After waking up in a cell he doesn’t recognize, an innocent man hurries to escape before it’s too late…

INT. PRISON CELL – DAY

HENRY, a slim mid-twenties man about 5’6” with jet black hair, slowly awakens on the FLOOR of a PRISON CELL. It’s dark apart from a window set high on the back wall, and though it’s barebones, it’s clean.

He has an orange jumpsuit covering his body, and not much else.

He GROANS as he sits up, rubbing his head, which has a bandage wrapped around it.

HENRY

Ugh, what happened?

He hears the sound of WHISTLING, and sits up straighter.

INT. PRISON HALL – DAY

HOWARD, a portly man in his early forties at 6’1”, strides into view. He’s the one who is WHISTLING. 

The prison outside seems to be fairly well-kept, though from Henry’s vantage point, he can’t see much due to another row of cells facing his own.

Howard wears the typical prison warden outfit – a grey buttoned-up shirt with two chest pockets, black slacks, and black shoes. A belt with clips for his radio and baton are present.

He hasn’t noticed Henry yet.

INT. PRISON CELL – DAY

Henry sees Harry pass by. He scrambles to his feet.

HENRY

Hey! Hey you!

He runs over to the cell bars and grabs them, putting his head through.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Thank god you’re here, I thought I was alone! Can you tell me what happened?

Howard turns toward him and scoffs, narrowing his eyes.

HOWARD

Pipe down, crook. I don’t need your noise distracting me.

Henry’s eyes widen. He SHAKES the cell bars with his hands, starting to panic.

HENRY

No, no, no, you gotta be kidding, please! I didn’t do anything wrong, I swear! I’m innocent!

Howard GROWLS before smacking his BATON at the bars, making them RATTLE.

Henry stumbles backward in surprise, landing on his rear while staring up at Howard.

Howard turns to face him fully, an expression of anger on his face.

HOWARD

I absolutely loathe you criminals that beg and cry for mercy. You’re not going nowhere. Might as well get comfy.

Henry’s face falls. He has a fearful expression.

HENRY

Hold on, you can’t be serious! What did I do to deserve this?

Howard rolls his eyes.

HOWARD

Does it really matter? Either way, you’re stuck  under me. And I’m gonna enjoy watching you suffer in silence. So get to doing that, got it?

He turns and leaves, exiting Henry’s line of sight.

Henry WHIMPERS as the realization of his fate starts to settle in.

HENRY

What did I do to deserve this? I don’t understand.

EXT. PRISON YARD – NIGHT

Howard takes a seat out in the yard on an empty bench, fishing a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. The yard is empty, and he’s the only one there.

He takes out a lighter and flicks it on, lighting the cigarette, before bringing it to his mouth and inhaling. Then he breathes out, putting out a whispy trail of smoke.

HOWARD

That kid’s lucky I didn’t kill him on the spot. Never seen a mouthy one like him before.

He leans back while looking up at the night sky. He sighs.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

Shame mother isn’t around, bet she’d love seeing him like that.

He lowers his head, reaching in his other pocket.

INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT

Henry’s sitting in the middle of his cell, huddled in the fetal position. He’s rocking back and forth.

HENRY

(muttering)

I’m stuck, I’m stuck, oh I’m stuck, I can’t get out, I’m not a criminal, oh god, oh god…

He continues to ramble before going quiet, shaking. Then he looks up at the ceiling with a morose expression.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Why am I here? What did I do wrong? I’m innocent, I’m not a criminal.

He glances around his cell, before noticing something glinting in the corner.

HENRY (CONT’D)

What is that?

He gets up and comes closer to it.

EXT. PRISON YARD – NIGHT

Howard stretches on the bench, rolling out a kink in his shoulder. He pulls out a photo of an elderly, smiling woman, with Howard also visible on her right.

His face falls.

HOWARD

That robber took you away from me, all those years ago.

He shuts his eyes. He takes another drag from his cigarette.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

I wish I could have made that monster pay for what he did to you.

He decides to relax a little bit longer.

INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT

Henry bends down and picks up the object, and in the dim glow of the moonlight, it appears to be a knife. A rather hastily crafted one, looking more like a shard of glass with some tape wrapped around it to serve as a handle.

Henry stares at it for a moment, confused.

HENRY

Why is there a knife here?

He goes wide-eyed as he realizes something. He remembers what happened before.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Shit… that thief going for mom. I… I didn’t mean to…

EXT. PRISON YARD – NIGHT

Howard yawns, before standing up from his seat.

