EXT. DRIVE –DAY
A tiny, battered white car pulls into a long driveway, leafy trees on both sides and a huge, white mansion at the end. The car trundles to the end of the drive and stops next to the mansion. After a moment, the motor cuts out, and the driver's door opens. Out steps CLARA, who takes in the huge white façade of the building she stands in front of.
 
MS: The front door opens and an aging beauty steps out: Daisy Emmett, now much older than her prime, wearing white linen with short, white hair cut into a bob. She is smiling slightly. She shuts the front door, making a loud noise.
 
CU: Clara snaps out of her reverie and looks at Daisy like a deer caught in headlights.
Daisy speaks quietly, with a tinge of Texas.

 

 
INT. LOUNGE –DAY
A wide, near-empty, white, bright room. A set of French windows adorn the far side, and through them we can see a leafy garden, big but filled with plants of many different colours. Next to the windows, on a white wicker armchair, sits Clara, and on a white wicker sofa with blue cushions sits Daisy, perusing Clara with deep blue eyes. Clara has a notepad and pen in hand, and is writing.
 

 

 

Clara smiles, then continues.

 

 
Daisy nods.

 

 
She flips over a page in her notebook.

 

 
She continues flipping, then finds the right page and looks up at Daisy.

 

 
Daisy smiles, then gestures for Clara to begin.

 

 
Daisy closes her eyes. Clara waits for a moment, then speaks, quietly, concerned.

 

 
Daisy's eyes remain closed.

 

 
Daisy's eyes are still closed. Then, a memory.
 
EXT. BRIDGE –NIGHT
Total black. A face with a prominent, American Hero jaw, thin cheeks and a crewcut steps forward out of this darkness, into light and into torrential water pouring on him from above, like rain. He speaks clearly and loudly, although he doesn't shout, and he has a Texas accent.

 

 
Cut to:
INT. LOUNGE –DAY
The white lounge. Daisy opens her eyes. Clara is intrigued.

 

 
EXT. BEACH –DAY
It is a bright sunny day, somewhere on the east coast of America. A group of adults sit on rugs on a beach, talking and laughing. Around them, children play- catch, Frisbee, sand castles. A man stands on the outskirts of the adults with a barbecue, cracking jokes with another man. The camera pulls slowly out and comes to rest just behind a dune, on which a teenage girl is sitting. She is Daisy, aged 14.

 

 

CU: Her hand dips into the hot sand, and she brings it out again, letting the sand run through her fingers.

 

 
CU: Her hand dips into the hot sand, and she brings it out again, letting the sand run through her fingers.
A voice sounds from behind her.

 

 
Daisy turns around.
Silhouetted against the burning sun, standing high above her, is a 14-year-old AL. Daisy holds her hand up against the sun and looks up at him.

 

 

 

He sits right of her, looking towards the adults. She looks at him, and he seems oblivious to her stare. He then turns to her.

 

 
He offers his hand to her.

 

 
She smiles at him for a moment, evaluating his presence, then reaches out her hand and shakes his.
 
EXT. BEACH –TWILIGHT
The two teenagers sit side by side, the sun setting in front of them.

 

 

Al looks at her, expressionless, listening.

 

 

 

Daisy is silent. She bows her head and fiddles with the sand. Al looks towards the sunset, then back at her.

 

 

 

 

He begins to get up. Daisy twists her neck to follow him.

 

 

 

He looks towards the sunset, then back at her.

 

 

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny pebble, black and smooth. He hands it to her.

 

 
Daisy rolls it around in her hand, feeling how smooth it is. She looks at it, mesmerized, then up at Al.
 

 
Al looks at her, then turns and walks away, towards land.
 
Cut to:
INT. LOUNGE –DAY
We are back in the white lounge. Clara is spellbound. Daisy is still on the sofa.

 

 
She looks away into the middle distance, fingering her necklace. She looks back at Clara.

 

 

 
Daisy nods.

 

 
Daisy smiles.

 

 

She bows her head like a 14-year-old on a sand dune.
 

