Investigations/Script

Script Page for Season One Episode Two- Investigations

1x02 - Investigations

Written & Directed by Icedancer487

Narration
PENELOPE: Dear Diary, up until recently I thought I lived a great life, but now I'm not sure who's life I am living. Just recentley, I discoverd my own face on a missing person's poster, I do not want to believe that my loving parents are my kidnappers. Surely there must be a logical explanation for it, and I won't rest until I get the answers that I need.

Penelope's Room
(Penelope wasn't sure how much time had pass, all she was concentrated on was the missing poster with her image on it. Penelope thought this had to be some kind of sick joke, her parents could never do such a horrible thing such as kidnapping, but yet the picture on this poster says otherwise. Plus all those memories she kept having, they are all too real for Penelope's liking. It was like she was there, but at the same time she wasn't.  Penelope was soon torn from her thoughts, by a knock on the door. Penelope quickly took the poster and hide it under her pillow.)

PENELOPE: Come in.

(The door opens to reveal Penelope's mother Nicole)

NICOLE: Penelope just wanted to see if you needed anything before I go to sleep, this double shift really killed me tonight.

PENELOPE: N-No Mom.

NICOLE (Walks over to Penelope looking concerned): Are you feeling alright sweetheart, you look really pale.

PENELOPE (Shakes her head): N-Not Really.

(After this huge shock, Penelope could not help, but be sick.)

NICOLE (Feels Penelope's forehead): Seems like you have a small fever dear. (Gently pushes Penelope so that she laying on her bed) Lay down and rest and i'll be back with some soup in a few.

PENELOPE: Mom your overreacting i'll be fine in the morning.

NICOLE (Smiles and brushes Penelope's hair): I'm your mother it's my job to overreact. Now just be good girl and lay here while I go make you some soup.

(Nicole covers Penelope up with her blankets and promptly leaves her room. With Nicole gone, Penelope takes the poster out of under the pillow and studies it once more. Penelope prays that this is some kind of big mistake, and that she isn't a missing child. Knowing that her mother won't let her use her laptop since she ain't feeling well, Penelope quickly grabs her cellphone and dials a number.  )

PENELOPE: Hey Serenity it's me. Yea I'm still feeling a little under the weather, but I should be fine by monday. Um look I really need a big favor from you, I need you to look up a person by the name of Claire Myers.

J.H. Rose High School (Monday- Morning)
(Penelope quickly walked through the school halls, on her way towards the library. Penelope was anxious to meet up with Serenity to see what she was able to find out. Penelope entered the library and quickly spotted Serenity at the table at the fartherst end of the library where there wasn't any other student around.)

PENELOPE (Sitting dow next to Serenity and whispers): Sorry I'm late, so what did you find out.

SERENITY (Whispering and looking at Penelope with a confused expression): First you tell me why you wanted me to look up a missing child, I mean it's not everyday my friends ask me something like that without telling me why.

PENELOPE: What I am about to tell you is top secret you can't tell anyone else promise you won't.

SERENITY: Okay, Okay I won't I promise. Jeez I've never seen you this serious before.

(Penelope sighs and takes the poster from her backpack and hands it over to Serenity. Serentiy's face soon fell into shock once she saw Penelope's image on the poster.)

PENELOPE (Realizing Serenity was about to say something a little too loud, whispers to her): Keep calm Serenity, we don't need people hearing us.

SERENITY (looks at Penelope with a disbeliefing look on her face): This can't be right can it ?

PENELOPE (Shrugs): I don't know, I'm hoping this is some kind of mistake.

SERENITY (Looks at the poster): This must be a huge mistake for the National Missing Children's center to age this little girl to look exactly like you.

PENELOPE: So what were you able to find out on Claire Myers.

SERNITY (Hands Penelope a couple of papers she printed out): It was a couple of days before christmas in 1999, she was with her family to visit Santa when she went missing. Apparently none of the security cameras at the time were working, so they had no big lead except for one blurry photo of the girl holding someone's hand.

PENELOPE (Quickly looking over the pages): So there's been nothing since.

