TEMPUS FUGIT
Episode 1
Written by
Joel Lee
Todd Gatchel
Reed Lee
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
(561) 891-6713
FADE IN:
EXT.DARK ALLEY - NIGHT
Rain falls.
Steady.
Water gathers on the uneven ground.
Runs in thin streams toward the street
A narrow space.
Brick. Close walls.
A figure stands at the edge of shadow.
Already there.
Still.
A beat-
Then-
They move.
Measured.
No rush.
Face obscured.
Not hidden- just not offered.
A knife rests at their side.
Partially visible.
Not drawn.
They advance down the alley.
Footsteps muted by rain.
Even.
Ahead-
A basement window.
Light flickers within.
Unstable.
The figure slows.
Not to stop-
To listen.
No turn of the head.
No visible adjustment.
Then-
They continue.
Passing a flyer posted to the wall.
The paper shifts in the rain.
Edges loosening.
For a moment-
The face on it is visible.
A man.
MISSING
The figure pauses.
Just before the windowStill.
As if measuring the space.
The light flickers again-
Then steadies.
The figure steps forward.
Disappears from view.
Just briefly.
The flyer pulls loose at one corner.
Hangs.
Then settles back against the brick.
Rain continues.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
Portal Pursuit
INT. LABORATORY - NIGHT
Low light.
Machines hum.
A controlled space.
Winston stands at a terminal.
Inputs commands.
Precise. Methodical.
On a nearby screen:
ATTEMPT 75
At the center of the room-
A metal panel embedded in the floor.
Four dark columns at its corners.
Cables feed into each.
Winston glances up.
Waiting.
Nothing-
Then-
A distortion in the air above the panel.
Subtle.
Like heat.
The distortion tightens.
Holds.
A faint blue glow along the columns.
Spreads across the panel.
Winston steps closer.
Not hurried.
The air compresses-
Then resolves-
A sphere forms.
Suspended.
Unstable for a moment-
Then-
It steadies.
On the monitor:
STABLE
Winston doesn’t react immediately.
He studies it.
WINSTON
That’s... different.
The sphere shifts-
It’s surface flattening.
Opening.
Depth where there was none.
A doorway.
Light moves across it-
Fluid.
Unfixed.
Winston reaches out.
Stops just short.
Then-
Touches it.
The surface responds.
Ripples outward from his hand.
He presses further.
His hand disappears.
He pulls it back.
Examines it.
No damage.
A beat.
Winston looks from his hand-
To the opening.
Decision forming.
Behind him-
A sound.
The door.
Winston turns-
A Figure stands in the doorway.
Knife in hand.
Still.
The door closes behind them.
Hard.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
You shouldn’t be in here.
The Figure steps forward.
Measured.
Winston backs away.
Toward the apparatus.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
This isn’t-
The Figure doesn’t respond.
Another step.
Closer.
Winston’s eyes flick-
To the portal.
Back to the Figure.
The knife lifts.
No time to think it through.
The Figure lunges-
Winston moves-
Slams into one of the columns-
Sparks fly from a nearby cabinet.
The system flickers-
But holds.
The Figure comes again-
Closer now.
Committed.
Winston makes the choice.
He turns-
Drives forward-
Into the opening-
Gone.
A beat.
The Figure follows.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Shadows in the Alley
EXT.WHITECHAPEL ALLEY - NIGHT (1888)
Dark.
Close.
Winston falls through-
Hits the ground hard.
Behind him-
The opening pulses.
Unstable.
Then-
Gone.
Silence.
Winston doesn’t move.
Then-
A breath.
Sharp.
He rolls onto his side.
Pushes himself up-
Unsteady.
The alley tilts slightly-
Or he does.
A flicker-
The lab.
Light. Machines.
Gone.
Winston steadies himself on a wooden crate.
A few yards away-
A FIGURE stands.
Still.
Partially obscured by shadow.
Winston doesn’t see her.
Voices.
Nearby.
Muted.
Indistinct.
He stills.
Listens.
When he looks up-
The far end of the alley is empty.
Nothing there.
Winston edges along the wall.
Careful.
Keeping low.
He reaches the mouth of the alley-
Stops behind the crate.
Something catches his eye.
Carved into the wood:
BEHIND YOU
Rough
Recent.
Winston runs his fingers across it.
Behind him-
A shift.
Soft.
He doesn’t turn
The street beyond-
Dim.
Crowded.
Figures move through drifting smoke.
Heavy coats.
Muted colors.
Unfamiliar shapes.
In the distance-
Factory stacks push smoke into a low sky.
Winston watches.
Taking it in.
He looks down-
Lab coat.
Jeans.
Wrong.
He pulls the coat tighter.
Instinct.
A passerby crosses the mouth of the alley-
Blocking the view-
When the space clears-
At the edge of the street-
The same FIGURE stands.
Closer now.
Still.
Watching.
Winston glances up-
But not far enough.
