Chapter 1 - An Awakening

EXT: We are seeing KING'S ATOLL, a recently formed island in the PACIFIC OCEAN. It's an idyllic place, full of long sandy beaches and a clear ocean. It is a small island, claimed by the BRITISH about seventy-five years previous. It has a small active volcano at the far northern end of the ISLAND. It tends to rumble and send out small amounts of lava, helping the ISLAND grow a little larger each year but nothing severe, most lava pouring into the sea.

FLASHBACK: EXT: We are looking from above the island and see a much more desolate island than today, with a more active volcano. A helicopter drops in a group of people, some carrying scientific equipment. They head up towards the volcano. These are VOLCANOLOGISTS and their families, coming to investigate the volcano.

FLASHBACK: EXT: We are still looking from above but about ten years later. The island is beginning to develop plant life, much more in the south, away from the volcano. To the North a small we see a small settlement. This is where the VOLCANOLOGISTS and their families are living. It has now become a small village.

FLASHBACK: EXT: We are still looking from above and we see a repeat of the previous scene with the helicopter. This time it is bringing in the BOTANISTS. They have come to study the emerging PLANT-LIFE.

FLASHBACK: EXT: INTERNET AND TV CLIPS: The news is eventually announced by the UK government in 2095 that the ISLAND is deemed safe to live on because of the volcano's benign nature. It is advised that anyone who was to consider going there would be advised to settle at either of the small villages, VICTORIA POINT to the South or INLET BAY to the North.

EXT: The BAY AREA of VICTORIA POINT: The streets themselves are poorly maintained, no pristine paving. The houses are run-down with broken windows in some houses; it is hot most of the time so nobody bothers to fix them. Brick houses of a kind but not the sort you'd see in much of INLET BAY. The HOUSES aren't sturdy, having been knocked about by HURRICANES that have passed through on occasions. Parts of ROOVES are missing, letting the RAIN in when it does come. Some have put up huge green tarpaulins they'd received from the government after the last hurricane. People can be seen sitting on their steps, drinking alcohol or are just high; there are mothers running after young children; some of the CHILDREN are dirty and doing what they want, ignoring their mother's plea to behave. Mothers bringing up children alone are common here. Shops are small and poorly stocked.

INT in a pub called the GOAT'S HEAD we see a small, thin woman slumped at the far end of the bar, everyone knew her because she was there from opening until closing time every night.

EXT We see the same woman sitting on a step the following day, still drinking and high.

EXT: Walking down the CENTRAL BOULEVARD in INLET BAY. Here we have larger houses from the middle-classed type of house to larger MANSIONS. We see well-kept paving with PALM TREES growing on pathways and down the centre of the roads. Shops are a mix of local and larger supermarkets. They seem to trade well together.

INT We are looking through a door into a medium sized bedroom, with a window directly opposite as you walk in. The DOOR opens inwards to the left. In the far right corner is a teak bedside cabinet, matching the full BOOKCASE standing along the same wall with a bed between them, horizontally across the room. On the left, covering the entire wall is a wardrobe, white, with a teak desk integrated into it. The BED has a pink duvet, a picture of a princess on it with a pillowcase to match. The CURTAINS, also pink, are tied back neatly to let in the light. On the DESK are schoolbooks in neat piles along with pencils and pens all tidily arranged. A picture of a golden retriever stands on the BEDSIDE CABINET along with a glass of water. The WINDOW is small at the top and larger at the bottom. The bottom window cannot be opened but the top window is open letting a little air into the room. On the WALL to the right, as you come into the room are two switches, one for the light, the other for the AIR-CONDITIONING, which is currently running gently in the background.

INT: GEMMA JACOBI is six years old, three feet tall with sparkling green eyes that set off her sandy, almost red hair. She is sitting on her bed listening to a heated discussion downstairs. She's smiling to herself, an odd reaction considering her situation. This was, however, nothing new for GEMMA, different people and a different place, yes, but the same discussion, about her.

INT: We see a large, light and airy lounge area with two brown leather sofas facing each other, a coffee table standing between them. There are FRENCH DOORS behind one sofa leading to a PATIO area. EXT. Beyond the PATIO the sea can be clearly seen in the distance and palm trees are growing wild in all directions.

