Madison the Vampire Rocket's Island

Benjamin, what we hoped wouldn't happen, it has.

There's something about him they're not telling us. And it's big.

-When I go, I'll never forget you.

-There was another tellstone.

It said someone was going to destroy you,

and I could tell from Ben's face it was him.

-You've got to believe me.

-I'm sorry, mate. I just don't.

The way I heard it, they were taking a short cut through the graveyard.

It was midnight.

Dead quiet.

Not even the sound of the wind in the trees.

Just the beating of the hearts that pounded in their chests.

Buh-doom. Buh-doom.

SHE SCREAMS THEN LAUGHS

They heard a scream...

from the church.

-At first, they thought they'd imagined it.

-Tyler!

-Hello?

But, then, a shadow.

Who's there?

And that's when it happened.

First, the sound.

A strange, unearthly noise that seemed to come from all around them,

then out of nowhere...

SHE SCREAMS

Bats!

SHE SCREAMS

And the weirdest thing of all,

Madison's house is shut up during the day.

Curtains drawn...to keep the daylight...out.

And Madison...

hasn't been seen...

since.

What's happened to her?

She was bitten by a bat.

Isn't it obvious?

She's been turned into a vampire.

And now she only comes out at night.

To hunt.

THEY GIGGLE

Ah, good. You're still up. I've... Where's Ben?

Wanted an early night.

I've got something to show you.

Aww!

Baby chicks!

Careful now, don't crowd them. They're only a few days old.

I thought you said "no".

Well, look, you wanted them,

so that means that they're your responsibility.

-Fine by me.

-I'll look after them.

-We all will.

-Good.

OK, well, eh...food, water,

clean bedding - oh, and...

look, this moves so if they're all crowded together down there

it means they're cold. You just pull it down a bit.

And if they're by the edges, lift it up. Yeah, yeah, we know.

I know you do, I was just letting the others know.

I thought you'd gone to bed.

Woke me up clumping past like a herd of elephants.

Oh, cool!

What's cool?

Ha-ha, you totally caved, then.

The weirdest thing just happened. I was coming back past the church

and Madison ran by like a bat out of hell.

She's been off school all week. I knew she was skiving.

FLAPPING

WAILING

-Archie?

-I don't want her to drink my blood.

-You gave him nightmares.

-Hey!

Hey, look, I've got a special cure for nightmares.

It banishes bad dreams...like that.

Want to try it?

Yeah? OK.

It's just hot milk with honey in it. It's dead nice.

I'm sorry for winding you up about Madison, Archie.

-She's not really a vampire.

-How do you know?

Look, I believe in many things

-but even I draw the line at vampires, OK?

-Yeah.

-Me too.

-They're just stories, mate.

Well, there are diseases that make people react to sunlight,

or make their teeth grow like fangs,

even ones that make them crave blood.

What are you doing?

I just mean...that's where vampire myths come from.

You see? Nothing to worry about.

Of course, bats are known to host over 60 viruses that can

pass to humans, so who knows what you can catch from them?

But probably not the one that bit Madison.

-Right?

-No.

-That one was probably fine.

-Then why has she stayed at home ever since?

Hmm? And why was she running around in the graveyard?

She's obviously feeling better.

Yeah, I bet she'll be back at school tomorrow.

All right, you lot. Off to bed.

Come on.

Is it true about bats?

COCKEREL CROWS

Oi! Come on.

Chill out, it's only me. What are you doing out here?

Uh...I don't know. I must have sleepwalked.

All right? Superman, what...?

Did you spin around in a phone box and you're dressed?

Didn't I tell you about my special powers?

Come on.

Does that happen a lot?

-The sleepwalking?

-Not really.

Don't tell anyone, will you?

-Why not?

-Because they'll think I'm weird.

You think they don't already?

I won't tell anyone.

-They for the chicks?

-Yeah.

You should fix this back up, you know. It was good.

No, there's no point.

It's ruined.

Doesn't have to be.

I don't blame you for not getting in touch with your mum.

But she's not the one who took a golf club to all this.

OK, so, if she has got some super contagious bat virus,

then she could take out the whole island.

Yeah, but how many deadly viruses do you know that makes you want to

-go for a run?

-I'm not a doctor, am I?

Looks like Jade's got whatever Archie's got, by the sounds of it.

No, I haven't. I'm only saying what he said last night.

Not really because Ben actually knows what he's talking about.

I wasn't saying I actually think she's a vampire!

Well?

-Has anyone checked the art room?

-I did. She's not in there.

We all asked around.

-No-one's seen her.

-Have you?

No. Tyler?

-Do you know where Madison is?

-Yeah.

-Well, where is she?

-Home.

She hasn't left the house in days.

All right, there's definitely something weird going on.

We'll go to her house later on.

I'm sure there's a perfectly simple explanation for all of this.