Not long enough.
Winston lowers himself further behind the crate.
The street continues.
Unaware.
The FIGURE remains.
A beat-
Then-
She turns.
Moves with the crowd.
Gone.
Winston stays where he is.
Listening.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
A Watchful Eye
EXT.BUCKS ROW, WHITECHAPEL - DAY
A narrow street.
Busy. Close.
Movement everywhere.
Winston makes his way through it.
Unsteady, but pushing forward.
Taking everything in.
Too much at once.
In a doorway-
POLLY (20s) watches.
Still.
Across the street-
The WOMAN stands among passersby.
Unremarkable at a glance.
Watching.
A cart rolls between her and the street-
Blocking her from view-
Winston passes Polly-
She catches his arm.
Not rough.
But certain.
POLLY
Easy there.
Winston turns.
A beat-orienting.
WINSTON
Sorry-
She studies him.
Not concerned.
Curious.
POLLY
You’ve had a day.
Winston considers that.
WINSTON
That’s one way to put it.
Her eyes move over him-
The coat.
The posture.
The disconnect.
POLLY
You’re not from ‘round here.
Not a question.
WINSTON
No.
A beat.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
I don’t think I am.
That lands.
Polly tilts her head slightly.
She reaches out-
Lightly brushes the front of his coat.
Testing the material.
POLLY
That’s not from here either.
Winston follows her glance.
Registers it again.
WINSTON
I could use some direction.
Polly looks back to him.
A small shift-
Decision made.
POLLY
That’s not usually my work.
A beat.
POLLY (CONT’D)
But I’ll make an exception.
She steps back.
Gives him space.
But keeps his attention.
POLLY (CONT’D)
Mary Nichols.
A flicker-
POLLY (CONT’D)
Polly.
Winston nods.
Still measuring her.
WINSTON
Winston.
Across the street-
The WOMAN is visible again.
Closer now.
Not by movement-
By absence of obstruction.
Her gaze fixed.
Not on Polly.
On Winston.
From inside-
A voice
CATHERINE
(O.S)
Polly-
Polly doesn’t look back immediately.
Still watching Winston.
CATHERINE (CONT’D)
(O.S.)
You bringing him in, or leaving him
out there?
A faint smile from Polly.
She gestures toward the doorway.
POLLY
Come on.
Winston hesitates.
Just a moment.
He glances back-
Not fully-
Just enough to scan the street.
The WOMAN is there.
Still.
Watching.
Nothing unusual.
Winston turns away.
He follows Polly inside.
Across the street-
The WOMAN remains.
A beat.
Then-
She moves.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Historical","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
A Stranger in Whitechapel
INT.CATHERINE AND POLLY’S FLAT - DAY
Muted daylight.
A small, worn room.
The door opens.
Winston steps inside.
Takes it in-quick, precise.
Catherine rises.
Studies him.
CATHERINE
And you are?
WINSTON
Winston Cross.
Winston offers his hand.
A beat-
Catherine takes it.
Turns her wrist toward him.
Winston hesitates-
Adjusts-
Lean in. Brushes her hand with his lips.
Catherine watches him.
A hint of approval.
Or curiosity.
CATHERINE
Catherine Eddowes.
A beat.
CATHERINE (CONT’D)
Different manners where you’re
from.
Winston recovers.
WINSTON
Sydney.
A pause.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
...by way of America.
Catherine holds on that.
Weighing it.
CATHERINE
And what brings you here?
Winston glances around the room again.
Something not aligning.
WINSTON
I’m a scientist.
That lands.
Lightly.
CATHERINE
In Whitechapel
Winston looks at her.
WINSTON
Whitechapel.
A beat.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
London.
Polly watches him now.
Closer.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
What year is it?
A pause.
Polly and Catherine exchange a look.
Not alarmed.
Just... recalibrating.
POLLY
Eighteen eighty-eight.
Winston absorbs it.
Still.
CATHERINE
You don’t know where you are.
Not a question.
Winston shakes his head, just slightly
WINSTON
I arrived...not far from here.
He leaves it there.
Catherine studies him.
CATHERINE
You’re looking for someone.
A flicker-
A memory: movement, a blade
Gone.
WINSTON
Possibly.
CATHERINE
A friend?
Winston meets her eyes.
WINSTON
I don’t think so.
Polly steps closer.
Engaged now.
POLLY
What does he look like?
Winston searches-
Nothing solid.
WINSTON
I didn’t see his face.
Catherine exhales.
Taking that in.
CATHERINE
That makes it difficult.
WINSTON
He’d stand out.
A beat.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
New. Out of place.
Polly almost smiles.
POLLY
That’s most men.
A glance Between the women.
CATHERINE
We could ask Annie. Elizabeth.
Winston looks between them.
WINSTON
Who are they?
Polly steps in.
Takes his hand.
Easy.
POLLY
Friends.
A small pull toward the door.
