Wednesday, January 9, 2008

9. The God Box - Eric








                    FADE IN:

EXT. FARMLAND - DAY
CLAIRE is hanging from a tree naked; a NOOSE is tied around her neck. She is kicking and screaming. Several gruff looking MEN take aim at her with shotguns. Between firing their weapons, they intermittently spit tobacco and drink from whiskey bottles at their feet. With each shot, she screams as her body is propelled to and fro from the blast. Blood drips down the tree. She is soaked with blood, but is surprisingly still alive.

CLAIRE
Sweetheart, can you let me down now? I’m getting bored.
It was supposed to be your turn today anyway wasn’t it?

INT. HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
Several men in suits sit around a long, varnished, cherry table. Attaché cases, water bottles, and folders dot the table. Some are smoking cigars and cigarettes; the room is blue-gray from the smoke. Gunshots can be heard outside, and through the window we see mushroom fireballs exploding, every so often. The building rocks from time to time.

CRAIG
I say we get rid of it. Look at all the trouble it’s causing.

Craig points out the window at the ensuing chaos. Another explosion is heard.

The other men almost completely ignore it, and turn to Craig with disdainful looks. They shake their heads in disbelief.

MARSHALL
Craig…are you nuts? This is the best thing that ever happened.
We’ve got God in a damned box and you want to destroy it?
If I could kill you right now, I would.
I’d blow your head right off. You’re a menace to society.

Craig looks more despondent than angry.

CRAIG
This is exactly what I’m talking about. Look at him.
No one’s changed, they’ve only gotten worse from it.
Or maybe everybody’s true nature is finally shining through since there are no more stakes.

MARSHALL
My mother was dying of CANCER, and you’re going to sit here
and tell me we’ve gotten worse from it! You’re insane Craig.
It’s people like you that caused the Plague to begin with.
You should have died a long time ago.

SECRETARY
Let’s calm down everyone. This is a very emotional time for everyone.
We don’t need hostility. We need to figure out what to do with it.
And I’m not entirely opposed to Craig’s idea.

We hear gasps.

EXT. TOP OF A WATERFALL - BRIGHT DAY

Several Islanders are leaping off the edge of the waterfall. Several dive off at once, holding hands. They scream as they descend and bounce of the rocks below. The rocks look smeared with bird droppings so many organs and blood have collected on it.

SON
Are you sure it’s okay Daddy?

The father points to the water next to the rocks, people who have dived off are now emerging from the water and beginning to climb the train up the side of the rocky mountain.

FATHER
Yes, it’s going to be all right.
We are just having fun.
The plague is no more.

They slowly walk towards the edge of the waterfall. At first the boy is reluctant, but then he grasps his father's hands and dives off the edge of the cliff with his him.

INT. CAVE - DAY
An entrance to a cave is roped off. A line stretching as far as the eye can see stands between the ropes. On either side of the line there are around one hundred armed guards. Above the entrance of the cave is a metal detector. As each person enters they are shook down, and after a minute are let in. PAUL is standing in line, whispering to his brother Miles.

MILES
Please don’t do this.

PAUL
I’ve got to. Look what this has caused.
Everything is perfect now…sigh. No one can die now, there’s no more disease.
No more famine. Everything is so perfect people have just given up.

MILES
Yeah, I know. People are leaping off ten-story buildings just to get excitement.
It’s made people nuts. I don’t think the plague is bad either.
It’s just part of life. It’s what makes the good moments sweeter.

Miles EYES well up with tears. He grasps Paul’s hand for a brief second. Eventually they move up the line to the entrance. Miles starts shouting and screaming and runs into the cave. The guards chase after him. During the melee, Paul manages to slip inside the cave as well. The metal detector alarm goes off.

Behind a glass case, on an exhibit stand, there is a square, glass container. Inside the CONTAINER colorful particles gently swirl around, like stellar matter in space.

The display stupefies Paul, and the others viewing the exhibit. The others are so transfixed they don’t notice Paul pull a PIN hanging from his jacket.

MILES runs out of the cave, a few seconds later there is a powerful explosion, rocking the side of the mountain. People are screaming.

INT. TV BROADCAST STUDIO - DAY

NEWS ANCHOR
…it’s a truly horrifying scene. Two terrorists managed to breech security at Crick’s Cave, detonating a homemade explosive. Five are dead and four are injured. One suspect is still at large, he is considered to be armed and dangerous…

FADE TO BLACK.

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