The Dungeon

The story opens with black and white photographs of a crime scene from twelve years ago—a cold case murder at the Desert Rose trailer park in the Mojave Desert. Then, through the POV of Sheriff TOM TURNER, 42, we go to another crime scene at Oscar’s Diner where three bikers and a cook were murdered, execution-style. From the evidence, Sheriff Turner and Deputy GINA BLAKE, 40, a Native American Navajo, deduce that the murders were probably drug-related. Sheriff Turner and his deputies pay a visit to ELDON WINTER, 21, at the Cinderhouse bar. Eldon’s a troubled young man who lives in the shadow of his older brother, ERNEST “THE REAPER” WINTER, 28, who’s coming up for parole. Unbeknownst to the sheriff, Eldon has built a meth lab in the bar basement and has revived his brother’s old biker gang, the “Devil’s Own.” The sheriff questions Eldon, but he doesn’t waver.

BRANDY BANKS, late 20s, is a San Bernardino County social worker. She’s a top-notch caseworker for Children and Family Services, but a workaholic. Brandy doesn’t have time for her family, but she will soon discover life is too short when she takes on a difficult case, saving a five-year-old child, Grace, from neglect. Grace is the daughter of ANNA PERKINS, 21. Anna is a prostitute and Eldon’s girlfriend. Brandy gets a visit from Sheriff Turner, warning her about who she’s dealing with and to be careful. Anna convinces Eldon to scare Brandy to get Grace back, but Eldon takes it to a terrifying level. Eldon builds a disturbing place in a massive junkyard, his backyard, that he calls “The Dungeon.” Eldon targets Brandy by following her. Then, one night in a mall parking lot, Eldon does the unthinkable—he abducts her.

Eldon restrains Brandy in “The Dungeon.” It’s a wooden box—seven foot deep, ten foot long and ten foot wide—buried in his backyard in the desert. Eldon plays cat-and-mouse games with Brandy, pretending he will release her if she returns Grace to Anna. But Brandy is too smart for that. She realizes that’s not what he really wants. Her goal is to escape. She’s got to “do what it takes to survive.”

**A heart-pounding story that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Written along the lines of films like "Split" and "Prisoners." Please contact me for the pitch deck and/or script. Thank you.** Mark