[T3RRA_LUNA]
Episode 1: Into the Pines (sponsored by pines whisky):
EXT. BUY N LEAVE – NIGHT
A dingy convenience store sits alone at the edge of town, swallowed by massive pine trees.
Its exterior is covered in old ads, concert posters, dirt, and fading missing person flyers.
A flickering neon sign buzzes overhead.
Moths swarm it like they’re addicted.
MOLLY MAYDAE, lanky, baggy black denim jacket, tank top, distressed cargo pants, flicks her joint out against the brick wall. She drops the roach into an Altoids tin with a shitty bootleg “Nevada” sticker.
She exhales once.
Heads inside.
INT. BUY N LEAVE – CONTINUOUS
The automatic doors slide open.
A blast of freezing air.
A noxious chemical smell.
MOLLY:
¡Dios mio, Lils! Why does it smell like a fuckin’ car wash in here?
Behind the counter, LILLY LIGHTBRIGHT stands on the drinks counter, casually blasting the AC while mopping with Pinesol.
LILLY:
Well, I heard one of the customers complain that it smelled like “old piss and Mexican brick weed,” so I thought this would be easier than running around with the can.
Molly stares at her. Conflicted. Understanding. Annoyed.
MOLLY:
Okay, first of all, this is a convenience store three miles outside of town.
If you’re buying something here, it’s because you’re either a pervert or a murderer, so I don’t really care what they bitch about—and honestly, neither should you.
And second: screw that guy. I’m on a budget.
Lilly shrugs, apologetic.
LILLY:
I need this job. I don’t want the manager to spaz out.
Molly pinches the bridge of her nose, then holds out a hand.
MOLLY:
I’ll talk to my dad. He knows the guy running this place. I’ll take the heat.
Just— please get down.
Lilly hops down, taking her hand.
LILLY:
Okay. Thanks, Mae.
MOLLY:
Why have you been so erratic today? Rent not already due, right?
You need to talk?
LILLY:
No, I’m just… tired. Nothing to worry about.
Hey—Family Man’s almost on. What time is it?
MOLLY:
Shit. Eleven thirty nine! Turn it on!
INT. BUY N LEAVE – LATER
A battered CRT flickers to life.
On screen: Family Man, a barely coherent parody.
VOICE (TV)
Hey, loooowis, I’m a fire extinguisher, heeheehee—
LOUD LAUGH TRACK.
molly squints.
MOLLY:
What in the actual fuck just happened?
More laughter. The Dog speaks.
DOG (TV):
Whose appendage do I have to assault to get an illicit beverage?
EVEN LOUDER LAUGHTER.
LILLY:
Yeah, the show kinda fell off after the fifty sixth season.
Molly slowly turns to Lilly. Utter disbelief.
The STORE DOOR CHIME rings.
They scramble. TV off. Customer ready.
A disheveled MAN in rags and a tinfoil hat staggers in.
He smells horrendous.
LILLY:
Heya! Welcome to Buy N Leave, what can I do ya fo—
she is stopped dead by the smell of sweat and dried shit emanating from his clothes while Molly is more irritated than disgusted “what the hell do you want guy?”
[The hobo who, up until this point was staring off into the distance, suddenly jolted back to some form of consciousness and smelled the air deeply before pointing at Molly dramatically and saying]
HOMELESS GUY:
“the beeess are watching you through your microwaves! and there will be a giant golf ball righ- he looks down and steps a few feet back -right here! I know the truth! You will be visited by the ferryman and he will ask for milk! “
he says the last bit of his nonsense he steals three hot dogs and a can of sprite before running into the glass doors like a pigeon
he’s stunned for a few seconds before the doors open properly and he runs into the night molly finds this fucking hilarious before realising that the hobo just stole her lunch
MOLLY:
“motherfucker lils!., ugh that piss drunk ass wipe ran off with my lunch what am i gonna eat now-”
she looks down to see a puddle of piss where the hobo was standing
MOLLY:
”lils im sorry to ask you but can you mop that imma, -imma go smoke”
she says calmly but with almost murderous intensity before walking into the employee breakroom behind the counter
INT. EMPLOYEE BREAKROOM – MOMENTS LATER
as she closes the door she sighs under her breath
MOLLY:
“pendejos todos los días..” “every fuckin’ day”
she rummages through her black pin covered canvas backpack
akes out her tie dye grinder, her papers, and her bootleg adventure time themed tray with a weird fusion of finn and ash ketchum on it.
walks up to the grease stained table pulls out one of its bent and ripped chairs
takes out her altoids container places it along with her grinder, tray, etc on the table,
she opens the tray places and 2 nuggets and a roach in the grinder dumbs its now powder contents out on the tray
grabs her papers and scoops it with the rolling papers evening it out and rolling it with a final swift sealing of it like an envelope
[she puts the now completed joint in her mouth and takes a long but slow and steady drag then filling the screen with smoke,]
[as the smoke clears the scene had shifted to a dingy sterile office that wreaked of cigarette smoke and a young, nervous but defensive molly in a white dress shirt, blue jeans, and black tie sitting across from her soon-to-boss]
INT. INTERVIEW OFFICE – FLASHBACK
DALE:
“So.. To start off this interview, tell me about yourself mrs.maeday "
MOLLY:
"look dale i get you have to do the whole… thing but can’t we cut to the case?”
