[now playing... malibu 1992 by COIN]

[camera clicks on, showing CASS's face shrouded by swaying dark green leaves. Their eyes are alight with the late afternoon sun and the promise of new adventure. A faint smile resides on their face.]

CASS: Hey. The road trip starts tomorrow morning. I still can't quite believe it's happening, to be honest. But here we are. It's almost here. [they smile brightly]

[the camera flips around, away from CASS's face, showing a faded forest trail surrounded by thick brush and tall trees. The light is bright through the tangle of leaves, cascading over the trail.]

CASS: [off-camera] But before I leave, I wanted to check out the woods. The trees behind my house. I need to see if I can find the thing I saw the other night, just to check. To see if it's real, it wasn't just my imagination.

[the sound of boots crunching in the dirt and fallen sticks can be heard as the camera shakes gently.]

CASS: [off-camera] I suppose I should've come here at dusk. Creatures like the dark. But the forest is so beautiful in the light, and I don't wanna miss the sunset. I swear it all glows. [a pause, rustling and boots crunching are heard once more.]

CASS: Me and Callen have explored these woods so many times, since we've lived here since we were little. I swear I know it like the back of my hand. And I've seen some weird shit back here, but nothing like that...thing. Creature. I can't help but wonder where it came from... and why I'm only seeing it now. Most cryptids haunt a certain space for years, centuries. Why now? Shouldn't I have seen it before? Or did it just now want to reveal itself to me? [another brief pause] I suppose it wanted to reveal itself to Callen. But only recently. So I don't know why it's here, or what it is. But I intend to find out.

[fast forward an hour, during which nothing happens, just CASS walking, exploring, watching, humming gently to themself. They sit on a fallen log, angling the camera gently next to them and pulling a granola bar out of their crocheted tote bag.]

CASS: Snack time. [they smile at the camera before tearing open their bar]

[a couple minutes of CASS sitting, eating. A shadow flickers behind her, just for a second, but CASS is oblivious, looking at a bee that lands on a flower near their foot. They finish the granola bar, then stand, taking the camera in their hands once more. They point it down, at a flower with a bee crawling on it.]

CASS: Save the bees, kids. [they chuckle]

[a few more minutes of CASS walking, during which the camera obviously cuts here and there, the sun fading with every cut. The camera shakes with every step while the light slowly fades, the setting sun turning the sky a deep, pink orange. The trail CASS is following becomes shadowed, but they don't pull out a flashlight. They simply stop and the camera points skyward.]

CASS: I always thought that sunsets were like a visual representation of love. Like the sun kissing you goodbye before it leaves.

[the camera turns from the chromatic sky to CASS's face. They're smiling, closing their eyes, absorbing the view, the smell, the sensation of the moment. Then their eyes are open, and they begin walking again.]

CASS: Okay. Time to go catch a cryptid.

[CASS turns the camera back around, panning the expanse of the woods and trail ahead of them. The camera shakes as CASS clicks on what can be assumed to be a flashlight attached to the camera. The woods are silent except for the crunch of CASS's boots against the trail.]

CASS: Wait, do you hear that? [they stop walking. There is only silence, perfect and undisturbed. Even CASS's breathing is quiet. There is no buzz of crickets or brush of leaves in the faint wind. The foliage of the trees are moving gently, but no sound emits from them.] You don't hear anything, do you? Odd. Perfect. It's close, I can feel it. The cryptid. It's close.

[a shadow darts across the screen, slightly obscured by low branches and tall bushes. CASS gasps, the camera lowering to face the dirt trail, as if they can't quite believe what they are seeing and needs to put the camera down to absorb it. Then the camera steadies again, focusing once more on the trees. The leaves stay gently, and it's impossible to tell whether it's from wind or...something else.]

CASS: [whispering] I need to get closer.

[the camera creeps closer to the edge of the woods, off the trail, shaking as CASS begins to step over puffs of bushes. Then, like a switch was flicked, the image changes to black. The footage was somehow interrupted.]

⋆✮⋆

[camera begins recording. CASS is standing outside what seems to be their house, red-bricked and two storied. A smile resides on their face, along with a twinkle in their eyes.]

