Hidden: In the Dark

Going Forward

2005

We close in to see a young Steve sitting in a recliner chair. It seems too big for him but he still sits comfortably. He's playing his Game-Boy Advance SP with the Incredibles game inserted. He's almost on his favorite level. "I love playing as Dash, it's almost like I am Dash. I mean my family should BE the Incredibles." He goes to the next level where you have to play as Violet. He hesitates for a moment. He's beaten this game plenty of times before but whenever he reaches this part he has someone do it for him because it's too difficult. 

There isn't anybody else around this time, he's alone. He gives a determined look then presses the start button. "The only person missing in the family is Violet...maybe one day I'll have my own Violet." He starts singing. "One day I'll have my own Violet, one day I'll have my own Violet!" And then he beats the level for the first time on his own. "Yes!" He exclaims. 

Elsewhere is a young Maze walking around with her foster mom. She's wearing her Sulley and Boo sneakers. "Oh, baby girl." She turns to her mother's soothing voice. "This...thing, it's dangerous, to you and other people. You have to learn to keep this a secret ok?" Maze just puts her head down. "You're not like other kids." Her foster mom continues. "What if I learn to control it?" Maze asks.

We Continue

It's daytime and the summer sun rays are oozing through the curtains. Outside you can hear the ocean and feel a soft breeze that tastes of salt. Onto the balcony and through the curtains of the second floor of the condo, you can hear giggling...

"Hahahah, stop it!" Maze says playfully as Zack tickles her. He stops. "Okay, alright! Let's go." Maze sits up, still smiling.

The two head outside to their rental van. Zack pats himself. "I forgot the keys." He turns around. "No need." Maze stops him. She taps her fingers on the side of the car near the window. *Click* You hear the doors unlock. "Great, can you start it too?" Zack teases while getting in the driver's seat. "No, but I can hot-wire it." 

"Yeah...I'll just get the keys."

They leave and head to an old abandoned warehouse, the outside is tan with some green on it. They bust in and are greeted with a trail of stone pillars and a concrete floor. They slowly approach what's ahead of them. "Vera...?" There's a body on the ground, only held up by one of the pillars. "Z'ah? Who's f'asking?" She says in a sarcastic tone. She's wearing a pair of plastic toy lips off of a lollipop or something. The two race forward. "You can live like this?!" Zack says. Vera takes out her fake lips. "No, but I can survive like this, that's all life rea-lly is, really needs." She looks thirsty, her scars where her lips were, are dried out, not to mention the sound of her voice sounds worn and hard to make out at times. 

"But not always what it should be." He kneels down to her level. 

There's a light clicking and flickering above. Maze finally decides she's had enough, it's too annoying to put up with. She lifts her hand up and blows it to smithereens. "I was z'ust getting used to bl-at..." Vera complains. "We need to get you out of here." He stands over her. "No!...ju-z leave." Vera gets tears in her eyes but holds them back. She puts her hands forward as if to push them away. 

"Why?" Zack asks. 

"I'm the one who did you wrong so there's nothing you shoul'th do for me. If anything you should prob-ably kill me."

"But that's what living is all about...being a good person, and that includes mercy."

Zack sits down next to her, getting an idea. "Then what if you earned your way out?" He softens his voice. "What'd you have in mind?"