SERENITY (Shakes her head): Nope nothing at all, the frenzy quickly died down soon afterwards because most people assumed she was killed, but the police were unable to recover a body.

(Penelope couldn't help, but think that they couldn't find a body because she was here in this town this whole time living a life as someone else.)

SERENITY (Noticing Penelope's solemn look): You ok Penelope.

PENELOPE (Looking like she's about to cry): I don't know what to do. What if I am this missing child, that means that my parents aren't my parents, but my kidnappers.

SERENITY (Touches Penelope's arm): Look it's going to be alright. Listen my mom has known your parents for many years know, maybe she can give us some insight,.

PENELOPE: I really hope so.

Serenity's House
(Serenity opened the door to her house with Penelope follwing behind her.)

SERENITY (Yells): MOM I'M HOME.

RACHEL: IN THE KITCHEN DEAR.

(Penelope and Serenity quickly made their way to the kitchen where Serenity's mother Rachel was sitting at the kitchen table looking over some photos for her company's magazine. Rachel looks up from her work and is delighted to see Penelope.)

RACHEL (Gets up and hugs Penelope): Oh it's so nice to see you again Penelope, how are your parents, I haven't seen them for a while.

PENELOPE (Fake smiles): They're good, thanks for asking.

SERENITY (Changing subject): So mom, you working on a new column for the magazine.

RACHEL (Goes back and sits down, with the girls joining her): Yes, for this assignment I had to take pictures of different kinds of homes that range from gigantic to houses that can only support one person. It's to promote that Greenville has one of the most safe and comfortable homes in all of South Carolina.

SERENITY (Points to a two story house): That's a nice looking home.

RACHEL (Giggles): Believe me there's quite a story behind this house.

SERENITY (Laughs): Mom seriously. Is there anywhere in town you haven't partied at ?

RACHEL (Smiles softly at the girls): Believe me the partying at the time might have been fun, but there is always major consequences. I was arrested at this very house for drug possession believe it or not.

PENELOPE (Shocked): Seriously.

SERENITY: What kind of drugs.

RACHEL (Sighs): It was mostly Marijuana, but at the time I was really starting to get into Heroin. Thankfully you saved me Serenity.

SERENITY (Confused): Me, How?

RACHEL: I was pregnant with you at the time, It was because of that the court just gave me probation and court ordered rehab.

SERENITY: Why are you telling us this mom.

RACHEL: Because I do not want you girls to follow in my footsteps. I mean sure it's ok to break a minor law like Marijuana or having a drink of alchoal, but never and I mean never do something that will put your lives or others lives at risk.

(Both Serenity and Penelope promised her, and soon Rachel went back to looking over her photos.)

RACHEL: Ha here's a house I bet you haven't seen in a while Penelope.

(Rachel showed Penelope a picture of a small red house that was probably a one bedroom. Penelope could not for the life of her remember this house at all.)

PENELOPE (Shakes her head): No I don't remember this house at all.

RACHEL: I wouldn't expect you to. After all you were so young when your parents moved into town.

(This was the information that Penelope was hoping that Rachel would drop, and she knew she had to take her chance now before it was too late.)

PENELOPE: By the way Rachel, um how old was I when my parents moved to town.

RACHEL: If I remember correctly, your parents moved here around March you couldn't have been no older than 2 or 3.

(To Penelope this was huge blow to any hope she might have had)

SERENITY: Well mom we're going to go upstairs and work on homework.

RACHEL: Ok you girls study hard.

(Serenity pushed Penelope's back and lead her upstairs to her room.)

Serenity's Room
PENELOPE (Sitting on Serenity's bed, very confused and aggitated): Oh god, it's true.

SERENITY: If you truely believe your this missing child, then maybe you should call the National Missing children's center.

PENELOPE: I don't want to be this missing girl, I love my parents very much, but I just can't my mind off the poster of me, and plus with all these visions that keep popping up into my head.

SERENITY (confused): What visions.

PENELOPE: It's hard to explain, it was all very blurry, but I saw a young man in my visions he was holding out his hand to a small child by herself.

