Bereft By Oscar De Leon

FADE IN. A single ASTEROID floating gently in space. It tumbles forwards traveling at speeds far beyond our comprehension, yet in this instance it seems almost still and lifeless, calmly making its way through the darkness around it. "At Last" By Etta James plays, almost setting a contradictory tone for whats to come... As the Asteroid continues to gracefully move forward its target is suddenly revealed. EARTH. Its as if you were to put your thumb up to the moon and close one eye to hide its existence. Everyone we love and everything we know is on this planet and its soon to meet its grandiose demise. EARTH [MONTAGE] People go about their lives in peace as they begin to notice a faint streaking light in the clear sky above them. A man holds his daughters hand as she walks in the park. Trees gently sway in the summer sun. The ocean waves gently willow across foreign sands and the birds begin to move erratically through the skies. As the asteroid moves closer to the earth it casts a shadow across South America and slowly stalks its way across the sky. Everything seems still and quiet as gods hammer comes tearing through the atmosphere. Its quiet. Its as if there has been a universal sigh of relief. As the asteroid enters our atmosphere it breaks up into smaller pieces. They dart in all directions across the sky. The trees still continue to gently sway in the cool breeze. The asteroid finally strikes in the middle of the pacific causing the waters to ripple across the earth as the deep depths of the ocean swallow three miles of alien debris. The world we know in all of its perfect imperfections has come to meet its demise not with a bang, but with a whimper. FADE TO BLACK The title of the film gently appears on the screen. B E R E F T

2.

EXT. WOODS. DAY ONE YEAR LATER The sound of hacking echoes through cold and empty woods somewhere between hello and goodbye. We are greeted by a gaunt looking man in his mid to late 20s. He is digging what seems to be a rather shallow grave. Sweat pours down his forehead and is dripping down his dark and shaggy beard. God knows when he last showered. The flannel shirt hes wearing is torn and tattered and every time he strikes the earth he grits his teeth in pain. This is Manuel Marquez, the hero of our story. Just a bit away from him is a blonde girl who is looking equally as worn and battered the look on her face suggests they just lost someone they knew and by reading into it a bit more youd surmise that this wasnt the first time theyd been through this as her expressions were a cross between sympathy and impassive. She is wrapping a dead body with a thin white sheet that she was carrying around to keep her warm at night but respecting the dead is more important to her. Her eyes occasionally look off a bit into the distance focusing on a small backpack that is resting on another tree. This is Katherine Watts. The sky is hazy and almost completely cloudy giving this particular woods a very morose feeling of helplessness and melancholy, which doesnt help much dealing with their current situation. Manuel finally stops digging and rests his head on the butt of the shovel breathing out a short sigh or relief and pain. Hes exhausted. He picks up the shovel and throws it to the side calmly walking over to Katherine and putting his hands out signaling that he is ready to carry the body to the grave. Without talking, Katherine understands and gets up taking the legs as Manuel grabs in the shoulder area. The two hobble over to the shallow grave and gently rest the body inside the hole. Katherine takes the shovel and begins to move the dirt back onto the body, her face showing less emotion than before. Manuel stretches his back out and looks up at the trees, most of which are dead, and contemplates silently. He turns around and we see that three other graves exist next to the one that Katherine is by, each marked with makeshift crosses made from tree branches. CUT TO

3. EXT. WOODS. NIGHT CONT A small fire crackles and snaps at the campsite slightly illuminating the faces of the two as they sit silently across from each other. They both are staring into the fire hypnotized by the way the fire moves and coalesces. Katherine is the first to break the silence as she casually glances up at Manuel. KATHERINE WATTS So, when are we going to talk about it? Manuel continues to stare into the fire, his eyes slowly closes as he tries to convince himself to speak because of how tired he is. MANUEL MARQUEZ Whats there to talk about? I did what had to be done. KATHERINE WATTS Our entire group is dead now Manuel, were all thats left. Manuel is quiet and contemplative in her response. MANUEL MARQUEZ I know. I know. Katherine inches forward, closer to the fire and looks directly at him. KATHERINE WATTS YOU killed him...the only hunter we had...we havent seen an animal for miles, what are we going to do? MANUEL MARQUEZ You know why I killed him. KATHERINE WATTS That doesnt change the fact that we are running low on supplies. We couldve figured something else out.... MANUEL MARQUEZ Like what? the man was going insane...did you forget about what he tried doing to Linda before she got sick? you know what he was after, I did what I had to do to protect us. (CONTINUED)

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Katherine slumps backwards and is quiet she knows what he means and stays silent. MANUEL MARQUEZ Tomorrow we will head out and keep looking for food. Its our only hope. KATHERINE WATTS Hope of what? MANUEL MARQUEZ Surviving. The city is 200 hundred miles in that direction wed be lucky to get 50 miles across on foot. Like you said, we are low on supplies but we are close to a river so the best we can do right now is hold off and wait for rescue. KATHERINE WATTS Rescue isnt coming Manuel. Were all thats left...Im heading to my cabin tomorrow. Its up to you if you want to follow me. Manuel doesnt say anything. Katherine slowly gets up and walks over to her tent and gets inside closing it slowly behind her. Manuel stays out and looks up at the night sky. Its dark and he cant make out any discernible sign of any stars or the moon, its been like this for a year now. He looks back at the fire as he drifts off into a bad memory... CUT TO EXT. WOODS. MORNING EARLIER THAT DAY. We hear a man yelling behind heavy, labored breathing. We only see a small hill but then realize that the voice is getting louder as it approaches us. A heavier set man with a long straggly beard is running towards us carrying the backpack we saw earlier clutched tightly between his arms. He occasionally looks behind him as we see Manuel sprinting towards him viciously. Manuel finally catches up to him and tackles him with the worst intentions causing the backpack to come flying out of his hands. The two men wrestle for a moment before Manuel stars to savagely beat the man with his bare hands. The heavier set man starts to fumble around for his gun before Manuel grabs it out of his hands and begins (CONTINUED)

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5.

to strike him with the butt of it and does it so viciously we almost cringe at the amount of violence. The man stops struggling and soon becomes limp. Manuel realizes what hes done and stops with a terrible look of shock and sadness streaking across his face. Manuel looks at his bloody hands and realizes hes just killed a man. CUT TO EXT. WOODS. NIGHT CONT Manuel shakes off the memory and looks around taking in a deep breath. He rubs his eyes in regret and continues to look into the fire. IN THE TENT Katherine lays down and turns on a small flashlight that she keeps in her pocket and shines it on a small picture frame next to her pillow. Its her family. She has a good looking husband with two beautiful and small little boys and the sight of what once was makes her quickly turn the light off. Just another night. CUT TO INT. KATHERINES CABIN. DAY One year ago. Two young boys are splashing around in a clear blue lake on a hot summer day. It is a typical summer weekend in the beautifully peaceful Midwest. We see Katherine is hanging clothes up next to a nice little lake cabin keeping a watchful eye on her two boys. Her neighbor Lucy decides to come over with a long island tea in one hand and a cigarette in the other. LUCY Gorgeous day huh? KATHERINE Its unbelievable. Did you manage to figure out that recipe I told you about? LUCY You know, I made it for Fred and he refused to eat any of it. Turns out the man knows more about baking than I do. (CONTINUED)

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Katherine laughs and shakes her head. A man pulls up on the gravel road and honks his horn. Its Katherines husband Carl. Katerine hangs up one last shirt and heads over to him. Carl steps out of the car and grabs the bag full of groceries out of the back. KATHERINE Whats up? CARL Come help me with these fireworks. KATHERINE Carl. How much did you spend this year? Carl smiles and gives Katherine a kiss and walks away. CARL Come on! Its only once a year. KATHERINE Yeah well you are going to pick up the mess this year. Isnt the comet going to be enough you boys? CARL not a chance! IN THE HOUSE/KITCHEN The two walk into the house and Carl places all the groceries on the kitchen table. He reaches into one of the bags and opens a bottle of Summershandy and drinks it slowly. Katherine starts to put the groceries away as Carl looks at his wife lovingly. He moves up behind her and gives her a hug and then kisses the top of her head. CARL Dont work so hard, youve got to take it easy now. Katherine almost scoffs and turns around leaning gently on the edge of the counter in the kitchen. KATHERINE Im fine.

(CONTINUED)

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CARL Yeah, but if you want another strong boy you got to take it easy. KATHERINE Another boy huh? CARL Of course. KATHERINE Dont you want a little girl though? CARL Why? So I can worry about her getting in trouble with some little punk? KATHERINE If I remember correctly thats how we met. CARL Thats what Im afraid of. Katherine laughs and playfully punches Carl in the stomach. CARL But seriously, take it easy. Its your time to relax. Im going to start up the grill and Ill get working on those steaks okay? KATHERINE Okay. Did you get that gallon of milk? I dont see it here. CARL Yeah, I thought I did. KATHERINE No. Thats fine. Ill go into town, I needed some other things anyway. Carl kisses Katherine one more time and heads out of the side of the house. CARL Dont take too long, the steaks wont take much to be done.

