HOIA BACIU

Written by

Samantha Marie Vargas

3213 Rosebud Lane, Winter Park, FL

(904) 226-0427
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

Light filters through white blinds. The walls are pastel

pink. White lace couches face one another, separated by a
brown coffee table.

HENRIETTA VUDVA, 35, blonde with silver roots, lines under

her eyes and mouth, enters.

Henrietta balances a tea set on a tray. She sets it on the

coffee table, pours the tea, and looks up.

HENRIETTA
You said you are a journalist?

Henrietta speaks in a thick accent.

JACQUELINE (O.S.)
Student journalist, but, yeah. I
mean, yes.

JACQUELINE TRUDEAU, 20, sits across from Henrietta. She

bounces her knee.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Im sorry- you said your daughter
went missing about a week ago?

HENRIETTA
Yes. That is right.

JACQUELINE
And, you think she went into the
forest. The Hoia Baciu?

HENRIETTA
Yes.

Jacqueline stares at her lap.

JACQUELINE
Why?

Henrietta shrugs.

HENRIETTA
Call it a mothers intuition.

JACQUELINE
You said that she knew what
happened to people who went into
the forest.
 2.

HENRIETTA
Some think it superstitious.

Jacquelines knee stills.

JACQUELINE
Do you?

HENRIETTA
I think that whatever is happening
in that forest is beyond what you
or I can explain.

Jacqueline sighs and nods.

JACQUELINE
Still doesnt explain why she went
there in the first place.

HENRIETTA
A dog.

JACQUELINE
Excuse me?

Henrietta fixes Jacqueline with a steady stare.

HENRIETTA
She was following a dog.

INT. ENTRYWAY - DAY

Jacqueline pulls on her jacket.

Henrietta stands behind her, arms crossed over her chest.

Jacqueline glances at Henrietta as she rests her hand on the

doorknob.

JACQUELINE
I will find your daughter, Mrs.
Vudva. I promise.

Henrietta steps forward as Jacqueline pushes the door open.

She stands in the doorway.

HENRIETTA
Its a dangerous thing.

Jacqueline pauses at the foot of the stairs. Looks back.

Henrietta scuffs the toe of her slipper against the floor.

 3.

JACQUELINE
What is?

Henrietta lifts her face.

HENRIETTA
Making promises you cant keep.

She glances to the side, and reaches for the door.

HENRIETTA (CONTD)
Tread carefully.

The door closes with a CLICK.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Jacqueline reclines on her bed, her face lit by her laptop.

Papers and books are strewn on top of the rumpled sheets.

She glances toward her notebook, and scratches a short note

on the page.

The computer PINGS.

Jacqueline glances back at the screen and taps the trackpad.

A new window opens to display an e-mail: Good luck on
assignment in Romania!

Jacqueline smiles and exits out of the e-mail. Her smile

falls when she reads the subject line of the e-mail beneath
it: Grant requirements.

Jacqueline closes the laptop and tips her head back.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Stores and restaurants line both sides of the street. Street

lamps stand unlit down the sidewalks.

Jacqueline walks down the sidewalk, a bag full of papers

slung over her shoulder.

She spots GEOFFREY LUPEI, 47. He wears a bright orange vest

over a flannel button-up.

Jacqueline jogs toward him. She waves her hand over her head.

JACQUELINE
Excuse me-- sir!
 4.

Geoffrey stops and turns as Jacqueline catches up to him. He

cocks an eyebrow at her as she jerks to a stop.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Sorry-- are you heading the search
and rescue party for Nadine?

Geoffrey nods.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Need any help?

GEOFFREY
You know the area?

Jacqueline shrugs one shoulder.

JACQUELINE
I can read a map.

Geoffrey shakes his head. Turns to leave.

Jacqueline races around to block the mans path.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Hey- what? Thats not good enough
for you?

GEOFFREY
It is dangerous.

JACQUELINE
I can take care of myself.

Geoffrey drops his head with a sigh.

GEOFFREY
The search party heads out in
thirty minutes. No one stays out
past dark. Be ready.

Jacqueline salutes as she steps back.

JACQUELINE
You can count on me.

EXT. FOREST - DAY

Trees with curved trunks line a path that leads into the
woods. Sunlight breaks through the foliage overhead and
creates patterns on the forest floor.
 5.

The SEARCH PARTY travels through the woods. Various voices

call out for NADINE.

Jacqueline slows to a stop as the Search Party advances

ahead. She diverts from the group and heads into the woods.

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

Jacqueline walks, her path lit by the LED lantern in her

hand. She looks around.

JACQUELINE
Okay.

She sighs.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Okay.

Jacqueline shrugs her backpack off and kneels beside it to

unload its contents.

She sets up her camp. Pitches her tent, creates a fire pit,
and gathers enough firewood to start a small fire.

Jacqueline sits next to the fire and runs her thumb over the
face of her watch necklace. She opens it and stares at a
picture of herself and another woman.

She glances at her equipment and leans over to sift through

the pile. She takes her lantern, retractable baton, and
compass before she stands, kills the fire and sets off.

EXT. FOREST CLEARING - NIGHT

Jacqueline comes upon a perfect circle of trees outlining a

clearing in the heart of the forest.

Her gaze catches on a shadowy figure in the distance.

The figure moves toward the wall of trees on the other side
of the clearing. They walk through a beam of moonlight.

