Title: The Aberrant

To be aberrant means to deviate from the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal.

Loosely based on the story of: Little Red Riding Hood and Werewolf (Point of view of the wolf)

Genre: Drama | Thriller

Issue raised: Parental love and sacrifice

Setting: Cross Ville

SYNOPSIS

“Your time is up.” Nigel, a half wolf half boy’s race against time as he decides if he should kill to get what he wants which will change his life forever.

 

 

THE STORY

 

Act 1/Incident:

 

This story begins with eleven-year-old NIGEL roaming the roads of Cross Ville. He hears his stomach growl but he has no money on him. He then notices a farm growing potatoes in a distant. He staggers towards the farm and starts digging the potatoes and devours them piece-by-piece. However, a lady, in her forties who lives in the barn next to farm, spots him. The lady chases after him with a wooden stick. His weak boney legs fail him and the lady swings the stick back. She was about to beat him when this man grabs her arm from behind, begging her to stop.

The man suggests adopting Nigel, as he will be a great helping hand in the farm. The lady reluctantly accepts. The man introduces himself as JOE RED and his wife, the lady, is ISABELLE RED. From that day on, Mr. Red treats Nigel like his very own son and shows him the ropes.

One day, on his way back from picking potatoes, he hears weird noises coming from behind. He turns around and sees shadows chasing him from behind. He turns to the woods and hurries in. He dares not to look back but continues to hear the rustling of the leaves. He continues to run deeper into the woods and to his relieve the sound starts to slowly disperse. He sits down under a big willow tree. He begins to admire the serenity of the woods. He turns and notices how there seem to be 5 markings on the tree. The markings look like symbols of some sort. He does not think much about it and just gazes at how fascinating they were.

He finds out that he finds comfort in the woods where he can take his mind off his troubles. And every time he encounters any problems, he will go back to the same favourtie tree. Soon this becomes a habitual routine.

 

Act 2/Confrontation:

 

On the day before his sixteenth birthday, he does his usual walk into the woods. He sits down next to the same tree. Suddenly, he sees the same shadows he saw five years ago approaching him from a distance. Before he can even run, he feels his arms and legs being clawed down. Standing before him was a big tall grey shadow that looked like a wolf. The wolf introduces himself as AURON DELMON.

“Boy, you must have noticed how your body is changing. It is your sixteenth birthday tomorrow. Your time is up and you must become a full wolf.”

Nigel insists that he wants to be a boy and lead a normal live with his foster parents. Auron explains that this is his destiny and asks him to look back. He turns back to look at the tree and realises that there is only one marking left. Auron explains that the 5 markings spells out his name “N.I.G.E.L.” and the countdown for his transformation begun five years ago when he entered the woods. Auron then makes a pack with him that if he manages to kill one person he loves he can become a full boy and will never be bothered for the rest of his life.

“Joe? Isabelle? It can’t be,” he thought to himself.

“Tick tock tick tock, your time is running out. Before the full moon rises tonight on your birthday, bring the body here.” And he vanishes.

 

 

Act 3/Resolution:

 

As he walks back, he dwells on what happened in the woods. As he was considering who to kill, he remembers how Mrs. Red would make him work long hours in the sun and scolded him whenever he misbehaved. He grows angrier and angrier as he approaches his home. As his blood boils, he unexpectedly begins his transformation into a wolf.

He arrives outside their bedroom. It is already 11pm, they are already sound asleep. He creeps into the room and approaches Mrs. Red. He hovers over her and claws onto her neck. Blood immediately oozes out of her neck and flows onto his own hands. Mrs Red wakes up immediately and shrieks as she stares directly into his eyes. At that moment, he felt a deep sense of regret and guilt. “No matter how badly she had treated me, she still fed me and gave me a roof to live under,” he thinks to himself. At this moment, Mr. Red wakes up and dashes over to grab Nigel and pulls him away. In the state of trepidation he growls and violently pushes Mr. Red away, accidently stabbing Mr. Red’s eyes with his claws.

He panics and escapes into the woods. He cowers under in his favourite tree and weeps in fear. “I can’t do this, my time is up,” he thought to himself as he waits for the full moon to appear.

He was in such hysteria that he does not hear someone approaching. “Nigel? Don’t be afraid.” He remembers that angelic voice. He turns around and to his surprise, it was Mr. and Mrs. Red standing before him. “We know what you are.” They reveal that they knew after he began to show signs of his change. Mr. and Mrs. Red approach him and hug him. He realizes that Mr. Red’s face is covered in blood and Mrs. Red’s body is filled with blood that is flowing from the gash he made just now. “I really do not want to be a wolf!” He howls. Mrs. Red then stood up and confesses. “Please hate me because my dear boy I was once a wolf. This can’t be tough. My time is up. I love you.” With that she stabs through her gash with a knife and died. Nigel howls and realises he has become a full wolf. He looked up in dismay and to his horror; the full moon is already up.

Aurun appears and tells him the death came too late and he will be a wolf for the rest of his life. He thanks Nigel for the meal and was about to pounce onto Mr. Red when Nigel grabs Mr. Red in the nick of time and brings him home. “What is happening boy? Who is there?” Mr. Red questions. His eyes are so wounded that he becomes completely blind. Nigel howls in sadness and walks away. “Don’t leave me son,” Mr. Red pleads. Nigel looks back once more but the immense guilt and fear of further hurting his dad made him go back to the woods. But this time when he goes, it is forever.

 

 

CHARACTERS

 

Nigel/ Protagonist/ half wolf, half boy. Loses control as a wolf and turns ferocious but as a boy he is a troubled child who actually has a very kind soul

Joe Red/Mr. Red/ – fatherly figure who introduces the idea of “family” to Nigel and takes care of him

Isabelle Red/Mrs. Red/ typical wicked mother but turns out to be mean for the betterment of Nigel

Auron Delmon/ Antagonist/ mysterious shadow demonic figure which cannot leave the woods

 

INSPIRATION

Storyline:

I wanted to revolve my story around the whole idea of Red Riding Hood but from the perspective of the wolf. The idea of luring someone into the woods can be seen in two parts. One would be the initial luring of the protagonist into the woods by using the shadows. This is to hint to the protagonist to make him realise where he actually belongs. The other would be the dramatic end scene when the antagonist tricks the protagonist to lure the foster parents into the woods.

I wanted to give the protagonist more depth by focusing more on his the struggles as he a child and as he changes so the audience sympthatises with him when he has to make the decision whether to kill or not. I added the plot twist at the end so the audiences can emphatise with Mrs. Red as well.

 

A Werewolf Boy

Twilight (setting)

 

Poster:

The Conjuring

Annabelle

The Collection