POLLY (CONT’D)
Off we go.
Winston hesitates-
Then follows.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Historical","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
A Chance Encounter on Bucks Row
EXT.BUCKS ROW - DAY
A narrow street. Quiet, but not empty.
ANNIE and ELIZABETH linger outside a worn flat, working
without urgency—eyes tracking passing men.
Annie spots Polly approaching with Winston.
Her face lights up.
ANNIE
Polly—well now.
Polly smiles. They embrace briefly.
POLLY
This is Mr. Winston Cross.
Annie offers her hand.
Winston takes it—hesitates—then kisses it.
WINSTON
Charmed.
Annie clocks that. Amused.
POLLY
Mr. Cross—Miss Annie Chapman.
Elizabeth steps in, closer than necessary. A hand rests
lightly on Winston’s chest.
ELIZABETH
Elizabeth Stride.
(a beat, playful)
You look lost, handsome.
Polly gives her a look.
POLLY
He’s not here for that.
ELIZABETH
No?
A faint smirk.
ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
Strange place to wander, then.
Winston glances between them—trying to place it.
WINSTON
Where exactly am I?
Annie and Elizabeth exchange a look—then a small laugh.
ANNIE
Whitechapel.
ELIZABETH
Our little corner of it.
A beat.
Winston processes.
WINSTON
And you’re—
ELIZABETH
Working girls.
ANNIE
We manage.
POLLY
Best we can.
A couple of PASSERSBY slow, watching.
Elizabeth snaps toward them—
ELIZABETH
Move along.
(sharper)
Unless you mean to be known.
They move quickly on.
Winston, still adjusting—
WINSTON
I’ve never… met anyone in your line
before.
POLLY
No?
A glance.
POLLY (CONT’D)
Not even in Sydney?
Winston falters—caught.
ANNIE
Sydney, is it?
Curious, not suspicious—yet.
ANNIE (CONT’D)
That’s a long way to come.
POLLY
He’s looking for someone.
Annie’s attention sharpens slightly.
ANNIE
And when did you arrive?
WINSTON
Not long ago. An hour—maybe.
Annie thinks.
ANNIE
Haven’t seen any new faces.
(to Elizabeth)
Have you?
Elizabeth doesn’t answer right away.
She’s looking past them—
Across the street.
ELIZABETH
No.
(a beat)
But someone’s been about.
She nods toward—
A shadowed alley across the road.
The others turn.
Something—or someone—lingers there.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Historical","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
The Watchful Shadow
EXT.ALLEY ACROSS THE STREET - DAY
A narrow cut between buildings. Shadowed.
THE FIGURE stands within it—
Still.
Watching.
Across the street—Polly, Winston, Annie, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth points.
The others turn—
The Figure doesn’t flinch.
A beat.
Then—
They lower, smoothly, out of sight behind a wooden crate.
Nothing abrupt.
Gone.
BACK TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
A Mysterious Encounter
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
Winston crosses quickly from the street—
Into the narrow alley.
He heads straight for the wooden crate.
Looks behind it—
Nothing.
A flicker—
Dark fabric shifts in a nearby entryway.
Winston turns.
Moves toward it. Careful.
A WOMAN (30s), face half-hidden behind a black veil, steps
out suddenly—
WOMAN
(startled)
My word—
Winston stops short.
WINSTON
Apologies. I mistook you for
someone else.
She studies him—brief, unreadable—
Then brushes past.
WOMAN
Indeed.
Her footsteps fade.
A beat.
Then-
A sharp SLAM.
Winston turns.
At the far end of the alley-
A thin wooden door swings on its hinges.
Back and forth.
No one there.
JUMP CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
Temporal Tensions
INT.CATHERINE AND POLLY'S FLAT - EARLY EVENING
Low light. Close quarters. The air feels used.
Catherine, Polly, Annie, and Elizabeth sit gathered around a
small table.
Winston paces.
Not aimless-measured.
Repetitive.
Elizabeth watches him.
ELIZABETH
I take it that wasn’t your friend
in the alley then.
CATHERINE
(to Elizabeth)
Not a friend.
Elizabeth frowns slightly. Reassessing.
ELIZABETH
(to Winston)
Then why chase him?
Winston stops.
Considers them.
Chooses his works carefully.
WINSTON
Because of where we’re from. We’re
not meant to be here. And if we
stay, something changes.
A beat.
The women exchange glances.
POLLY
Changes how?
Winston doesn’t answer immediately.
WINSTON
Wrong.
That lands poorly.
Polly leans back, unimpressed.
POLLY
What’s so terrible about coming
here from Sydney? Aside from the
accent.
A faint ripple of agreement-Catherine, Elizabeth.
Winston almost smiles.
Almost.
WINSTON
I’ve come from a bit farther than
that.
CATHERINE
America is closer than Sydney, Mr.
Cross. We do have maps.
Winston looks at her.
Still.
WINSTON
I told you where I’m from. Not
when.