 
Clara is engrossed.

 

 
EXT. BRIDGE –NIGHT
A bridge in California stretches over a deep ravine. It is raining, the kind of rain that drenches through and through, and a 20-year-old Daisy Emmett is crying, leaning against the side of the bridge.
 
Slowly, sobbing, she brings one foot up on the wall, then another. She balances precariously on the thin barrier.
A familiar but older voice comes from a man in shadows further down the bridge.

 

 
Daisy doesn't turn around.

 

 

She is almost screaming, not just to the voice but to the world. The voice remains calm.

 

 

 

She takes a deep breath. She is exhausted, on the edge of giving up everything.

 

 
She is reduced to a whisper.

 

 
The rain is not letting up.

 

 

She recognises something in the voice, finally, and turns her head. A slightly older Al steps forward, out of the shadows, and stands with outstretched arms. Daisy cannot believe what she is seeing. The shock and her exhaustion are too much, and she faints. She falls silently off the bridge. Rushing wind, lashing rain and, for a moment, beating wings, can be heard.
 
Cut to:
 
INT. LOUNGE –DAY
 
Clara watches Daisy, utterly involved with the story.

 

 

She wakes from her memories and talks lightly.

 

 
She stops herself.

 

 
Clara nods slowly, thinking.

 

 
She thinks for a moment.

 

 

 

 

Daisy thinks for a moment, then shrugs.
 

 

EXT. HOUSE –DAY
Daisy is at the door with Clara.

 

 

 
Daisy makes a sweeping gesture at herself.

 

 
INT. HALL –DAY
Daisy waves out of the open door.

 

 
She stops waving, and shuts the door. We hear a car engine start, then drive away.
 
INT. LOUNGE –NIGHT
The white lounge, later. Daisy lies asleep on the sofa. The room is dark, but not pitch black- moonlight dapples on Daisy and the room, coming in through the French windows. All is quiet but the crickets. Daisy awakes with a start. She looks around herself, then tries to push herself up off the sofa. Suddenly, her left arm collapses and she rolls off the sofa, landing on the floor. She tries to move, but cannot. Her left arm spasms and she sobs in confusion.

 

 
She looks around, desperate.

 

 

POV: Daisy. We see a light, like an afterimage on a retina but growing, pulsating and becoming brighter. Out of it comes a voice.

 

 

Daisy looks up. Al stands above her, not aged at all since he was 20, wearing bright white clothes.

 

 

 
He reaches out a hand. Daisy is feverish, hysterical.

 

 

 

 

 
She hesitates, then reaches out with her right, and takes his hand. Suddenly, the spasms stop. Daisy's face no longer contorts in pain; her surprise is evident. Al helps her up, slowly and tearfully. They stand side by side, looking into the light, holding hands. Daisy looks behind her- her body lies on the floor, eyes open. Daisy looks back.

 

 

 
Daisy looks back again, then to Al.

 

 

 

 

 

FADE TO BLACK.

(in reply to Maria Noir)

 

 

(in reply to Maria Noir)

Month 13 - Winner: igotnewlegs Line: "You're my lucky star."

The Secret to Happiness

INT. OFFICE – EVENING

ANTHONY CAUL sits alone at a computer in an open plan office strewn with design material like rules, setsquares and pens. He's of average build, in his mid thirties and wears a white striped shirt with a tie hung loosely around his neck. He drinks a cup of coffee whilst tapping away one handed on the keyboard. He places the coffee down and uses the mouse to bring up his emails. As he brings each one up he deletes almost all of them straight away

ANTHONY
Dead relative in Africa. Mmm, Delete. Medication I need? Delete. A free degree. Delete. Erectile dysfunction? Erm, delete.

As he deletes the email the lights in the office all of a sudden get really bright and then cut out completely leaving the monitor as the only light source in the room. Anthony tries his best to look around and find the source of the outage.

ANTHONY
Shit!