DALE:
“I'm required to give you a job as per your dads.. Persuasion but im not required to let you get it without processing "
MOLLY:
"ugh fine as you know i moved from cali to here because my parents thought that bum-fuck nowhere would be a “good change of scenery” yadayadyada… i drop out of high school and end up living in my van, any questions?”
[Dale looked at her confused and a little concerned, dropping the asshole act]
DALE:
“why would your dad pay me to give you a job but let you live in your van?”
MOLLY:
[with a sarcastic smirk] “called it my final birthday present”
DALE:
“ok,. dick… you'll be working the night shift this Wednesday, with.. Lilly Lightbright "
MOLLY:
[surprised] “lils?”
INT. BUY N LEAVE – NIGHT (BACK TO PRESENT)
the scene transitions with a dissipation akin to smoke clearing
her joint a few hits away from a roach
MOLLY:
“I really have her mopping up piss out there… fuck”
[she puts out the joint and walks back into the main store to see a mop leaning on the cash register with a note]
“13 min break -lilz”
EXT. BUY N LEAVE – NIGHT
molly finishes mopping for lilz and sees her sitting on the hood of an abandoned car near the dumpsters on the phone “my hands are tied mrs.lightbright your lece is up” lilly: “what?, you said that i had to the twelfth. Why is it overdue now? I'm about to get my paycheck tomorrow please! ""I can't extend something that hasn't been paid.. im sorry” *click*.
lilly sits on the hood of an abandoned car near the dumpsters, phone pressed to her ear. Her knees are pulled in close.
VOICE (PHONE):
My hands are tied, Mrs. Lightbright. Your lease is up.
LILLY:
What? You said I had until the twelfth. how is it overdue now?!
I’m about to get my paycheck tomorrow…. please..
VOICE (PHONE):
I can’t extend something that hasn’t been paid. I’m sorry.
*CLICK*.
lilly then curls into a ball and starts sobbing
[Molly walks over and sits with her]
MOLLY:
“hey lils yo-”
[before she could finish. Lilly hugs her with the strength of a vicegrip and cries on Molly]
LILLY:
“moooollllyyyy *sniff* I got evicted…. Dad was right..”
MOLLY:
‘i- no lilly he wasnt, i overheard,.. i'm sorry.. they’ve been pulling this shit more and more.. if you want you can live with me, i mean it's just a van but better then…”
Lilly wiped her nose on the sleeve of her jacket, looking up
LILLY:
”thanks mae, im sorry i dont think i could go back to living with.. them”
MOLLY:
“dont apologize lil i know how farmer dan and his dried up bitch where heh, now we have 5 hours left in our shift... take as much time as you need”
[ molly slides off the hood and walks back into the buy-n-leave
the moon seemed weirdly bright as she entered the dingy stain ridden store
she sees in the middle of the aisles a large matt white sphere barely bigger than a soft ball]
it was making a subtle but deep mechanical hum. Molly weirdly pulled towards it by a mix of morbid curiosity and something not entirely her,
just before a single one of her digits could touch it,
it launches into the air and stops mid air a glowing blue l.e.d.like dot appears on its surface and the lights start to flicker erratically,..
INT. BUY N LEAVE – NIGHT
She squints and leans slightly to look at it closer.
MOLLY:
“What in the?...”
its “eye” jolts to seemingly look at molly and fires an erratic bolt of electrical energy that rapidly clings to the shelves and other surfaces like static electricity, almost hitting her she barely dodges the blast before it hits the slishie machine
she quickly in her own words “got the fuck out of dodge”. as she ran and slid behind the counter knocking over a pepsi in the process
as she peeks over the counter to see the mechanics of the machines twist and morph into and almost alien analog to a human arm
she in complete bewilderment screams at the top of her lungs
MOLLY:
“WHAT THE FUCK!?!”
EXT. BUY N LEAVE – CONTINUOUS
It was so loud that Lilly heard it from the car she was still sitting on. she thinks for a brief second looking at the floor and immediately bolts to the sliding glass doors. They were seemingly locked as she heard things breaking and more screaming she grabs the concrete ashtray from out front and launches it through the glass with significant effort
accidentally launching it far enough to hit the orb,
the lights are completely cut and the only light entering the store is the bizarrely bright moon light
she looks around to see molly signaling her to get to the counter lilly rushes to mae sliding behind the counter as the orb gets back up, without a scratch they then start the whisper to each other as it stays their idling.
INT. BUY N LEAVE – NIGHT
LILLY:
[quiet screaming] ”what the fuck is that?”
she turn around the counter and points at the slishie machine arm
“what the FUCK is that?”