Silence.
Not confusion.
Evaluation.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
Skepticism and Intrigue
EXT.CATHERINE AND POLLY’S FLAT - EARLY EVENING
From the street-
Through the window-
Winston gestures as he speaks.
Animated.
Insistent.
Unheard.
A Figure stands across the way.
Watching.
Still.
BACK TO:
INT.CATHERINE AND POLLY'S FLAT - EARLY EVENING
The women sit silence.
Eyes drift between one another.
Then settle-
On Catherine.
She exhales.
Resigned.
CATHERINE
Shouldn’t you see a doctor?
Winston nods once.
As if that’s reasonable.
WINSTON
I am a doctor. ...I think.
A flicker of doubt.
Gone quickly.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
I know how this sounds.
CATHERINE
It doesn’t sound like anything.
A beat.
CATHERINE (CONT’D)
It is.
ANNIE
Looney.
Elizabeth studies him.
Curious.
Not entirely dismissive.
ELIZABETH
Why is it always the interesting
ones?
Winston stops pacing.
Turns.
Decides.
WINSTON
I can prove it.
JUMP CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
The Portal Revelation
EXT.WHITECHAPEL ALLEY - EARLY EVENING
The same alley.
Quieter now.
Winston stands before empty air.
Points.
Certain.
WINSTON
Here.
Nothing.
Just space.
The women standing behind him,
Watching him.
Not what he sees.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
You don’t see it?
No answer.
CATHERINE
See what?
Winston gestures again.
More precisely now.
Mapping it.
WINSTON
The opening.
It’s right here.
Nothing changes.
No light. No distortion.
Only Winston insisting.
Catherine watches him.
Shakes her head.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
Maybe it’s just me.
A small shift among the women.
That lands worse than anything else he’s said.
ELIZABETH
And that helps your case?
Winston ignores it.
Already moving.
Hands searching his pockets-
Faster than before.
He finds his phone.
Holds it up.
Proof.
The women gather, forming a loose semicircle.
Close.
But not too close.
Winston looks a the screen.
Black.
A flicker of something-uncertainty.
WINSTON
Come on...
He presses the button.
A beat.
The screen lights.
Relief.
Quick. Controlled.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
Hold still.
He raises it.
Snaps the image.
Checks it.
The hands it to Polly.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
Look.
They lean in.
All of them.
On the screen-
The portal.
Visible.
Wrong.
Silence.
Not amazement.
Something quieter.
More unsettled.
POLLY
...how?
Winston doesn’t look at her.
He’s watching them.
WINSTON
It’s complicated.
Polly touches the screen.
Tentative.
Slides her finger-
The image shifts.
Another photo replaces it.
Winston.
In a mirror.
Unaware.
Uncovered.
A small involuntary sound from Polly.
Not quite a laugh.
All four women look up.
At once.
Winston clocks it immediately.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
No.
He takes the phone.
Sees it.
Closes his eyes briefly
WINSTON (CONT’D)
You had one job.
A beat.
The women exchange a glance.
A decision passing silently between them.
Polly steps forward.
POLLY
Alright, Mr. Cross.
A pause.
Measured.
POLLY (CONT’D)
Let’s say we believe you.
Winston looks at her.
Doesn’t relax.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Sci-Fi","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
Skepticism in the Shadows
EXT.WHITECHAPEL ALLEY - EARLY EVENING
The phone lowers.
No one speaks.
The image lingers in their minds-
Not enough to believe.
Too much to dismiss.
Winston watches them.
Waiting.
They don’t give him anything.
ELIZABETH
It’s clever.
Not convinced.
Not mocking either.
ANNIE
If it’s a trick, it’s a good one.
Polly glances once more at the space Winston indicated.
Nothing there.
She steps back.
Creating distance.
POLLY
We should get in before it’s fully
dark.
Practical.
An exit.
Catherine nods.
Grateful for it.
Winston doesn’t move.
WINSTON
You saw it.
No one answers.
A beat.
CATHERINE
We saw something.
Careful.
Noncommittal.
Winston absorbs that.
It’s not enough.
But it’s all he’s getting.
The group begins to break.
Not formally.
Just... drifting apart.
Annie and Elizabeth move off together.
Low voices.
Already reframing it.
Catherine lingers a moment.
With Winston.
CATHERINE (CONT’D)
If you’re right-
(small pause)
-you’ll need more than that.
She leaves him with it.
Winston remains where he is.
Alone now.
He looks back to the space.
The portal.
Across the alley-
Movement.
A figure passing.
Or watching.
Hard to tell.
Winston turns-
But it’s already gone.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
Shadows on Whitechapel Street
EXT. WHITECHAPEL STREET - CONTINUOUS
The women emerge from the alley.
The street has shifted.
Darker.
Thinner foot traffic.
They slow.
Naturally separating.
ELIZABETH
He believes it.
ANNIE
That’s the problem.
