Elevator Line:
A man boards an unscheduled, mysterious train where the only other passengers are his personnel demons.
Back of the box:
After missing his train leaving him alone in the middle of nowhere, Oliver counts his blessings when an unscheduled train pulls up to the station. However, this train is more than what it seems, and Oliver will spend those blessings just trying to survive the “Death Train”!
Theme:
“Own worst enemy”, Master of own destiny, ((ultimately…don’t miss the bus/train))
Summary of summary:
Oliver Stanson is trying to get to the city, but when he misses his train he is left alone at a station in the middle of nowhere. His luck changes when a new, unscheduled train pulls into the station. However, he quickly learns how badly his luck has turned as he sees the decrepit and aged interior. Add in a mysterious figure hunting him through the cabs, chains rattling and making grabs him, and a mechanical death trap he must traverse. When he manages to evade all of these hindrances, and finally comes close to his goal, it is snatched away from him as the figure finally gets a hold of him. Oliver has a short moment to register the face of his hunter before he is engulfed by closing darkness.
Summary:
Oliver, an average, but jittery, working class man needs to catch a train, but he gets to the train station just as his train is leaving the station. As he's looking at the train schedule, a different, menacing train pulls up going his direction. Oliver looks at the train, obviously put off by it, but after looking at his pocket watch decides to get on anyway.
As the train begins to move, Oliver is alone in a decrepit, compartment style passenger train. Dust, rust, cobwebs, and dander cover every nook and cranny, and all the windows are grimy, writhing shadows just visible inside the compartment windows. Just visible out of the aisle windows is a gray and desolate landscape. Light exits the area around the entrance, giving him only one direction to go.
As he moves through the train, he encounters a shadowy figure who proceeds to chase him through the train, forcing Oliver to work through various obstacles, including dodging chains which try to latch onto him and a room full of mechanical implements and contraptions.
When Oliver finally makes it through the obstacles, and is about to open the glowing door, something keeps him from moving forward. He looks down and sees that chains have grabbed onto his leg. They pull his legs out from under him, and then drag him back to the shadowy figure. When he looks up at the figure, he sees that the figure has his face. The screen goes black.
Overarching Story:
Opening:
Oliver Stanson gets to the train station right as his train leaves the station. Oliver is now alone on the platform, and is checking train times as a second train rolls into the station, headed the same direction as the train before. The train whistles blows, and he turns around as the train’s door opens in front of him. The man checks his watch, realizing that the train is unscheduled, but being in a hurry, decides to get on.
On the train:
The entryway of the train is small and has a flickering light, but is otherwise normal. The man moves to the door leading to the first of the passenger cars.
Passenger cars:
The first coach looks worn and old, with an assortment of cobwebs, rust, and even moss along the aisle. Old chains lay across the aisle with some hanging from the walls and ceiling. The right side of the coach is a line of windows, looking out on a desolate, gray landscape. The left side of the aisle is lined with passenger compartments.
The man begins to move forward slowly. The glances out the windows, which are dirty, as he moves and sees the desolate landscape, but continues to move forward. He passes the compartments, which have dirty windows as well, but shadows are moving in them. After he passes a couple compartments he stops to wipe away a small amount of dust on one of the windows. What he sees inside are shadowy figures hanging from hooks and chains. One of the figures opens up glowing eyes and looks towards the man. He backs away from the window, frightened.
The man looks back the way he came, but the path is pitch black. Moving away from the blackness the man moves quickly towards the door to the next car, but as he steps away from the compartment, the door opens. Oliver looks back at the compartment as a shadowy figure steps out. Oliver begins to run through the train as chains begin to come snaking out of the compartment towards him.
Oliver runs through the train, compartment doors opening and pouring more and more chains after him. He comes to a temporary halt as he reaches the last car.
Last Car:
The last car of the train is a mechanical nightmare. Large machines pound like pistons and large gears turn and grind each other. On the opposite side of the car is another door.
The man stops at the doorway to look at the machinations in front of him, but after a couple seconds of amazement, he turns and looks behind him chains are snaking from the compartments of the cars behind him, and the shadowy figure is following him, now one car length behind.
The man begins to move forward through the car, dodging around the various machines and objects, which block his path. He turns to look back every few steps, seeing the figure and chains grow closer. Finally he reaches the door, but something stops him. He looks down and sees that a chain has wrapped itself around his leg. He tries to pull the leg forward, but the chain pulls back harder. Another chain latches onto his arm, then his other leg, then around his neck. The chains begin to drag him backwards as he reaches his last arm forwards towards the door.
The chains start pulling the man even faster, and he looks back to see the figure. As he gets closer, he sees the face of the figure. The figure has Oliver’s face. As the figure reaches for Oliver’s face and contact is about to be made, the screen goes black from the darkness finally catching up.
Tones and Execution:
The tone of the piece will be gray, dark, and dirty. There will be heavy shadows, and the train will be covered in dust, cobwebs, rust, and grime.
The mechanical room will also be full of rust and grime, with some potential screen shake to imply the gravity and weight of the machinations.
The platform and the train the woman is on will be clean and well lit, other than the moment when the death train enters the station and the lights dim and smoke billows.
Images:
Train Image 1 | Train Image 2 | Landscape 1 | Landscape 2
Atmosphere 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Machination| Station Platform
| Introduction (Act 1): Train Station | Rising Action (Act 2): Aboard The Train | Act 3: The Final Door |
| Oliver misses the train, but is given an opportunity when another train pulls up. | Aboard the death train, Oliver is put off by the atmosphere inside. Oliver is chased by demons and faced with obstacles, culminating in a room full of mechanical contraptions like a clock tower. | After making it through the mechanical room, he finally gets to the glowing door. When he opens it, he sees the woman he let go sitting in a train car. When he tries to go to her, he is grabbed by chains and pulled back into the darkness of the “Death Train”. |