MOLLY:
”i dont know how the hell would i?, need to find out how to either kill it or get the fuck out of dodge, i think our best bet is to try and kill i-”
LILLY:
”Why not leave? I don't want to die for 2 dollars an hour!"
Molly tilts Lily's head to the orb right between the front doors and the back near the bathrooms
MOLLY:
“because of course that's how this shithole is laid out.”
LILLY:
“Okay shit how do you think we're gonna do this mae? I don't see anything we can use, maybe the cash register but-”
MOLLY:
“But?“
LILLY:
“ -i think it's bolted to the counter..”
[The orb begins transforming other store objects into slow, biomechanical facsimiles of limbs.]
LILLY:
Okay shit—what do we do?
Cash register, maybe, but—
MOLLY
But?
LILLY:
I think it’s bolted down.
MOLLY:
…Oh.
Shit.
Okay -fuck—Maydae, think.
[as she is struggling to think of a plan the orb begins to alter other things in the store into weird biomechanical facsimiles of limbs of unknown almost alien functions]
MOLLY:
“-got it -lilz!”
LILLY:
“Yeah? Shoot"
MOLLY:
“I know where the wrench is!”
“I remember where Dale put it, riiight here”
She reaches behind the shelf panel and yanks out a hidden TOOLBOX covered in stickers.
Labels read:
“FUCK OFF MAYDAE”
“PROPERTY OF DALE FLETCHER”
Molly ignores them, prying bolts loose with a wrench.
The orb becomes distracted by the microwave, humming in strange tones—as if attempting communication.
Lilly freezes.
LILLY:
There’s a gun..
In the storage closet.
For.. robberies.
She glances toward the breakroom door, seven feet away.
Molly lifts the cash register, drops it into Lilly’s arms, shoves the wrench into her back pocket.
INT. BUY N LEAVE (semi destroyed)
Lilly throws the register at the orb.
It smashes it into the microwave—which is on.
Electricity surges.
The microwave *EXPLODES*.
The orb’s eye glows orange.
It begins firing wildly and accelerating toward them.
They sprint.
Molly grabs the corner of a freezer and topples it onto the orb.
They dash into—
(INT. STORAGE CLOSET – NIGHT)
Molly slams the door and clamps the lock shut with the wrench.
Silence. Breathing. Fear.
Molly starts pacing.
MOLLY:
¡Joder, qué mierda es eso?!
¡Pura basura de ciencia ficción!
Lilly searches frantically.
MOLLY (CONT’D):
You know, Lils… I’m sorry.
Sorry I started taking advantage of you like everyone else does.
I’m supposed to be your friend and—
LILLY:
Hey. Stop.
Okay?
She smirks.
LILLY (CONT’D):
You’re the only one who lets me vent, as sad as that sounds.
I’d say something if it wasn’t okay, Mayday.
She holds up a pebbled black plastic case and a small metallic key.
LILLY:
Hey. Look what I found.
She bumps a box—glass rattles.
They uncover a full case of Pine’s whiskey beer.
MOLLY:
Ohhh shit.
We got lift off!
MOLLY (CONT’D):
You drink?
LILLY:
Yeah…
Used to sneak my dad’s scotch whenever he was a dick.
MOLLY:
[fake gasp]
Lilly! And I thought I knew you.
The door SHUDDERS.
The orb SLAMS into it.
Lilly hides inside a tall storage cabinet with a heavy black utility bag.
The orb smashes through.
Its eye glows maroon.
It hums louder—
Electrical energy builds—
They rush it together.
Lilly nets it into the bag.
Molly beats it with the gun case.
MOLLY:
Fuck yeah!
Did I hit you? I was swinging kinda wild.
LILLY:
Nah. I’m okay.
Just glad we didn’t shit the bed.
MOLLY:
Since when do you have a drawl?
LILLY:
It comes out when I’m scared, ‘kay?
MOLLY:
Fair.
She loads the pistol.
MOLLY (CONT’D):
Grab a beer.
I’ll take care of nuestro pequeño amigo.
ext. BUY N LEAVE front – LATER
The radio blares “Adam’s Song” by Blink 182 from inside the store.
Lilly drinks sitting on the bench on the wall of the store.
Molly stands on the bag sliding her foot so in can’t move around in the bag.
Molly Unloads the clip into it.
A bang, a metal ping, then, Smoke. And Adam's song by blink-182 sparking out the radio
AFTER CREDITS SCENE:
(int buy-n-leave [sunrise])
Molly and Lilly mop debris.
DALE FLETCHER storms in.
DALE:
What in the actual FUCK happened here?!
Why does it smell like gunpowder?!
Are you SMOKING on company time?!
YOU MOTHERFUCKERS ARE SO FI-
He reaches the CCTV.
The tape is emulsified.
DALE:
… Under article 13 i can’t fire you two without video evidence….
He quietly screams, punches the counter, hurts his hand, storms out, nearly crashes his Toyota Tacoma into the light pole.
Molly goes back to doing whatever and Lilly keeps mopping.
The radio dial spins on its own.
Station Numbers warp into nonsense.
Cut to black.
[END.]