They continue ahead.
Together.
Catherine pauses.
Turns back-
Just once.
Toward the alley.
Winston is still there.
Distant now.
She goes.
Polly lingers.
A moment longer than the others.
She looks back too-
But not at Winston.
At the alley itself.
Something unsettled.
Unresolved.
Then-
She turns.
Walks.
Alone now.
The others have moved far ahead.
Far enough.
The fog settles lower along the street.
Polly glances back.
Once.
Then again-
Nothing obvious.
She keeps moving.
Someone turns the corner behind her.
Not close.
But closer than before.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Suspense","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
A Foggy Encounter
EXT.WHITECHAPEL STREET - NIGHT
Fog drifts low along the cobblestones.
Polly moves quickly, glancing back now and then.
MARY JANE (30s) falls in step beside her. Composed.
Unhurried.
POLLY
Haven’t seen you about before.
MARY JANE
I come and go.
Polly studies her - something a little unusual, but not
enough to name.
POLLY
Working girl, are you?
A beat.
Mary Jane looks at her. Not surprised by the question.
MARY JANE
Aren’t we all.
Polly smirks at that.
POLLY
Mary Ann. Polly to my friends.
MARY JANE
Mary Jane.
Another beat. Mary Jane doesn’t offer more.
POLLY
Two Marys.
MARY JANE
(softly)
Convenient.
Polly laughs lightly. Starts walking again.
Mary Jane doesn’t move right away.
She watches Polly go-
Just a moment too long
Then-
She follows.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Historical","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
A Watchful Eye in Whitechapel
EXT.WHITECHAPEL MARKET - NIGHT
Crowded. Loud. Bodies moving in tight currents.
Polly and Mary Jane weave through.
Mary Jane’s eyes move constantly-
Not nervous.
Measuring.
Tracking.
POLLY
You always this quiet?
MARY JANE
Only when I’m listening.
Polly glances at her-
MARY JANE (CONT’D)
Don’t look.
Polly freezes slightly.
MARY JANE (CONT’D)
Someone’s watching us.
Polly resists the urge-
But looks anyway.
Nothing obvious.
Just people. Movement. Noise.
POLLY
You sure?
Mary Jane doesn’t turn.
MARY JANE
Yes.
A beat.
POLLY
Where?
Mary Jane finally shifts her gaze-
Past a butcher’s stall.
A Stranger stands in the distance. Watching.
He shifts.
Not smoothly.
Abrupt.
Wrong.
Mary Jane notices.
Polly sees him now-
POLLY (CONT’D)
Right. I see him.
Mary Jane already moving-
MARY JANE
This way.
They cut through the crowd.
Mary Jane never looks back.
She doesn’t need to.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
In the Shadows
EXT. NARROW PASSAGE - NIGHT
They slip out of the market into a tighter, darker space.
The noise drops away.
Polly catches her breath-
POLLY
Lost him?
Mary Jane listens.
Not for footsteps-
For absence.
MARY JANE
For now.
Polly exhales.
Relieved.
Mary Jane doesn’t.
POLLY
You’ve got a sharp eye.
MARY JANE
Something like that.
A beat.
Polly studies her again
POLLY
Where’d you say you were from?
Mary Jane meets her gaze.
Too steady.
MARY JANE
I didn’t.
Polly laughs-
A touch forced.
POLLY
Right. Didn’t you just.
Mary Jane holds on her.
Not amused.
Not unkind.
Just... attentive.
A beat too long.
Then-
MARY JANE
We shouldn’t stay here.
She’s already moving.
Polly lingers-
Just a moment-
Then follows.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Suspense","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
Tension in the Flat
INT.CATHERINE AND POLLY’S FLAT - DAY
Muted daylight.
The room feels smaller than it did before.
Winston sits across the table from Catherine.
Watching her.
Catherine holds Winston’s phone.
Focused.
Absorbed.
Her finger moves across the screen with careful precision.
A beat-
She glances up at him.
Almost childlike.
CATHERINE
This is extraordinary.
WINSTON
I’m beginning to regret showing
you.
She’s already back on the screen.
The front door opens.
Polly enters.
A touch winded.
Something still unsettled in her.
Mary Jane follows.
Composed.
Unchanged by the walk.
Catherine lowers the phone.
Not fully-just enough.
CATHERINE
You’ve brought someone.
POLLY
Catherine-
Mary Jane
A small pause.
CATHERINE
(to Mary Jane)
A pleasure.
A glance to Polly-
CATHERINE (CONT’D)
Another Mary.
Polly give the slightest shrug.
Doesn’t quite meet her eye.
POLLY
And this-
Winston stands.
Turns.
POLLY (CONT’D)
-is Mr. Winston Cross
Mary Jane looks at him.
Still
A subtle shift-
Barely there.
But real.
Winston takes her hand.
Lifts it.
Measured.
WINSTON
Charmed.