(CONTINUED)

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Katherine walks out of the house and goes back to the lake and waves down at the boys who are still playing in the water. KATHERINE Im going into town boys do you need anything? The two boys look up at their mother with that innocent gleam of happiness in their eyes and respond in unions BOYS No mom! KATHERINE Okay, Ill be back. CUT TO INT. CAR. DAY. CONT. The day is absolutely gorgeous as Katherine drives on the curvy roads of the sleepy small Minnesota town that has become a home away from home on the weekends. Katherine cheerfully bops her head and taps on the steering wheel humming along to "Lovefool" by The Cardigans. She arrives to a small supermarket and parks her car. She sees people scurrying out as fast as they can. She turns her head she notices that cars are rushing out of the parking lot and a traffic jam has started to form. She turns back towards the supermarket and hears a loud howling whistle above her and manages to squeeze out one word: KATHERINE WhatThere is a loud crash and everything goes black. CUT TO EXT. WOODS. MORNING One Year Later IN THE TENT Katherine opens her eyes jarringly, they dilate to the ambient light around before returning to normal. She quickly gets up and looks around. She hears some rustling outside and decides to get up. (CONTINUED)

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OUTSIDE THE TENT Manuel is rounding up some of their camp supplies and stuffing them into a duffel bag, the backpack resting neatly on his shoulders. KATHERINE What are you doing? MANUEL I thought about what you said last night. Theres no point in awaiting around, If youre venturing out Im coming with you. Katherine smiles and rushes out knowing that Manuel is frustrated. Manuel takes out an old worn map and starts to figure out their path. He lays it down on the grass and points out where they are. MANUEL We are roughly here give or take a few miles. Where did you say it is again? Katherine points to the map and looks at him hopefully. MANUEL Okay, well thats roughly 150 miles. So by foot and traveling only by day were looking at a three day trek. KATHERINE Okay. MANUEL The thing is, we only enough supplies to last us one day and Ive only got one bullet left in this gun in case of something. KATHERINE Something? MANUEL I dont trust anything beyond this stronghold weve been keeping. Katherine is silent.

(CONTINUED)

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MANUEL Our best bet is to go completely east and hope we find a main road along the way. It seems like well see one in about twenty miles. Some time passes and the two nod at each other in acknowledgment that their journey is about to begin but both take one last second to remember the forest and all that its represents; several months of pain and suffering. Katherine looks at the grave site and quickly looks away. Manuel leads as Katherine staggers a few paces behind. Thus begins the journey. CUT TO EXT. OPEN PLAINS. DAY. CONT The two trek across a barren landscape. Walking across we realize how small they are compared to the vastness they have undertaken and its now that we begin to understand the totality of the destruction as we fly over them and see plumes of smoke rise in the distance. The smoke merges with the laden skies and the damage almost seems impressionistic. The plains end and hills start to appear, they climb up and down moving forward with their plan. The two are trying their best to keep high spirits. KATHERINE Can I ask you a question? Manuel answers by turning his head to talk but continues the trek on ward. MANUEL Yeah KATHERINE Why dont I know anything about you? MANUEL What do you mean? KATHERINE We lived out in those woods for 8 months after we left the bomb shelter but you always keep to yourself...you dont say much.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: MANUEL What do you want to know? KATHERINE Anything. Where your from, what you were back then, family...friends. Manuel shakes his head and looks at Katherine. MANUEL I dont know what to say I guess, my family is from Mexico but I was raised up here. I used to work little jobs here and there, nothing too exciting just a normal person I guess. KATHERINE Girlfriend?

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Manuel hesitates before answering but continues anyways. MANUEL Yeah, the love of my life. Shes not with us anymore. Manuels voice trembles and Katherine notices and tries distracting him. KATHERINE Well you know my story already. MANUEL Do I? KATHERINE Of course you do, same as the rest. MANUEL Everyone has their story, their secrets. KATHERINE I can tell... Katherine hesitates a second before voicing whats on her mind. KATHERINE You didnt hesitate one second to kill him. Manuel stops in his tracks and turns to face Katherine sternly. (CONTINUED)

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KATHERINE I mean, after everything weve been through a rational person wouldve thought things through, tried to make amends. MANUEL I already told you. I didnt have a choice. We both know what I found back there would change things. Katherine doesnt say a word and searches Manuels eyes for a hint of what he might do next. MANUEL Do I scare you? Katherine sheepishly nods her head and swallows hard taking in a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Manuel rolls his eyes and reaches to the back of his pants and pulls out the single gun they have. He hands it over to Katherine. MANUEL Here. Remember we only have one bullet. KATHERINE What are you doing? Manuel turns around and continues to walk. MANUEL I expect that if I act like Fred, youll do whats right. Katherine furrows her brow and continues after Manuel. Time passes and the small glimmer of the sun above the cool gray clouds manages to peak through to guide the two hopefuls. The earth is a cold dead place but the moving of their feet seem to keep it warm and invite them to carry on. They arrive to a tree line that obstructs their view. MANUEL I was afraid of this. KATHERINE What? Whats wrong.

(CONTINUED)

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MANUEL Well, I saw this tree line about a mile ago but I thought wed see a clearing when we got closer. I thought wed be able to go around. KATHERINE So we have to go through? MANUEL Yeah, I think so. Its not labeled on the map but if were going in the right direction we should find a paved road on the other end. KATHERINE Are we going in the right direction? MANUEL I hope so. Manuel continues to lead and heads in first looking though the trees but the the woods are dense and cant see much. CUT TO EXT. WOODS. DAY CONT. Manuel is walking freely through the open spaces within the woods. He notices that Katherine has stopped walking and turns around to look. Shes tying her shoe. MANUEL Hey, you should tell me if you need something. KATHERINE Im a big girl Manuel, Ill be fine. She gets up and throws him a bottle of water which he hastily catches. He takes a slow and short drink. He savors every last drop in his mouth before throwing it back. MANUEL What do you miss most? Katherine smiles as she catches the bottle and takes a drink for herself.

(CONTINUED)

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KATHERINE A hot, steamy shower. Hands down. You? MANUEL You have no idea what Id do for a cheeseburger. He bends down and leans against the hard and callused bark of the tree behind him, Katherine mimics him and rests her self against a dying limb. MANUEL Lets rest for a bit, no sense in killing ourselves on a suicide mission. Katherine rolls her eyes and looks into the distance and contemplates for awhile before turning and looking at Manuel, she notices him grip the backpack firmly between his fingers. KATHERINE Ease up, were okay. Manuel realizes whats hes doing and complies. He looks around and the two sit in an awkward silence. MANUEL Do you believe in God? Katherine is taken back by the question and wonders for a second hesitating before she shakes her head. KATHERINE No...I mean, I want to. I want to think a God will guide us safely to my family but after seeing what the world has turned into I have my reservations. MANUEL But you have faith that youll find your family in the same spot one year after you disappeared? KATHERINE Its all I can hope for. Its the only thing that keeps me from taking this gun and wasting our only bullet. What do you believe in?

(CONTINUED)

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MANUEL I believe in second chances. I believe that everything...all of this is just...a...test from him, or whatever god is. I think what we found back there, whats in this backpack was a sign. KATHERINE A sign of what? death? MANUEL Im not sure yet. I guess well find out soon enough. Katherine scoffs and looks at him him intently. KATHERINE Why did you come? I told you you could stay. MANUEL Weve been through a lot together, you really think id just let you go off on your own? Katherine ignores Manuel and dazes off for a second thinking about something foreign. KATHERINE I still remember the smell of the sunflower Carl gave me on the day we met. MANUEL How did it smell? KATHERINE It has a sweet linger to it, as if it was meant to stay in my memory. I remember hearing my baby boy laugh for the first time, I still remember my favorite song but what I cant remember is how it all made me feel. The cabin is the only thing keeping me sane just the idea of seeing my boys again is whats driving me and Im going to get there "god" willing or not.

(CONTINUED)

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Manuel nods and stands up and searches the woods for his trail and notices something peculiar. He starts moving towards it but its still far off into the distance. Katherine notices as well and quickly gets up and follows him. THE SWAMP Manuel climbs over a dead tree that has slung over the enormity of the woods and peers over it and notices that theyve stumbled into a little pocket where a swamp lays. The swamp separates them from the other side that will eventually lead them to the road they have been hoping for. Manuel is transfixed by the discolored water below and notices that its populated by foreign objects that he cant really make out from their vantage point. Katherine squints as she peers to the other side of the woods and sees something dangling in the distance. She too cant make out what it is. She taps Manuel on the shoulder and points outwards. KATHERINE Manuel, whats that? Manuel looks out but shakes his head MANUEL I dont know, I cant tell. KATHERINE What are we going to do? MANUEL We have to go down and cross that swamp, its the only way we can get across. Katherine scrunches her face but her determination gets the best of her and she starts to climb down first. MANUEL Hey! stop. What are you doing? KATHERINE Were wasting time just sitting around. Lets do this. Manuel grunts but follows her down. Katherine uses some dead roots that are deeply embedded into the face of the small drop downward as leverage to climb down and quickly reaches the shore of the swamp and looks in. Manuel comes behind her and immediately notices the putrid smell emanating from within. (CONTINUED)