INT: JOHN AND JACKIE: We see pictures all over the walls of a couple with a lot of different children. On the sideboard just inside the room stands a photo of the same couple with three young girls. The couple is JOHN and JACKIE, they are standing by the open WOODEN SLATTED DOOR that leads out into the hallway. JOHN is standing with his back to the FRENCH DOORS, they are further to his left. JACKIE is facing him.

DIALOGUE 'What's wrong with her?' John raised his voice a little, in frustration.

'I don't know, it started out fine, but something about her is strange' snapped JACKIE.

'How do you mean strange?' JOHN raises his hands in a sign of exasperation.

JOHN worked on the BOATS and he hadn't had as much contact with GEMMA as JACKIE had, he worked five days a week and long hours. He was trying to understand. JACKIE, who now had tears in her eyes, was trying to explain but wasn't making much sense. JOHN watched her, he recognised JACKIE was at breaking point, and this was out of character for her. He calmed himself down and spoke to her gently.

'Sit down love; we knew this wasn't going to be easy, especially after she's already been in so many different homes'

INT: JACKIE sits down on the sofa against the wall facing the FRENCH DOORS

JACKIE looks up at JOHN, the tears almost gone from her eyes, replaced now by a steely, determined look.

DIALOGUE: 'I know, and I was prepared for a difficult child' replied JACKIE a little defensively, 'but she's not, her room is immaculate, she does her chores without having to be told, you've seen her, she's the same as when you're here; goes to bed on time, sleeps well, eats well, I can't fault her.'

'So what's the problem?' JOHN asked as he couldn't figure out where JACKIE was going with this.

'She makes my head muddled, JOHN, it hurts and I feel this sense of panic and sometimes dread around her, it's the only way I can explain it.' JACKIE was trying hard to put into words the effect GEMMA was having on her. She was imploring him to feel what she did, but she knew he didn't.

'What about the girls, is she having the same effect on them?'

INT: JOHN sits down on the opposite sofa with his back to the FRENCH DOORS. They are closed because the air conditioning is on. We close in on their faces to focus on their emotions.

DIALOGUE: JACKIE 'Their teachers have both reported that their concentration in class is down'

'Why didn't you mention this?'
JOHN appears curious as JACKIE has always told him everything.

'Because I thought it was them adjusting, that's all, but apparently, it's getting worse. I can't say why but I know GEMMA has something to do with it. I don't know what it is but it's affecting all of us.'

'I haven't noticed anything.'

'That could be because you're working away so much of the week.'

JOHN had to admit to himself, he wasn't around as much as he would like to be.

DIALOGUE: JOHN: 'It could be.

INT: JOHN reaches across the coffee table for his wife's hands; she grasps them tightly in an acknowledgement that she knows he will help. JACKIE knew right from the start JOHN was her soulmate and he's never let her down.

DIALOGUE: JOHN: Look, we've helped enough children in our time to know that we can't help them all. Maybe GEMMA is one we can't help, I just feel bad after what she's gone through already; I'll ring ROSIE tomorrow and have a chat with her, get some background into why she's been given up before, we weren't given exact details. If it's a similar thing then I'll start the paperwork, ok.'

'Thank you, I wasn't sure you'd understand.'

'I'm not sure I do but I trust your judgement'

INT: GEMMA'S BEDROOM: Gemma is propped up on her bed holding a sketchpad and pencil. Other coloured pencils are in a small box by her side. She is smartly dressed in black leggings and a pink flowing top with what appears to be a golden retriever on it.

GEMMA had been listening thoughtfully to the conversation as she sat idly drawing, a skill she had naturally picked up and found that she enjoyed, especially during times of stress. Even at such a young age, it was easy to see that she was gifted at this as a tan dog began to emerge on the paper; it looked more like a picture drawn by a child twice her age.

GEMMA was still smiling, it lit up her whole face, making her eyes darken and twinkle somewhat unnaturally.

FLASHBACK: We see GEMMA in another home, on her first day there, being fussed over by parents who want to do the best for her, but who don't know how to deal with a child such as GEMMA. They are from the upper classes; they have taken in GEMMA to prove a point. As a status symbol, they will be the ones to solve GEMMA's problems and she will become their perfect little daughter. We see GEMMA watching her new family fussing over her.

INT: GEMMA always watched the adults closely when she first arrived in a new home; they would run about her like SPIDERS, trying to please her.

