PAGE ONE
A particularly stormy October night in the Pacific Northwest. The rain is falling in buckets on a nearly black street. The road is deserted except for one car, in the distant horizon. Even it’s headlights barely break the dark and wet.
CAPTION: OCTOBER 30, 1938
CAPTION: SOMEWHERE ON THE NORTH CASCADES HIGHWAY, WASHINGTON STATE
In 1938 the North Cascades Highways was actually called the North Cascades Highway. But it was not listed as State Route 20, rather is was Highway 16. If any signage is used be sure to make it 16.
CAPTION: 6:00 PM
A closer look at the car shows that it is a 1936 Oldsmobile L-36 Touring Sedan. The tires kick up a large spray of fresh storm water into the air battering the sides of the vehicle. Inside, barely visible by dashboard light are two occupants. A man and a woman in their mid 50′s. Both look terrified. A single crucifix on a rosary swings wildly from the rear view mirror.
NADINE: BE CAREFUL BEN.
BEN: NOW ISN’T THE TIME, NADINE.
Ben’s knuckles are pure white on the steering wheel and he fights for vision of the road in front of him.
PAGE TWO
Just ahead of the speeding Olds is a small Gas Station.
BEN: THEY HAVE POWER.
NADINE: HOW?
BEN: HOW SHOULD I KNOW, NADINE. JESUS!
NADINE: REALLY BEN, YOUR LANGUAGE. AT A TIME LIKE THIS. . .
The car pulls in to the little service station. A man, dressed in overalls hurries out.
This station is fictional but could have been this way. A small building with small signage indicating the name of the owner and what sort of gas is pumped is somewhat visible under the single street lamp in the dirt parking lot. No other buildings are around it. It is an isolated place just outside the town of Sedro Wooley, which still has power. There are two pumps to dispense fuel.
ATTENDANT: NASTY NIGHT. FOLKS NEED A FILL UP?
Ben does his best to smile.
BEN: YES. AND HURRY.
ATTENDANT: YESSIR. DON’T BLAME YA. HAVEN’T SEEN A STORM THE LIKES O THIS IN A LONG TIME.
ATTENDANT: IT REMINDS ME OF THE STORM OF ’27. .
Ben, with impatience on his face, looks squarely at the old man.
BEN: DAMMIT! JUST FILL IT!
NADINE: PLEASE.
NADINE: (UNDER HER BREATH) BEN, HE DOESN’T KNOW.
Ben looks at the dash. The radio isn’t on. He attempts to turn it on.
BEN: DAMN! STILL NOT WORKING.
Nadine looks at her husband.
NADINE: DO YOU THINK HE’LL BE THERE?
BEN: TONIGHT? HE’LL BE A BUSY MAN I AM SURE.
PAGE THREE
The attendant finishes filling the tank. Ben sees this and starts the car.
ATTENDANT: THAT’LL BE $2.20. WANT ME TO CHECK THE OIL?
BEN: ARE YOU CRAZY? I AM NOT PAYING ANYTHING.
The car begins to speed off.
BEN: (NEARLY SCREAMING) WHY SHOULD I? WE’RE ALL GOING TO TO DIE TONIGHT ANYWAY!
NADINE: (SOBBING) JUST GO!!
The car speeds away from the bewildered old man and into the blackness of Highway 16.
ATTENDANT: WHAT THE HELL. . .?
TEXT: CONCRETE MARTIANS: BASED ON REAL EVENTS
PAGE FOUR
CAPTION: CONCRETE, WASHINGTON
CAPTION: TWO HOURS EARLIER
The sheriff has his hat off and scratches his head. The bewilderment on his face tells the story. The long sledgehammer in his hand drips contents of the recently shattered moonshine stills. The remains of which smoke, steam, and run their contents across the clearing in the pine woods.
There are several photographs of stills in woods available. The brothers still set up is pretty small.
TEXT: I CAN’T BELIEVE I AM STILL DOING THIS.
TEDDY: HOW IS IT THAT YOU BOYS WERE SIMPLY UNAWARES?
TEXT: UNAWARE, MY FOOT.
TEDDY: PROHIBITION ENDED FIVE YEARS AGO.
The two “boys,” Harold and George have their “I dunno” faces on. Their aloofness informs the old sheriff of their intentions. Play dumb at all costs.