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They both cover their mouths as they continue to look and notice several corpses in the water. They all seem to be animals in several different phases of decomposition most of which have been bloated due to the amount of time spent in the water. Manuel reaches into one of his bags and pulls out a rope and begins tying it around his waist. Katherine is still in shock as she looks into the swamp. Manuel moves over to Katherine and starts tying the the rope around her waist as well. KATHERINE What are you doing? MANUEL In case one of us gets into any trouble we wont get separated. Better safe than sorry. Katherine hastily nods as her eyes wonder back into the swamp. Manuel looks at her and hands her a bag. MANUEL Its our food keep it above your head so we dont spoil anything. Katherine nods and takes the bag and promptly places it over her head. Manuel takes the first step in and is very cautious. Their bodies make searing ripples through the water that move the stagnant bodies back and forth. The swamp is small but they are very hesitant going through. Manuel walks until he cant feel his feet anymore, Katherine is behind him panting as she looks around at the the dead bodies of the animals. Manuel is breathing out through his mouth as he carries his backpack over his head and uses his right arm as sort of a paddle to wade through the decrepit water. Some of the corpses start to bounce off of Manuels chest as they reach the middle of the swamp. He hastily turns to Katherine. MANUEL Keep calm! just a little bit more! Katherine nods her head diligently as they continue through, suddenly a mass starts moving towards her. The mass is brown and Katherine notices first something foreign is also sticking out of the water from the brown mass and it looks like the back end of an arrow. The mass finally reaches them and Katherine gets apprehensive and notices that the arrow is connected to whats beneath the murky water. (CONTINUED)

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Suddenly... a hand rises above the water and touches her and we see that its a dead human. Katherine screams and kicks at the body. Manuel jerks around to see the body turn on its back and reveal a horribly disfigured face, bloated by the time spent in this terrible swamp. MANUEL WERE ALMOST THERE KATE! JUST A FEW MORE SECONDS!! KATHERINE OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!! They finally reach the shore and quickly run up the muddy sand surrounding the water. They emerge dirty, their clothes dripping with silt and muck and looking almost completely brown from the water. The commotion they caused, forces the body in the water to make landfall...face first. The two are panting from the massive scare they just received. Manuel looks at Katherine and starts unwrapping the rope from her waist. MANUEL The food. Is the food okay? Katherine has a locked stare on the body before she comprehends the question and quickly looks into the bag. KATHERINE Yes! yes. Its fine. Manuel breathes out a sigh of relief and runs his hands through his messy hair. He gets up and sets down his equipment and nervously moves towards the body. KATHERINE Manuel wait! Manuel waves her down signaling for her to calm down. He quietly moves towards the body and examines it from a far. He inches closer in an attempt to deduce whats wrong aside from the obvious--an arrow protruding the mans back. The dead man is lying face down and Manuel finally goes over to the body and rests his hand on the dead mans back and drops his head in prayer. KATHERINE What happened?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: MANUEL It mustve been an accident. People were probably hunting in this area and he got in the way. KATHERINE Should we dig him a grave? MANUEL No, we need to get moving. Weve disturbed the dead enough.

19.

Katherine is still in shock but understands Manuel and collects herself. Manuel bends over and reaches for his backpack and hesitates before picking it up. KATHERINE What? Whats wrong? MANUEL What if I just leave it here? KATHERINE Werent you the one who thought it was a sign from God? MANUEL Yes, but the burden of carrying this...is unbearable. KATHERINE No. You will carry it, especially after what youve....after what we did to get this far with it. Its our job to make sure it doesnt get into the wrong hands. Manuel nods and slings the bag over his shoulder and moves upwards climbing to the other side of the woods as Katherine follows. INTO THE WOODS Manuel grips the dead ground and stringently pulls himself up and quickly gives his free hand to Katherine who is having a particularly hard time climbing. Manuel stands up and is flabbergasted by what he sees in the distance. Katherine looks at Manuels disgusted face and looks into the distance as well. They are greeted by a dead man hanging from his feet off of a tree limb above them. The mans skin is gray and his buttoned up flannel has been opened and there is a marking on his chest. (CONTINUED)

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Manuel inches forward, Katherine stays behind with her mouth wide open. As he gets closer the marking on the chest becomes clearer and is best describe as looking like a question mark with two parallel lines on the bottom half. KATHERINE Manuel! Where are we? Whats going on? MANUEL I dont-As Manuel side steps hears a clink and the trees begin to rustle. Katherine looks above her, several points of sound begin to circulate around them. Manuel stays still and gives Katherine a look of absolute terror. An arrow whizzes past Katherines head and hits Manuel directly in the stomach sending him flying backwards. Katherine yells and starts to run away. Manuel, shocked by the arrow, jolts backwards but immediately starts chasing after Katherine. MANUEL Katherine! No!! stop! Katherine then steps on something and stops dead in her tracks. She looks up at Manuel and then hears another clink. A log attached to ropes jumps from a tree and heads her way but rolls out of the way just in time. The log however, clips her backpack and sends it flying across the woods. Their food supply is thrown against a tree at such high velocity that it causes everything inside to explode in a furious motion outwards. Manuel struggles to stand up as he grips the arrow sticking out his stomach, his blood trickling down his hand he nervously looks up to see Katherine is down. MANUEL Its a trap!! Katherine gets up and and sees several traps spring up around her. The traps were hidden by the dead foliage and they spring upwards casting a net to catch its prey, distracted by this she doesnt hear whats behind her. Manuel is also distracted by the traps springing up and then sees a scythe that is placed in a tree with a perfect downward motion aimed at Katherine. Manuel manages to pull the arrow out in one motion and runs towards Katherine as she has frozen in fear. He pushes her (CONTINUED)

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just in time as the scythe comes down behind her. Manuel grabs her and they fly forward landing on the hard ground that breaks apart and cause them to fall into what was hidden beneath--a pit. THE PIT Manuel groans in pain, rolling around as the dust settles inside their new prison. Katherine is coughing and reaches out for Manuel. Manuel is transfixed by the sight above him he realizes there might be no hope. MANUEL Why? KATHERINE Manuel! are you okay? Manuel continues to stare at the lifeless sky MANUEL Why would you do this? KATHERINE We need to get out of here! Manuel holds his stomach as he perches himself up and leans against the dirty surface inside the pit. MANUEL This is it Kate. Were out of food, out of water, I wont be able to climb out of here with this wound. Katherine looks at him and realizes what a mistake theyve made. She grabs Manuel and touches his face as she burrows her head into his chest and begins to sob. EXT. INSIDE PIT. EVENING. CONT. Hours pass and the woods have seemed to reclaim their peacefulness. The only sound that travels through the empty limbs are the sound of the whistling wind as it gently moves through the graveyard like a ghost. The sky is gray and has been for several months, resembling the skin of the dead man we saw hanging before. There is something to be said about the sound of silence. Its as if for a second you can almost hear the earth spinning on its axis.

(CONTINUED)

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Several hours have passed and the two are coming to grips that this is their new reality. The Pit is deep, about 15 feet in. They sit on opposite corners from each other, listening to the world spin on its axis. A cloud parts and the orange sun casts a beam down across the woods and floods the pit with light. Manuel looks up with his mouth open, clutching at his wound. He closes his eyes and absorbs the light as if he were bathing in it. Katherine too inches closer to it and touches the rays of light with her hand caressing it for as long as it lasts. The sun is only there momentarily as its soon covered by a passing cloud but its enough, its enough. Manuel notices that his back pack and another pack are laying next to him. He reaches for the smaller bag and pulls it near him. Katherine looks at him and moves closer to Manuel. He pulls out a small radio with a pull out antenna and half a bottle of wine. MANUEL If were going to die in here, might as well get drunk. KATHERINE Im so sorry Manuel, I shouldve listened to you. Its all my fault. MANUEL No, it was meant to be. Katherine dips her head and pulls the picture we saw earlier out of her pocket and stares at it and whispers to herself. KATHERINE Im sorry...Im sorry. Manuel pulls the cork out of the bottle with his teeth and takes a large gulp of the wine and hands it over to Katherine she then takes it and drinks as well. Manuel smiles. He then turns on the radio only to hear static. Katherine moves closer to him and rests her head on his shoulder. KATHERINE That radio hasnt worked for months. MANUEL I know, I was just hoping wed get anything.

(CONTINUED)

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The two listen to the static, its better than nothing they both think. Katherine stares off into the distance and starts to think. KATHERINE Where were you when it all happened? Manuel looks up at the empty sky once more and takes another drink of the wine. MANUEL I was standing in the rain looking at the city about to kill myself. Katherine moves her head and looks at him. KATHERINE What? MANUEL Im a bad man Katherine. All of this, everything thats happened to us is because we have sinned. CUT TO INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT One year ago MANUEL (V.O) I was in love with a beautiful girl. We see Manuel back before the incident smiling with a girl as they stand and watch the city from a nice little vantage point. The sun is caressing them both as Manuel holds her from behind and she smiles, looking back at him. Her hair gently floating in the wind. MANUEL (V.O) She was my high school sweetheart, and we both had plans and schemes, hopes and dreams... The two have a place together and we can tell its a cozy and comfortable place, we move slowly through it and turn to see that in their bedroom a lamp flies across and crashes into a wall and we see Manuel yelling at the girl as she sheepishly looks down at her feet.