'Would you like this?'

'What about that?'

INT: We are looking across a room towards French Doors opposite. GEMMA is sitting at a large round table in an upmarket dining room; it has a cream carpet, a dark-wood bookshelf across the wall to the right and an open dark-wood door to the left leading to the kitchen.
INTERNAL DIALOGUE: We hear GEMMA trying hard to tell them what she needs, we hear her voice clearly, but it becomes obvious she can't speak them out or get these people to hear her. There is a clear pause, GEMMA realises they cannot hear her so she takes her notebook and cards and begins by using a mix of writing and cards to communicate her needs. Her eyes show a sense of frustration and sadness; they darken and appear a little cold.


INT: It's a couple of months later. The new family appears to have become frustrated with GEMMA. We see the same couple arguing about her, intense, not like the one between JOHN and JACKIE. They are blaming each other for it not working. In the end, they blame GEMMA and decide she's evil or at least there's something wrong with her and she probably needs locking up for life. She shouldn't be amongst normal people.
GEMMA watches and listens quietly, but doesn't seem to be affected by the words being spoken about her. She'd had many words spoken about her before so she was used to it.

INT: FLASHBACK: We see GEMMA when she was born, silent, the doctors puzzled because she didn't cry. We get a glimpse of her mother at this point. She is thin and rough looking with dyed blonde hair that hung bedraggled around her. It wasn't the kind of rough look after giving birth, she looked extremely ill. This is when the tests began on GEMMA. She perplexed them from the start she was ahead of her peers in many things but she was silent. The DOCTORS didn't know what was wrong with her; in general, she was healthy so they tried giving her mother names for GEMMA's condition, from Autism to the latest and what appeared to be the final one, Selective Mutism.

INT: BACK TO THE PRESENT: JOHN goes to speak to ROSIE.

INT: Her office is a small red brick building with a glass door and a large window to the right of the DOOR. It's set amongst several other buildings of the same type but they are all of different shapes and sizes. JOHN enters office out of the heat and into a cool room with white walls. In front of him is a small mahogany desk with a leather chair in front of it. Sitting behind it in a similar comfortable leather type chair is ROSIE, a middle-aged woman, slightly rounded now with short, tightly curled, mousey brown hair and hazel eyes. Dressed in a light but airy suit she fits well with her surroundings. Behind her to JOHN's left is a filing cabinet and to the right, a door leading to a kitchen and toilet. It has a brass sign that says PRIVATE on the DOOR.

ROSIE is on the phone and beckons for JOHN to take a seat, they know each other well. JOHN sits down in the soft leather chair.

DIALOGUE: ROSIE: She finishes her phone call. 'Sorry about that JOHN, it's good to see you as always. How's your family?'

JOHN: 'They are well thank you and yours?'

ROSIE: They are well too, what can I do for you today JOHN

JOHN: I need some background information about GEMMA.

ROSIE: What kind of information are you looking for?

JOHN: I need to know what the reasons were for why her other foster families sent her back.

ROSIE: I'm sorry JOHN but I can't divulge that information, it's confidential. Why are you asking?

INT: At this point, ROSIE starts nervously playing with her wedding ring, JOHN notices and knows she's nervous or hiding something.

JOHN: I'm asking because things aren't going well with GEMMA and I need to know if this is something other families have had a problem with or if it's unique to us. It will help us make some decisions going forward.

ROSIE: As I said I'm sorry, I can't disclose anything about the families she's been with before or the nature of any issues that may have arisen.

INT: JOHN could feel his frustration rising, he'd never had this problem with ROSIE before.

JOHN: Surely, you can tell something!

ROSIE: I'm sorry, I would if I could.

JOHN: Then you leave me no option but to request the paperwork to return GEMMA.

INT: ROSIE's demeanour changes, she stands up, now looking down at JOHN, hoping this stance would overwhelm him.

DIALOGUE: ROSIE: Do you have to, can't you give her one more chance, you may be her last hope of having a normal family. I can assure you it wasn't anything GEMMA did; the families just weren't suitable for her, not the right match.

JOHN stands at this point and says 'I'm sorry ROSIE' and she knows she's lost the fight, she sees the determination in his eyes and she turns to the filing cabinet, retrieves the relevant paperwork and hands it over to him.

