance before racing off into the trees. EXT. BUCHTTON WOODS- SECONDS LATER Amelie and Ezra scamper through the trees and almost collide with a large man with big brown boots standing in front of the two foxes. Crystal and Amethyst cower to the ground with their fur on edge. MAN I was wondering when I would run into you foxes again. You ruined everything for my wife and me when you ran away. AMELIE Dad! Leave them alone! The man twists around to face his children. MAN Ezra, Amelie? Go back inside. AMELIE Dad, you can't hurt Crystal and Amethyst. You've already caused them enough pain. MAN How do you know their names? EZRA We're the ones that freed them last Summer from where you held them captive. MAN They're just animals. Because of my experimenting, they can now talk like humans. The man turns back to the foxes and approaches them with his gloved hands reaching out to grab their scruffs. Crystal and Amethyst stay in their positions, their bodies shivering. Ezra and Amelie glance at one another, both their eyes wide. In unison, they lunge for their father and knock him onto his right side. The man howls. The two foxes peer up at Ezra and Amelie, but then gallop deeper into the woods until their orange fur are just specks in the distance. The man pushes himself off of the ground and into a sitting position. Snow and dirt coats his jacket and gloves. He stares at his children who stand above him. A glint of a tear can be seen in his eye . MAN Why would you do that? I'm your father. Ezra and Amelie stay silent. The man and his children stay in the clearing as the sun brightens the trees around them. Birds can be heard twittering in the background and the amber eyes of foxes surround them. Thank you for reading! If you like my screenplay, please don't be afraid to give it a share. Comments are always welcome and I love hearing your thoughts. Question: What would you have done if you were Ezra or Amelie?
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AuthorI'm Darcy Ridge, creating stories that all revolve around family and identity in a myriad of ways. In the past, I have shared multiple stories and published a novella online. You can find me on Wattpad and many other social media websites. They/them [Image Description: black background with the words "Social Justice and Mental Health Resources" in white in the center /end ID]
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