(CONTINUED)

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MANUEL (V.O) But something happened...something to the both of us. We started to fall out of love as jealousy grew. We see the girl now walking through her life with a frown and little to no life left in her eyes. One day Manuel comes home and notices something off kilter in the apartment and sees a watch on the end table of their bed. Manuel sits on his bed as he grabs it, he looks at the girl who has a shocked expression on her face. Fury flashes across Manuels face. MANUEL (V.O) I didnt know what to do so things escalated faster than I expected. The two are now fighting in their bedroom and struggling over a gun that Manuel has in his hand, he throws her against a wall as he points it to his head and she comes running over and slaps him across the face. They struggle for a bit more and finally it goes off. Manuel has a terrible look on his face as he looks to see his girlfriend stumbling backwards holding her stomach. Her hand is covered in blood as it trembles in pain. She collapses and quickly dies. Manuel grabs her lifeless body and starts to cry as hard as anybody ever has. He stands in the rain with the gun in his hand. MANUEL (V.O) I panicked and didnt know what to do, I was planning on ending it that night until I saw something in the sky. Above him something streaks across the sky and illuminates the dark clouds, his expression is full of bewildernment and confusion. CUT TO EXT. INSIDE PIT. EVENING. CONT. One year later Katerine stares at Manuel with empathy in her eyes as she listens to his story.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

25.

MANUEL After that I was moved from shelter to shelter all across the country, until we met. Im sorry I couldnt get you to your family, I know you didnt do anything wrong, I Wish I couldve kept my promise to you. Katherine looks away for a bit as tears begin to well up in her eyes, she takes a deep breath to calm herself down. KATHERINE After we were struck, I was pinned underneath some rubble I only remember waking up in a hospital hundreds of miles away from the cabin. They had to fly me down because they thought I had broken my neck. They couldnt find my husband after the chaos. I only wanted to my find my cabin because I know deep down theyre all gone and I needed to get to the one place where I know they were the happiest at least in my memories. The two are silent for a moment contemplating the comforting sounds of the static when suddenly something breaks through. Manuel perks his head up and looks at the radio and they hear something faint. Katherine looks at Manuel and smiles. A transmission is heard clearer and clearer until finally they hear a voice and its musical accompaniment. Its "No Soy De Ti" by Ralphi Pagan. Manuel smiles and stands up clutching his wound. He extends his hand down to Katherine. She looks up at him and gives him half of a smile. MANUEL Can I have this dance? Katherine sheepishly nods The two start to slow dance to the beautiful song. Ralphi Pagans voice becomes evocative and haunting in the emptiness in the woods. The two dont say a word, Katherine places her head on his chest and Manuel rests his cheek on her head and gently moves his head to kiss the top of her head, Katherine clutches him harder, both knowing this is the end. FADE TO BLACK

26.

EXT. INSIDE PIT. MORNING. Manuel has trouble opening his eyes as the morning arrives. His vision is blurred and his head is pounding. Its a miracle hes still alive. He looks down and sees his hand covered in blood, its stopped somewhat from the last time he looked. Katherine is sleeping on his chest and he gently moves the hair out of her face. He groans a little as he tries moving himself to get more comfortable. The radios batteries have died and realizes that they too will suffer the same fate. He hears some rustling above them and looks up. A small boy is standing at the edge of the pit and looking down at them with no expression. The sight of the boy scares him and he jolts causing Katherine to wake up. She looks at Manuels face and then looks up to see the boy and screams. Voices around them are heard and the boy moves out of sight. Manuel and Katherine stand up as fast they can. Footsteps move in on them and Katherine yells out. KATHERINE HELP! Were down here! Three men emerge and look down into the hole. One man is wearing a red shirt and holding a rifle. Hes larger than the rest and looks very strong. Another one is wearing black, hes tall has has messy blonde hair and is wearing glasses, the third is wearing a green shirt and has several bags around his body but is small and skinny and looks very skiddish. Their names, in order, are Dale, Jerry and Simon. DALE Well, its definitely not a deer. JERRY Howd you two manage to get in here? MANUEL Were survivors from the town Mariposa and Ive been injured. DALE Just hang tight, well get you out. Some time passes and the two are helped out of the hole. The three men are walking through the woods now leading Manuel and Katherine out. JERRY Sorry, about what happened. Its actually really lucky we found you. (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: JERRY (contd) This is as far out as we go for food. My name is Jerry.

27.

Manuel is holding his stomach as they walk but offers his free hand to him and they shake it as they walk. MANUEL My name is Manuel and this is Katherine. Jerry waves at Katherine who is behind Manuel as they continue to walk. JERRY The big guy up front is Dale, our resident hunter, this is Simon hes our science wiz, he figured out how to properly set out a search grid using some math since were trying to run a tight ship back at the compound. KATHERINE Compound? JERRY Yeah, just about 40 miles south weve got about 12 survivors, water, food, shelter. Youre in good hands now. MANUEL Wheres that little boy? JERRY David? Hes probably back at the car, told him it was a bad idea for him to come out with us but as it turns out God would have him be the exactly what we needed to find you two. Jerry looks back at Manuel and sees his bloody hand.

JERRY Im a doctor so you dont need to worry too much about your wound well take care of you. MANUEL Thank you, we thought we were going to die in there.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: DALE Its a good thing you didnt.

28.

They continue to walk through the woods and Manuel sees how easy the trek wouldve been. They see something they havent seen in a long time. A road. The new group exit the woods and arrive to the side of a road with their SUV parked in the middle with a little boy hanging out of the rear window resting his chin on his arms, bored out of his mind. Katherine looks at Manuel and smiles. KATHERINE Were saved. MANUEL I know, I know. Katherine holds Manuel. The three men start to load up their SUV and start to pile in. Simon approaches them. SIMON Get comfortable the back seat is open for you two. Manuel and Katherine proceed to get into the SUV, Jerry sits in the passenger seat, Dale gets into the drivers seat and Simon gets in the middle back seat. Manuel clutches his backpack harder than before. DALE Buckle up. Safety first. The two comply and look at each other with pure elation in their eyes. The little boy is sitting in the very back where they men have placed their bags and guns he looks at the two newcomers with no expression. JERRY Dont mind David, hes a little shy. Hes a deaf-mute, so he has trouble communicating. KATHERINE Is he your boy? JERRY No, we found him just like you. Abandoned in some woods a few miles out from the compound. Katherine frowns and looks back at the boy who has now diverted his attention to the rear window. The SUV sets out in motion and they take off. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

29.

There is a strange, evocative feeling moving in a vehicle that stirs the most innocent of emotions, Katherine cant help but smile she looks at Manuel who is in shock and constantly questioning in his mind; is this really it? KATHERINE Can I lower the window? I just havent been in a car for a long time. JERRY By all means! Katherine lowers the window and feels the air brushing along her face as she sticks her head and window. Tears roll down her face and for the ride home Manuel and Katherine feel free. CUT TO EXT. SMALL TOWN. DAY The SUV pulls onto a seemingly empty town until people start to emerge from an old house that is perched between grain towers. Katherine is observing from her window. There is one man leading the pack of women, men and children that are converging on the SUV. Jerry turns around and looks at Manuel and Katherine. JERRY Welcome home. The SUV parks and the thee men and David get out first and unload the SUV. Manuel hesitantly steps out of the SUV and Katherine follows in suit. The people all look well groomed and healthy and its a startling contrast to how our two look. A very handsome man wearing white steps forward and extends his hand to Manuel with a smile. His name is Samel. SAMEL Welcome, my name is Samel. I understand youre in need of assistance. MANUEL Yes. Weve been out surviving in the woods for nearly a year now. SAMEL Im so sorry to hear that please come inside our home our family will take care of you. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

30.

Simon walks behind Manuel and tries taking his backpack but Manuel gets frightened and jerks away becoming very defensive. Simon looks around nervously and backs off. SIMON Im sorry...I just wanted to help you out... Manuel feels bad and relents. MANUEL No, no. Im sorry. Id like to keep the bag. Samel notices the situation and buds in. SAMEL Simon, let the man keep his things. Hes been through a lot. Miss? Katherine looks at him after being dazed by the amount of smiling faces greeting her. She extends her hand out to him. KATHERINE Katherine, thank you so much for all of this. Samel smiles and approaches her and shakes her hand gently. SAMEL The pleasure is mine, the woman will show you where you can shower. Katherine smiles and slightly nods as an older lady approaches her and takes her hand. The horde of people follow in suit and go into the house. Samel carrys on his smile and turns back to Manuel peering down at his wound. SAMEL Jerry, lets get this man stitched up. CUT TO

31.

INT. BATHROOM. CONT A shower head turns on and Katherine tests the water with her toe before jumping in. Steam billows out from the top of the curtain and she cleanses herself of all the dirt and grime shes accumulated over the time spent outside. She smiles as the hot water burns her skin and laughs when she starts rubbing the soap over her body but suddenly she begins to cry knowing that she was about to put the barrel of a gun in her mouth just hours before. She steps out of the shower with a towel covering her she looks at the clothes set out for her; a nice little white dress. Shes startled when she hears the voice of a man next to her and doesnt realize that the door was left open. Its Simon. SIMON Diner is in an 2 hours. He notices her startled face and ducks his head. KATHERINE Thank you. SIMON I didnt mean to scare you...or...look at you...I...uh.. Dale walks from around the corner and grabs Simon from the back of his neck. DALE Leave the woman alone Simon. Sorry about that, he just forgets his manners sometimes. Dale promptly closes the door as Katherine is left there with a bewildered look on her face. CUT TO INT. GARAGE. DAY CONT Manuel is laying on an old work bench as Jerry is stitching up his stomach, Samel is sitting on a chair smoking a pipe. Samel taps it on the edge of his lip as he watches intently on what Jerry is doing.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

32.