Honestly, Archie, Madison may be a lot of things but she's not

a daylight-averse bloodsucking member of the immortal undead.

KNOCK ON DOOR

SHE WINCES

Eurgh.

-Wow.

-What?

-You look terrible.

Maybe she is contagious.

SHE FLINCHES

We were just...um, uh...

Seriously, what do you want?

Who's he? Delivery man.

And what's in the bag?

My dinner.

Scram.

What kind of takeaway comes in a bag like that?

Are you sure it was definitely blood?

Maybe she's...

I don't know. Maybe, maybe...

What?

There's something else, too.

The mirror by her front door.

It didn't show a reflection at all.

I've got a picture.

-Daniel?

-Bethany Summer.

Your mum's at my house

and I was told to tell you to come over for tea.

HE SIGHS

Yeah, well, join the club.

Looking at your ugly mug is enough to put anyone off their food.

If you hate looking at me so much, why have you come all the way

over here to invite me for tea instead of just sending a text?

Because listening to your mum laugh

at my dad's stupid jokes is even worse,

and it's not an invitation,

it's a message, which I happen to object to, not that anyone cares.

Uh...where have you lot been?

Has anybody even checked in on the chicks?

-Chicks?

-Sorry, I'll check on them now.

-I'll come with you.

-It's not just the mirror.

She's not in the photo at all. She was standing right in front of me.

That's just a...a trick of the light.

Aww! Cute.

-Uh-oh.

-What?

There's one missing.

It's not completely insane.

Forget the silly movie stuff about being immortal,

or turning into a bat, catching a virus from a bite that has

the symptoms Ben said is perfectly feasible.

I suppose "vampire" is as good a word for it as anything.

-Taking a baby chick, though.

-Yeah.

Even Madison wouldn't stoop that low, surely?

WIND BLOWS/CHAINS CLINK

Has Tyler said anything to your brother?

They've fallen out but Tyler will know what's going on.

-We should ask him.

-Already tried. He won't say anything.

Maybe not to you but I know his weak spots.

I'll get the truth out of him.

Tyler McCray, we want to know what's going on with Madison,

and you're going to tell us the honest truth right now.

-Or what?

-Or I tell everyone your deepest, darkest secrets.

-You can do one and all.

-Oo-ooh! Strike one.

When Tyler was in year seven,

he stayed at our house and wet the bed.

She's lying!

-Look, get lost, yeah?

-Strike two.

Tyler's mum still calls him her little pumpkin.

Careful what you say next, Pumpkin.

A third strike and I'll tell them your worst secret of all.

We both know you don't want that.

What do you want to know?

Is it true that Madison got bitten by a bat?

What?

No, she...we saw some bats at the church.

But she didn't, like, get attacked?

And she's not off school because she's allergic to daylight?

Right, uh, yeah.

She did get bitten - in the neck.

She's not been right ever since, but you can't tell no-one.

What's wrong with her?

She can't stand the light.

She has to have the curtains closed all the time.

And she gets this thirst...

(for blood.)

I know it sounds crazy but we've tried everything.

Black pudding, really rare steak,

even...iron tablets.

Nothing stops the hunger, except...

the real thing.

The blood delivery.

-Did she take the baby chick?

-She didn't have a choice.

But it's still not enough. Honestly, I don't think it'll be long

before she tries to attack a human.

-You need to tell someone.

-Like who?

Listen, take my advice, yeah?

Stay as far away from Madison as you can,

and tell everyone else to do the same...

for your own safety.

Don't worry.

We'll figure something out.

You know she's making my life a living hell, right?

Last night, after dinner, we had Three Blind Mice,

-Frere Jacques and London's Burning on the recorder.

-She was upset.

-Anyway, we spoke to Tyler. He said...

-I don't care what he said.

If you were any kind of mate at all, you'd be taking my side in this,

end of.

Why are you letting him stand in your way?

-It's obvious you like her.

-Oh, you are joking!

She's pretty, popular, clever. She can even be a bit funny sometimes.

You're right, why would you like her?

GIRLS GIGGLE

Well, what did Tyler say?

Archie was right. Whatever you want to call it, Madison's dangerous,

and if we don't do something about it soon,

someone's going to get seriously hurt.

-Right, well.

-We better do something, then.

Uh, porphyria is a rare disease

-characterised by...

-You can't catch porphyria, it's genetic.

All right, uh...

xeroderma pigmentosum.

Genetic.

Hypohidrotic...

ectodermal dysplasia...

Genetic.

It doesn't matter what she's got. We can't cure her.

-We just need to find someone who can.

-Porton Down.

-What's that?

A government science facility on the mainland.

They've got samples of every virus known to man.

If there is a cure, that's where it will be.

All right. Tonight.

We draw her out, trap her somehow and, when the sun comes up,

everyone will see what she really is and they'll have to act.