A beat.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
Mary Jane, is it?
She smiles.
Polite.
Controlled.
It doesn’t reach her eyes.
MARY JANE
Polly tells me you’re not from
here.
Winston holds her gaze.
Measuring.
WINSTON
Something like that.
At the table-
Catherine is still holding the phone.
Watching them now.
Not the screen.
Mary Jane’s attention shifts-
Briefly-
To the device in Catherine’s hand.
Registers it.
Then away.
Deliberate.
MARY JANE
You must travel often.
Subtle.
A redirection.
Winston catches it.
Doesn’t answer right away.
WINSTON
More than I planned to.
Polly lingers near the door.
Watching all of this.
Quiet.
Catherine leans forward slightly,
Drawn back in.
CATHERINE
He showed us something last night.
Winston’s eyes flick to her-
Sharp.
Too late.
CATHERINE (CONT’D)
In the alley.
A small pause.
CATHERINE (CONT’D)
Through this.
She lifts the phone.
Just enough.
Mary Jane looks at it again.
Longer this time.
Not curiosity.
Recognition.
POLLY
Catherine-
A warning.
Soft.
Catherine doesn’t register it.
CATHERINE
You couldn’t see it otherwise.
That lands.
A quiet shift in the room.
Mary Jane turns back to Winston.
MARY JANE
No?
Winston studies her.
Something tightening now.
WINSTON
No.
A beat.
Mary Jane steps closer.
Not intrusive.
But intentional
MARY JANE
Then you’re the only one who can.
Not a question.
Winston doesn’t answer.
Catherine still holding the phone-
Almost absently-
Tilts the screen.
The display catches light.
For a moment-
The portal image is visible again.
Mary Jane sees it.
Doesn’t react.
But she doesn’t look away either.
A beat too long.
Then-
She steps back.
MARY JANE (CONT’D)
How fortunate.
It doesn’t sound like luck.
Polly watches her.
That unsettled feeling from before-
Back again.
Stronger now.
Winston and Mary Jane hold each other’s gaze.
Neither gives ground.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
Watchful Shadows
EXT.LABORATORY - NIGHT
Rain falls.
Steady.
A service entrance.
Unlit.
A woman stands just beyond the reach of the light.
Still.
She watches the building.
Not the door.
The structure.
A faint glow pulses from within-
Subtle.
Then-
Gone.
A beat.
She moves.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
19 -
Escape Through the Portal
INT.LABORATORY - NIGHT
Low light.
The apparatus hums.
The opening holds-
Stable.
Winston stands before it.
Hand just withdrawn.
Watching.
Behind him-
The door opens.
Quiet.
Winston doesn’t hear it.
A woman steps inside.
Unhurried.
She closes the door.
Not forceful,
Deliberate.
A knife rests at her side.
She takes in the room.
The columns.
The panel.
The opening.
Her attention settles-
On Winston.
A beat.
Winston turns-
Too late to catch her entry-
Just in time to see her advancing.
WINSTON
You shouldn’t be in here-
She doesn’t respond.
Another step.
Measured.
Winston backs away.
Toward the apparatus.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
This isn’t-
She steps closer.
Winston backs away.
Another step-
The distance is gone.
A beat.
The knife lifts.
Then-
She lunges-
Winston reacts-
Slams into a column-
Sparks fly from a nearby cabinet.
The system flickers-
Holds.
Winston scrambles-
Eyes flick-
Portal.
Woman.
No time.
She comes again-
Closer now.
Committed.
For the first time-
Her face catches the light.
Not fully-
But enough.
Recognition-
Not for Winston.
For the audience.
Winston makes a choice.
He turns-
Drives forward-
Into the opening-
Gone.
A beat.
She stops at the threshold.
Doesn’t follow immediately.
Studies it.
Still
Then-
She steps through.
Gone.
The lab settles.
The hum continues.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Sci-Fi"]
Ratings
Scene
20 -
Through the Portal
EXT.WHITECHAPEL ALLEY- DAY (1888)
Narrow.
Active beyond the mouth of the alley.
Distant voices. Movement.
The alley itself-
Still.
A distortion forms in the air.
Subtle.
Tightening.
It opens-
Unstable-
Winston falls through-
Hits the ground hard.
Behind him-
The opening holds.
Flickering in the daylight.
A beat.
Then-
The woman steps through
She lands lightly.
Already balanced.
The opening collapses.
Gone.
Sound rushes back in-
Voices. Wheels. Footsteps.
Winston doesn’t move at first.
Catching breath.
The woman stands.
Still.
Watching him.
Or waiting.
A beat-
Then-
She moves.
Not toward him.
Along the wall.
Into the narrow band of shadow.
Winston rolls onto his side.
Pushes himself up-
Unsteady.
A flicker-
The lab.
Gone.
He steadies himself against a crate.
Looks down the alley-
Empty.
No one there.
He listens.
Voices. Close now.
