Here Comes Fred - By Hannah Bauermeister

Written By: Hannah Bauermeister

Category: TV Series Pilot Episode Script

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Hannah Bauermeister presents an enthralling pilot episode script titled "Here Comes Fred" in the Creative Writing category for the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. This horror thriller series promises a journey into relentless psychological dread, captivating the audience with its tale of suspense and terror. As five college friends embark on what seems to be a routine trip, they find themselves ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse. The submission is a vivid exploration of fear and survival, showcasing Hannah's flair for creating intense and immersive narratives.

About the Work

"Here Comes Fred" masterfully combines themes of trust, paranoia, and isolation with an atmosphere of psychological dread. The script is a chilling portrayal of the veneer of civilization and the predator-prey dynamics that unfold in the wilderness. With a strong narrative and vivid imagery, it immerses the viewer in a world where every friendly smile may hide sinister intentions. Through careful pacing and character development, Hannah Bauermeister crafts a story that leaves the audience on edge from start to finish.

Here Comes Fred

Original Submission by Hannah Bauermeister

TV Series

Name: Hannah Bauermeister

Here comes Fred

A Horror Thriller Synopsis

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Format: TV Series Episode

Runtime: 24 minutes

Tone: Relentless Psychological Dread: The story builds from subtle unease to overwhelming terror, maintaining a sense of impending doom throughout. It's designed to keep viewers on edge from Fred's first unsettling smile to the final desperate escape.

Logline

When five college friends become lost on their way to a lakeside getaway, a chance encounter with a seemingly helpful gas station owner leads them into a deadly game of cat and mouse in the remote wilderness.

Synopsis

Cold Open (2 minutes): Quick montage of the friends' road trip turning sour, GPS failing, growing frustration, and finally spotting the isolated gas station as their last hope.

Act I: The Setup (8 minutes):

Five longtime friends SARAH 22, pre-med student and group leader, MIKE 23, laid-back athlete, JENNY 21, artistic and sensitive, DEREK 22, tech-savvy jokester, and ALEX 21, quiet but loyal are lost on back roads when they discover a run-down gas station.

FRED MORRISON (50s), the weathered owner, emerges and seems helpful when Sarah asks for directions to her grandmother's lake house. His friendly demeanour masks something unsettling as he asks too many questions about their plans, how long they're staying, and whether anyone knows their location. He provides directions but his intense interest in their isolated destination raises subtle red flags. The friends arrive at the rustic lake house as darkness falls. It's peaceful and private exactly what Fred emphasized. They settle in, but Derek notices their car won't start and discovers the distributor cap has been deliberately removed.

Act II: The Hunt Begins (10 minutes):

Strange incidents escalate rapidly in the compressed timeframe. Personal items disappear, footprints circle the house, and dead animals appear arranged in disturbing patterns. The friends realize they're being watched and stalked. Fred begins his psychological warfare, using his intimate knowledge of the terrain to appear and disappear like a ghost. He cuts their communications and disables their generator, plunging them into darkness. Alex steps outside to investigate a noise and vanishes the first victim of Fred's methodical killing spree. The remaining friends find only blood trails leading into the dark forest. Mike attempts to hike out for help but becomes Fred's second victim, found hanging from a tree in an apparent "hunting accident." The surviving three realize they're trapped in a deadly game with someone who owns this territory.

Act III: Survival (4 minutes):

Fred closes in for the final hunt. Sarah, Jenny, and Derek discover his home filled with trophies from previous victims he's been killing visitors to the lake for years. In a desperate final confrontation through the dark forest, the friends must use Fred's own traps against him. The episode ends with only Sarah and Jenny escaping, forever changed by their encounter with rural evil disguised as small-town hospitality.

Themes: Trust and paranoia, isolation and vulnerability, the thin veneer of civilization, predator versus prey dynamics, and the horror that can lurk behind a friendly face.

Overview of the season:

Season Structure (10 Episodes, 24 minutes each)

Episode 1: "The Lake House" (Pilot)

The foundational story that introduces Fred Morrison and establishes the series' tone of relentless psychological dread.

Five college friends encounter gas station owner Fred Morrison, leading to a deadly game of survival at a remote lake house. Only Sarah and Jenny escape, but their nightmare is far from over.

Episode 2: "Welcome Committee"

Tone: Suffocating Small-Town Claustrophobia

Sarah and Jenny, traumatized survivors from Episode 1, seek refuge in the nearby town of Cedar Falls. The overly friendly locals seem determined to help them "heal" from their ordeal, but their insistence on keeping the girl’s close reveals sinister motives. The town has been covering for Fred's activities for decades.

Episode 3: "Family Business"

Tone: Generational Horror

A flashback episode revealing Fred Morrison's origins. We meet his father, Edgar Morrison, who ran the same gas station in the 1980s with identical methods. The episode follows a young family's encounter with Edgar, showing how the Morrison legacy of murder began and how Fred learned his craft.