Trap her, how? With what?

Uh, a circle of salt.

-I thought that was for evil spirits.

-And slugs.

Vampires can't cross running water.

We could get her to chase us to the river.

Then what, genius?

-Throw a net over her and tie her up?

-That could work.

We're going to need backup.

For the record,

I think we should just listen to Tyler and steer clear.

What?

It's your turn to clean the chicks.

Why are you being weird?

I'm not.

What's with all the big words?

Oh, when Ben says something, he's being clever,

but when I say anything, I'm being weird. Thanks a lot.

Fine. If you don't want to tell me what's wrong.

You replaced me!

What?

You're always going off with Ben.

-No, I'm not.

-Yes, you are.

So what?

You thought if you were more like Ben,

I'd hang around with you?

What?

-Brandon!

-As if anyone could replace you.

COW MOOS

RINGING TONE

CALL ENDS

HE SIGHS

PHONE RINGS

-Hi, Bethany.

-'Hi, Rocket. Did you ring me?'

Yeah, I did, but it cut off.

I don't really know what happened.

Weird.

Yeah.

No.

It's just...we're going to take on Madison...

..tonight, before anyone gets hurt, and we could do with your help.

Yeah?

Well, do you want to come round mine for tea

and we can go through the plan?

Um...

I don't know, pasta, I think.

OK, so about half-five, then? Great.

OK.

Yeah, I'll see you in a bit.

Bye.

-Whatever you've got to say, I'm not interested.

-Actually...

..I wanted to speak to your mum.

Dad, is it OK if Bethany Summer comes for tea?

-Er, you'd best ask your mum.

-OK. Where is she?

-Er, she's not here.

Right. It's just that I've told her she can come, so...

-Rocket, you could have asked!

-I know.

I didn't know if she'd say yes or not.

Where's Mum? I'll go and ask now.

Yeah, she's on her way round to Madison's.

Archie, Mum's gone to Madison's.

Come on!

Hey, don't ruin your dinner, Archie!

You don't think she'd really attack one of us, do you?

No, I won't let her. How's that?

-Think you can still run?

-Forget the plan.

We have to get to Madison's right now. Mum's there.

-Eh?

-What? Garlic bread.

We'll explain on the way.

CHILDREN SHOUT

Mum, move!

-What on earth are you...

-She's a vampire.

-What?!

Look, whatever this is, now is not the time, all right? OK?

Go home.

Madison's mum's seriously ill and has been for a while.

The night I saw her, her mum was in a bad way.

She couldn't get hold of Dr Reece,

so she panicked and ran to his house.

And the last thing either of them needed today

is you lot causing a scene.

-I mean, what were you thinking, eh?

-Ben said there were bats...

I don't care what Ben said.

All of you, why do you think I sent him

to finish cleaning out the chicks, eh?

It's because it's your responsibility but, quite frankly,

so far you've done a dismal job of looking after them.

You know, I found one who'd got out of the box

tucked up in some straw in a corner of the barn, for pity's sake!

-It's alive?

-But no thanks to you lot.

Can you imagine the pressure that Madison's been under,

trying to look after her mum all by herself, hmm?

You imagine that level of responsibility, eh?

Look, all of you, just...

go and finish your chores and then get ready for dinner. OK?

CHICKS CHEEP

That noise they make,

-it's to tell the others they've found food.

-Is it?

Yeah. They'll help their brothers out, even if it means less for them.

-Hmm. That's kind.

-Survival.

-Do you know a lot about animals?

I know a lot about most things.

What are you doing?!

Hi, Bethany. You're here. The thing is...

Oh, we made a terrible mistake about Madison.

I'm sorry, Rocket, I can't stay for tea.

Oh.

Anyway, listen, the thing is...

Well, I wanted to ask...

What?!

SHE SIGHS

Well, will you... Will you go out with me?

Sorry, mate. I thought she liked you too.

-Hello?!

-In here.

Everybody, Mrs Creetch has had to go into hospital and, um,

until she comes home, Madison's going to be staying with us.

About time someone took care of you for a little bit, isn't it, eh?

Now, I'm sure you all want to apologise to Madison

for your behaviour earlier.

-Don't you?

-I'm sorry, Madison.

-Yeah, sorry.

-Sorry.

-Sorry about that.

Right, budge up.

There we go, take a seat, Madison.

Here, I'll take your bag up for you.

Are you hungry? We've got plenty.

I'm starving, actually, Mr Boulsworth, thanks.

Archie, just pass some garlic bread.

SHE HISSES

When I was hit by lightning,

I was given powers for the whole day.

It must never be used.

Everyone on this island is at risk until your powers fail.

-Who's that?

-My mum...and Jade.

Magnificent.

Something might happen which you can never undo.

You must find a way to bring Brandon back

or he will be banished for ever.