He edges toward the mouth of the alley-
Keeping low.
When he glances back-
Nothing.
The alley holds.
As if he arrived alone.
At the far edge of the street-
A woman stands among passersby.
Still.
Unremarkable.
Winston turns away.
Misses it.
A beat.
Then-
She moves.
Blends into the flow of people.
Gone.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Suspense","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
21 -
The Pursuit
EXT. WHITECHAPEL STREET-LATER
The crowd has thinned.
Polly walks alone.
Faster now.
She glances back-
Nothing obvious.
The woman is behind her.
At a distance.
Matching pace.
Without adjusting.
Polly slows-
Just slightly.
The woman does not
The distance closes.
A beat-
Then-
She steps forward.
Falls into place beside her.
MARY JANE
I come and go.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Suspense","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
22 -
Tension on Whitechapel Street
EXT. WHITECHAPEL STREET – NIGHT
Quieter now. The city has thinned out.
Polly walks slightly ahead.
Mary Jane behind her—
Just out of arm’s reach.
POLLY
You ever get used to it?
No answer.
Polly glances back—
MARY JANE
Used to what?
POLLY
All this.
A gesture to the street. The life.
Mary Jane considers that.
MARY JANE
You stop expecting it to be
different.
Polly nods. That makes sense to her.
POLLY
That’s a bleak way of putting it.
MARY JANE
It’s accurate.
They walk.
A long beat.
POLLY
You’re not like the others.
Mary Jane doesn’t react immediately.
MARY JANE
No?
POLLY
Can’t quite place it.
Mary Jane steps closer now.
Closing the gap.
MARY JANE
You don’t need to.
Polly smiles faintly—
A little unsettled now, though she doesn’t show it.
POLLY
Fair enough.
They keep walking.
Mary Jane’s eyes flick past Polly—
Scanning the dark ahead.
Calculating distance.
Timing.
Then—
Stillness.
MARY JANE
Wait.
Polly stops.
Turns—
Mary Jane is already still.
A beat.
Then-
She steps forward.
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
23 -
Shadows in Whitechapel
EXT.WHITECHAPEL STREET - NIGHT
Fog drifts low along the cobblestones.
Gaslight flickers.
The street is thinning.
Voices fade into the distance.
Polly moves along the edge of the street.
Not hurried-
But not lingering.
She glances back.
Once.
Nothing obvious.
She continues.
A figure turns into the street behind her.
Far enough not to register.
Polly slows.
Just slightly.
Listening.
Across the street-
The Stranger stands beneath shadow.
Watching.
He moves abruptly.
Polly notices.
A cart rolls between them-
Blocking the view-
Polly turns a corner.
Into-
Genres:
["Mystery","Suspense","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
24 -
Shadows of Uncertainty
EXT.NARROW PASSAGE - CONTINUOUS
Tighter.
Darker.
The sounds drops away.
Polly exhales.
Relieved to be out of the open.
She pauses-
Leans lightly against the wall.
A presence behind her.
Close.
Polly turns-
We don’t see who she sees.
Only her reaction.
Recognition?
No.
Adjustment.
POLLY
Didn’t hear you-
A beat.
No reply.
Polly studies them.
Something off.
She steps back.
Creating space.
At the mouth of the passage.
A silhouette stands.
Still.
Watching.
The light from the street flickers-
For a moment-
Everything drops into shadow.
A movement-
Fast.
Contained.
A hand-
A shift of fabric-
Polly gasps-
Then-
Silence.
The light steadies.
The passage is empty-
At first glance.
A shape resolves-
Polly-
Collapsed near the wall.
No one else is visible.
At the mouth of the passage-
The silhouette is gone.
Footsteps pass the opening.
Unaware.
The street continues.
From deeper in the passage-
A woman steps back into view.
Mary Jane
Composed.
She looks down at Polly.
Not shocked,
Not hurried.
A beat.
Then-
She turns.
Walks out into the street.
Blends into the remaining crowd.
Gone.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Suspense","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
Into the Fog
EXT. WHITECHAPEL – LATER
Silence.
Mary Jane stands alone now.
No Polly.
No panic.
No rush.
She adjusts her sleeve.
Composed.
A distant shout somewhere in the night.
She listens.
Then—
A faint shift in her expression.
Then-
Nothing.
She turns.
And disappears into the fog.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
Caught in the Fog
EXT.WHITECHAPEL STREET – NIGHT
A small crowd gathers in the distance. Low murmurs ripple
the fog.
A CONSTABLE pushes past onlookers.
CONSTABLE #1
Move along- nothing for you here.
We don’t see the body. Just the reaction to it.
CUT TO:
EXT.STREET - CONTINUOUS
Winston is dragged forward by two CONSTABLES.
WINSTON
You’ve got the wrong man—!
CONSTABLE #2
Keep moving.
WINSTON
She wasn’t alone-
Constable #2 shoves him forward.
CONSTABLE #3
That’s enough.
