A/N: underline means emphasis

INT. GOAT MAN'S HOUSE-DAY

The room is large and a small crowd of children are sitting on the floor. VANESSA stands in front of ERLE, DARCY, MIN, JORDANIA, RANDI and NANCY. A table acts as a podium for Vanessa to use and her hands are placed on it as she leans toward them with an enthusiastic expression.

VANESSA: Hello! I have invited you, the marked children of Elgin, to find out the meaning of the descriptions of the marks we all have. I believe that if we investigate these marks it may help us find a way home. Before we start, does anyone have any questions?

ERLE: How are we in Goat man's house? Who found this place?

DARCY: A lot of people come here to bother him and they say it's his house but does a magical goat really need to sleep?

JORDANIA: Yeah, there are no valuables here either. I already checked. Twice.

MIN: Resulting to thievery now, Jordania?

JORDANIA: None of your business, Min.

NANCY: Hey, can we keep business to the bare minimum?

RANDI: I want a map!

Arguments erupt amongst the youth and Vanessa gives a frustrated sigh.

VANESSA (yells): Enough! (Silence falls over the crowd.) I have gathered you here to start a club! A detective's club where we find out the mysteries of Elgin!

DARCY: Dude, I love mysteries. I'm in.

MIN: Wait, you expect me to work with this... cretin? (Points at Jordania)

JORDANIA (wipes fake tear): Ouch, I thought we really had something special there. You break my heart, Min.

MIN: You really want to start a detective club and expect us to be productive? I've been trapped here for ages and none of us have even come close to finding answers.

ERLE: I want to explore the whole place first!

NANCY: I want to know why it's always foggy.

RANDI: I need a map!

VANESSA: I know we've been here for days, weeks, months or even years! We all miss our families and friends-

RANDI: Get to the point, we don't have all day!

MIN (to Randi): Can you stop being an uncultured pig for a day and shut your mouth for once?

RANDI: I'll start when you start respecting your elders, child.

MIN: Child?

ERLE: Why did you choose the basement?

DARCY: Guys, I really want to know what the mystery is about...

Arguments erupt a second time. Vanessa angrily walks to Randi and snatches the letter from his hand. Everyone is stunned and she waves the paper in the air.

VANESSSA (shouts with more intensity): This is our first clue! I think this is how our path will begin!

RANDI (grumbles): ...but the map.

VANESSA: Have you been analyzing this letter enough?

ERLE: Maybe if you hold it under the light something will appear.

RANDI: Of course I did that! I've been reading the hell out of the letter! It doesn't say anything much. It just has a weird string of letters at the bottom! It doesn't even look like English!

VANESSA: That is why we need to come together and work on this mystery! Is everyone willing to work together to see where this takes us? It might be our ticket home!

RANDI: I want my false prophet badge so as long as any of you children don't get in the way, I'm fine with you tagging along.

DARCY: Heck yes, dudes! I'm doing this!

ERLE: You'll probably find me useful since I'm the only one here able to access the records.

JORDANIA: I go where there's fun and this seems fun.

NANCY: I want to know why it's foggy all the time.

VANESSA: What about you, Min?

Min hesitates and glares at the smug Jordania.

VANESSA: If you and Jordania can't put your stuff behind you-

MIN: I'm fine. I can join. Just don't expect me to be nice.

VANESSA: Alright! We have our detective's club! Let's get solving then! (Places map onto the table)

LUCY enters the scene by loudly coming through the door. BELINDA and CONNER follow close behind. Lucy approaches Vanessa with a wave and the other two join the others.

LUCY: Hey, Vanessa. Sorry we're late. We're still getting used to Elgin. It's only been three days and we're still trying to get to the hang of things, especially with our adoptive parents.

VANESSA: Hey, it's fine. A lot of other marked kids couldn't make it either so I think I might have to do the same speech a lot... or not at all if they don't bother to join. We're just here about some weird messages we found. Think it can be our ticket home. Right now we're trying to find out where we can find a map since no one has ever seen one in Elgin.

LUCY: Are you sure you're going to be able to keep this under control? You got some pretty...big personalities here.

VANESSA: Well, you know Randi and some of the others. You shouldn't be too worried.

They both look over to the group and Conner is holding up a large piece of parchment and Randi, Belinda and Erle surround him.

RANDI and ERLE (chanting): Map, map, map, map, map, map!

CONNER: I will create the first map of Elgin even if it kills me! All will worship me as my name will be cemented in history!

BELINDA: Get your head out of your ass, Conner. We're not planning to stay here long. We need to find a way to get back home.

CONNER: Belinda is a nay-sayer! Do not question my excellence!

RANDI: All hail the map maker!

DARCY: I'm so confused.

NANCY: It needs more fog.

DARCY: But he didn't draw anything yet.