SAMEL I have to say, that is one incredible story. Manuel is grimacing as Jerry works on him, he is propped up on his elbows with his head to Samel. MANUEL We didnt think there were others. Jerry peers over his glasses as he works meticulously the stitches and responds JERRY To tell you the truth were all thats left. Samel clears his throat and looks up at Manuel. SAMEL What Jerry means is that weve been out here for awhile and came to the same conclusion as you did, but it seems God had intended on us meeting some more friendly faces. Manuel grimaces a bit more and looks around trying to distract his mind from the pain. MANUEL Your accent, where you from? SAMEL Originally? I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi but Id say this is home now. MANUEL So how did you guys find this place? Samel stands up and walks to the garage entrance and stares out with his back to Manuel. SAMEL We were traveling from Georgia after the impact ,my family and I, when we met Jerry and his family on one of the congested highways. One thing led to another and we decided going north would be our best bet to set up camp since its known for its agriculture. Iowa was our first (MORE) (CONTINUED) on

CONTINUED: SAMEL (contd) goal but its in ruins. We just kept making our way up north until we found this nice little town and have been looking for survivors to bring in. Weve been able to grow our own food but Ill have to be honest with you we have been stretching ourselves thin latelybut I know our almighty father has bigger things in mind for us. Manuel nods in contemplation MANUEL Religious man Samel? SAMEL Very. We all are, we give thanks and grace to our lord and Savior. He has shown us light in the darkest of times. JERRY We know hes been listening to our prayers. He brought us you two! Manuel looks at him confused but follows along. SAMEL I will say that finding you and Katherine was a sign of great things to come. JERRY Praise be Soteria.

33.

Samel smiles and turns around once again tapping his pipe on the edge of his lip, he nods at Samel with a certain twinkle in his eye. SAMEL Praise be Soteria. Manuel tries to ignore what theyve said and looks around as Jerry continues to work on him. Jerry pulls away from Manuel and starts to wipe his hands off with a rag. JERRY Well, looks like your good as new. Just take it easy from now on okay?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

34.

MANUEL Thank you. Manuel moves his legs over the edge of the table and buttons up his shirt. Samel walks over to him and shakes his hand greeting him once more with a smile. SAMEL Go on in and take a nice hot shower. You deserve it. Manuel nods his head and walks out of the garage and walks around heading towards the house. The mood at the new camp is fantastic as he sees the kids laughing and playing. The adults are doing small jobs around the house he sees Dale chopping up wood next to the others working. Dale looks at him and grins bearing all his teeth as he splits a log in half. Manuel notices something that makes his stomach turn, Dale is wearing a coat with the same symbol he saw on the man hanging in the woods. Manuel enters the house and stops for a second and takes a second to think. Katherine walks from around the corner as two women behind her are carrying bowls of vegetables. Katherine is helping the ladies make dinner and is smiling when she sees Manuel. The ladies walk in front of her as she stops to talk to him. KATHERINE Hey are you alright? MANUEL I dont think were safe. KATHERINE What? MANUEL Keep your voice down. Just play along Im going to try figuring something out. KATHERINE Manuel, youre just paranoid. Weve been through a lot you need some rest. MANUEL No, listen to me. Just go along with whatever they say. We need to get out of here tonight.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

35.

KATHERINE What? are you insane? These people have done a lot for us! MANUEL What about your family did you just forget about that? If we dont leave youll never get to see them again. Anger flashes across Katherines face KATHERINE Get away from me. I need to help these ladies with dinner. Manuel is frustrated as Katherine storms off into the kitchen. He turns around and looks out into the yard where Dale, Jerry and Simon all stand next to Samel as he instructs them on something. CUT TO INT. DINING ROOM. EVENING. CONT. Three woman and Katherine are setting up a very nice looking dining table and one of them motions to the rest that Samel has entered the house. Manuel emerges from a room looking freshly showered and is now wearing different clothes. One woman stands before the group of people who are now crowding around the dinning room Katherine is talking to a couple of the children as they wait for Samel to eat. The older woman is nervously fidgeting her hands as she turns back to see Samel take his time washing his hands. A group of men are lined up behind him including Dale, Jerry and Simon. All told there are 7 men including Manuel. Jerry motions for Manuel to come over and do as they are doing. Samel finishes and moves towards the table and the woman speaks. OLD WOMAN Samel sits and we shall obey his command. Let the men feast so that we please God our lord and savior Soteria. Katherine stops speaking to the children and looks up confused and notices that Samel does nothing about what is said and gently drapes a napkin over his lap, the other men sit down around him.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: KATHERINE We have to wait to eat? OLD WOMAN It is his will. The woman and children eat last so that the men can be right by the covenant of god.

36.

Manuel nervously walks to the table and sees that one seat is open next to Samel. Samel motions for him to sit. The feast is grand with a nice ham, bowls of peas, carrots, corn, mashed potatoes and collard greens. SAMEL Let us pray. Everyone bows their head in unison and Manuel follows in suit, he shoots a glance at Katherine from a far. Katherine has a very nervous look on her face but follows along. SAMEL Thank you, dear God for bringing us these wonderful guest to our company. We will accept this gift and return the favor. We only pray you accept our offering and give us the passage into the great beyond with your blessing. Amen. The men start to pick at the food and eat as the children and woman stare at the men from a far. Manuel nervously begins to fill his plate as he looks at Katherine with concern. The men eat and get up leaving their plates on the table. The woman quickly rush in and clean the plates. Katherine nervously obliges and helps do the dishes. Samel walks over to Katherine and puts his hands on her shoulders and kisses the top of her head, which sends shivers down her spine. SAMEL God bless that you are here I hope you enjoy dinner. Manuel is clinching his fist but notices that the other men are waiting by the dinning room entrance for Samels next word. Samel looks at them and waves them out. SAMEL Dale, you and the men go gather wood for tonight bonfire celebration. Id like to have a word with Manuel if thats okay.

37.

Manuel nods and Samel walks in front of him leading him away. The men follow in suit and walk out the front door. Katherine looks at Manuel walking away as she rinses one of the plates. INT. OFFICE. CONT Samel enters a small room with a desk and a chair in front of the desk, he motions to Manuel to sit down and Manuel complies. Samel pulls out a small bottle of whiskey and pours himself a small glass. SAMEL Would you like some? MANUEL No thanks. Whats this about? SAMEL Incredible thing whiskey is, Some will go as far as saying its the white mans burden, the karmic weight we all carry around our neck having introduced it the Indians when we arrived, having destroyed generations and generations with the disease. Samel takes a seat at the desk and puts the glass to his mouth and swallows slowly allowing for every accent to come to the forefront of his taste buds. MANUEL Id say thats true. Samel looks at Manuel longingly and is silent for a second SAMEL I was once lost, for years years I suffered from that disease but when I saw the was saved. Do you know who me? MANUEL Who? SAMEL The almighty himself.(laughs)Can I ask you a question Manuel? and very light I saved

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

38.

MANUEL Go ahead. SAMEL Do you believe in fate, destiny? MANUEL I find myself asking that very question everyday. SAMEL I for one know it for a fact. I have seen the future, and I know a strong man like yourself will find this hard to believe but when that rock came tumbling over our sky I heard a soft, calming voice in my ears. Do you know what it said to me? MANUEL What? SAMEL It said...Samel you will lead my people to salvation and I will reward you with eternal life, eternal love God spoke to me so that I could save the last of his children but the one thing about God is that he tests his children to see if they are really worthy of his love. Sometimes he needs assurance that we love him as much he loves us. Manuel just sits there and listens begins to tighten over the arms of Samel casually stands up and walks and lights a candle to brighten up to Samel talk. His grip the chair he sits in. to a window by the office the room. CUT TO INT. DINING ROOM. EVENING. CONT. Katherine has finally been allowed to eat and is carefully eating as she observes the room. She sits next to the older lady from before. David is staring at her from across the table looking as bored as always.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

39.

KATHERINE The peas are really good. The old woman nods and smiles, continuing to eat. Katherine looks over to David and gives him a big smile. She slyly slides a knife under the table and hides it between her legs. KATHERINE Whats wrong with the boy? OLD WOMAN Hes just tired of waiting. KATHERINE Waiting for what? The other girls around the table look at the old woman and then each other but quietly continue to eat. OLD WOMAN Nothing. We shouldnt talk during our dinner the men will get mad. KATHERINE What? Why did we have to wait to eat? OLD WOMAN Thats just how things are around here. Jerry and Dale enter the house and start to light candles as it gets dark outside. Simon comes walking around sheepishly. JERRY Its going to be a beautiful night for the bonfire. Are you excited Katherine? KATHERINE Yeah...I guess so. Whats the occasion? JERRY No ones told you? KATHERINE Told me what? JERRY We get to go home tomorrow!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

40.

KATHERINE I thought this was home? Jerrys smile fades as he looks at the women and the women all duck their heads. Dale taps Simon on the shoulder and tells him to go upstairs. DALE Why dont you just give that knife over princess, things will go over a lot smoother. KATHERINE What? What are you talking about? Jerry takes David and picks him up in his arms and walks out of the room Katherine notices that David continues to stare at her before motioning something to her that causes her to grow stiff. He slides his thumb across his neck. CUT TO INT. OFFICE. CONT MANUEL Do you really believe that? The room is almost glowing with tension as the candles flame flickers and bounces. Samel smiles and nods. SAMEL Do you think all of this was by coincidence? Weve been following you two for quite sometime now Manuel. A chill runs down Manuels spine and he swallows hard. MANUEL What do you mean? Samel sits down once more and opens a drawer pulling out some sort of little device. Its round and shiny with a button on top. He gently places it down on the desk and looks directly into Manuels eyes. SAMEL This is why I believe in fate. I know whats inside the backpack. Ive been looking for it ever since I found this.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

41.

