Once Upon A Time Pilot Page #3

Season #1 Episode #1

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CONTINUED:

Henry walks right PAST the car.

Huh. He heads to the STREET CORNER. Sees a parked YELLOW CAB. Henry RAPS on the window. The driver rolls it down as Henry rifles through his bag and pulls out a VISA.

HENRY:

You take credit cards?

The driver nods. And Henry opens the door. Gets in.

CABBIE Where to, kid?

OFF THIS strange little boy, who is clearly FULL OF SH*T -- INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT

An upscale Top Chef-ish eatery in a nice neighborhood. Trendy and chic. A youngish, moneyed crowd dines on stuff with lots of foam on it.

Through the front door walks a woman who is, let’s not kid ourselves here, a PRESENCE. This is ANNA SWAN. Late 20s. Beautiful, with great strength behind classic features. But also not quite at home in her skin. Right now she’s dolled up for a night out and looks nervous and vulnerable as she scans the room. Sees table after table of couples eating and chatting. Her eyes stop on...

A TABLE in the corner. The BEST table. Sitting there alone is a handsome man. REAL handsome. A leading man. He looks up from his wine. Spots Anna. His eyes widen as she saunters across the room. The man -- RYAN -- rises to greet her. Pulls out her chair. She sits.

RYAN ...Anna?

ANNA (nods)

...Ryan?

(off his smile and nod)

You look relieved.

RYAN:

Well, it’s the internet... pictures

could be...

ANNA:

Fake? Outdated? Stolen from a

Victoria’s Secret catalog?

7.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

Ah. So this is a BLIND INTERNET DATE. They stare at one another for a long beat.

ANNA So...

RYAN:

So... Tell me something about

yourself, Anna.

Anna leans in, thinks a beat. Then --

ANNA:

Well... let’s see... today’s my

birthday.

RYAN:

And you’re spending it with me?

What, you don’t like your family?

ANNA:

No family to like.

RYAN:

Oh. What about your friends?

ANNA:

I’m kind of a loner.

Ryan smiles, charming --

RYAN:

Well, Anna, you are by far the

sexiest friendless orphan I’ve ever met.

ANNA Your turn.

(he’s about to speak, she cuts him off)

No, wait, let me guess. Let’s see... You’re handsome. Charming.

RYAN:

Go on. I like this game.

ANNA:

The kinda guy who -- now stop me if

I get this wrong -- (the kicker)

-- embezzled from your employer, got arrested, and then skipped town before they threw your ass in jail?

(CONTINUED)

8.

CONTINUED:

BEAT. That stops Ryan. He leans back, put off -- but FUMBLING.

RYAN Uh... what?

Anna is suddenly SERIOUS as HELL. Just like that, the coquettish girl is GONE.

ANNA:

And the worst part of it all is

your wife. After all this crap she still loves you enough to bail you out. Of course she could only scrape together a quarter of the bail after you emptied the accounts. And how do you reward that loyalty? You’re out on a date.

RYAN Who are you?

ANNA:

The chick who put up the rest of

the money.

RYAN:

You’re a bailbondsman.

ANNA Bailbondsperson.

And now Ryan bolts away, KNOCKING the table into ANNA.

ON ANNA -- falling to the ground as Ryan’s glass of WINE spills on her dress. She picks herself up as Ryan runs out the front door. She stares at her stained dress.

ANNA Really?

She strides toward the door. Not running. Just walking confidently. The MAITRE’D hurries over to her --

MAITRE’D

Are you alright, Madame? Should I

call the police?

ANNA Nah, I got it.

Anna just keeps walking, not even breaking a sweat.

9.

EXT. RESTAURANT - MOMENTS LATER

Ryan races out the door and down the block. Runs to a PARKED AUDI. Pulls open the door and hops in. Glances over his shoulder to see -- Anna striding down the block. Still not running. Just moving with purpose. A TERMINATOR in COUTURE.

ON RYAN. In the driver’s seat. Sweating. Fumbles with his keys. Turns the IGNITION. Guns the engine, hits the gas --

KERRRRRRRRACK. A horrible CRUNCHING sound. The car stays PUT. Ryan looks confused, opens the door. Looks down and sees --

A BOOT on his wheel. He looks back up and sees -- Anna now standing in front of him. He gets it -- he’s been SET UP.

RYAN:

You don’t have to do this. I can

pay you. I’ve got money.

She stares at him for a second -- reading him.

ANNA:

No you don’t. And if you did, you

should give it to your wife. Take care of your family.

Realizing he’s f***ed, Ryan stares at her, filled with venom.

RYAN:

What do you know about family?

And that seems to flip a switch in Anna. She grabs him by the collar and slams his face into the steering wheel.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNK. Ryan slumps back, unconscious. Anna just stands there for a moment. Then --

ANNA Nothing.

INT. ANNA’S APARTMENT - BOSTON

The door opens to a small dingy apartment in a cookie cutter apartment complex. Anna enters, flips on the lights, illuminating the kind of place you live in because you have to, not because you WANT to.

She moves in, still wearing her wine stained dress, but now also carries a brown grocery bag. She plops the bag down on the table. Flips on the TV -- the international sign of a lonely person.

10.

(CONTINUED)

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