The Cabin

Production Title: The Cabin
Producer[s]: Hornby
Production Start Date:
Final Release Deadline:

Production Overview

Production Title: The Cabin
Producer[s]: Hornby
Lead Scriptwriter: Hornby
Additional Writers: N/A
Director: Hornby
Mixing Engineer: Hornby
Production Start Date:
Final Release Deadline:

Plot Summary: A half dozen college students go to a cabin in the woods for the weekend to record a documentary on a local mystery. They disappear one by one.

Cast & Characters

Part I

Name: Ash (Ashley)
- Voice Actor:
- Gender: Female
- Approximate Age: 22
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character: College theater student; narrator for the documentary.
Name: Lily
- Voice Actor:
- Gender: Female
- Approximate Age: 21
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character: College film student; director and producer of the documentary.
Name: Tim
- Voice Actor:
- Gender: Male
- Approximate Age: 22
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character: College film student; camera operator for the documentary.
Name: Harry
- Voice Actor:
- Gender: Male
- Approximate Age: 22
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character: College film student; boom mike operator for the documentary. Emily’s boyfriend.
Name: Emily
- Voice Actor:
- Gender: Female
- Approximate Age: 22
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character: College biology student. Harry’s girlfriend.
Name: Lee
- Voice Actor:
- Gender: Male
- Approximate Age: 26
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character: The guide; 26 years old.

Part II

Name: Col. Hornby
- Voice Actor: Hornby
- Gender: Male
- Approximate Age: Fifty
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character:
Name: Technician
- Voice Actor:
- Gender:
- Approximate Age:
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character:
Name: Major
- Voice Actor:
- Gender:
- Approximate Age:
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character:
Name: Sergeant
- Voice Actor:
- Gender:
- Approximate Age:
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character:
Name: EVAN
- Voice Actor: "Charles"
- Gender:
- Approximate Age:
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character:

Part II

Name:
- Voice Actor:
- Gender:
- Approximate Age:
- Accent (as applicable):
- Vocal Range (as applicable):
- Description of Character:


^{The only recoverable image from Lily's camera.}


^{Last image transmitted by A-MARP-93.}

The Cabin (Part I)

Location: Near Pelt Lake, Superior National Forest, ~64 kilometers from Ely, Minnesota

Characters:

Ash (Ashley) – College theater student; narrator for the documentary.
Lily – College film student; director and producer of the documentary.
Tim – College film student; camera operator for the documentary.
Harry – College film student; boom mike operator for the documentary. Emily’s boyfriend.
Emily – College biology/history student. Harry’s girlfriend.
Lee – The guide; 26 years old.

(Sounds of the inside of a car going along a dirt road)
LILY: I’m Lily, and I’m directing and producing the documentary “The Mystery of Pelt Lake.” This is my behind the scenes camera, which I’ll be using to record the making of the documentary. I’m here with Ash – Ashley – our narrator for the documentary.

ASH: Hello!

LILY: This is our guide, Lee. Say “hello”, Lee.

LEE: Get that camera out of my face, I’m driving.

LILY: Sorry, Lee. Tim, our camera operator, Harry, our boom operator, and Emily, our biology and history consultant, are all in the second car following us. There they are. Come on guys, wave… I guess they don’t see me. Oh, well. Ash, Tim, Harry, Emily, and I are all Carleton students working on this documentary.

ASH: How long until we get to the cabin, Lee?

LEE: Nearly there, just a couple of minutes out.

LILY: So, Lee, you want to tell us what you know about the Pelt Lake Mystery?

LEE: I mean, there's not much to tell. Group of voyageurs back in the 1800s-

LILY: Led by Olaf Erikson, in 1816.

LEE: Yeah - they vanished without a trace somewhere near here. All eight of them. The old legend goes they came across some cursed Native American burial or sacred ground or something. Nobody knows; archeologists haven't found anything. Dozen or so disappearances since. Locals tell stories of shadowy figures moving through the trees. (snorts) Just ghost stories to scare kids. Anyway, you been camping before?

ASH: No, I haven’t.

LEE: Lily? How about you?

LILY: Not since I was in elementary school.

LEE: Well, we’re not really roughing it. The cabin’s got running water and a generator. No phones, and you don’t get cell reception out here, but I’ve got a satellite phone in case of emergencies.

ASH: Cool. (sounds of a jet passing overhead) What was that?

LEE: Sounded like a jet. That’s strange – aren’t any flight paths crossing near here. Anyway, here we are.

LILY: And here we are – this cabin will be our home away from home for the next five days while we shoot our documentary.

ASH: Lily, how about you turn that thing off and give us a hand unloading.