SERENITY (Realization): Repressed memories, that must be it.

PENELOPE: What?

SERENITY: Repressed memories, they're memories that people block out of their minds due to how painful and tramatic they are. Tell me do you know what triggered the memories.

PENELOPE: When we were at the mall.

SERENITY: Of course, a mall it's a trigger point for you. I mean Claire Myers was kidnapped from a shopping Mall. Maybe that's why you have such an obesession for shopping.

PENELOPE (wiping away tears): I just don't know what to do.

SERENITY (puts her hands on Penelope's shoulders and looks her in the eyes): I think we should take a trip to Ashland, and take a look at the Myers family.

PENELOPE: Why what good would that do.

SERENITY: Maybe if you take a look at The family of Claire's maybe it can trigger more memories.

(Penelope just sighed thinking of how much complicated her life has become.)

Paul Henry High School (Ashland, Virginia)
(43 year old Kate Myers was sitting at her desk looking over through the school's mail. suddenly a student walked into the office.)

KAREN: Mrs. Myers, where are the sign ups for cross country.

KATE (Smiles at Karen and gives her a piece of paper): Here you go Karen, and remember sign ups are due next tuesday in Mrs. Mguire's room.

KAREN: Thanks.

(Kate went back to seperating the mail, suddenly she came across a paper that caused her heart to beat faster and tears forming in her eyes. It was the missing poster of her youngest daughter Claire. The photo of Claire was the one at easter time, and she had collected a basket full of eggs, and next to it was a photo of what she could look like today if she was still alive. Kate quickly brushed that thought aside, she just had this gut feeling that Claire was still alive, somewhere out there. Kate could only hope that she was not harmed in any way, though she knew how unlikely that was.)

PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS: Kate you ok.

(Kate turned around and saw the principal looking at her with concern)

KATE (Wiping the tears from her face): Yes sir I'm sorry.

PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS:  Are you sure your fine Kate, Do you need to go home?

KATE (Shakes her head): No sir, I'll be ok.

(Kate knew the principal hated to hang up anything that wasn't school related, but Kate really wanted to hang up the poster.)

KATE (Nervously) : Principal Williams I was wondering if I-I could um

PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS (Smiles softly): Go ahead and hang the poster up, we can probably leave it up there for a week.

KATE (Hugs the principal): Thank you so much.

(Kate quickly left the office and sprinted down the hallway. Once she hung the poster up she couldn't help, but start to wonder how things would have been different had she been a better mother to Claire. If only she had kept a better eye on her then maybe she wouldn't be living this nightmare she is in.)

KATE (Sighs and puts her hand over the picture of Claire as a child): I love you Claire.

Ashland, Virginia (4 days later: Friday, Afternoon)
(As Serenity was driving, Penelope continued to study the poster, before sighing and putting it back in her bag.)

PENELOPE: So how much longer.

SERENITY: About another 15 minutes until we enter the actual town, but another 5 until we hit walmart.

PENELOPE (Sighs): For once in my life, I do not feel like shopping.

SERENITY: We're not going to shop, I did some more research and found that your possible biological father, Steven Myers, works at the nearby walmart in the electronics department, I thought we should stop and see if we can take a good look at him.

PENELOPE (Confused): How we don't even know what he looks like.

SERENITY: We'll just say we're looking for a Steven Myers and they'll tell us whether he is there or not.

PENELOPE (Giggles): Oh god we've turned into stalkers.

SERENITY (Smirks): Excellent practice for me, since you already know that I want to become a paprazzi. That way I can get close to all the famous celebrities.

PENELOPE (Smiles): I won't be suprised when you have all those reistraining orders against you.

SERENITY: Oh shut up Penelope, we're here.

(Serenity drives through the walmart parking lot and quickly parks her car. The girls quickly get out and walk inside walmart.)

SERENITY (Walks up to a salesclerk): Hi, my friend here (Gesturing to Penelope) dropped her phone and now it's not working right. Is there anyone here that can help.