HAROLD: IT WERE FOR PERSONAL USE, TEDDY. WE AIN’T SELLIN NUTHIN OR NUTHIN.
GEORGE: RIGHT. THAT’S RIGHT. YEAH.
Teddy, having known these two, and having had previously warned the brothers about their little operation, isn’t playing games.
TEDDY: SEE. FELLAS. I GOT NO CHOICE THIS TIME. I GOTTA TAKE YOU IN.
TEXT: AND THEN CLEAN OUT MY RIG. PEEW.
TEDDY: I WISH IT WEREN’T SO, BUT I WARNED YOU BOTH, MANY TIMES.
TEXT: MORE TIMES THAN I CARE TO COUNT.
George breaks into tears as the sheriff place him in cuffs.
I need reference for the sheriff’s uniform as well as his tools and car. Most likely he is a deputy rather than the actual sheriff.
GEORGE: DANGIT, HARRY! YOU SAID WE’D BE OK.
TEXT: CRYING? SERIOUSLY?
Harold doesn’t try to run. He has no where to run to. He lets the sheriff load him into the car unmolested.
HAROLD: SHUT UP, GEORGE.
PAGE FIVE
The three men in the police car head for town on a narrow wooded road.
TEDDY: WHY WERE YOU OUT HERE TODAY ANYWAY?
The brothers just look blankly at each other.
HAROLD: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? DON’T YOU KNOW?
The sheriff looks at the men in the rear view mirror, Harold continues.
HAROLD: BIG STORM’S A BREWIN. COULD CAUSE SOME FLOODIN WAY I HEAR IT.
TEDDY: FLOODING? NOT LIKELY.
TEXT: WHERE ARE THEY GETTING THIS STUFF?
As the car exits the forest road and turns onto the main highway, from a high vantage point it is clear what the sheriff was talking about. Hanging over the small town of Concrete, Washington, a large black curtain of clouds was making its slow march towards the mountains. Just in time for sunset.
There are many photo references available for the town and the surrounding mountains.
PAGE SIX
Sheriff Ted and his cargo stop in front of a small, rundown house.
TEDDY: OUTTA THE CAR FELLAS.
The brothers look at each other, dumbfounded.
HAROLD: YOU AIN’T TAKIN US TO JAIL?
Teddy just stares out the windshield. The darkness looms ever closer.
TEDDY: I WON’T TELL IF YOU WON’T.
Without a second thought the brothers clamor out of the car and run to their house. A woman, probably their aging mother, stands at the front door holding a rolling pin.
TEXT: GOOD RIDDANCE.
TEXT: MARTHA’S PUNISHMENT WILL BE MORE THAN ENOUGH.
The sheriff speeds off towards town.
TEDDY: HAHAHA!
There seems to be small crowd in front of the general store. Teddy aims his police car towards it.
The town of Concrete has changed little since 1927. So all current reference is still pretty up to date. The main street is especially accurate as it is still the same.
PAGE SEVEN
As the black clouds continue their steady death march over the town, Main Street, Concrete, such as it is, is a bustle of activity. Teddy and his police car attempt to drive up in front of the general store.
CAPTION: 4:30PM
He parks on the street and starts to get out of the car.
TEXT: THE HELL. . .?
A citizen nearly runs into Ted.
JOE: OOPS.
TEDDY: JOE, WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?
JOE: BIG STORM HAS EVERYONE RILED UP.
Joe is determined to get into the store. The sheriff follows tightly on his heels.
TEDDY: SERIOUSLY? THIS A RUN ON SUPPLIES?
JOE: YUP. DONCHA WANT TO BE PREPARED?
TEDDY: UH, SURE.
Joe disappears into the store. Several other folks clamor out, bags stuffed with supplies. Canned goods, breads, and other assorted items.
TEXT: PREPARED FOR WHAT? IT’S NOT LIKE WE NEVER HAVE RAIN.
PAGE EIGHT
Ted works his way into the General Store. It’s crowded but manageable. He makes his way to the counter where he sees Dotty, the owner, furiously filling orders. She sees the sheriff. Her concern plays out over her face.
DOTTY: THEY SAY IT COULD FLOOD.
TEDDY: WHO IS “THEY?”
DOTTY: YOU KNOW. THE RADIO PEOPLE.
TEDDY: OHHH. RIGHT. RADIO PEOPLE.
TEXT: HOW SILLY OF ME. JEEZ.
-MRC