Episode 4: "The Hunting Party"

Tone: Primal Fear and Betrayal

A group of urban hunters hire local guide TOMMY MORRISON (Fred's nephew) for a weekend expedition. Tommy leads them deeper into the wilderness than planned, where they become prey in a twisted family tradition. The episode reveals the Morrison family's extensive network of killers.

Episode 5: "Roadside Assistance"

Tone: Paranoid Isolation

A traveling salesman's car breaks down near Fred's station. As Fred "helps" repair the vehicle, the episode unfolds as a tense cat-and-mouse game played out over 24 hours. The salesman gradually realizes his predicament while Fred toys with him, showcasing the methodical psychological torture that defines the Morrison approach.

Episode 6: "The Delivery"

Tone: Escalating Dread

A food delivery driver making her last stop of the night arrives at a remote cabin where Fred is "house-sitting" for friends. The episode takes place in real-time as Fred manipulates the situation, turning a routine delivery into a deadly trap while maintaining his facade of helpful hospitality.

Episode 7: "Storm Warning"

Tone: Claustrophobic Terror

During a severe thunderstorm, several travelers take shelter at Fred's station. As the night progresses and the storm worsens, Fred picks them off one by one while maintaining the illusion that they're all in danger from the weather, not from him.

Episode 8: "Local Knowledge"

Tone: Mounting Paranoia

A nature photographer documenting the area for a travel magazine becomes suspicious of Fred's overly helpful suggestions about the "best" remote locations to visit. As she pieces together the pattern of disappearances, she realizes she's been guided directly into Fred's hunting ground.

Episode 9: "Family Reunion"

Tone: Explosive Violence

Sarah returns to the area with a private investigator and Jenny's brother, determined to expose Fred and find Jenny (who disappeared at the end of Episode 2). Their investigation leads to a confrontation with the entire Morrison clan, revealing the true scope of the family's operations.

Episode 10: "Last Stop"

Tone: Apocalyptic Finality

The season finale brings all surviving characters together as law enforcement finally closes in on the Morrison operation. Fred makes his last stand at the gas station, using every trick he's learned over decades of killing. The episode ends with the station burning, but Fred's fate remains ambiguous, setting up potential future seasons.

Season-Long Themes

Trust and Betrayal

Each episode examines how predators exploit basic human decency and our need for help when vulnerable.

Generational Evil

The Morrison family represents inherited trauma and learned violence passed down through generations.

The Facade of Hospitality

Every episode features characters who appear helpful while harboring deadly intentions, reflecting anxieties about hidden malevolence in seemingly safe spaces.

Season Arc

The season builds from isolated incidents to revealing a larger network of rural predators, culminating in a confrontation that exposes the full scope of the Morrison family's decades-long killing spree. While Fred's story may end, the series establishes that such predators exist throughout rural America, setting up potential anthology seasons in different locations with new antagonists who share similar methods and motivations.

References and Influences:

Film Influences:

* The Hills Have Eyes (1977/2006) - Isolated family terrorized by predatory locals in remote territory

* Wrong Turn (2003) - Friends lost in backwoods encounter cannibalistic mountain men

* The Strangers (2008) - Psychological terror and methodical stalking of victims in isolated location

* Deliverance (1972) - City folk encounter hostile locals in remote wilderness setting

* The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - Rural horror and deranged locals preying on travelers

* Vacancy (2007) - Stranded travelers discover they're being hunted and filmed

* Wolf Creek (2005) - Helpful local becomes murderous predator in Australian outback

* Eden Lake (2008) - Weekend getaway turns into survival horror nightmare

* I Spit on Your Grave (1978/2010) - Isolated setting and methodical revenge/survival elements

* The Crazies (2010) - Small-town horror with locals turning violent

Television References:

* American Horror Story anthology episodes - Self-contained horror stories with high production values

* Tales from the Crypt - Classic anthology horror with twist endings

* The Twilight Zone - Psychological horror in short-form format

* Channel Zero - Modern anthology horror series with cinematic quality

* Black Mirror - Standalone episodes exploring dark themes

* Masters of Horror - Hour-long horror anthology showcasing different directors

* Creepshow TV series - Adaptation maintaining short-form horror storytelling

* Various Criminal Minds episodes featuring territorial killers and remote locations

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar offers a prestigious platform for writers and poets to showcase their creative talents. This competition invites participants from around the world to submit their original works in various categories, including poetry, short stories, essays, and creative writing. It is an opportunity for emerging and established writers to gain recognition and share their unique voices with a global audience.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Hannah Bauermeister for her captivating submission "Here Comes Fred" to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her ability to weave an intense narrative of psychological dread and survival is truly commendable. We appreciate Hannah's participation and eagerly anticipate the impact her work will have on audiences worldwide.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.