LILY: Okay, hang on.

LILY: (outdoor sounds) Well, we’ve finished unloading the cars. Let’s take a look around the area. (sounds of walking through leaves) Well, over there is the cabin. Everybody’s inside right now, getting set up. Absolutely beautiful out right now – I just love how the sun’s hitting the fall colors. (more walking through leaves) Over here’s the path into the woods, heading off towards the lake. Lee says there’s a couple of good spots for us to go set up the motion-activated cameras about a mile that way. This is a deer trail, and there aren’t any other campsites within ten miles in any direction, so we shouldn’t have hikers or other campers setting off the camera traps. I—wait, what’s that? (sounds of some rustling; some silence, then speaking quietly) I’m not sure if there’s something over there, I can’t really see that well. (quiet, then sounds of some leaves being stepped on)

LEE: Lily?

LILY: Good—Lee you startled me.

LEE: Sorry, Lily. I’m just going to gather some kindling for the fireplace. (mildly flirting) You want to come?

LILY: No, thanks. I think I’ll go inside and see how everyone’s settling in.

LEE: (quietly crestfallen) Oh… okay. That’s fine. I should be back in half an hour or so.

LILY: See you. (sound of leaves being stepped on) I’m heading inside now to see how everyone’s setting up. (sound of walking up steps, door opening) Hey guys.

HARRY & EMILY: Hey, Lily.

LILY: This is Harry, our boom mike operator, and over there making sandwiches is Emily, our biology and history consultant.

EMILY: You make it sound like I’m some sort of expert.

LILY: You are a senior bio and history double major. And you’re the only one trained with the camera traps.

HARRY: You’re expert enough for me.

EMILY: (laughing) You sycophant! Don’t you know flattery will get you everywhere?

HARRY: It got me you. Come’ere (playfully pulls Emily into a hug)

EMILY: (half laughing, half shrieking) Hey!

LILY: Get a room, you two lovebirds. Let’s go check on Tim and Ash. (walking) Here’s Tim, our camera operator and video editor.

TIM: Yo!

LILY: And we’ve already met Ash, our narrator.

ASH: Hello.

TIM: So, Lily, I’ve gotten the workstation set up here. Lee says the generator’s only got enough gas for us to run during the nights, so we’ll be going off laptop batteries the rest of the time – we’ll charge them while we sleep.

LILY: Works for me. Any trouble with the equipment?

TIM: Nah. Everything’s unpacked. We should be able to do some opening takes after lunch.

LILY: Cool. Ash, you have the opening script worked out yet?

ASH: Almost. Want to give what I’ve got a look?

LILY: Sure, let me put this down.

LILY: Alright, we’re here about to shoot our introduction.

ASH: You sure we shouldn’t be waiting for Lee?

LILY: We don’t need him for this part of the shoot, Ash.

ASH: I know; he’s just been gone a couple hours now.

EMILY: Ash, you worry too much. After we get the introduction recorded, Harry and I will go look for him, okay?

ASH: Fine.

LILY: Okay. Camera?

TIM: Rolling…. Speed.

LILY: Action.

ASH: Hello, I’m Ashley Meldrum, and this is “The Mystery of Pelt Lake.” We’re here in Superior National Forest, Minnesota, where we’ll be looking into the local legends surrounding this mysterious locale. Is it real, or simply a myth? With luck, in the next several days, we’ll find out.

LILY: Cut. Nicely done, Ash.

ASH: Thanks.

LILY: We good, Harry, Tim?

HARRY: Yep.

TIM: No problems on my end. Nice when the first take works. (sounds of leaves rustling) Hey – what was that?

EMILY: Huh?

TIM: Over there. I thought I heard something.

HARRY: Might have been Lee. (calling out) Hey Lee! That you? (silence) Hmmmm… Emily, how ‘bout we go check it out?

EMILY: Works for me.

HARRY: Let me put the mike up in the cabin.

LILY: Here, let me give you a hand, Harry.

(late afternoon sounds)

LILY: It’s been four hours since Harry and Emily went out to look for Lee, who left to get firewood six hours ago. As the sun gets low in the sky, and darkness approaches, Ash, Tim, and I are starting to get worried.

ASH: Lily, give it a rest, would you? You don’t need to get all dramatic.

LILY: I’m just trying to document the mood.

ASH: You’ve been talking into that thing all day. Harry and Emily are probably just making out somewhere.

LILY: For four freaking hours? Yeah, right.

TIM: Lily, Harry and Emily are experienced campers, and Lee’s been a guide here for the last six years. They all know what they’re doing – we don’t need to worry.

LILY: Then why aren’t they back yet? We need to face the possibility that something has happened to them.