(Penelope could not help, but admire Serenity's bold nature. Penelope was grateful she could have a friend to support on, because Penelope honestly wasn't sure if she would be coming all the way out to Ashland if she had been going through this by herself.)

SALESCLERK: Yes our Electronics department is in the back. If you talk to our electronics department manager Steven, he should be able to help.

SERENITY (Smiles): Okay thank you.

PENELOPE: Thank you so much for being here with me.

SERENITY: Please it's no problem, and to be honest i'm curious to know myself about this whole situation. I mean it's not everyday someone finds out that their best friend is a possible missing person.

(The Girls made their way to the back of the store, where for the most part was pretty empty save, for a few people looking for video games, and dvds.)

SERENITY (Pointing): Look I think that's him

(Penelope looks towards where Serenity was pointing at. Behind the counter was a older man who appeared to be in his mid fourties working on a computer. He had short dark hair, and the shape of his face appeared to be, in Penelope's opinion anyway, wimpy looking and was also wearing glasses that should only be worn in the 70's. However what stood out to her the most was his eyebrows, they appeared to be as thick as hers and his eyes were similar brown color.)

SERENITY (horrified): Oh my god he looks like a geek.

PENELOPE: The eyebrows and the eyes look almost identical to mine.

SERENITY: We should go to talk to him.

PENELOPE (Shocked): Are you crazy no, what if he recongizes me or something.

SERENITY: Fine stay here behind the shelves, I'll go talk to him.

(Before Penelope respond, Serenity was already making her way to the counter.)

SERENITY: Hello Sir.

(Serenity's voice, caused Steven to look up from his computer. Serenity noticed that he didn't smile, instead he looked very nervous.)

STEVEN: Um how may I help you.

SERENITY (Pulls out her phone): Yes, my phone has been acting strange for a few days like it everytime it turns on it's goes from dark to very bright, and I can't get into my apps. I was wondering if you could take a look at it.

(Serenity hands Steven the phone, who turns the phone on. Once it's on Steven sees the phone is at it's normal bright settings, and once he hits the app for youtube, it works perfectly.)

STEVEN: If i may ask, what happened to it.

SERENITY: My younger sister Claire dropped it when I accidentally left it on the coffee table.

(Steven stiffened when he heard the name, and his face fell into a terrible sadness. Serenity felt guilty for saying Claire, it was just the first name that came to her mind.)

STEVEN (Nervously): Um it seems that the um the battery wasn't too badly damage, it was just the after affect.

SERENITY (Takes the phone back): Thank you sir for your time.

(Serenity quickly walked back to where Penelope was.)

PENELOPE: So how did it go.

SERENITY: It was ok, I mean for someone who is suppose to be a manager he seems very nervous and meek.

PENELOPE: What's wrong, you look troubled.

SERENITY (Tenses): I made a lie about how my sister dropped my phone, but i accidentally used the name Claire by mistake.

PENELOPE (Shocked): What, why would you do that.

SERENITY: I'm sorry it really was an accident.

PENELOPE (Turns around): He really looks upset.

SERENITY: I didn't mean to upset him.

PENELOPE (Sighs): Look it is what it is, lets just go home.

SERENITY: We still have one more stop, though.

PENELOPE (Looks confused): Where?

SERENITY: Come on just follow me.

(Serenity dragged Penelope all the way back to the car, and continued to drive into town without revealing where they were going. )

SERENITY: So when you saw Steven, did you have any kind of vision.

PENELOPE (Shakes her head): No, but I did have this feeling that i've seen him before.

SERENITY: Our next stop should maybe spark some memories.

(Before Penelope could say something, Serenity pulled the car to a stop.)

PENELOPE: Where are we at?

SERENITY: Look across the street.

(Penelope looked and saw a brick two story house, with a small porch. Suddenly a vision came to Penelope of herself playing on the front yard, with a girl and boy who both appeared to be a year or two older than herself.)

PENELOPE: I've seen this house before.

SERENITY: It's the Myers house.

PENELOPE (Turns to Serenity with a shocked and horrified look): How the hell were able to find their house.