HOWARD

Guess I oughtta head back in and double check the place real quick, then head to bed. Especially that guy.

He pauses, smirking.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

Nobody will complain if I decide to just… waltz in and show some discipline.

He looks at his baton, mounted on his hip.

INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT

Henry starts to pace the room again, muttering.

HENRY

(muttering)

He was going to hurt her, I only wanted him to stop, no way, he should be here, not me.

He stops and turns towards the cell door, seeing the lock on it. He glares at the door.

He then glances at the knife, seeing how hastily-made it looks. He tilts his head.

HENRY (CONT’D)

How’d the guards miss this? Was… was there another guy here before me who forgot this?

Henry pauses to look at the door again. He frowns.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Doesn’t matter. I have to get out…

He gets closer to the cell door now, inspecting the lock.

EXT. PRISON YARD – NIGHT

Howard starts to cross the yard, WHISTLING again as he prepares to come back inside.

INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT

Henry is now in front of the door, his arms reaching through the bars, with the knife in hand. He’s carefully lining up the knife point with the slot for the lock.

HENRY

Easy… easy…

He hears a CLICK, and smiles. He starts adjusting the knife this way and that, hoping to fit it around and open the lock.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Come on…

INT. PRISON HALL – NIGHT

Howard is inside now, albeit moving slowly. He’s yawning and looking around, seeing no activity.

INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT

Henry keeps going, until he feels tension on the knife. He stops, a panicked look on his face.

HENRY

(quietly)

Shit, almost broke it.

He pauses and withdraws his arm back through the bars, looking at the knife.

He scowls.

HENRY (CONT’D)

(quietly)

Need to be careful. Only got one shot.

He resumes the lock-picking process, using more careful, slow movements. 

INT. PRISON HALL – NIGHT

Howard pauses to peer into one of the cells on the ground floor. The inmate inside is asleep, fidgeting on his bed.

HOWARD

Enjoy your rest, trash. You’re gonna need it in the morning.

He smirks and continues.

INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT

Sweat pours down Henry’s head as he keeps working. He’s biting his lip.

Another CLICK follows. Then the door falls inward slightly.

Henry flinches, and carefully pushes the door back in place, before scurrying back to his bed and laying on it, pretending to sleep.

Not a second later until the KLANGING of a baton on the bars fills the air.

HOWARD

Hey, buddy. You awake?

Henry gets back up out of bed, keeping the knife behind his back. He approaches Howard.

HENRY

What do you want?

HOWARD

You know, you ought to be grateful for being under my supervision.

Howard starts to ramble, his voice sounding more indistinct. Henry glances down, noticing that Howard is right in front of the door where he’s standing.

Howard suddenly pauses in his speech and scowls.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

Hey, you listening, asshole? Eyes forward.

Henry does so. And in the same motion he pushes the door open, right into Howard. Howard stumbles back, startled and disoriented as he stops against the railing behind him.

INT. PRISON HALL – NIGHT

Henry moves quickly. He rams the knife into Howard’s shoulder, causing him to SCREAM in pain, before Henry darts away and runs down the hall.

HOWARD

(pained)

Shit! Should have known he’d try that!

He stumbles to his feet, and looks up to see Henry duck out of sight through a door leading outside. He starts to hobble after him, holding his shoulder.

EXT. PRISON YARD – NIGHT

Henry sprints across the yard, approaching a fence. He manages to get across it the whole way in record time, and starts to climb it.

Howard stumbles out from the door leading inside, and spots Henry climbing the fence.

HOWARD

Hey, you! Get back here!

However, Henry is too far away for him to catch up.

Henry’s just over the top edge of the fence when he turns to look at Harry one last time. He then averts his gaze and jumps over, successfully completing his escape attempt.

HENRY

Sorry, officer. You don’t win this time.

He starts sprinting out into the night, now free.

Howard coughs and straightens while leaning against the doorway. He grimaces, aware that he’s lost an inmate.

Then he smirks, giving a little chuckle.

HOWARD

Well, guess I shouldn’t have underestimated you, criminal. Guess that teaches me to antagonize a caged animal.

He turns around and starts heading inside, still at a slow pace. He CHUCKLES to himself.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

Mark my words. You won’t end up out of my grasp for long. Soon, I’ll find you, and then, you’re going to learn why I hate your kind so much first hand.

He’s back inside now, the door shutting behind him. A wicked grin is visible on his face.