ASH: Lily, if Lee were in trouble, he’s got the satellite phone.

LILY: Then why hasn’t anyone shown up to look for him?

TIM: I’m sure there’s a rational explanation. Now turn that off, will you?

LILY: Fine.

(early evening sounds, with movement in the background)

TIM: What the hell is out there?

LILY: “I’m sure there’s a rational explanation.” Isn’t that what you said, Tim?

ASH: Oh, be quiet, Lily. That’s not helping things.

TIM: There, look at that!

LILY: I see it. Damn! The camera won’t focus.

ASH: I didn’t see anything.

LILY: (whispering) There’s something moving out there.

ASH: It’s probably just Harry and Emily, or Lee. (shouting) HEY GUYS, COME ON IN! THIS ISN’T FUNNY!

TIM: (a loud whisper) Quiet!

ASH: Ah, come on, Tim. You’ve scared yourself. It’s nothing.

TIM: (whispering) Look! There!

ASH: I see—what is that? I can’t tell; it’s too dark.

LILY: (quietly) Go get the night vision binoculars from the other room.

ASH: (quietly) Be right back. (footsteps away; a tense silence; footsteps return) Here you go.

TIM: Thanks. Hit the lights. (sound of power dying) Thank you.

ASH: I didn’t turn off the lights. Lily, did you?

LILY: No…. Generator must have cut out.

TIM: Shit.

LILY: Can you see anything?

TIM: I keep seeing movement – something keeps moving between the trees. I’m not sure what – it doesn’t appear long enough for me to make out the shape. (beat) But whatever these things are, there are several of them. Too big to be wolves, and moving wrong to be deer or bears.

LILY: Should I go get the good camera?

TIM: Don’t bother; there’s not enough light for it, and it’s with the sun not having set yet, we won’t get decent shots with the night vision attachment.

LILY: Damn. This would be perfect for the documentary.

ASH: (scared) I think we should get out of here. Go get help.

LILY: You want to abandon Harry, Emily and Lee?

ASH: What are you suggesting? That we go out there where those things are and try and find them? It’s getting dark. Besides, we’ve never camped before. What do you know about navigating the woods, day or night?

LILY: Tim’s camped before!

TIM: In Arizona. Once. In the desert, not the woods.

LILY: Then we should stay here and wait for them. The cabin’s built to withstand bears. There’s no way those things could get inside.

ASH: You want to be your life on it?

TIM: Here – Ash, take my car keys. (sound of keys jingling) Drive to the ranger station up the road and get help. I’ll take the fireplace poker to defend myself and distract them long enough for you to get away.

ASH: Okay. Be careful, Tim.

TIM: Lily, Lee took his keys with him, so this is your chance to leave.

LILY: You’ll be fine if I go?

TIM: Don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of myself. (chuckles with gallows humor) I guess those football drills might actually come in handy after all.

ASH: Good luck, Tim.

TIM: Be careful, you two. Drive safe. I’ll open the door on three, then run to the right. You head to the car. Don’t stop; don’t look back. Just go get help. Got it?

ASH: Yeah.

LILY: Got it.

TIM: Alright. One… two… THREE! (sounds of door opening, running through leaves) HEY YOU SONSABITCHES! OVER HERE! COME AND GET ME! HEY! OVER HERE!

ASH: Go! Go! Go! (Ash and Lily run to the car)

LILY: (sound of handle being jiggled) Open the door! Unlock the door! (lock clicks, door opens) Come on, let’s—ahh! (sound of camera being dropped)

ASH: Lily! (engine turns over, revs) Oh shit! (screech of tires as car races off) Oh shit oh shit ohshitohshitohshitohshit! (panicked breathing, sound of driving) What the—!? (screech of car, sounds of crash)

THE END

[Archivist’s Note: The tape from Lily’s camera was recovered by the US Park Service from the scene of the car crash. The video was corrupted beyond recovery with the exception of a single image, but the audio was salvageable. There was no trace of anyone at the scene of the crash, and no sign of anyone at the cabin or in the surrounding woods. No bodies were ever found. The tape was subsequently confiscated by MTF Iota-10. No positive determination has been reached regarding the anomalous creatures observed by the college students, nor regarding the previous mysterious disappearances from the area. The investigation remains open at this time.]

^{The only recoverable image from Lily's camera.}

Unmanned Exploratory Log (Part II)

Characters:

Col. Hornby
Technician
Major
Sergeant
EVAN

TECH: Colonel, the quadrocopter is online. All telemetry is five by five.

HORNBY: Excellent. Proceed with deployment.

