Starlight is a series I started writing for fun in 2016, written in the “style” of a comic book. As such, this is not my best writing, but it’s something I had fun doing.
Nala’s car pulls up to another mansion, huge, well-decorated. As Cad, Hunter, and Nala get out of the car, Castor approaches from his home.
Cas: Nala.
Nala: Cassie.
Castor and Nala embrace. She steps back and jerks her head towards Cad and Hunter.
Nala: This is Cadmus. That’s Humphrie.
Hunter: Hunter.
Nala: Right.
Cas: Nice to meet you.
He shakes their hands.
Cas: Friends from school?
Cad: Kinda.
Cas: Kinda?
Cad and Hunter exchange a look, uncertain how much they should be sharing. Nala cuts in.
Nala: Thank you for buzzing us in.
Cas: No problem. It’s always good to see you. But, if you don’t mind me asking, what brings you and your friends here?
Nala: Mal’s murder.
Cas frowns.
Cas: That thing wasn’t Mal.
Nala: Well whatever that thing was… they brought it to your house.
Cas: Wait… what?
We cut to Parker’s house, where he and Eliza are getting Millie settled in an armchair.
Millie: Th-thank you.
Eliza: Of course.
Parker: No problem. Can we get you anything else? Water? Food?
Millie (Bitterly): Like I’d eat anything in this–
She catches herself.
Millie: I’m… sorry.
Eliza: It’s totally fine. What you’re going through…
She hesitates.
Eliza: What you saw…
Millie looks away.
Parker: Yeah, what did you see?
Eliza: Parker!
Millie: I… I…
A tear trickles down her cheek.
Millie: I can’t.
Parker: Oh, um, sorry.
Millie: I can’t, I can’t I–
Eliza: Woah, woah, it’s okay…
Eliza hugs Millie as Parker shrinks back.
Millie (Quietly): He’s gone. He’s really gone.
We return to the others as they enter the DuPont mansion.
Cas: I don’t understand. The servants saw my parents take the body?
Nala: They did.
Cas: Why would they do that?
Hunter: Well, what do your parents do? I’ve never heard of them, and you seem pretty well off.
Cas shrugs.
Cas: They’re doctors.
Cad (Narration): Helpful.
Cad: What kind of doctors?
Cas: I… can’t talk about that. My parents’ research is very sensitive–
Nala: You don’t know, do you?
Cas: …I have my suspicions.
He stops.
Cas: What are you expecting to find here?
Nala: We need to see the body.
Cas: Even if we could find that, what qualifies you to even do that?
Nala: No one else is even trying to figure out what happened, Cas. That doesn’t bother you?
Cas: If what you say is true, my parents are.
Nala: They’re researchers, not detectives.
Cas: And you are?
Nala: Tell me, Cas… have you ever known me to turn away from a mystery?
Cas sighs.
Cas: I’ll take you to their lab.
Cad: Are you sure?
Cas looks over at Cad with something like surprise.
Cas: Of course. Mal and Millie may not have been as close to me as Nala, but… they were still like family. If you can find out what happened…?
Hunter: We can.
Nala: And we will.
We return to Parker’s house, where Millie is watching ballet on the TV. Eliza and Parker watch her from afar, curious.
Eliza: She seems… better.
Parker: Maybe she’s ready to give us some answers.
Eliza: I doubt that.
Parker: …Yeah, me too.
Eliza and Parker regard each other somewhat awkwardly.
Eliza: I’ve never been to your house, before. Even when Cad and I dated.
Parker: I know.
Eliza: It’s nice.
Parker: Trust me, it isn’t.
Eliza flinches as if stung.
Eliza: You keep watching Millie, okay? I need to use the bathroom.
Parker: Sure.
Eliza steps into the bathroom. As she does so, a shadow flickers behind her in the mirror.
Creature: Eliza…
We return to Cadmus and the others as they arrive in a high-tech laboratory. It is clean, sterile, and empty.
Hunter: Woah. It’s so…
Cad: Creepy.
Cas: Excuse me?
Nala: Don’t mind him. Caddie’s had some bad experiences in laboratories as of late.
Cas: Well, this is it. No body.
Hunter: It’s not like they would just leave it out.
Cas: You’re saying you think its hidden somewhere here?
Hunter: I mean, probably.
Something catches Cad’s eye. He moves carefully to the other side of the lab, where a filing cabinet sits locked.
Cad: This looks older than everything else here.
Nala: Cad?
Cad: Almost like it was built before everything else.
Gingerly, Cad tugs at the filing cabinet. He pulls a drawer open and, across the room, a door becomes visible, shelves moving to reveal it.
Hunter: Woah.
Nala: Hm.
She strides up the door, which has a keypad next to it.
Cas: Geez…
Nala: Cassie darling, what’s your birthday?
Cas: May 7, 1999. But no way that’s the–
The door slides open.
Cas: Code.
Nala: Of course it wasn’t.
She looks up.
Nala: It was your birthday backward.
Nala steps into the room. The boys watch her, stunned.
Cad: She’s kind of scary sometimes.
Cas: No kidding.
Cad: Let’s see what we have here.
Cut back to Parker as he sits down next to Millie on the house.
Parker: Uh… hey.
There’s silence.
Parker: You a big dance person?
Millie: …I love it.
Nervously, she turns to look at Parker.
Millie: Dancing, acting… they’re my favorite things in the world.
Parker: Really?
Millie: Yeah. I’ve actually had a recurring role on some TV shows.
Parker: Dude, that’s so cool.
Millie: …Thanks.
She hesitates.
Millie: Want to… watch some, with me?
Parker: …I’d love to.
We return to the mansion, where the other half of Team Starlight and Castor emerge in a small, cramped room. A computer monitor is in the corner, which Hunter makes a beeline to.
Nala: How long until your parents finish their call with the company?
Cas: No clue.
Nala: So, any moment.
Cas: Basically.
Cad approaches the shocked, decompsing body of the alien. He flinches somewhat.
Cad: He looks surprised.
Cas: I know the feeling.
Cad: Hunter, can you get into the system?
Hunter: It’s coded to certain users. But maybe…
They turn to Cas.
Nala: Well, worth a shot.
Cas places a hand on the computer, and it beeps.
Computer: User: Castor Hector DuPont. Approved.
Cas: …Wow.
He steps aside and lets Hunter get to the computer.
Nala: Anything?
Hunter: …Weirdly, yeah. It doesn’t look like they’ve cut into him at all yet but they already have his DNA on file. And some notes.
Cad: Notes?
Hunter: A location.
He looks up.
Hunter: Have any of you heard of Littleville, Kansas?
Just then, Nala’s phone rings. She frowns.
Nala: It’s Holly.
Cas: The Emmens’ housekeeper?
Nala answers.
Nala: Hello?
Holly: Nala, thank Goodness. It’s Mr. Emmens…
We cut to Holly peeking around the corner at Mr. Emmens, who is holding an alien-looking gun.
Holly: I think he’s been replaced.
Next: Super-Weird!