Manuels heart is pounding causing him to breathe sharply and flare his nostrils in anger. MANUEL What do you mean? SAMEL No, dont worry the others dont know. They just know you two are the key to their salvation. What? you thought youd be able to run away with that forever? We located it using some pretty specific and complicated math. Simon, he was one of the few people who was aware that one was missing after the military base got reports of a rouge solider. Im guessing thats how you found it? A nuclear warhead. Now what in the hell did you think you were going to do with that? Manuels eyes are wide open and the grip on the arms of his chair have become dangerously tight. MANUEL I thought it was a sign from God. SAMEL Oh it was, and I thank you. You have brought my people their salvation. We call it The Devine Reclamation--the passage into the other realm if you will. Its going to happen tomorrow right after we sacrifice Katherine. CUT TO INT. DINING ROOM. EVENING. CONT. Dale is hovering over Katherine as he continues to pester her. DALE Come on, make this easy. KATHERINE I dont know what youre talking about.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

42.

OLD WOMAN Dale...please.. DALE Shut up! STAND UP. Katherine stands up and quickly shoves the knife in Dales leg and tries to run away before the other girls get up and detain her. Katherine begins to struggle and screams for help. KATHERINE MANUEL!! HELP!! Dale stumbles back and agonizes over the knife in his leg. He moves up to Katherine and knocks her unconscience with a backhanded slap. CUT TO INT. OFFICE. CONT Manuel hears Katherines cry and springs up attempting to head out the door before Jerry comes in. JERRY Calm down, Manuel...everythings-Manuel lunges forward and lands a left hook to Jerrys face but Jerry reacts quickly and hits Manuel in the stomach causing him to reel backwards in pain. The pain doesnt stop Manuel as he tackles Jerry and starts to viciously beat Jerry. Samel kicks Manuel across the face almost knocking him out. Manuel falls over but tries to get up, Samel grabs him by the neck and starts to choke him. SAMEL I would kill you right now If I wasnt saving that pleasure for Dale. Dale walks and we see the other women behind him carrying a limp Katherine. SAMEL About 8 months ago you met a man, who happened to me a very skilled hunter. This man kept you guys alive a lot longer than you would have alone but you ended up killing him. That was our man, Dales brother. We sent him in to help us (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

43.

SAMEL (contd) recover what we needed but you got the better of him. You drew first blood and sinned. Before The Divine Reclamation Dale will be allowed his revenge. Manuels mind is racing and cant believe the news hes receiving. MANUEL No...youre lying. Samel slightly tightens the grip on Manuels throat. SAMEL The ceremonies start tonight. Dont worry Manuel, I promise the girl will not suffer. It will be quick and painless, but I cant say the same for you. Bring the boy, Jerry. Jerry looks up at Samel and hesitates for a second but stands up. His face is bleeding and swelling. Jerry brings in David and places him against a wall in front of Jerry. MANUEL What are you doing? Samel walks up to the boy and pats his head gently and hugs him. The boy looks around in wonder, Jerry ducks his head in shame. Dale however, has not taken his eyes off of Manuel. SAMEL Manuel Marquez, God sent me to this Earth to reclaim his children. These children were lost because of men like you...murderers. Tomorrow all our pain and suffering ends. Let the ceremonies begin for The Divine Reclamation. Manuel, you killed this child. MANUEL What? Samel pulls out a pistol and points it at the kids head. MANUEL NO!!!!!! There is a loud boom and the sound of a bullet casing hitting the floor along with the body. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

44.

Manuels face is full of pain and despair, his mouth wide open and trembling in sadness. Dale moves over to him calmly. DALE Goodnight Dale kicks Manuel across his grief stricken face and knocks him out cold. CUT TO INT. BASEMENT. MORNING. CONT We see Manuels girlfriend standing on a bridge and contemplating the silent freeway below her. The falling sun peaks through the floating strands of hair that seem to be suspended in time. The girl turns her head and reveals her blue eyes to us and they seem to be as luminous as the skyscrapers behind her. She opens to her mouth to say... GIRL Wake up, Manuel. We only see black and hear heavy breathing and slight grunting. We recognize the grunting to be be that of Manuels. From the left we hear a chair being drug across the floor. We hear some muffled cries coming from the right of us, and some low chatter behind us. The chatter becomes audible and we can recognize the voices are coming from Dale and Samel. DALE What about her? SAMEL You know whats going to happen, I just need you to protect this bag and dont let him escape. DALE Trust me, he wont. SAMEL Good. The ceremonies are about to begin but we have to prepare the stone, Simon will stay here with you. Jerry you come with me. Manuels heavy breathing continues as he hears the footsteps approaching him. Something stirs and the muffled voice behind him starts to yelp and we recognize it as that of Katherines. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

45.

MANUEL NO! YOU LET HER GO! The bag over his head is pulled off and we see he his hands are above his head and handcuffed to a pipe. His feet are just barely touching the concrete below him. The handcuffs are splitting the skin around his wrists and his face is doused in sweat and blood he is facing Samel directly. The basement is dingy yet surprisingly well lit. Its a simple square with an old washer and dryer in the far corner with nothing else but a water boiler and various pipes. We can see Katherine is tied and bound behind him. Manuel turns his head back to Jerry picking her up seeing that she has her hands tied behind her back and her mouth gagged. The sharp motion of his head turning causes his wrists to receive gratuitous punishment. Samel looks at Jerry picking up Katherine and nods to him. Jerry keeps his sight away from Manuel and just moves passed them. Behind and to the left of Samel, Dale is standing with his sleeves rolled up and looks much more threatening than we were accustomed to seeing. To the right of Dale is Simon, small and cowering in the shadows of the basement where the harsh light has seemed to forgotten. Katherine is moved up the stairs but the two exchange one final glance before she disappears. SAMEL Dont worry Manuel, shes going to be fine. In about an hour, we are all going to be taken care of. MANUEL Please, for the love of God dont do this. Punish me! She had nothing to do with anything. SAMEL I am merely an instrument in the hands of God I can not meddle with his plans for you. Goodbye, Manuel. The Great Reclamation has begun. Samel walks away as Manuel looks at him with helpless eyes. Dale is cracking his knuckles as Samel walks passed him and whispers into Dales ear. SAMEL Make him suffer, Dale.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

46.

DALE My pleasure. CUT TO EXT. OUTSIDE HOUSE. CONT The remaining members are all scurrying and trying their best to collect a few things theyve stored away in little bags. They move from the inside of the house and exit it to greet Samel who is standing on a platform above them, looking down at them. Every member is dressed in long white robes with that familiar etching pressed neatly against their chests. Katherine opens her eyes to see the devoted followers standing and facing the man. She tries to move but finds that she has been bound to a tree. Her eyes radiate fear as she looks around and realizes that this is it. Jerry moves passed her and merges into the crowd as they await for Samel to talk. Samel allows the commotion to settle down. He raises his two hands into the air and lowers them slowly commanding the survivors to cease their talking. He looks around and clears his throat, nervously looking at his feet and then to the sky above him. SAMEL My people...we are gathered here today to celebrate the passage of life into the great beyond. All of the pain and suffering we have endured is about to be quelled by the loving hand of God. Do not be afraid my children... As Samel talks we see the crowd of people have all gathered together in a neat straight line. The group looks at Samel with emotionless expression as they listen to the sermon in front of them. After passing a few faces we begin to see tears rolling down the cheeks of some of the people and we get the feeling that they are ready to answer to their calling. SAMEL (cont) We prayed and God heard our payers! In one hour, my children... we will be entering a new unknown...but dont be alarmed because I, your leader, will guide you. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

47.

We are going to greet the Piper at the Gates of Dawn and will enter pure, everlasting life. Katherine is breathing heavily as she struggles to get free listening to every word that Samel is uttering. CUT TO INT. BASEMENT. MORNING. CONT Simon is pointing a rifle directly at Manuel, whose head is hanging low and trying his best to lift it up. Manuel seems to be having labored breathing as he has short, sharp exhales. Dale lands a hard and vicious right hook to Manuels head and sends blood flying through the air. Manuel looks up with weary eyes and reveals a battered face, littered with cuts and newly forming bruises. Dale slowly stalks towards Manuel, like a lion in the jungle, and almost examines him to see how much he can take. MANUEL ...Just....just do it already. Kill me. Dale laughs and leads brutal barrage of blows to Manuels body which causes Manuel to bellow out a yelp of pain and with every punch we can almost hear Manuels ribs being broken. DALE No..Im going to make you suffer you piece of shit! Dale starts choking Manuel, tightening his grip slowly. Manuels eyes widen as he realizes this might be it. Veins begin to form around his face because of the sudden lack of oxygen. Samel begins to narrate over a montage of events in dramatic fashion as he continues his final sermon. SAMEL (V.O) I remember being a child and wondering where I would be when the world came crashing down. I thought that we would all disappear like ashes in the wind...but when it actually happened I realized something... (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

48.

