Moth Eaten Heart.

00. The Beginning of the End

Prelude. The Beginning of the End

July 7th, 1976.
LOCATION: CLIFFSIDE of LOVER'S COVE
Nags Peak, NC (COUNTY: Brunswick)

The teens are grouped together, each a constituent of the counselor staff at CAMP CLIFF HAVEN. Below each of their scuffed shoes, a practically lifeless body of a girl who used to house so many of their secrets.

AMIE LONG'S head is dripping blood. Her pulse is weak, fading by every passing second.

TATUM CONNELLY sobs against ISAAC LOCKLEAR'S heaving chest. His crystal-colored eyes are widened, piercing through the silent wind. RIVER KENNEDY is bent next to the lifeless girl, his hands clasped, and his lips muttering a hushed prayer.

NICHOLAS LEE runs a shaky hand through tufts of his jet black hair. MAREN HOLLIDAY doesn't speak, only watches in silence as the world crumbles around her. GEMMA CLARK is to her left, peering over at her wearily, her hand stained a crimson red. She'd tried to aid the dying girl, to no avail.

CORALIE MEYERS is pacing the dirt, her flip flops filling the dense air with an irritating echo.

      CORALIE: (screaming)
River, what the fuck are you doing?!

      RIVER: (calmly)
What's it look like I'm doin'? . . . I'm sayin' a prayer for her, Cora.

      CORALIE: (frustrated)
Oh, stand up, you dim-witted bastard!

CORALIE steps towards the boy, and attempts to usher him up, but he brushes her off. He's much stronger than her, but she persists, until he flings forward and shoves her backwards.

      RIVER: (vexed)
Damnit, Cora!

NICHOLAS steps forward, his arms slamming against RIVER'S chest. NICHOLAS twists his neck to shoot a glare into CORALIE'S direction. She crosses her arms across her chest, a snobbish expression coating her modelesque features.

      NICHOLAS: (angrily)
Can everyone just shut the fuck up for one second?

      TATUM: (through stifled sobs)
We need to tell Head Counselor Kennedy! We need to call the police! . . . Something! God, is she still breathing?!

      CORALIE: (crudely)
No, she isn't breathing! She fell over a thousand feet, Tate!

      GEMMA: (quietly)
Fell, my ass.

      CORALIE: (pompously)
What was that, lesbo?!

      GEMMA: (much louder)
Fell . . . my . . . ass!
Did you catch that, you bimbo bitch?!

CORALIE leaps forward, intent on grasping a bushel of GEMMA'S mousy brown curls. MAREN steps between them, her fists clenched, and bracing for impact, but CORALIE staggers to a stop.

      MAREN: (indignantly)
Maybe we should figure out what the hell we're going to do before another one of us ends up dead! Everyone good with that?!

MAREN'S amber eyes dart around, capturing each and every surrounding face beneath her gaze.

RIVER stands, his eyes lingering on AMIE'S limp body. He shields his eyes blue eyes from everyone with a lengthy blink, then runs his fingers through his curtain-cut hair.

      RIVER: (apprehensively)
Tate's right, we should go tell my dad.

      CORALIE: (through stifled laughter)
That's rich! Such a great idea, Riv! Won't Daddy be pleased to find his darling little son's knocked up ex-girlfriend sprawled out beneath a cliff?

RIVER steps toward the blonde, his forefinger outstretched to jab against her chest.

      RIVER: (through gritted teeth)
Shut your damn mouth, Coralie!

TATUM'S sepia eyes collect with tears. She finds herself clinging to ISAAC, who still hasn't muttered so much as a breath since the incident. He meets her eye, his lips slanted, before sinking into her side.

CORALIE'S both smiling and grimacing at the Preacher's son. NICHOLAS separates the pair again, his eyes stern as he shoots either of them another warning glare.

      NICHOLAS: (exasperatedly)
We should nestle her in the cove. The tide's about to come in . . . I think it's better that way.

NICHOLAS' eyes glance around at the group, his lips drawn into a firm line, and his eyes riddled by tears he bit back with a harsh swallow.

      NICHOLAS: (convincingly)
For all of us.