The sound of a sudden WHOOSH of flame. A crackle.

The sizzle of a flame being EXTINGUISHED.

A warm glow of candlelight illuminates the wood-paneled space. Bundles of straw litter the floor of the hayloft. Sheaves of dried herbs hang from the ceiling. A light breeze lingers in the window, rustling the hay on the ground. A distant click-clack of a horse drawn wagon.

A young woman, BETTY EASTEY (19, F, doe-eyed) stares at the palms of her hands. They're chapped, covered in SOOT — as if they were ON FIRE. Another young woman, SARAH EASTEY (21, F, sharp) bites her lip, anxious.

Sarah's eyes widen. She takes her sister's hand.

Betty's gaze is untamed. Primal.

Betty shakes her head.

Betty turns to leave—

Sarah's gaze lowers.

Betty paces haphazardly through thick brush and spindly oak. She sweeps past trees as a SHARP THORN grazes her knee. She FALLS to the ground.

She clutches her knee in pain, looks at her cut: it's deep. BLACK TAR seeps out of the cut in place of blood. Her eyes WIDEN.

Wincing from the pain, she marches deeper into the woods.

Sarah walks towards the window ledge and gazes out, worried. She steps on a CRACK in the floorboard and it shifts, loose. She bends down to take a closer look at it.

Sarah's eyes widen as she lifts the floorboard up. Inside the space lies a PLAIN WOODEN BOX.

OFF SARAH'S WIDE-EYED REACTION:

Betty limps through the woods. She shouts at the sky.

A shadow quickly moves behind a tree.

Betty scans the shadows... surely someone is listening.

She gazes down at her charred palms. Betty's eyes dart to the sudden movement in the corner of her eye. Her eyes FOCUS on something.

Betty's eyes widen.

Sarah opens the wooden box. Inside, a SMALL WOODEN FIGURE. It's head is shaped like a crescent moon. Sarah inspects it. Then, she notices a SMALL PIECE OF PARCHMENT at the bottom of the box. She unfurls it. An INSCRUTABLE SIGIL is scrawled on it IN BLOOD.

Sarah's eyes widen in fear.

A deep, haunting VOICE ECHOES through the woods. Betty stands in a clearing, eyes wide.

The voice surrounds her, it seems like it's coming from everywhere. She tries to track it, but it's no use. She's completely lost.

The voice begins to LAUGH, maniacal. Betty SHOUTS at the sky:

OFF BETTY'S LOOK:

Sarah clutches the paper, trembling in disbelief.

FOOTSTEPS up the stairs. Sarah scrambles to hide the box. The floorboard is still askew. She turns to face the door.

The door opens and PAPA (40's, M, gruff) enters. He notices Sarah's face and his gaze softens.

Sarah wipes a TEAR with her sleeve.

Papa looks around.

Papa gazes over Sarah's shoulder. His brow furrows, confused.

Papa moves towards the floorboard—

Papa pauses. He holds back his anger in a deep, absolutely frightening manner.

Sarah's eyes widen in fear.

Betty walks backwards, afraid. Her eyes DARTING in every direction. She's on high alert. Then, she turns, picks up speed and RUNS through the woods. As if she's being CHASED.

Papa opens the box, takes out the parchment and reads it.

A moment of realization.

Then, makes a sign of the cross, takes a sharp inhale, narrows his gaze.

Papa ERUPTS.

Papa glares at her, furious. Sarah's eyes widen in fear.

Sarah takes a beat. Thinks.

Papa's gaze narrows, frightening.

A beat. Papa knows she's telling the truth.

Sarah lowers her gaze as Papa marches out of the room.

Betty runs through the woods, utterly lost. She slumps against a tree stump, defeated.

She hears the muffled clatter of men SHOUTING. Little specks of FIRE in the distance. Her eyes widen, fearful.

The sound of MEN get louder and louder...

Betty's eyes widen. A man emerges from the clearing, Betty's eyes lock with his.

Papa's eyes alight for a moment. Then, they sink in despair.

He shakes his head.

Papa RAISES his torch. Tears well in Betty's eyes, desperate.

Two other men follow behind Papa. Lanterns in their hands. They glare at Betty like she's the scum at the bottom of a pig trough. One SPITS at her.

Betty takes a sharp inhale, frantic.

Betty looks down at her charred hands. Glances back up.

The other men scoff at her. Papa is stunned.

The DARK VOICE laughs. Betty draws a painful breath.

Betty begins to stand. Papa gestures to the men.

The men LUNGE at her, but Betty throws her SOOT-COVERED HANDS in front of her face.

The WHOOSH of a large flame erupting. Men SCREAMING in pain. Then, the sizzle of a flame being EXTINGUISHED.

BACK TO THE WOODS:

Smoke billows in front of Betty's face. She stares at the terrible scene. Her palms are covered in SOOT, smoke RISES from her palms.

The DARK VOICE'S LAUGH grows even louder.