Tibbles the Terrible

Written By
Jacob Ayers

Based on the New Zealand urban legend of Tibbles the cat and
the extinction of the Stephens Island Wren.

FADE IN
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - DAY
A lighthouse sits atop New Zealand's rocky Stephens Island.
It's light is dead. Waves crash against the treacherous
shore.
Day falls to dusk.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - NIGHT
A petite little flightless bird known as a STEPHENS ISLAND
WREN with a brown plumage, a grey underside that trickles
into warm yellow around the eyes, and round wings skitters
along the surface of the island's rocky shore.
The little bird makes its way unto the grassier high ground
of the island.
On its journey it stops near a rock where it pecks a small
earthworm from the mud and quickly consumes the creature.
The wren proceeds unto her nest where she begins to feed her
children. She snuggles in with her chicks for the night.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - MORNING
A boat approaches the island from a distance.
INT. BOAT - MORNING
TIBBLES a brown tabby cat angrily sits in a crate as the
boat bobs up and down from the waves.
DAVID
You ready Tibbles?
An old scottish man with a long grey beard, DAVID(78) comes
down from the deck of the ship to the passenger's quarters
where Tibbles resides.
David Lyall grabs Tibbles and a large briefcase and makes
his way back towards the deck of the ship.
On the deck he is greeted by the RESUPPLIER (40) atop the
boat's crane basket.
RESUPPLIER
You got everything Dr. Lyall?
DAVID
Everything is had my good sir.

RESUPPLIER
Allow me to take your bags.
David hands the Resupplier the briefcase first, then
Tibbles, and then the Resupplier helps the old man aboard
the crane basket.
Tibbles is looking through his basket down towards the waves
that separate the boat from the island. He reels back in
fear as the basket crane raises to bring the men onto the
island.
Tibbles' crate begins to slip over the side, but the
Resupplier gets to it in time.
RESUPPLIER
Now we wouldn't want you getting
lonely out here now.
DAVID
The gulls would make lackluster
company.
The crane basket reaches its destination on the island and
the two men and Tibbles step upon the earth.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - MORNING
With Tibbles in hand, the two men begin making their way up
the 180 meter cliff side to reach the light house and its
cabin.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - LATER
Upon reaching the hilltop of which the lighthouse rests;
both men take a moment to scan the morning ocean horizon.
RESUPPLIER
You and Tibbles won't work a day of
your lives here.
DAVID
A noble Island, worthy of
melancholy nights ahead.
They make their way into the lighthouse keeper cabin by the
lighthouse.
INT. LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER CABIN - MORNING
RESUPPLIER
You have enough food to last you
three months in here, and extra
(MORE)

3
RESUPPLIER (CONT'D)
rations in the lighthouse just in
case. I'll set these in your
bedroom.
David goes to set down Tibbles on the kitchen table. He lets
Tibbles out of the crate.
Tibbles begins exploring the house. It is clear that days
and nights are going by as Tibbles explores the house by the
lights and shadows constantly drifting across the floors.
During this passage of time Tibbles sits at a window sill
and watches the waves crash on the shore for some time, he
turns around and finds David reading a book, he walks into
the bedroom to find David sleeping on the bed. Tibbles hops
onto the bed for a little while. His attention is suddenly
caught by something from back in the living room. He turns
around and he begins chasing a cat toy that looks like a
bird.
The lapse in time ends as David gets up from the couch to
pick up Tibbles from the floor.
DAVID
I bet you're tired of this place.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - DAY
David lights his pipe as he makes his way through the short
distance between the cabin and the lighthouse.
INT. LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Inside of the lighthouse David walks past humming machinery
on his way to the staircase. He hides some paraffin oil
before he lets Tibbles out of the crate.
DAVID
Don't cause too much trouble.
David makes his way up the spiral staircase and opens the
door to the lighthouse deck.
EXT. LIGHTHOUSE DECK - DAY
David checks the oil on the search light and decides against
adding extra oil. With the pipe in his mouth he grabs some
binoculars to scan the horizon and shores of Stephens
Island.
He pulls up a book that he left by the stool.
INT. LIGHTHOUSE - DAY

