LOST / THREAD

Transcript for Episode 1: The Outsider

[Train Station Ambience / Chatter]

Mother: Pierre, how could we forget him? What if something happens?

Father: Marie, calm down. He’s old enough to handle himself. He’s probably enjoying the peace and quiet.

Mother: He’s twelve, Pierre! What if he needs us? What if he doesn’t answer?

Father: (Teasing) He's fine!

Mother: This is serious!

Father: Do you remember that movie Home Alone, right? Maybe he's living his best version of it.

Mother: We're not in a movie, Pierre. Stop joking.

Father: Relax, Marie. He is smarter than we were at his age.

PA System: Attention, please. The train departing for Mount Étoile is now boarding. First stop: Arbor's Crossing. Please board immediately.

Rue: It's a busy evening.

Traveler: I don't know why I thought coming here would fix anything. It doesn't feel right.

Teen: No, dude, I swear it was real! Like, it was just hovering above the field. Not a plane, not a drone—just there.

Friend: Right. And next you'll say aliens left you a message.

PA System: Next stop: Arbor's Crossing. For those continuing to the mountain lodges, your stop will follow shortly. Thank you.

Traveler with Map: This trail isn't even on the map. How am I supposed to find it if it doesn't exist?

Rue: Isaiah would have found something poetic to say about this. Probably something like... "Trains don't care how empty they are... they just keep moving."

Rue: I better text him when I get to James's. He'll worry if I don't.

PA System: Next stop: Crestfall Valley. Most passengers for the lodges will depart here. Thank full for traveling with us.

[ A 2-minute section of credits and ambiance follows before the story resumes. ]

Rue: Sorry about that, it's September 22nd.

Rue: Still no signal... just trees.

Rue: It's strange... seeing him again after all this time. Why now?

Rue: It's been about three hours since the train left. Starting to feel... anxious.

Conductor: Billet, s'il vous plaît.

Rue: Sorry?

Conductor: Your ticket, please.

Rue: One second... Here it is.

Conductor: Yeah... Just not a fan of these parts. You're not from around here, are you?

Rue: Just passing through.

Conductor: Be careful. People get lost out here.

Rue: That was weird... his hands were shaking.

PA Announcement: Prochain arrêt: Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré. Veuillez noter que la correspondance pour Mont-Tremblant arrive bientôt.

[Train stops]

Rue: Arrived at the station. James is already here...

James: Still the early bird, huh?

Rue: You know me better than that.

Rue: This was your dad's, right?

James: Yeah. It's weird, but it's mine now. Had to. We've got gear and supplies for the trip.

Rue: Supplies? What kind of trip is this?

James: I'll explain everything when we're all together.

Rue: We're? There's more people? Long. Quiet. No signal the whole way. So... why now? I mean... it's been a while, James.

James: It's just... a lot has happened.

Rue: Yeah, but I feel like I'm missing something.

James: It's a long story.

Rue: You've always been bad at asking for help. Whatever's going on... it feels big, James. Bigger than you're letting on.

James: It's not something I can explain yet. Hey, you'll see soon enough. Once we get there.

Rue: James picked me up... Apparently there are more people. Are you narrating this trip or something? Something like that. I thought it'd be nice to keep track. You know... for myself and all your friends.

James: That's perfect! That's exactly what we're doing too—documenting everything. We've got cameras, audio equipment, the whole setup. We're planning to bring it all back and piece the story together.

Rue: Wait, I was joking... You sound pretty serious.

[ The conversation continues until the end of the episode. ]

--- CONTINUED: FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ---