INT. GOAT MAN'S HOUSE–DAY

A crow is perched in a cage in the room and it flaps its wings rapidly before settling down.

CONNER sits on the window ledge with a collar that has a bell on it. He mindless plays with the soundless bell and NANCY is looking at the collar with a sad expression. DARCY notices her stare and approaches her. RANDI is napping in the corner of the room.

DARCY: Nancy, you okay?

NANCY (startled): Y-yeah.

DARCY: You sure?

NANCY (nods slowly): I'm just a little disappointed that I wasn't allowed to get a collar or a box. I don't really want an orb either.

DARCY: They're not that useful anyways. You're not missing out on much.

NANCY: But I feel a little left out...It's been two days and the excitement for the items haven't died down yet.

DARCY: Well, Randi didn't bother to change his mark. (Calls) Yo, Randi.

Randi gets startled from Darcy's voice. Randi yawns and a hand instantly goes to an eye to rub it.

DARCY: Do you feel left out? Like because you don't have a trinket like the others?

RANDI (irritated): I don't care now shut up. (Proceeds to go back to sleep)

DARCY: See? Randi doesn't care.

NANCY: Yeah but Randi also has the glimpsed light mark. I wouldn't change my mark if I had that thing.

DARCY: Well, I haven't gotten my mark changed either.

NANCY: Where is your mark anyways?

DARCY: You...uh...I don't think I wanna say anything.

NANCY: Oh uh... well mine is uhm on my side.

DARCY: That's cool. (Pause) I'm sure something will come up and none of us will be left out. Plus you can go question the shop keeper.

NANCY: He's getting swarmed by so many kids. I don't have the patience for it honestly.

DARCY: Well, everyone does seem to be invested in the whole thing.

CONNER: Guys, I think I found something.

Conner holds up the collar to show small lines on the inner rim. Darcy and Nancy approach the item, both squinting at the engraving. Nancy adjusts her glasses to get a better look.

DARCY: Are those words?

CONNER: They're super tiny words! I can't even read them!

NANCY: We need a magnifying glass or something.

DARCY: Yo, Randi! You got a magnifying glass?

RANDI (wakes up): What?

DARCY: You know where we can get a magnifying glass?

RANDI: I don't know. Maybe Erle has one. Bother him or something.

Randi lies down again and Conner notices Nancy's glasses. He swipes them off her face and Nancy screams in outrage.

NANCY: What are you doing? Give them back!

CONNER: I need them only for a second! Relax!

DARCY: You could have asked her, dude.

CONNER: Shush, the map maker has found a clue.

NANCY (irritated): You mind reading what you see? Because I, for sure, can't see anything.

CONNER (reads): This is the path of the goat. One step forwards. One step backwards. I hold the bell. It doesn't feel of this world. It does not ring when I shake it. Why?

DARCY: Path of the goat? That sounds like a title or something. Do you think that's what the mark is called?

Conner rolls up his sleeve to reveal a yellow mark of a goat head.

CONNER: It doesn't look like the goat mark so we can't exactly call it that...

NANCY: Can I have my glasses back?

Conner passes the glasses back to Nancy and she angrily swipes them back.

DARCY: I wonder if the other items have messages too...

CONNER: We should contact the others about it. Should we send a crow message?

NANCY: We only got one crow. That thing can't deliver a message to everyone at once.

CONNER: If we had our phones we would be able to text each other! But we don't! We need to send crows! Weren't they supposed to be message pigeons? I never heard of message crows!

NANCY: I mean... they're pretty birds? They're easier to see then pigeons in the fog.

DARCY: We should bring it up at the next meeting then.

A faint flapping sound can be heard in the distance. Conner pauses and looks around the room in confusion.

CONNER: Do you hear flapping?

DARCY: Maybe it's the crow.

The crow is sitting quietly in the cage.

NANCY: He isn't moving...

DARCY: Randi?

NANCY (glances): Nope. Still asleep.

A folded piece of paper flies into the room, the sides flapping like they're wings. Darcy jumps back in fear and Conner's eyes are wide in surprise. Nancy slowly reaches out her hand towards the paper and it lands softly into her palm. They all give each other looks before focusing their attention back onto the paper.

CONNER: That isn't a bird.

Nancy unfolds the paper and her eyes scan over the writing. The writing is messy and jagged like if the writer was writing in a rush.

NANCY (reads): Where does the bell go? Where did it come from? I cannot hear it ring but I know it calls to something. It lives outside the shadows. It watches me walk this path. Is it amused? Entertained? Annoyed? Can it even feel? I wish I could read the inscription on it. The language is one I once knew, before I was born.

DARCY: It mentioned path again.

CONNER (takes paper): So it's definitely hinting that we're on some sort of path towards something... Like we have a mission or something.

NANCY: We're definitely bringing this to the next meeting.

DARCY: Yeah, we're getting lots of hints and clues! It's like we're unraveling a mystery or something!

NANCY: Elgin is really mysterious. The fact that fog is everywhere too makes it even more mysterious.

DARCY: The fog isn't really a big deal...

NANCY: I miss my sunny days.

DARCY (awkward): Ah...

CONNER: Um, guys...

The two stop their conversation and turn to Conner.

CONNER: Where did this message come from though?

NANCY: That... is a good question.

The paper in Conner's hand twitches slightly and the view slowly pans to get a close up.