Dale lets his grip go and pushes Manuel back causing the handcuffs around his wrists to finally cut through his skin. Dale winds up and lands another devastating blow to the face, this time causing Manuel to lose some teeth. Simon is still in the corner holding the rifle but a look of pain streaks across his face. His lips quiver and he cringes in pain. CUT TO EXT. OUTSIDE HOUSE. CONT The people are now being moved more than before and all seem to be either at the verge of tears or full out crying as Samel moves them with his final words. Jerry takes his glasses off and paws at his eyes as he listens to his leader talk. SAMEL (V.O) ...It wasnt the end, but the beginning! The beginning of The Divine Reclamation! TAKE HEED OF THE WORD FOR I AM GODS MESSENGER! Samels demeanor suddenly changes and a spur of vicious anger seems to come over him as he demands the attention of his followers. He bangs his fists on the platform he speaks on and like every great orator before him, steals their attention with impeccable accuracy. SAMEL LAY DOWN YOUR PHYSICAL BODIES AND LET OUR GOD AND SAVIOR TAKE YOU INTO THE THE GREAT UNKNOWN! Katherines eyes dart back and forth between the people continuing to struggle with her bounds. She is helpless. CUT TO INT. BASEMENT. MORNING. CONT Dale is out of breath and hunched over resting his open hands on his knees which are cut open from the blows. He looks over at Manuel who is a bloody mess. Manuel is hanging on a thread and spits out blood, he looks at Dale who gets unexplainably furious and gets up running over to him and kicks Manuel. A flash of his girlfriend enters Manuels mind, smiling at him from the end of a pier beckoning him to come to her. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

49.

SAMEL WOMEN LAY DOWN YOUR CHILDREN! IT HAS BEGUN! THE GREAT JOURNEY HAS TAKEN FLIGHT. THE DIVINE RECLAMATION IS NOW. CUT TO EXT. OUTSIDE HOUSE. CONT Samel is sweating profusely as he concludes his speech. He looks around and steps down from his platform. He walks over to Katherine and looks into her eyes which are now glassy and red from her struggle. He moves her loose hair out of her face and kisses her forehead, which causes her to squint her eyes in disgust. SAMEL Fear not, I promise it wont hurt. Katherine looks at Samel with contempt as he walks away disappearing into the woods that are near the house. Jerry walks up to her and begins to loosen up the grip of the rope around her waist. He gently removes the gag around her mouth as well. KATHERINE Jerry, please. You seem like a reasonable man, let me go. Please, I have a family I need to see. Jerry looks at her firmly. JERRY This isnt my choice Katherine. You were chosen for this, before either of us ever existed. You saved us. KATHERINE You cant really believe that! Please, Jerry! You dont have to do this. A couple men walk closer to the treeline and then remove a cloth covering a large flat stone that seems to have been tinted in a dark, red hue. Katherine looks around sees the line of followers are all carrying small candles and humming a solemn song.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

50.

KATHERINE Whats this? Whats going on Jerry? JERRY The ceremony has begun. KATHERINE What ceremony what does that mean? The old woman from before walks out now guided by one of the men in the group and holds her hands out as she drops to her knees. He lays the womans head on the stone gently and she faces Katherine directly. OLD WOMAN Thank you! Thank you so much! A man behind her comes up and raises an axe over his head and tightens his grip. Katherine realizes whats about to happen and begins to panic. KATHERINE NO!!! The man sends the axe down and ends the life of a woman blinded by her faith. CUT TO INT. BASEMENT. MORNING. CONT Manuel is now coughing from the pure pain he is experiencing. He is seconds away from passing out from the unadulterated punishment. Dale winds up one more time for another hit, he too seeming like hes had enough for punishing Manuel. SIMON STOP!! Youre going to kill him. Dale pulls his punch and looks at Simon with his mouth open from exhaustion he steps back and laughs. DALE Youre right. Wouldnt want that. Im not done with you yet. Cut him down. Give him some water, Ill be back. Dale turns around and picks up a bloody rag off the floor and starts to clean his fists as he climbs the stairs to the floor above them. Simon callously walks over to Manuel and (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

51.

takes the handcuffs off. Manuel slumps onto Simons shoulders. Simon has a difficult time managing Manuels weight, but he he does and drags him by the arms to the wall behind them next to a steel pipe. Simon puts Manuels hands behind the pipe and starts to hand cuff them. Manuel is exhausted and struggles to mouth a word. MANUEL Dont...Dont let this happen... Simon doesnt say anything and turns around fetching him some water. He places the cup to Manuels lips and he slowly drinks the water but even that somehow manages to hurt him. MANUEL Do...you...know whats in the bag? Simon looks at him and again doesnt utter a word. MANUEL I know you do, please. Help me, hes going to kill everyone here.We cant let that happen. SIMON He said it was our destiny. MANUEL Hes a lunatic who kills children. Let me save Katherine, I know its not too late. The words seem to have hurt Simon deeply as he looks away and contemplates for awhile. Manuel notices and something clicks in his head. MANUEL That little boy, he was your kid! Simon is silent and avoids eye contact. SIMON Samel said we were brought here by God for a purpose and that my...boy...was.... Manuel interrupts him. MANUEL Simon, please. Help me. At the very least we have to get that bomb as far away from here as possible. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

52.

Simon is suddenly enraged with anger and puts the barrel of his rifle to Manuels neck. SIMON Why should I trust you!? If we hadnt of found you... MANUEL I know what its like to lose the one person you love. I understand your pain but we are dealing with the lives of more children. Innocent children. Please, Simon. Simon stands up and brings a large pipe wrench over to Manuel and places it behind him. He stands for awhile silent and looks around before fixating on the bag. SIMON How did you find it? MANUEL We were looking for refuge when I found a dead solider in a car holding it close to his body. I thought it was a sign...that I needed to take care of it. Simon scoffs and looks around once more. SIMON We dont share the same guilt ridden conscience. Get the bomb away from here, its blast radius is approximately three city blocks. Samel has the trigger and will press the button if he gets the chance. That gives you three minutes before it self destructs. MANUEL Why wont you take it? SIMON Ive done enough of Gods work....good luck. MANUEL No! please. Dont leave. The words fall silent on Simons ears as he slowly climbs the steps and disappears. He hears some muttering upstairs realizes heavier steps are coming down, its Dale. Manuel sees him and grips the wrench tightly as he gets closer. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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Dale has a scowl on his face as he approaches Manuel. DALE Where did Simon go? Manuel is silent and simply follows Dale with his eyes as Dale hovers around him with the worst intentions tingling in his fingers. DALE My brother and I didnt get along when were kids. He used to beat me up all the time and I remembering praying to god that hed kill him. We didnt get close until a few years into college where we would party day in and day out... I loved that son of a bitch...why did you kill him? MANUEL Because he tried taking what was in the bag. Dale cracks his neck and looks at Manuel with even more ferocity. MANUEL I didnt kill your brother. You blindly following Samel lead him to his death. He was out of line and I had to take care of him to protect the others so for that Im sorry, but it was either me or him. Im here to survive. I know thats something you can respect. Dale looks at the bag and back at Manuel. DALE What is it? MANUEL Take a look for yourself. I figured your great leader wouldve let you know. Dale is now curious and backs up. Manuel tightens the grip on the wrench even more and lowers his eyes on to Dale and takes a short breath to calm down his palpitating heart. Dale opens the bag and peers in and sees something foreign.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: DALE What the.... Manuel springs forward and Dales temple which causes air. Its short, quick and lifeless body hurling into

54.

swings the heavy wrench into a mist of blood to spurt into the violent. The impact sends Dales the wall.

Manuel stands defiantly over the bomb still clutching the wrench. He bends down and pulls out the gun they had been carrying before. One bullet. Its time to save Katherine. CUT TO EXT. OUTSIDE HOUSE. CONT The men and women are all now gathered in a circle hovering around the large blood covered stone and chanting a song. Katherine is being to the rock trying her hardest to fight back. She is crying out loud begging for them to stop. Jerry is leading the men who are trying to subdue her and is being characteristically calming. JERRY Everything is okay, Katherine. Everything is going to be alright. KATHERINE No! please no! The song that the men and women are singing is solemn and cold. RITUAL SONG Oer the mountains of Reykjavk Oer the streams of Lelystad His glory Comes His glory comes Oer the skies of Tangier Oer the land of mother earth His glory comes His glory comes. Jerry makes sure the straps are tight on Katherines arms which have her sprawled out as if she were on a crucifix. He stands over her and places a blade on his hand and slowly cuts his flesh spilling his blood on her chest whilst chanting the song. Three men emerge from the woods with a large mass. It is a statue, crudely carved from stone resembling a man with his eyes flat against his sides wearing a long robe and ancient languages scribbled about along the bottom. Everyone bows, and raise the candles into the air. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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Emerging from the woods is Samel, walking slowly wearing his white robe as well. He stands before everyone and they all bow before him. He slowly walks to the statute and kisses the figurine on its cheek. One of the men walks over to Samel and gives him a nice clean dagger that is wrapped in a white cloth. Samel unwraps it and holds it close to his chest as he looks down at Katherine. Katherine has her eyes closed now and has accepted her fate. She remembers of the happiest time in her life. She looks at the memory as if she were there but watching as a voyeur. Her two boys are playing on the shore of her lake and her husband is next to them talking to both of them about frailty of life and how to appreciate the sunlight gleaming on the moving water. She is next to them moving the hair out of her boys eyes as she admires their Popsicle stained cheeks. She smiles and he laughs and the boys look out across the lake with pure wonder and amazement in their eyes. A tear streams down her face and lips quiver as she feels Samels presence over her head. She opens her eyes to see the point of the dagger just above her chest and moves upward to make the plunge.... BANG A bullet whirs passed everyone and Samel moves backwards dropping the dagger dangerously close to Katherines head, she flinches to see it hit next to her. Samel looks up and holds his ear and has a look of bewilderment on his face as blood starts to stain his neat white robe. Manuel stands defiantly in the distance, bloodied and war torn his clothes in tatters from the savage beating and showing that the gun indeed only had one bullet left. The group around the ritual begins to flee in fear as they see Manuel with a gun. He also has the bag slung over his shoulder. He throws the gun down and takes the bomb out of his backpack and holds it over his head. The remaining group looks in fear seeing what appears to be an explosive. MANUEL LET HER GO! Samel is taken a back by the request and scoffs. SAMEL KILL HIM!