NANCY: Exactly.

VANESSA (marches up to Conner and puts a hand on his head): Quiet down. A map will be useful since there are no maps in the city but you don't need to make a huge commotion about it.

CONNER (mumbles): I'll make a map.

MIN: Why is everyone so obsessed with maps? Are you starting a cult?

JORDANIA: Like as if we weren't cult-y enough with Goat Man's and his sacrificial drawing things.

MIN: If we keep worshipping maps we won't get stuff done. Though, saying that we'll get things done was too high of an expectation in the first place.

VANESSA (breaking up the fight): Hey, hey! Let's get back to work people! Analyze the letter more! Erle, you know the descriptions of the marks right?

ERLE: Roughly. Might have to visit it again tomorrow to write it down.

LUCY (whispers to Vanessa): I'm not sure what to do.

VANESSA (whispers back): There isn't much to do anyways. I'm just letting everyone get familiar with each other. We can't work together if we don't get along.

MIN: Jordania, can you not hog the letter? Or must you get your grimy paws all over it?

JORDANIA: You could ask me politely to move over. But I guess I shouldn't expect you to know manners.

MIN: What is that supposed to mean?

JORDANIA (feigns interest): Oh look! Hand writing!

MIN: My god, I can't wait to get out of here to get away from you.

LUCY (nervous): Um... Vanessa...

VANESSA: I'm going to have to talk to Erle. Don't be too nervous, Lucy. You'll be fine.

Vanessa and Erle talk some more while Lucy hesitantly approaches Jordania and Min who are both analyzing the letter. The rest are chattering freely.

LUCY: H-hey! What are you guys doing here?

MIN (sarcasm): We are obviously cooking dinner. Stew and potatoes. Delicious.

JORDANIA: Don't listen to that prick. We're just staring at a piece of paper hoping it'll give us the answers to the universe.

LUCY (pauses): Right. (Another pause) So uh, where were you from back home? Belinda, Conner and I are from the United States.

MIN: What's the United States?

Lucy stares at Min in horror and they shrug.

MIN: I've been here for as long as I can remember. I only figured out I wasn't from here because of the mark I had and knew kids with them popped out every once in a while.

LUCY: Ah. What about you Jordania?

JORDANIA: I'm from Canada. And yes, there are Asians in Canada.

LUCY: Who would...?

JORDANIA: Randi.

LUCY: That makes a lot of sense.

JORDANIA: It's not like Randi learned about Canada in America, so I don't blame the kid. Being in Elgin for seven years doesn't exactly make things easier either.

MIN: What's America?

JORDANIA: It's the United States.

MIN (sarcasm): Oh wow, I suddenly know what it is. You are a fountain of knowledge, Jordania. Just so goddamn helpful.

LUCY: They're countries we used to live in.

MIN: What the hell is a country?

Lucy is speechless.

JORDANIA: You don't need to know now. Calm down, little one.

MIN: I do not appreciate being called that.

JORDANIA: You weren't meant to appreciate it.

CONNER: The map maker needs more paper!

BELINDA: Conner, can you shut up?

Belinda and Conner bicker in the background and the rest observe for a few seconds.

MIN (looks at Conner then to Lucy): Are you three related?

LUCY (deadpan): Do we look related?

JORDANIA: Family isn't blood. That's the case of all of us here since we got adopted by the citizens here.

LUCY: True... I guess we are technically related now since we got taken in by the same family...But do you ever get...comfortable? With your adopted families, I mean.

JORDANIA: You have to or else things get too weird. It's already weird enough as it is here.

Randi runs over to the group and picks up the letter suddenly.

LUCY: The hell?!

RANDI (lifts paper over head with both hands): I have found the paper for the map maker!

LUCY: Randi, you can't just-

JORDANIA: Hey! On the back it says something about a forest or something. It's a little hard to read.

DARCY (walks over): Yeah the ink looks like it's bleeding through the page.

Min stands up and takes the letter from Randi. They grab a tin from their back pocket and dip their thumb in the contents before wiping it onto the letter. Everyone is watching in silence at this point.

MIN (reads): "The shop that has always been resides in the forest, over the river and next to ancient powers."

LUCY: Oh my god, we found something.

Vanessa rushes over with a smile.

VANESSA: This is amazing! Guys, we're on the right track! We'll have to regroup tomorrow though since it's getting late. I'm sure everyone has to head home to eat.

NANCY: And do chores.

VANESSA: Yes, that too. But I'll see you guys tomorrow at three. Make sure to rest up!

Everyone starts leaving the building and Lucy is the last to head out the door. Vanessa stands next to the door and gives Lucy a small wave. Lucy hesitates.

LUCY: Do you really think this will help us get home?

VANESSA: It has to or else... there is no hope.