Tibbles jumps onto a piece of vibrating machinery and rests

upon it.
FADE
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - MORNING
Fog slowly creeps upon the island.
INT. LIGHTHOUSE - MORNING
David awakes from a cot that he set up within the
lighthouse. Tibbles sits atop his favorite machine.
David sees the fog from outside of an open window.
DAVID
Looks like we have to start early
today Tibbles.
Tibbles opens his eyes temporarily as he recognizes his
name, then proceeds to close his eyes and enjoy the
vibrations from the machinery below him once more.
David makes his way up the staircase until he comes upon a
switch to activate the foghorn.
DAVID
You are not going to enjoy this
Tibbles.
Tibbles continues to meditate upon the humming machinery.
Suddenly the sound of the foghorn cracks through the air,
making Tibbles jump and run around as if he were infected
with rabies.
EXT. STEPHEN'S ISLAND - MORNING
The mother wren rests with her babies, that have grown
considerably. The wren is violently shaken awake by the
foghorn and runs off.
INT. LIGHTHOUSE - MORNING
David's old man legs bring him down the staircase as quickly
as they can as he attempts to calm Tibbles down.
DAVID
Don't worry Tibbles, the horn will
be like waves to you soon enough.
The next horn goes off and Tibbles continues his frenzy. The
cat makes his way through the open window.

DAVID
Tibbles!
EXT. STEPHEN'S ISLAND - MORNING
Tibbles runs deeper and deeper into the fog.
DAVID
(faintly)
Tibbles!
Tibbles pivots his head back towards the direction of
David's faint voice.
The foghorn bursts through the salty air once more and
Tibbles journeys deeper into the fog.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - DAY
The fog has mostly receded as David makes his way out of the
cabin with his binoculars to help his search for Tibbles.
He walks towards the direction he believed Tibbles to have
ran.
He walks atop a good vantage point from the hilltop where
the lighthouse rests and scans over the island with his
binoculars in his search for Tibbles.
As nothing is found he continues walking.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - LATER
In the distance David notices some movement near some rocks.
He whips out his binoculars and catches a quick glimpse of a
Stephen's Island Wren skittering across the rocks and into
some nearby brush.
David continues further into some greenery on the island. He
finds Tibbles looking relaxed and splayed out on a rock
warmed by the sun.
DAVID
There you are.
He walks over and picks Tibbles up and begins petting his
head.
DAVID
Don't worry you have plenty of time
to adjust.
David begins walking back towards the cabin with Tibbles.

Near the rock Tibbles was resting on, a Stephens Island Wren
nest is revealed to be completely devoid of life. The mother
wren comes out from the brush and finds that her chicks are
gone.
FADE
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - DAY
The resupply boat is anchored near the island as the
Resupplier and a few other sailors are being hoisted onto
the island by the crane basket.
David can be seen atop the lighthouse. He makes his way
inside of the lighthouse to greet them.
The Resupplier and his men make their way up to the hilltop
where they are met by David.
RESUPPLIER
Hope you didn't have to dig into
the ration supply.
DAVID
You men got here with a week to
spare.
David shows them into the cabin. The Resupplier notices that
one of the windows is open.
INT. LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER CABIN - DAY
The men enter the cabin as Tibbles is sitting on the couch.
DAVID
Go ahead and set it down over here.
The Resupplier sets the food down and walks over to pet
Tibbles.
RESUPPLIER
I see you finally granted Tibbles
his freedom.
DAVID
Something like that. I got tired of
of cleaning up after him.
RESUPPLIER
(chuckles)
Ah.
The Resupplier proceeds to pet Tibbles a bit more.

EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - DAY

TIME-LAPSE:
The Resupplier and his men make two more runs up and down
the hill with David's supply, then head off. David walks
back and forth between the lighthouse and the cabin a few
times from the afternoon to dusk.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - NIGHT
A Stephens Island Wren skims along the island foliage. It
overturns some leaves and begins pecking at some of the bugs
that were hiding underneath.
It proceeds along the foliage until it comes across a small
rock. It overturns the rock and uproots an earthworm.
The little bird continues running along some rocks.
Atop a tall rock behind the little wren, glowing cat eyes
appear.
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - MORNING
A few feathers are left atop the rocks where the little wren
used to be perched. Some wind begins to rustle the feathers
a bit, then carries one across the island.
The feather flies higher and higher into the air. It glides
up and around the lighthouse and makes its way past the
window of a sleeping David.
Tibbles jumps atop David's bed and wakes David up.
DAVID
Tibbles, what are you doing?
David attempts to go back to bed but Tibbles begins kneading
his stomach.
DAVID
Fine, I'll get up.
INT. LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER CABIN - LATER
David makes his way into the living room of the cabin with
his bathrobe on. He starts boiling some water, and then
notices the body of the wren near the front door.
DAVID
(mutters)
Tibbles...

He picks up the corpse of the wren and sets it on his

kitchen counter.
Tibbles jumps up onto the couch.
DAVID
You gave me something to do today.
David goes into his bedroom and begins going through his
books until he comes across a book about birds.
David goes back into the kitchen and cross-references the
dead Stephen Island Wren with the birds in the book.
DAVID
I'll have Buller take a look at you
then.
David pulls out a mason jar, fills it with alcohol, and
submerges the Stephens Island Wren in the substance.
MONTAGE:
David gives the wren to one of the boat's crew members with
a letter.
The jar sits in the boat on its voyage.
Buller receives the wren.
He writes a scientific description of the bird.
Buller then ships it off to London for John Gerrard
Keulemans.
Keulemans makes a lithograph of the bird.
The scientific description and lithograph are then published
in the Ibis and distributed to the public.
FADE
EXT. STEPHENS ISLAND - DAY
MONTAGE:
During the day Tibbles is an average house cat that receives
attention from David.
David continues doing his work around the light house and
receives a letter from Buller that it is an entirely new
species.

During the night Tibbles wreaks havoc amongst the Stephens

Island Wren population. Tibbles brings a couple back for
David, he leaves chicks motherless, and kills some without
motive.
Many feathers of Tibbles victims are scattered across the
island.
EXT. LIGHTHOUSE DECK - DAY
David Lyall stands atop the deck with his binoculars and
watches as a scientist and three assistants scour across the
island looking for a wren specimen. He also sees that their
boat is coming in the distance.
The men begin making their way back towards the cabin and
David heads down the lighthouse to greet them.
INT. LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER CABIN - DAY
The scientist and his three assistants make their way into
the cabin. They find David going through a cabinet with many
dead wrens to give them three specimens
DAVID
Perhaps it would have been in your
best interest to simply follow
Tibbles around.
David hands the head scientist the mason jars.
DAVID
Wouldn't want you to leave empty
handed.
HEAD SCIENTIST
Thank you for your time Dr. Lyall.
The Head Scientist and his men make their way down to their
boat.
EXT. STEPHEN'S ISLAND - DAY
ASSISTANT
Do you think we missed anywhere?
HEAD SCIENTIST
No.
EXT. BOAT - DAY
The Resupplier operates the crane and works to bring David
and Tibbles aboard.

10

INT. BOAT - DAY

On the table between the Resupplier and David sits a news
clip from "The Press" that declares the Stephens Island Wren
extinct.
RESUPPLIER
I presume you got the copy of "The
Press"?
DAVID
Indeed.
The Resupplier starts petting Tibbles. Tibbles begins to
purr.
FADE OUT
CREDITS
As the credits roll, one of David's specimens is being put
through taxidermy and is put on display at a museum.