(CONTINUED)

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The men quickly lunge at Manuel. Manuel places the bomb back in the bag in a very fast manner and hunkers down awaiting one of them to come charging at him. He takes them on one by one landing angry and vicious blows that knock out a few upon impact. Samel panics and starts searching his robe for the trigger. Samel pulls out the trigger from his pocket and holds it above his head and Manuel sees his finger hovering over the button. SAMEL This world is dead! There is no hope. Suddenly Manuel is tackled from the side and shoved into the woods behind them and the two men tumble down a small hill hitting every tree and branch. BANG Samel feels a sharp pain in his torso and looks down. Blood is now full coloring his white robe. He looks up to see none other than Simon standing with his rifle still perched on his shoulder a look of anger stretched across his brow. SAMEL Simon? SIMON Thats for David, you son of a bitch. Samel falls to his knees and grips the trigger firmly in his hand. Simon runs over to his body and kicks the trigger out of his hand. Samel lays in disbelief, the light slowly fades from Samels eyes. SAMEL No... Simon picks up the dagger and quickly frees Katherine. She gets up flustered and shaken she looks around and sees everyone is in disarray running for their lives and hiding. She looks at Simon, who hides his eyes from hers. KATHERINE Thank you. Simon slightly nods and helps her up. She sees the trigger and looks at Simon.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: KATHERINE What is that? SIMON Its the trigger to that bomb.

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CUT TO INT. WOODS. DAY CONT. The two men fall hard onto the bottom of a ravine. It is revealed that Jerry was the man who tackled him. The two men groan in pain, especially Manuel having been so injured. Jerry gets to his feet but Manuel is struggling to get up until he sees something that finally makes sense of everything. He turns his head in the death riddle woods that have been devoid of life for nearly a year and sees a freshly growing SUNFLOWER out of one piece of fertile land. Life will go on. The sunflower gives him new found strength and pushes himself up. Jerry is wielding a knife and is swinging it wildly at him. Manuel dodges most of the strike and occasionally punches Jerry. Jerry is very emotional and continually grunts everything his slashes at Manuel. Manuel lands a left hook and knocks Jerry down. Manuel tries jumping on top of him but Jerry manages to stick the blade in between his ribs. Manuel yells in pain and Jerry flips over Manuel continually trying to stab him Manuel holds Jerrys face with one hand and holds his arm with the other and the two enter a power struggle. Jerry manages to stab him a couple more time before Manuel finally takes the blade and shoves it into Jerrys chest into the heart. Jerry gasps for air but ultimately collapses. Manuel sits up panting and doused in painful wounds every one of them protruding blood. He hears a yell from above and looks up. KATHERINE Manuel! Manuel struggles to speak but finally gets enough energy to yell out her name. MANUEL Katherine! He sees Katherine running down the rootsy hill toward him with the backpack. He lets out a sigh of relief upon seeing her. Simon is right behind her. They reach the bottom and Katherine sprints to Manuel embracing him like never before.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: KATHERINE Oh my god! are you okay? MANUEL Im fine....Im okay. He smiles gently at her.

58.

Katherine holds Manuel up who is now holding his wounds with his weak hands. Simon sheepishly looks at them. Manuel extends his hand out him and they shake hands. MANUEL Thank you. SIMON Ive spent over a year looking for this warhead in hopes that I could save the world from another disaster all for nothing. MANUEL You saved a lot of lives today. SIMON No, Im sorry. Simon steps backwards and aims his rifle at the two. SIMON As long as this bomb exists it will be a problem. We cant allow anyone else to be blinded by faith. KATHERINE What? Simon pulls out the trigger from his pocket and presses the button. KATHERINE NO! Katherine covers her head in fear as Manuel looks at him in disbelief. Simon steps back and closes his eyes putting the gun under his chin and pulls the trigger. A single tear escapes Manuels eye and he looks at Katherine in a very calm demeanor. MANUEL You need to leave. You have less than three minutes.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: KATHERINE Lets go!! He looks at her and touches her face. MANUEL You dont have time to argue with me, Im not leaving. It was my job to get you to your family and thats what going to happen. This is as far as I go.

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Katherine is flustered and lingers for a moment clutching his hand firmly as they look longingly into each others eyes. Everything theyve been through. KATHERINE Manuel... MANUEL GO!! KATHERINE I love you! Manuel chokes back tears MANUEL I love you. Katherine begins to cry as she turns away and slowly lets his hand go and sprints out of the woods quickly running up the rootsy hill. He watches as she runs away and smiles. He picks up the bag and sees the blinking trigger. He straps the bag over his shoulder one last time and starts walking into the woods. He takes one last look at the sunflower that is peaking its hopeful head into the cruel world. Everything is going to be alright he thinks to himself. Everything will be fine. EXT. SMALL TOWN/HIGHWAY. EVENING CONT. Katherine quickly looks around and sees the SUV they came in on. The same horse she will ride out on. She gets in and sees the keys in the ignition, turns it on and peels out of the small town once and for all. She cant help but look up to see the faces of the people inside the houses as they stare at her driving off... She gets on a road that is long and deep and the clouds seem to part for a a second as the setting sun appears and turns the gray sky a warm shade of orange. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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She looks at the road Highway 35, she knows that if she follows itll eventually lead her to where she needs to go. CUT TO INT. WOODS. EVENING CONT. Manuel is slowly walking hunkered down by the pain he feels. He looks up to see a haunting ghost from his past. His girlfriend basked in a beautiful light miraciously standing before him and the space that left him feeling bereft has been filled. He closes his eyes one last time. WHITE. CUT TO EXT. HIGHWAY. EVENING CONT. Katherine has her foot pressed firmly at the gas as she zooms away but suddenly sees a flash in her rear view mirror and for a split second there are two suns in the sunset and suddenly ashes and diamonds, foe and friends all seem to become fleeting terms in a world devoid of meaning. The car is struck a sudden jolt of an after shock and the car starts to fail. She looks down at the dashboard and starts to panic as the needles start to sporadically jump back and forth. KATHERINE No! No! No! The SUV completely fails and stops in the middle of the road. She pounds her fists against the steering wheel in anger but realizes what must be done. She looks at the sign at sees her destination is 10 miles away. KATHERINE Ten miles....ten short miles. She sets out on foot and walks for miles on end over the course of the night. CUT TO

61. EXT. CABIN. NIGHT. The night is dark and cool as Katherine traverses over an old and beaten road to a small area where she can see light reflecting on a body of water. Even in the dark she knows exactly where shes at. White plumes of what appears to be snow gently glide over her as she holds her bare arms in the gentle breeze of the night. She is barefoot and only wearing a dress and stumbling through this dark area with only half of the moon to guide her tired and weary eyes. She makes her way past a tree line here and there sees a long dirt road that leads directly to a cabin that is being lit inside by a flickering flame. She moves her tired head slowly to see anything at all and finally just breaks down. KATHERINE CARL!!! ARE YOU THERE!!? SOMEONE!! HELP!! A Dog begins to bark from inside and we hear some rustling and some voices. The voices are muffled at first but then begin to get louder as a door bursts open. A small boys comes running out across the yard screaming and hollering. BOY #1 MOM! MOM!! MOMMY! Another small boy is right behind him and also starts to cry as they recognize their mother even in the dark. BOY #2 MOMMY!! Mommy!! The two boys crash into Katherine and start to embrace her from both sides as she begins to weep uncontrollably. She almost collapses from the over powering emotion of seeing her boys once more. A generator kicks on and it gets to be light outside she squints her tear stained eyes in the direction of the light and out emerges a man with a rugged beard and rifle who stands quiet at the sight of his wife. CARL Katherine? Carl sees Katherine and sprints to her. He grabs her firmly and picks her up in his arms kissing her on the lips like its going to be the last time. Tears stream down both of their faces as the crying boys are now laughing in exaltation. The family has reunited. (CONTINUED)

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The family hold each other as the moon neatly reflects off the lake behind them, they are at long last together and whatever happened before means nothing now. A man and his woman, and mother and her cubs. A picture frozen in time. CUT TO SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE There is a sunflower field that stretches beyond our eyesight that seems to merge with the gorgeously perfect blue sky. At last. At last. [END]