CASS: It's time! [their voice is shaky from excitement.] It's 8 already, so the others should arrive soon. Callen's car is all ready to go, although Cal here likes to check things thrice over.

[camera switches away from CASS's face, settling on CALLEN, who is intently rearranging the trunk of his SUV. He glances up at the camera for a split second before resuming his previous occupation. A gray car slowly pulls up to the curb just before the driveway behind CALLEN. A scrawny boy with tussled brown hair exits the car, waving to the driver as he shuts the door. He goes to the trunk of the car and takes a small, black suitcase out. Then he turns and walks up the drive toward CALLEN and CASS, rolling the suitcase behind him.]

CALLEN: [turning away from the trunk of the SUV] Hey, Mav.

MAVERICK: Hey, Cal. [he scratches the side of his head sheepishly, then nods toward CASS and the camera.] Hi, Cass.

[the camera moves closer to MAVERICK and CALLEN.]

CASS: Hi! Just put your stuff right here. [they pat the dark carpet bottom of the trunk.]

MAVERICK: [awkwardly, as if he's just realized that he is still holding his suitcase] Oh, right.

[MAVERICK hoists his suitcase into the back as a couple more cars arrive. The camera zooms in on the center of a streetlight before finding the face of a girl with dark hair woven in box braids and piled in a bun on top of her head.]

CASS: There's Faye!

[The camera zooms back out slightly, revealing FAYE's crutches and oversized sweater. She smiles as she sees CASS. The camera then shakes as something or someone slams into CASS, who laughs.]

CASS: Hi, Randi. [they turn the camera to show themself with a curly-haired girl embracing them.]

RANDI: [pulling back to look at CASS.] I literally missed you so much. [She grabs the camera to talk directly into it] Hiiiii, Cass's loyal wonderful beautiful awesome followers!

CASS: Andy, I have like two followers.

RANDI: [looking away from the camera at CASS] You'll have more. I'll force them.

CASS: Oo-kay. [they take the camera back from Randi, then places it in the open trunk of the car that CALLEN is meticulously stacking luggage inside. CASS can be seen hugging FAYE to the right as Randi excitedly talks to Maverick, who simply listens, to the left of the screen. A red-headed girl comes up behind them, whom CASS immediately hugs. The girl drops her duffle bag to the driveway to hug CASS back, and CALLEN picks it up to put it in the truck. There is a surprising amount of smiling and laughter among each person for a group of teenagers at eight o'clock in the morning.]

CASS: [addressing CALLEN mostly and the rest of the group partly] Okay, ready to go?

RANDI: Yes!

FAYE: [simultaneously] Of course!

MAVERICK and LILLI: [in unison, triggering a couple of giggles and an exchanged look between the two] Yeah, sure!

CALLEN: [nodding] Then let's get in.

[CASS picks the camera back up to carry it to the passenger seat of CALLEN's SUV. They get in, settling the camera on the dashboard and turning it so that it faces them. The rest of the group is seen getting into the car, RANDI and LILLI climbing into the very back row and MAVERICK and FAYE settling into the backseat after RANDI and LILLI climb in. CALLEN shuts the door for FAYE then rounds the car to get into the driver's seat. Meanwhile, CASS plugs in their phone to the sound system, and Malibu 1992 by COIN begins playing softly.]

[CASS smiles, soaking in the song, then turns to look at their friends. They look excited. Eager. Ready.]

CASS: Ready?

[ALL nod.]

CASS: [nodding to CALLEN] Let's go, then.

[END EPISODE ONE.]

author's note⋆

hello loves! yay first full chapter done, it's like 1400 words omg. i can't promise that all of them will be this long lol. but i'm so excited to put the group all together! (and for those wondering where billy is, don't worry, they're coming). this is gonna be so fun. get ready for the spookfest, i've got a lot planned.

honestly ik this is set in the summer but i FEEL like this is the perfect thing to write in fall, especially with spooky season coming up, so yes i'm going to enjoy this.

uhm if you have any ideas go ahead and suggest some! also any theories for what happened in the woods at the beginning of this chapter! i love hearing y'all's ideas :))

ily bye bye now <3