SERENITY: Well usually the national missing children's center has the parents address for contacts, and i just looked it up google.

PENELOPE (Groans): Serenity, lets go. We've taken this too far.

SERENITY (Giving attitude): Your the one that wanted answers Penelope, I'm just trying to help you out

PENELOPE: I do, but this is just wrong. We've gone to stalking a family that may or may not be my real family.

(Suddenly a van pulled into a driveway, causing Penelope and Serenity to stop their argument and turn to see who was coming out. Out of the driver's side, came out a middle age women with black hair that just barely touched her shoulder wearing a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt. Penelope suddenly felt her throat go dry and her heart felt like it was stopping. Suddenly Penelope felt a sting coming from her heart, and soon tears fell from her eyes.)

SERENITY (Worried): What's wrong Penelope. Penelope what is it?

PENELOPE (Trying to hold back tears): Can we go now Please.

SERENITY: Okay we're going it's going to be ok.

(As Serenity drove away, Penelope started to sob because she didn't know how to handle all this. For some reason when she saw that lady's face, all she could feel was pain and lonliness. Penelope absolutley hated this feeling of not knowing what is real and what is not. All Penelope knew was she needed a serious talk to her parents.)

Simmons Family Home
(When Penelope arrived home later that evening, she stayed downstairs in the living room waiting for her parents to arrive home. Penelope decided as she waited, she would look through the drawers to see if there were anything to be found. For the most part Penelope couldn't find single thing execpt papers of useless information. Penelope then soon thought of her father's office, up until she entered her teenage years  she usually was never allowed in his office unless it was an emergency. Penelope quickly entered her father's office and went straight for his desk. Much to her annoyance, the drawers were locked. Penelope quickly took out one of her hair pins that she always keeps on hand, and is able to pick the lock. Much to Penelope's dissapointment there was nothing in there, but paperwork. Right before Penelope closed the drawer, something caught her eye. At the very bottom of the drawer was what appeared to be a picture. Penelope picked the picture up and studied it carefully. It was a young boy who appeared at least 16 looking very bored. Penelope noticed that in his eyes he seems very lonely and afraid despite what his face may say. She was almost 100% positive that she's seen him somewhere before. Penelope looks at the back of the photo to see if there's a name.)

PENELOPE (whispers): Andrew Puckett.

(Penelope also read that the picture was taken in the year of 1994. Penelope was soon taken out of her thoughts by a car driving in her driveway. Penelope quickly put the picture into her pocket and shut the drawer and ran out of the room and into the living room and waitied for her parents to walk in.)

JOHN (Walks into the living room and smiles once he sees his daughter): Hey sweetheart how was your day.

PENELOPE (Sighs): It was ok. Um I was wondering if I could talk to you guys about a serious matter.

NICOLE (Looks at Penelope with a worried expression): Sure sweetheart you can talk to us about anything.

(John and Nicole took a seat on the couch next to a nervous Penelope. Penelope didn't know where to start, she couldn't just say "Look I know your not my parents, but are my kidnappers, but it's fine I still love you both." Penelope decided to question them on the photo first of the boy, maybe he was a cousin or something that died a while ago and then slowly reveal everything else as they talk.)

PENELOPE (Nervously reaches into her pocket for the photo): I- um found this photo of this boy, is he like a cousin or something because he seems very familiar.

(The moment when Penelope showed her parents the picture, both of their faces soon turned to shock and disbelief.)

NICOLE: Where on earth did you find this picture.

PENELOPE: Who is he?

(Penelope has never seen her parents look so shocked and scared in their entiire lives. To someone who didn't know them, they would say they just had a big wake up call about something.)

JOHN (Looks at Nicole): I think it's time we tell her Nicole.

NICOLE (Sighs): I should have seen this day coming.

PENELOPE (Nervous): Tell me what.

NICOLE (Takes Penelope's hand): Listen sweetheart, we should have told you this a long time ago, but we didn't because we just wanted to keep you safe and out of harm's way.

