Plot

Some Thing is tormenting Edward Prendick, as he finds himself ensnared in the clutches of a nefarious island.

As he wanders a mysterious island, Edward Prendick crosses a terrifying Thing that soon wreaks upon him a flood of endless torment. With one treacherous turn after another, Prendick must make his way through this world or suffer the end of his own.—Jake Brown

Edward Prendick (Blake Brannon) begins his story mid-flight, as he runs through a tall, straight-stemmed forest. He pauses for a moment, pulling a rosary out from under his shirt collar. Prendick's dark pants, worn oxford shoes, and oversized rolled-up sleeves present a borrowed appearance.

the lamb in the wood

Prendick continues to walk through the wooded area until finally collapsing against a tree. He slowly relaxes his eyes, when he notices a book hidden behind a tree. He picks up the book and lifts it to his face. His rosary dangles on one of the pages, causing him to wrap it around his right hand. Prendick then begins flipping through the pages--slowly at first, then faster and faster. He abruptly stops and peers up at something in the distance, dropping the book as he does. Water begins to pool around the book, as the words "DESCENT OF MAN - DARWIN - I." display on its spine.

Prendick gradually stands to his feet, as a beast-like Thing in the Forest (Jack Knapp) is then revealed some three meters in front of Prendick. The Thing is curiously clothed in a bloody, tattered dress shirt, ripped blue jeans, and no shoes. Prendick discovers he is now standing in a stream. The Thing slowly slurps water from the stream in front of him, as Prendick takes a cautious step forward. The Thing suddenly whips around to Prendick, its eyes alight, and quickly disappears. Prendick, staring in bewilderment at where The Thing once stood, now senses something behind him. He turns and walks up to a dinner table fixed askew atop the edge of a towering waterfall. On the table lay a silver plate at each end with a large, silver platter in the middle. Prendick looks down to reveal a dead rabbit splayed across all three. A look of disgust and fear spread across Prendick's face, as he glares down at the rabbit, up at where The Thing disappeared, then back down at the rabbit once again. He makes his way to the river's ascending slope, pulling himself deeper into the forest where The Thing may have escaped.

the will of the beast

Prendick is revealed behind a tangle of large, twisting trees, as he continues to step through the forest; his left hand grips the phantom book as he does. He then pushes through the brush out to an open glade. Pausing momentarily, Prendick begins to fall into a trance, his world multiplying around him. He shakes off the feeling, only to fall back in and shuffle forward. Prendick saunters along in his trance, until stepping down into the edge of a lagoon. He pushes himself through the water, losing all control and submerging completely beneath the surface. A candelabra is seen piercing up through the lagoon, as glimpses of the opposing shore reveal Prendick now standing tall in a much darker, fitted shirt, his sleeves buttoned down. He begins to choke, while bubbles form on the water. He continues to choke, losing more and more air--the bubbles persist. As he slips from consciousness and falls forward, Prendick (clothed once again in his rolled-up sleeves) bursts out of the water, gasping for air and grabbing onto a rug now draped over the edge of the tall shoreline. The book is revealed at the far corner of the rug, as Prendick reaches for the rug's edges to pull himself up, latches his left hand onto the book, and collapses.

Prendick slowly lifts his head, looks down at the book in his hand, then peers at something terrifying in the distance. The Thing is seen--eyes still beaming--at the end of a long, clear path surrounded by trees. It remains still, crouched low and staring back at Prendick. Prendick drops the book, leans forward, and shouts, "WHO ARE YOU ! ? ! ? ! ?" The Thing slowly rises, causing Prendick to step back cautiously, then utters its response. Prendick's eyes grow large and his shoulders slouch in acute realization. He closes his eyes tightly then opens them to reveal The Thing gone again.

Prendick pauses for a beat then flees in fear from where The Thing must have escaped. He runs through the density of the forest, racing through the thickness in terror. He continues his flight, until tripping on a root, falling to the ground, and abruptly rolling to a stop.

the cusp and the cross

A vast moon slowly orbits in the dark, before water is revealed stretching out to a beach in the distance. The beach moves closer and closer, as Prendick is now seen on the shoreline spread across a large wing chair. He slowly awakens, taking in his surroundings. He peacefully gazes out over the water, then walks toward a fallen tree in the sand. Prendick reaches out to one of its branches and clutches the two covers of the book in his hand, opening them up to reveal a hollow center.

Prendick suddenly finds himself surrounded by night, the book pages scattered all around him on the beach. He frantically grabs at each page in the dirt, piling them together between the covers. He loses his grip on the remnants of the book and fumbles it to the ground. As Prendick slings sand across the book and buries it underneath, The Thing is then revealed crouched low again directly in front of him.

Prendick jerks to his feet, as The Thing shines up at him now some ten meters away. Prendick fixes on The Thing, and The Thing back on Prendick. Prendick carefully moves the rosary gripped in his hand from his right side up to his lips, his eyes closed tightly as he does. He kisses the cross and opens them wide. The Thing remains stooped low, unfazed. Prendick then turns around in daunted disbelief and slowly walks away from it down the beach. Prendick emotionally breaks, as he recounts his journey up to this point and curses the helplessness of his situation. He senses something behind him and turns to The Thing standing mere inches away, staring him down from its glowing chambers. Prendick falls back down to the ground, spraining his left foot as he does. He looks up at The Thing in terror, then raises himself to his feet and limps hastily down the beach.

The sun has now risen, revealing a massive jetty outstretched across the water. Prendick ascends the rocks, climbing from one to another to another. His foot slips, and he falls against a slab. A fleeting image of Prendick appears directly above him, standing upside down on the same slab in his button-down shirt and lifting his head to gaze down upon himself. Prendick, face-down on the slab, regains his footing and continues out toward the precipice. He comes to a halt at the edge, turns around, and sees The Thing towering above him. Prendick glares at The Thing, The Thing returning the glare back at him. Prendick grips the rosary between his thumb and forefinger then lunges at The Thing. The Thing catches Prendick by the wrist. Surprised and angered, Prendick forces through The Thing's grasp and stabs the cross in its left eye. Prendick's left ankle rolls, compromising his balance, and he fall backwards off the rock into the water below. With one final look, Prendick, face up and floating, pulls his right hand out of the water. He places his hand against his heart, the bloody rosary clutched tightly within, and he closes his eyes.