He turns back to the monitor and sees another email with the heading: '[SPAM?] Customer service message'. In the preview pane we can see the message says, 'If God is omniscient, why did he create Satan knowing he would fall?'. In the dim glow of the monitor we see a slightly bemused look on his face as he clicks the delete button. As he does the hum of the computer stops and the monitor turns off leaving Anthony in complete darkness.

ANTHONY
Right. Fantastic.

Suddenly the cordless phone on his desk rings. He lets out a sigh. The glow of the phones display lights up Anthony's face as he answers.

ANTHONY
Walker and Matheson's.

He exhales exasperatedly as he hears the response.

ANTHONY
You know, now's not the best time. I'm quite happy with my current rate anyway so…

A beat

ANTHONY
No. Not interested one bit. How'd you people even get this number? It my damn work phone.

A beat.

ANTHONY
Please don't call this number again it's for business use only. Thanks.

He hangs up and lets out another sigh as he is once again bathed in complete darkness.

INT. CAR – EVENING

A car drives along a busy road past shops and houses. Anthony sits in the driver's seat staring straight ahead. His phone rings. He reaches to his dash board and picks up a blue tooth head set, which he attaches to his ear. He presses the phone and answers the call.

ANTHONY
Hi.

A beat

ANTHONY
No, I had to leave. Powercut or something. All the lights went off and the PC went down.

A beat

ANTHONY
I'll get it done. I'll work over the weekend. Not as if I had anything planned anyway.

A beat

ANTHONY
You know, I probably should spend more time with her, you're right. But, I gotta tell you, this thing is one of the best we've ever done. It's going to double their current sales.

A beat.

ANTHONY
No, I'm fine but thanks. Been a little stressed with trying to get this done by deadline but nothing I can't handle. You know me.

As he listens to the reply we suddenly hear a loud humming noise. Anthony reaches for his earpiece and grimaces in pain. His eyes dart back to the road as the noise continues and something catches his eye. It's a billboard lit up top and bottom by a row of lights. On the billboard are a woman and child in a bathroom . Both have a smile on their face as she helps the boy brush his teeth. It looks like it's advertising toothpaste but as the car drives by Anthony just makes out what's written below the bathroom scene. It reads 'If God is omniscient why did he create Satan knowing he would fall?'

The noise stops.

ANTHONY
Hello? Sorry. You hear me alright?

A beat

ANTHONY
I don't know. I got some feedback on the blue tooth or something. Might have to get it looked at.

A Beat

ANTHONY
OK. You too buddy. Speak to you later.

Anthony pulls off the earpiece, looks at it disapprovingly and throws it on to the passenger seat. He looks at his watch before reaching over to turn on the radio. The radio comes on at its loudest volume causing Anthony to jump and steer close to an oncoming car. All we can hear is incredibly loud static as Anthony fumbles for the volume buttons attached to the steering column. When it reaches a more audible volume the radio jumps to the nearest station to reveal a voice over. It sounds like the station is in its ad break.

ANTHONY
For Christ's sake!

The voice over on the radio continues.

RADIO VOICE 1
But I'm so stressed, what with deadlines at work. And boy, it certainly doesn't help I'm getting unwanted phone calls in my office from credit card companies. Why, its even got so bad I have to take my work home with me!

Anthony looks down at the radio and laughs.

RADIO VOICE 2
Does this sound like you?

ANTHONY
(laughs) Yeah, just a little bit.

RADIO VOICE 2
Are you a stressed out, workaholic man in his mid thirties sitting in his midrange sporty car on his way home to a wife he doesn't spend enough time with?

A confused look comes across Anthony's face as another voice continues.

RADIO VOICE 2 (Cont.)
Well, you need worry no more. New from Shwentzer, - Mountain Spring renew shampoo and conditioner! Discover the meaning of existence and escape from your turgid life with Mountain Spring 2 in 1. Proven to be enhance your happiness by at least 25%.

CHORUS OF FEMALE VOICES
(sings) Freshen up your life with Mountain Spring, Mountain Spring, Mountain Spring.

The radio returns to static. Anthony glances down at the radio looking slightly confused.

