142. Young Men and Visions

• FADE IN:


• EXT. CITY STREET - DAY


• Henry rushes down the sidewalk, a cup of coffee in hand.


• He walks past an alley, and then pauses, hearing faint music.


• The alley leads into a small park that is covered with gothic-looking carnival tents.


• He looks around, then heads into the alley.


• EXT. CARNIVAL - DAY


• HENRY wanders around the strange carnival in awe.


• FIRE DANCERS wander around the dark-hued tents spinning flame.


• STILT WALKERS pass, watching him, and nodding quietly to themselves.


• A CONTORTIONIST twists himself into shape after shape, never taking his eyes off of Henry.


• Clowns in Victorian garb and sinister face paint flow in-between the tents.


• A JUGGLER casually tosses beautiful glass balls in the air.


• He follows Henry with his eyes, then begins to juggle with a single hand.


• He points with his free hand to a tent that sits at the edge of the carnival.


• JUGGLER
• Hello Henry, the Seer is waiting for you.


• HENRY
• I'm just here to look around.


• The juggler looks continues to look at him and point towards the tent.


• Henry hurries past him, then double takes.


• He spins around.


• HENRY
• How do you know my name?


• The Juggler doesn't reply and simply continues to juggle.


• Henry ponders the far tent and begins to make his way to it.


• A HOODED WOMAN stands at the entrance.


• She nods to Henry and opens the tent flap.


• He hesitates, then ducks inside and she follows him inside.


• INT. SEER'S TENT - DAY


• The room is lit with strange spherical lights, flames dancing inside them.


• Glowing vials line shelves that circle the tent.


• The hooded woman leads him into another room of the tent, a small, dark area lit with small votive candles.


• A chair sits in the center of the space.


• The chair is built into a strange machine whose tubes wrap around the chair and up into the ceiling of the tent.


• She directs Henry to the chair, and he sits.


• She adjusts some dials on the machine, and something resembling the viewing column of a periscope extends towards him.


• She pushes him towards the strange goggles, and then straps his head into the device.


• Henry struggles a bit, but the woman places a firm hand on his shoulder, restraining and reassuring.


• She begins to wind a crank.


• Images flash faster and faster before Henry's eyes.


• EXT. DESTROYED CITY - DAY


• The images slow and Henry finds himself standing in a battle scarred, ruined city.


• The street is eerily silent.


• He looks around, then takes a step forward.


• The street erupts in battle, a group of young guerrilla's launching an attack from one side of the street on the barricaded buildings across from them.


• Henry freezes, then drops to the ground.


• A young woman leaps from a window yelling a battle cry.


• Her compatriots flood the street.


• The barricades across from the street open in a barrage of fire and the young soldiers begin to fall, but a lucky grenade blows a whole in the thick defenses and soldiers from both sides flow into the street.


• Henry cowers in the middle of the battle.


• A bullet hits his shoulder, and he stares in disbelief as blood begins to trickle down his arm.


• He hears faint singing, and looks up.


• A woman is walking into the battle from down the street.


• Her small frame is dwarfed by large white wings that extend from her back into the air.


• She carries a candle in one hand and a large book in one hand.


• She sings in a strange language, calling to the battling factions, but they never stir from their task as more bodies hit the ground.


• She sees Henry and sings louder, holding out her candle to him.


• He stares at her, frozen.


• She motions to him and walks a little closer.


• Bullets begin to tear into her wings and she stumbles but manages to stand as bloodied feathers float to the street.


• She is hit again and again, but stands, singing, holding the candle for Henry.


• The images begin to flash again.


• INT. SEER'S TENT - DAY


• Henry tears the straps off of his head and scrambles out of the chair.


• The Seer watches as he leaves the tent, then slowly follows him.


• EXT. CARNIVAL - DAY


• The Seer watches Henry move quickly towards the alley.


• Carnies part to let him through.


• The Seer begins to sing the strange melody, and the tents slowly fade into mist, the carnival performers drizzling into smoke until only she is left.


• She turns and slowly walks away, dissolving, leaving only city streets around her.


• FADE TO BLACK.