TECH: Yes, sir. Beginning recording. (beep) This is Aerial Mobile Analytic Reconnaissance Probe Niner Three coming online. All sensors are online. Feed to base camp is good. Rotors online. Current exploratory plan is to keep A-MARP-93 at approximately two meters from ground-level, as the forest canopy is dense enough to preclude overhead reconnaissance. Initiating flight. (sound of rotors spinning up) Estimated time to target location: one minute.

MAJOR: EVAN, anything anomalous so far?

EVAN: Not yet, Major. All readings are within expected parameters.

TECH: Target location reached. Initiating standard exploratory sweep.

SERGEANT: Okay, so, there’s the cabin and the second vehicle. Both look intact.

EVAN: I am reading nothing out of the ordinary in the clearing immediately around the cabin. There are no signs of the missing students or the unknown creatures.

HORNBY: Go ahead and enter the cabin.

TECH: Yes, sir.

EVAN: Colonel, I am unable to locate an opening through which A-MARP Niner Three can fly. I suggest using the onboard 5 millimeter cannon to break a window.

HORNBY: Very well. Make it happen.

TECH: Target selected. Firing one round. (single shot, sound of breaking glass)

MAJOR: Scratch one window.

TECH: Now entering the cabin.

EVAN: Interior lights are off. Switching to infrared. The students’ belongings show no sign of being disturbed.

TECH: That’s the entire interior, sir.

HORNBY: Go ahead back outside. Head up the path towards the lake.

TECH: Yes, sir. Proceeding at 4 kph.

EVAN: Alert: I am reading several anomalous energy readings in the ultra-low-frequency EM band on a bearing of 030 degrees.

MAJOR: Can you pinpoint the source?

EVAN: Negative. I have insufficient data to triangulate.

HORNBY: We’ll keep on the path until EVAN can pinpoint the source.

TECH: Understood. At current velocity, the A-MARP will reach the lake in approximately fifteen minutes.

EVAN: Alert: I have located the approximate source of the anomalous energy readings. Displaying coordinates now.

HORNBY: Check it out.

TECH: Coming right to 040 degrees and increasing speed to 20 kph.

SERGEANT: Stop!

TECH: Killing velocity.

MAJOR: Sergeant?

SERGEANT: I saw something. Pan right.

TECH: Panning right.

HORNBY: I don’t see anything.

EVAN: Aside from the energy signature, I am reading nothing unusual.

MAJOR: Wait, pan left.

TECH: Panning left.

MAJOR: Huh, it’s gone.

HORNBY: Odd. EVAN, note the time and location of these sightings.

EVAN: They have been logged, along with all telemetry.

HORNBY: Proceed towards the target, nice and slow.

TECH: Yes sir. ETA, two minutes.

EVAN: The source of the energy reading should be fifty meters straight ahead.

HORNBY: Bring the A-MARP to a stop fifteen meters out and run a full sensor sweep.

TECH: Understood.

MAJOR: Looks like some sort of stone circle.

SERGEANT: Definitely not a natural formation.

HORNBY: Can you get a better angle?

TECH: Let me try—ah, crap! Controls aren’t responding.

EVAN: Error: Loss of telemetry. All data feeds offline.

HORNBY: Boost the signal!

TECH: It’s no good. We’ve lost the probe. I’ve triggered the remote self-destruct, but I have no way of knowing if it got through.

HORNBY: Okay. EVAN, is there anything in the data the A-MARP gathered which would suggest this area is unsafe for manned recon?

EVAN: Negative. The energy signature should pose no threat. Additionally, while both the Major and the Sergeant observed something on the video feed, I was unable to detect any other anomalies. The only event worth of concern was the sudden loss of A-MARP Niner Three for no apparent reason.

HORNBY: Thank you, EVAN. Major, take Squad One in by helo to the stone circle. Investigate for anomalies, and recover the A-MARP or its remains if possible.

MAJOR: Yes, sir.

HORNBY: Sergeant, take Squad Two in on foot. Start at the cabin and do a standard sweep of the area. See if you can figure out what happened to those students.

SERGEANT: Yes, sir.

HORNBY: Keep in regular radio contact with base camp. Report anything out of the ordinary. Dismissed.

^{Last image transmitted by A-MARP-93.}

SCP Sandbox Wiki I

Sandbox Smarter

Production Overview

Production Timeline

Pre-Production

Production

Post-Production

Cast & Characters

Part I

Part II

Part II

Brainstorming Tab

Storyline

Part I: "The Cabin"

Part II: "Unmanned Exploratory Log"

Part III: "Manned Exploratory Log"

The Cabin (Part I)

Unmanned Exploratory Log (Part II)

Manned Exploratory Log