Winston twists, trying to look back—
Desperate. Helpless.
The fog swallows the alley behind him.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
27 -
Evasion in the Alley
EXT.ALLY - MOMENTS LATER
Stillness.
Empty now.
The aftermath lingers.
Unseen.
Felt.
A beat.
Then—
Mary Jane steps into frame.
Calm.
Composed.
She takes in the space.
Not searching.
Not surprised.
Just...registering.
She moves a few steps in-
Stops.
Listens.
Not for sound-
For absence.
A distant murmur from the street.
Growing.
Her gaze lowers-
Not to anything specific-
Just downward.
A beat.
Her hand lifts slightly.
Not inspecting.
Not hiding.
Then.
Still
Her hand stills.
A beat.
Then-
She lowers it.
In the distance—
VOICES approach.
Constables.
Closer now.
Mary Jane hears them.
A subtle shift-
Her posture opens.
Neutral.
Forgettable.
Whatever she was a moment ago-
Gone.
A CONSTABLE appears at the far end of the alley.
He barely registers her.
CONSTABLE #4
You there—move along.
Mary Jane lowers her gaze
Compliant.
MARY JANE
Of course.
She steps past him.
Unremarkable.
He’s already looking past her.
She exits into—
EXT. WHITECHAPEL STREET – CONTINUOUS
The crowd parts.
Then closes.
She blends effortlessly into it.
Gone.
CUT TO:
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
28 -
Interrogation and Uncertainty
INT. POLICE STATION-INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT
Small.
Bare.
Winston sits at a table.
Hands bound.
Coat still damp.
CONSTABLE #2 stands behind him.
Watching.
Across from him-
INSPECTOR ABBERLINE
A file rests in front of him.
Closed.
A long beat.
ABBERLINE
You were with her.
Winston doesn’t answer.
ABBERLINE (CONT’D)
Seen together.
A beat.
WINSTON
I didn’t kill her.
Abberline nods once.
Not agreeing.
Just acknowledging.
He opens the file.
ABBERLINE
Mary Ann Nichols.
Winston looks up.
That name lands.
ABBERLINE (CONT’D)
You gave your name as Winston
Cross.
A glance down.
ABBERLINE (CONT’D)
No one’s heard it before.
WINSTON
That doesn’t make it false.
Abberline studies him.
ABBERLINE
No.
A beat.
ABBERLINE (CONT’D)
But it doesn’t help.
Silence.
Constable #2 shifts.
CONSTABLE #2
He was there. That’s enough.
Abberline ignores him.
Winston exhales.
Trying to hold onto sequence.
WINSTON
We were talking. She met someone.
Abberline looks up.
That’s new.
ABBERLINE
Someone.
WINSTON
I didn’t see them clearly.
A mark in the file.
ABBERLINE
But they were there.
WINSTON
Yes.
A beat.
ABBERLINE
And you left her with
this...person.
Winston stops.
That’s not right.
WINSTON
No.
ABBERLINE
Then what?
Winston struggles-
Not to lie-
But to explain.
WINSTON
I lost sight of her.
That lands poorly.
Constable #2 exhales.
CONSTABLE #2
Convenient.
Abberline doesn’t look away from Winston.
ABBERLINE
Lost sight.
A beat.
ABBERLINE (CONT’D)
And yet you were found nearby.
Winston leans forward.
Frustrated now.
WINSTON
Because something isn’t right here.
Silence.
Abberline waits.
ABBERLINE
Explain that.
Winston searches for the words.
Finds none that won’t sound insane.
WINSTON
People move differently.
Constable #2 scoffs.
CONSTABLE #2
That’s your defense?
Winston ignores him.
Eyes on Abberline.
WINSTON
Not everyone.
A beat.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
Just one.
That hangs.
Abberline studies him.
Longer now.
ABBERLINE
The man you couldn’t see.
WINSTON
No.
A beat.
WINSTON (CONT’D)
Not a man.
That shifts the air slightly.
Even Constable #2 pauses.
ABBERLINE
Then what?
Winston doesn’t answer.
Not because he won’t-
Because he can’t.
Silence.
Abberline closes the file.
Slow.
Decision forming-
But not settled.
He stands.
ABBERLINE (CONT’D)
You’ll remain here.
Winston watches him.
WINSTON
You’re making a mistake.
Abberline pauses at the door.
ABBERLINE
That remains to be seen.
He exits.
The door closes.
Silence.
Constable #2 shifts behind Winston.
Less certain now.
Winston sits still.
A beat.
Then-
He looks up.
At the empty chair across from him.
Nothing there.
Or-
He isn’t sure.
He holds on it.
A beat too long.
Then-
He looks away.
CUT TO:
INT.LAB – NIGHT (PRESENT DAY)
The machine hums faintly.
Unstable.
The portal flickers—
A brief distortion in the air.
Then—
Darkness.
FADE TO BLACK.