JOHN (Sensing Penelope's confusion): That boy in that picture, is our son Andrew, and he is your biological father Penelope and we're actually your grandparents.

PENELOPE (Shocked): What? I don't understand.

NICOLE: First just let us explain from the beginning it will make more sense. We had Andrew in the late 70's, a few years after our wedding. Your father and I weren't the best of parents to Andrew, we were always so focused on our careers, mine with my nursing and John with his Real estate. Most of the time we left him with my mother. However we eventually discovered that when Andrew was 13 he was starting to do drugs and deal them. We tried so hard to help him, by taking him to a counselor and trying to make him go to rehab, but he just didn't want our help. Before we discovered his drug addiction, we were too leinient with him, we would let him stay out until like 11 or midnight before he reached 12 years old, we basically gave him all the freedom he could have. To make matters worse when he was 16 years old he was diagnosed Schizophrenia, he just couldn't handle it anymore so he dropped out of school and eventually ran away with a bunch of his drug buddies. We tried to contact him and search for him, but we never heard from him again until almost 3 years later.

PENELOPE: Where do I fit into all this?

JOHN (Sighs): One day out of the blue he came knocking at our door, and to our surprise he brought this beautiful little girl with long dark hair. He explained to us he fathered you with a prositute he was on and off with for the past few years. He didn't want you to be apart of that life, it was too dangerous to raise a child in that kind of life. If Andrew pissed off the wrong person then they would go after you to get to him. Andrew wanted us to raise you, because he knew he would not be able to do it.

NICOLE: So after Andrew left, we knew those people in the drug buisness would coming looking for you and take you away. So we moved from our long time home in Virginia, and moved down here, and changed our last name from Puckett to Simmons. All in all I probably wouldn't change a thing, Andrew gave us another chance to be parents, and this time we vowed to do parenthood right this time.

(Penelope felt tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't believe she actually thought that her parents could be kidnappers. All this time they've been protecting her from a horrible past.)

NICOLE (Seeing Penelope): Sweetheart i'm sorry we've had to hide this from you all this time.

PENELOPE (Smiling while crying): I'm not upset, i'm glad I know now. And I don't care if your really my grandparents, you will always be my true parents, and i'm so sorry if I acted strange these past few days I love you both so much.

(Penelope hugs her mother and father in relieve, that she now knows she really isn't a missing, but a victim of circumstances.)

Penelope's Room
(After her confrontation with her parents, Penelope immediantley called Serenity to inform her of what happened)

SERENITY: So what your parents are actually your grandparents, and your real father is a drug addict.

PENELOPE (Smiles): Yes, isn't it wonderful. I'm really not a missing person after all.

SERENITY: But still that is your toddler image on the missing poste isn't it,

PENELOPE: You know I thought about it and realized that the Andrew's drug friends must have reported me as a missing person in hopes that they could eventually find me, I bet the Myers family was suppose to be some kind of decoy family or something.

SERENITY: Well I'm just glad that this all over.

PENELOPE: Me too, now I don't need to worry anymore. Even though my parents are techinically my grandparents, they will always be my mom and dad no matter what.

SERENITY: Ok well I'll see you monday than for school.

PENELOPE: Ok see you then.

(After hanging up her phone Penelope flops over her bed smiling. To Penelope this was probably the happiest she felt all week.)

Kitchen
(Nicole was finishing putting the dishes away from supper with a smile on her face. For the first time in who knows how long, she finally felt a great weight has been lifted after finally telling Penelope the truth.)

NICOLE (Noticing Penelope's bag on the counter, annoyed): Penelope.

(Nicole takes the bag, but nearly trips causing things to fall out of the bag. Nicole curses and bends down to pick up Penelope's things. When she picked up a piece a paper, Nicole unfolded it to see if it was a school paper, but once she unfolded it, she got the shock of her life. On it was her daughter as a child and next to it her as a teenager, and next to it read

Missing: Claire Elizabeth Myers

DOB: November 7, 1997

Date Missing: December 23, 1999

NICOLE (Yelling): JOHN.