32. Out of Reach - Leslie

Recommended viewing/listening for this script: "The Girl in Byakkoya - White Tiger Field"and "Runner" by Susumu Hirasawa, from the film Paprika.






• FADE IN:


• INT. MIRROR-LINED HALLWAY - NIGHT


• Luke walks down the strange hallway, touching the mirrors and inspecting his reflections. Some mirrors reflect him perfectly, some show only a colorful blur, some do not reflect him at all.


• He isn’t disturbed by this, but slowly travels down the hall.


• There is a flash of red, traveling across the surface of several mirrors and he stops.


• He stares at the mirror, and looks back and forth.


• A figure runs in front of his reflection, and he starts running, chasing the apparition.


• LUKE
• Hey, stop, stop!


• There is a distant laughter, and the blur continues to move.


• Luke runs down the seemingly endless hallway.


• He runs hard, then slams into a dark wall.


• He grunts, then backs up, closes his eyes, and runs at it again.


• He melts through the wall, and falls, the dark becoming lighter and lighter.


• EXT. SKY - CONTINUOUS (DAY)


• As the darkness melts away, Luke sees that he is falling through the air, passing large floating mirrors as he whizzes through clouds.


• He hears the laughter again, and spins around, falling on his back.


• The figure plummets past in, diving towards the ground.


• Luke flips again, plummeting towards the earth.


• LUKE
• Wait, wait!


• He slams into the ground and sinks.


• EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - CONTINUOUS (DAY)


• He slides through the earth and into dark blue water. Sunlight spears through the water, creating columns of light.


• He swims past two jellyfish sipping tea at a floating table and grins.


• He inhales, choking as his lungs fill with water.


• Luke closes his eyes and gills appear on his neck.


• He inhales again, and the gills spread as they pull the oxygen from the ocean.


• He surfaces and sees a tropical island at the horizon.


• EXT. ISLAND - CONTINUOUS (DAY)


• He reaches the island, and pulls himself onto the dark sand, the water running off his body, making miniature pools as he walks.


• MAIA sits cross-legged watching the ocean.


• Her hair is formed in thick red dreads that run down her back.


• She wears flowing pants and a strange tank top that seems to constantly shift in color.


• Lukes eyes widen.


• LUKE
• It is you.


• MAIA
• Hi Luke.


• LUKE
• I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.


• She stands and approaches him, almost shy.


• LUKE
• What took so long?


• She shrugs.


• LUKE
• You never were good at answering my questions.


• MAIA
• No, not really.


• LUKE
• I’ve missed you. I was just a kid last time...


• She stands in front of him and touches his cheek.


• MAIA
• You’ve gotten better at this.


• LUKE
• Daydreaming helps.


• She turns and runs down the beach.


• Luke rolls his eyes.


• LUKE
• Come on!


• He begins running after her again.


• The sand begins to swallow him.


• He closes his eyes and wings burst from his shoulders.


• He flaps them furiously, but they begin to dissolve and he sinks.


• INT. MAIA’S LOFT - CONTINUOUS (DUSK)


• Luke lands in a soft chair at a two-person table in a cozy coffeeshop.


• Maia sits across from him, sipping a Chai latte sprinkled with chili.


• Her skins melts into a warm caramel, her hair turning black and running in cornrows across her scalp.


• LUKE
• You’ve got to quit.


• LUKE
• Ok, maybe not. We’ve had fun times...oh my goodness, it’s been so long...I’m still...


• MAIA
• I like surprises.


• LUKE
• Yeah, you haven’t changed. Come back with me.


• MAIA
• You know I ca...


• LUKE
• There’s no one like you out there...I’ve looked.


• MAIA
• I’m sorry.


• LUKE
• Just...


• Maia melts, spilling off the chair.


• Luke lets out a bark of frustration and dives into the liquid, falling.


• I/E. DARK EXPANSE - CONTINUOUS


• Luke runs across hills shrouded in shadow.


• LUKE
• Maia, Maia!


• She runs ahead of him, always staying ahead.


• MAIA
• Please don’t, you can’t...


• Luke runs hard, trying to catch up.


• MAIA
• Please, go...go.


• Luke keeps running.


• Lighting flashes and Luke sees a massive tree spreading over the plain.


• Bodies hang from the branches.


• As he passes the branches, he sees that they are all Maia, every facet of her possible.


• She runs ahead.


• Darkness spreads from the tree, a hungry, living darkness.


• It flows upward as far as he can see, and he tries to stop, stumbling.


• Maia keeps running hard


• LUKE
• Stop!


• She turns around, her face frozen.


• He starts running after her.


• Lighting pulses in the dark wall.


• She stops in front of it and points away.


• MAIA
• Go back.


• Luke doesn't stop.


• MAIA
• Please, Luke, please...I can’t come with you, go back.


• The darkness reaches for her pulling her into its living flesh.


• Her voice cracks with static.


• MAIA
• Don’t...this way lies madness, the edge of floating joy...3..3... dissolve into an ocean of floating...2.4... floating disregard. You should salsa dance with your giddy confusion on a bowl of unrotted beetles...43..43.


• Luke runs towards the wall.


• Maia’s head snaps back, her irises dissolving into white.


• LUKE
• You’re supposed to rescue me! Come on! I’ve waited for you, you never came. Why didn’t you come?


• MAIA
• “The light that burns”...go back...7..3..”twice as bright burns half as long.” Join the ongoing wow.


• Luke can’t seem to reach the wall.


• The wall is pulling Maia in faster and faster.


• MAIA
• “All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.” Go back Luke! Attack ships...Madness lies beyond these oyster walls...the shoulder of Orion.


• She is sucked in.


• Luke finally reaches the wall and dives in.


• He screams as his flesh begins to slide from his body.


• He sees Maia on a table, hooded men circling her, knives drawn. She is in a red dress that flows over the table’s edges, strangely liquid-like.


• MAIA
• Go back, go back.


• He fights to move.


• His face shifts back and forth, dripping.


• The men hiss and begin drawing their knives across her skin, cutting into the dress.


• She pulls herself up, and the hooded men try to force her down.


• Her eyes focus for a moment, and she stares at Luke.


• MAIA
• Back!


• Luke into tiny iridescent shards as the men push her down and plunge their daggers into her.


• INT. BEDROOM - DAWN


• Luke’s eyes slowly open. He looks around, then lets out a harsh breath.


• He closes his eyes tight, as if he could force himself back into sleep.


• He opens his eyes, and a motion catches them, moving them across the room to his mirror.


• Maia stands, behind his reflection, and places her hand on the glass, then turns, her red dress trailing orchid petals as she fades into the darkness.


• Luke pulls his pillow close to his body, and curls around it, closing his eyes again.


• FADE TO BLACK.