Jacqueline steps forward and cups her hands around her mouth.

JACQUELINE
Hey!

NADINE, 10, pauses. Straight blonde hair fans out around her
head as she turns to glance over her shoulder. She runs.
 6.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Hey! Wait!

Jacqueline sprints across the clearing. She tackles Nadine

and twists midair to take the brunt of the fall.

Both girls grunt when they hit the ground. Nadine squirms in
Jacquelines grip as Jacqueline gasps for air.

Jacqueline sits up, her arms wrapped around Nadine. Nadine

sits in her lap and looks back at Jacqueline.

NADINE
Monstru! Monstru!

Jacqueline shifts her gaze to follow Nadines pointed finger.

She spots the carcass of a dog in the shadows. It lies in a
circle of blood soaked grass and dirt.

JACQUELINE
So much for the dog then.

Jacqueline lifts Nadine out of her lap and holds her hand as
she steps toward the dogs corpse. She kneels down and takes
her retractable baton from its sleeve to poke at the body.

Long, ragged tears run down along the abdomen. Gore and
viscera spill from the wound.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
What kind of animal did this?

Jacqueline sighs and pushes herself up. She returns the baton
to its sleeve and crouches down to lift Nadine into her arms.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Hang on tight.

Jacqueline jogs across the clearing and back into the woods.

EXT. CAMP - NIGHT

Jacqueline sets Nadine on her feet with a groan.

Nadine shifts from one foot to the other. Glances over her
shoulder, then turns her gaze toward the camp. She tugs as
the hem of Jacquelines shirt.

Jacqueline looks at Nadine.

JACQUELINE
What is it kiddo?
 7.

Nadine points at the campsite.

Jacqueline follows her gaze and her eyes widen.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
What the--

The tent lies in shreds at their feet, Jacquelines radio and

satellite phone crushed. The rest of the equipment lays
strewn across the forest floor.

Jacqueline sinks to her knees and sifts through the shattered

remains of her equipment. She picks up the broken phone.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Shit.

She drops it. Lowers her face into her palms.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
God.

Nadine places her hand on Jacquelines shoulder and shakes

her.

Jacqueline lifts her face to look at Nadine.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
What is-

She freezes.

A CREATURE, pale, lanky, and long-limbed, stands before them

on the opposite side of the camp. Beady black eyes stare back
at the pair.

Jacqueline reaches behind herself to pull Nadine against her

back. She pushes herself to her feet.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Stay close.

Jacqueline crouches down to lift Nadine into her arms. Her

eyes never leave the creature.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
I guess that answers my question.

Jacqueline steps backward. A twig SNAPS under her heel.

The Creatures head snaps around to face Jacqueline. Its

thin lips pull back to reveal needle-like teeth as it GROWLS.
 8.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Well shit.

Jacqueline rushes the Creature. Side-steps it when it lashes

out with elongated claws. It nicks her side but otherwise
misses her.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Motherf--

She ducks under a second swipe. Rolls. Pushes herself back to

her feet and runs.

Nadine shouts in Jacquelines ear. Jacqueline glances over

her shoulder.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Okay-- shit.

Jacqueline pulls Nadine away from her front. Slows down

enough to lower the girls feet to the ground of the path.
She shoves Nadine forward.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Follow the path. Go!

Nadine hesitates.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Now!

Nadine turns and runs.

Jacqueline turns back to the creature, armed with her police

baton. She lunges and strikes.

A sharp CRACK breaks the silence. The Creature HOWLS.

Jacqueline covers her ears and sinks to her knees.

The HOWL cuts out.

Jacqueline opens her eyes and lifts her head.

The Creature cradles its bent arm. Grips it. Snaps it back
into place and turns to Jacqueline with a snarl.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Crap.

Jacqueline runs.

The Creature follows close behind.

 9.

She glances back once. Twice. Slows her pace. Lashes back.

The Creature recoils with a SHRIEK.

Jacqueline runs until the sounds of pursuit fade into the

distance.

EXT. FOREST PATH - DAY

The sky turns a dusty shade of pink. The sun peaks out from
beneath the horizon.

Jacqueline sags as breeches the treeline.

JACQUELINE
Thank god.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY - DAY

The walls and furnishings are dark brown. A red rugs sits
atop white tile.

Jacqueline pauses. Glances around before she steps up to the

desk.

JACQUELINE
Hi, I lost my room key. I was
wondering if you had a spare?

FLORENCE, 36, spares Jacqueline a short glance. Dark, curly

brown hair sits on top of her head in a styled bun. Her dark
brown eyes flick back to the computer screen.

FLORENCE
Name and room number?

JACQUELINE
Trudeau, 201.

Florences fingers fly across the keys. She pulls back to

look at the screen. Shakes her head.

FLORENCE
No one with that name is listed
under that room number.

JACQUELINE
I booked the room for five nights.

Florence shrugs.
 10.

JACQUELINE (CONTD)
Can you check the guest list
history? Isnt there a database?

Florence returns to typing. Leans in to read the text.

FLORENCE
There is only one listing under the
name Trudeau.

She turns the monitor around to show Jacqueline.

FLORENCE (CONTD)
Its from three years ago.

Jacqueline rocks back on her heels. Her gaze catches

something behind the desk.

Florence follows Jacquelines gaze back to the TV. The screen

displays a news broadcast. The bottom left corner of the
screen reads: May 14, 2021.

Jacqueline faints.