Warren World Building Collection

Burrowed beneath the dirt and hiding away in the oak trees were faces waiting to peak out into the town’s crisp morning air. The villagers begin to stretch their legs, shake their tails, and step out into the sunlight. Neighbors exchanged long overdue hellos and good mornings, and set out across town. The river nearby, now thawed, began to flow once more, and they watched the clean water glisten. Again they looked, seeing the snow had melted, making their once beautiful green grass muddied and gray. Same had been done to their prairie roses, and the once yellow and green leaves on the town’s birch trees.

Their plots of soil, all harvested before the winter, were still empty and waiting to be filled with life once more. There was no celery, leftover parsley stems, or forgotten carrots and potatoes buried deep beneath the dirt left to scrounge for their empty tummies. The villagers thumped, and squeaked, and groaned in frustration. There was a lot of work to do. The beavers began building, chomping down on softened trunks to save for both construction and snack. The rabbits and squirrels began farming and harvesting anything they could find. They used old acorns to carve into water cans, and gathered dried pine needles to make into brooms, sweeping up the browned leaves covering the floor.

The day was looking up, as the town continued to work together in perfect harmony. A curious little bunny, however, strayed from the pack. She reached the town’s edge unafraid, where the birch trees were dense, and more than fifteen times her size. She hopped along, taking note of the familiar bugs and cedar beetles also out to enjoy the sunlight. She conitnued on, kicking a fallen acorn, relying on its bounces to guide her way. But suddenly, the bunny froze. The hair on the back of her neck reached for the sky, and ears pushed back. There on the ground next to the acorn was something only recognizable from the stories she had been told, not seen by anyone for who knew how long.

A human footprint

To Be Continued In Future Issues

Warren Concept Art

EXT. Bismark, North Dakota - Night

We see city hall sitting peacefully. Suddenly, WHAM. A Molotov cocktail hits the building and fire bursts from the windows. Riots begin breaking out, and men wearing American flags and carrying guns roam the streets. People with protesting signs yell and cheer at the destruction. Tear gas provided by the military and police fill the air and chaos ensues as a message from a news station plays over top.

TV playing

Ladies and Gentlemen, some unprecedented news. Civil war has been launched by the American people. During a number of peaceful protests around the country earlier this morning, chaos ensued as violent rioters hijacked the events. Major left wing cities like New York, Los Angeles, and DC appear to be the first to fall to these organized attacks played out by a collection of radical right wing groups including the Three Percenters and the United Patriots. Their head figure, known only as “Davie Luke,” continues to spread his militia across the country.

CUT TO- INT. Talking Head on News Station - Davie Luke

Davie Luke

The lies of the government will no longer be accepted by this new world order. For years you have been told the world is heating up, that you must shelter in place because of fake viruses. These are lies. We will continue to grow, we will take back America, and we will win.

TV playing

The sheer chaos of rioters hijacking the peaceful protests this 4th of July has made it almost impossible for the military to distinguish the perpetrators from the victims. Until we can get more information, we strongly advise anyone watching to stay inside, and stay out of sight.

EXT. City - Night

We get one last look at the city as flames begin to slowly take over.

Ext. North Dakota Suburban House

- Day,

10 hours earlier

An average suburban home sits on the earth. With boarded up windows and a white picket fence that seems to have been there for longer than the house. Graffiti is painted on houses nearby and once working vehicles have now been picked apart for parts. We see a roughly boarded second floor window where 12 year old Brazilian-American girl, Elena, peaks through the cracks.

Int. Elena’s room - Day

Activism posters such as “No Justice no Peace” and “Make love not war” are plastered on her walls, along with an overflowing bookcase by a froggy chair, and her bed packed with stuffed animals. Elena is kneeled on the floor, still looking outside through the cracks. She becomes so enthralled that she doesn’t notice her mom walk into her bedroom.

Mariana

Putz Grila Elena, stay back from the windows! You know better than a lot of other little girls how dangerous it is out there right now.

Mariana walks over and grabs her daughter by the arm, lifting her up and away from the windows. Elena shoves her mothers hand off of her.

Elena I was just taking a little peak! I am being careful mamãe I promise.

Mariana throws her hands up as she talks in frustration, using gestural hand movements for every other word she says

Mariana

I know YOU are careful Elena but everyone outside of this house is not. And what are you doing up this late? I thought I’d come home to you asleep in your bed Garotinha.

Mariana looks at her daughter and sees her concerned and confused little face. She sighs as she kneels down to Elena’s eye level and lovingly puts her hand on Elena’s shoulder.

Mariana

Listen Filhinha, do you have your little bag packed like I asked you earlier?

Elena breaks eye contact and looks down at her feet, still feeling an annoying guilt for looking out the window.

Elena Yes Mamãe…

Mariana Good, now come on, grab that bag. I’m gonna take you somewhere safe.

Elena follows her mother out of the room, hand in hers.

Int. Basement/Stairway

Elena and Mariana begin walking down the stairs into their basement. They walk past family portraits, her mothers diplomas, and old drawings. Inside the basement, besides the planters, and messy desk scattered with half filled up test tubes and scientific research papers, it was fairly average, nothing special.

Elena

You had me pack a bag just to go into the basement?

Mariana rushes to the corner of the room with her hands behind her back, laughing nervously

Mariana

Elena, you know I love you, and I try to be a good mother to you by saying that lying is wrong. Because it is! Lying is wrong. And you shouldn’t do that.

Elena Mhmmmmmm…

Mariana

So Try not to hate me when I say… I’ve been working on something secret.

Mariana lifts her right hand from behind her back and shifts a crooked picture on the wall of her holding Elena when she was a baby until its level. With a loud click, a secret door unlocks under the stairwell.