JOHN walks out with the paperwork in hand leaving a rather deflated ROSIE looking on.


BACKGROUND: JOHN and JACKIE had only had to do this once before with a very disruptive young boy called STEVEN. They said they would hate to have to do that again.

We see in JOHN's mind the discussion that took place between him and JACKIE after they'd taken him back. They'd sworn to each other that they would try to make sure this would never happen again, that a child would never have to go back because they couldn't cope with them. Now JOHN's mind goes to GEMMA and how she appears to fit into their little family and how he doesn't want to give her back. JOHN makes the decision to take the next week off work to see for himself what is happening. It is the start of the Summer Holidays so the girls will all be home, an ideal time for him to get a sense of what's going on. They can fill in the paperwork but still have time to change their minds.

INT: JOHN and JACKIE fill in the paperwork that night. They discuss what to tell GEMMA and decide to explain to her it's not her fault. They would tell her JACKIE hadn't realised that three children were more than she could manage. JOHN takes the paperwork back the next day. The whole process takes only about two weeks. They get their confirmation papers about a week after putting the papers in. They have to return these to the HOME when they return GEMMA.

INT: LOUNGE: It's a few days after their initial discussion. We see JOHN and JACKIE from a distance in deep discussion with GEMMA. They are explaining that she has to go back.

INT: On the sofa: We can't hear what is being said but their body language tells the story. JOHN and JACKIE are sitting with GEMMA on the same sofa with her between them. They have their arms around her. They appear sad but GEMMA seems strangely unaffected by what she's being told. This is obviously confusing for the couple but it makes them realise they are doing the right thing.

INT: WE SEE CHANGES IN JOHN's BEHAVIOUR: JOHN starts to succumb to the same symptoms the rest of the family have been struggling with. He starts to feel depressed. He is never depressed, he feels wound up and the slightest thing annoys him. Everyone who knows JOHN would say he is the calmest person they know unless you upset his family, and then you will see the defensive side of him. However, with only five days of being around the house with the girls' constant presence, his mood has changed and rapidly gone downhill. He even has the feeling ROSIE is going to fix it so they can't give GEMMA back, that she's watching them to find reasons why they can't give her back. These are the first signs of paranoia. JACKIE points out that GEMMA is having this effect on him. Once he realises this, he feels more able to cope with the symptoms.


INT: THE DAY BEFORE GEMMA IS DUE TO RETURN TO THE HOME:

JOHN and JACKIE are trying to make it as normal as possible but also about GEMMA so she has good memories when she leaves. They put on all her favourite cartoons through the day and ate together. They played a few games but bedtime came all too soon.

INT: GEMMA's BEDROOM: Gemma is in bed drawing a sketch of her room so she won't forget it and is mulling over the days just gone. She remembers what they told her about it not being her fault. She thought at the time 'I know you're lying, it is my fault, there's something wrong with me. How can I argue with you, you know things I don't? How can I tell you I'm happy here, that I don't want to leave? Yes, I could write it, but I've tried that before, it didn't help, they sent me back anyway' Instead, she had smiled at them as if to say it's alright, I understand and gave in. She didn't understand though and it was getting harder each time this happened. She finished her drawing, she was content with it, she turned off the light and went to sleep4 am

INT: 4 am in JOHN and JACKIE's home.

The following day came around a lot quicker than anyone expected. At around four in the morning, everyone awoke abruptly as the GROUND shook violently. The HOUSE felt as if it was falling down as things began coming off shelves. GEMMA woke from a dream, in which she was falling, only to find that she was lying on the floor. JACKIE and JOHN were attempting to run through the rooms desperately trying to collect all of the children and get them out of the HOUSE. They reached GEMMA and pulled her out from under the BED where she had hidden in sheer terror. They all got out of the HOUSE in only a few minutes by which time all was calm again. None of them had ever experienced an earthquake before; there had been rumblings because of the volcano, but nothing as strong as this. They looked at the HOUSE, it was intact thankfully and nobody was hurt, but such a strong earthquake was disturbing. GEMMA stared at the HOUSE, her face locked into a picture of curiosity now rather than the fear it had shown just a few moments previously; it was a disturbing look, anyone who saw her that day agreed that it was unnerving. Gemma then turned in the direction of the volcano and smiled.