Captain Daedalus

In our story lecture we were given a short prose version of a story and what we needed to do was break it down into scenes, I decided to write it as a script as I felt it would be more beneficial for me. So here it is -

EXT - CONFEDERATE CAMP - NIGHT

It is late, the air smells of hot iron and gun powder. Small campfires lie dotted around the camp with heaps of men surrounding them enjoying the cool night, telling stories and whoring with the native slaves.

A group of Confederate soldiers enter the camp bearing captives from the evening raids. Some are kicking and screaming, wrestling with their bound hands. With them is Captain Daedalus, a union captain, a brute of a man tamed by severe beatings. His face is peppered with bruises and blood lies in his wake.

The Confederate soldiers march the captives to a series of wooden cages and one by one they stripped of their clothes and tossed into their pen like captured wild boar, but Daedalus is kept in line. The Confederate captain signals to his men that Daedalus is perhaps a more valuable prisoner, so he is spared and taken to an old house sitting in the heart of the camp.     

INT - OLD HOUSE ATTIC - NIGHT

Daedalus is stripped of his regiments colors and thrown into a dusty box of a room placed on the top floor of a rickety old farmers home now turned into shelter for enemy soldiers.

His captives untie his hands while a soldier at the door trains his gun at Daedalus's head. Daedalus resits the urge to fight, his body feels broken and his will is diminishing.

The soldiers leave, locking the door behind them. Daedalus collapses to the floor, dust kicks up into his face - he sneezes and blood sprays across the wooden floorboards. Exhaustion gets the better of him and he falls asleep.

INT - OLD HOUSE ATTIC - DAY

The sound of rifle fire snaps Daedalus our of his sleep. The hard noise cuts deep into his aching head.

Above him there is a window, he gets to his feet and presses his nose against the glass. From so high up he can see the whole western side of the camp, so many troops, all gathering their strength to attack Daedalus's stronghold to the north. His army is unprepared and would not survive against this impending onslaught.

Suddenly the scent of escape arouses Daedalus's senses. He quickly opens the fragile window only to see rusty metal bars halting his progress.

A rotten mattress lies in the corner of the attic, old springs poke through the papery material. Daedalus grabs the mattress and tears it apart, collecting the metal coils from within. He begins to loosen the bolts and screws that hold the metal bars together, his fingers become bloodied and swollen as the rust cut into his skin but with time the bars fall free.

He collects the bits of bedding that lie strewn about the attic and binds them together to make a rope of sorts. All he can do now is wait for nightfall and let the shade of twilight cover his escape.

INT - OLD HOUSE ATTIC - NIGHT

The little camp fires begin to light around the base once more as Daedalus prepares his escape. The hazy consciousness that he feels cannot prevent him from moving with purpose and strength. All is ready, its time for him to run.

The wooden attic door begins to rattle as iron keys unlock it. Two soldiers come storming in, at first Daedalus is sure they are coming for him but quickly he sees a young soldier, a Confederate, being dragged behind them.

The young Confederate is thrown to his knees and kicked in the side of the head. He lies motionless as he and Daedalus are left alone, the old attic door slams shut.

Slowly the Confederate stands, gives Daedalus a look of pity then straightens his uniform trying to impose a sense of authority between them. Daedalus fights the urge to kill the man and make his escape but somehow feels sorry for the Confederate. He will likely be shot in the morning, it's much easier to die by gun fire than by the hands of an angry, beaten soldier.

Daedalus must now wait until the young man falls asleep before he can attempt to make his escape again.  

INT - OLD HOUSE ATTIC - NIGHT

Daedalus quickly scrambles around the room preparing to make his escape, he ties the bedding to the leg of a heavy dresser then throws the rest out the open window. Hunger and thirst etch away at his strength but he senses freedom.

A noise dampens Daedalus's spirits. The young Confederate is standing, watching Daedalus's every move. The two stare at each other with unblinking eyes, each hesitating to make a move.

The Confederate fails to hold his bluff, Daedalus sees the twinkle of tears in the boys eyes. Here is a boy frightened of facing death. Daedalus's guesses the boy has never once killed a man, nor even shot at a living target. Daedalus's swiftly continues preparing his escape.

Daedalus's is just about through the window when the boy begins to follow, Daedalus has no desire for company but there is little he can do. They climb through the window together.

EXT - CONFEDERATE CAMP - NIGHT

Daedalus and the boy quickly climb down the makeshift rope. Daedalus is the first to reach the floor, he ducks and scans the area for enemy troops, the coast is clear. He turns and signals for the boy to hurry but the young Confederate fumbles and appears undecided on whether he will continue to climb down.

Daedalus hisses at the boy gesturing him to make haste. The boy looks down to the floor and then his eyes set on Daedalus. Daedalus sees the eyes of a coward and knows that the boy is not worth the risk, Daedalus must warn his army and this boy cannot be aloud to jeopardize this.

Daedalus sees a clear path and begins to sprint to the edges of the camp and then disappears into the woods. If he was to glance back he would see the young boy still clinging to the rope.