ANTHONY
And I thought some of mine were abstract.

He reaches down and hits the off button.

EXT. DRIVEWAY – EVENING

Anthony pulls up into his driveway and exits the car. He opens the boot and takes out his bag, which he hangs on his shoulder. As he closes the boot he sees his neighbour SIMON standing by a fence that divides their gardens, looking at him. Anthony walks over but as he approaches he hears a loud, low buzzing noise that seems to be coming from his neighbour's direction. He continues to walk over but has now got his hands against his ears. As he nears the noise stops and he takes his hands away from his head.

ANTHONY
Jesus Sy, you got some big, fuck-off vibrator over there?

Simon doesn't reply. Instead he stands there drinking from a bottle.

ANTHONY
How you doing anyway?

SIMON
Have you tried this Tony (referring to the bottle)?

ANTHONY
Er, don't know, why?

SIMON
Well you should. It's been drastically reduced in sugar, yet still retains its great flavour. It's light and refreshing Tony.

ANTHONY
I'll bear that in mind Simon, thanks.

SIMON
But there are absolutely no calories from sugar. I've noticed the difference. (pats his stomach)Already!

ANTHONY
Right.

SIMON
And don't forget you can currently buy on get one free from selected retailers. Buy it now.

Anthony is a little taken aback.

ANTHONY
You know, I've just been to the shop. Plus, I'm not thirsty so I'll pass, cheers.

Simon doesn't look happy and stands with his both arms to his side looking at Anthony.

ANTHONY
Anyway, I'm sure dinner will be ready so I'll head…

Simon cuts him off.

SIMON
You can't have any. It's all mine.

ANTHONY
What?

Simon doesn't reply but turns and heads to his house. Anthony looks bemused but turns away and heads to his own front door.

INT. HOUSE – HALLWAY – EVENING

Anthony shuts the door as he enters the house.

ANTHONY
(shouts) Hi honey, we're moving house!

His wife doesn't reply. Anthony places his bag on a table in the hallway and hangs his coat up.

INT. HOUSE – KITCHEN - EVENING

Anthony's wife MARIE stands by the sink washing dishes. To the right of her a pile of dirty dishes are waiting to be washed and to her left is a stack of shiny clean dishes. Anthony walks in and stops just before reaching her.

ANTHONY
Hi babe.

Anthony looks at the washing up

ANTHONY
Did we have a party?

Marie turns around.

MARIE
Oh, you! Look at the mess you've made all over the floor!

Anthony looks behind him and sees dirty footprints all over the kitchen floor.

ANTHONY
What are you talking about? I haven't even got shoes on you daft mare!

MARIE
It's a good job we've got new Zoom!

She walks over to the other side of the room and fetches a mop and bucket.

MARIE
This'll get through even the toughest of stains! This will banish all those unsightly kitchen problems.

She looks up at a wall.

MARIE
(motioning to Anthony) Except him!

Anthony steps back.

ANTHONY
What the hell are you talking about? I've had enough weirdness happen to me today without you contributing.

A beat

ANTHONY (Cont.)
I'm going to sit down.

He walks out of the kitchen into the hallway. As he does two children rush up to him. The children are around four and six respectively. One child has curly blond hair whilst the other has long brown hair. They both stop just in front of Anthony.

ANTHONY
(shouts to Marie)
We looking after random kids now too?

The children each grab Anthony's legs.

CHILDREN
(together) Daddy! We missed you! Did you bring us a surprise?

ANTHONY
Daddy?

CHILDREN
Wow daddy, you did bring us a surprise!

He looks down at the children and sees they both have a bag of sweets.

ANTHONY
Jesus, what? Think you kids have got the wrong guy!

CHILDREN
We love Fizzles daddy! Thank you!

They start to hug Anthony but he gently pushes them away.

ANTHONY
(shouts) Marie! What the hell is going on?

Marie doesn't reply.

ANTHONY
Marie?

The children attempt to hug him again but he pushes them away with more force this time. However, they continue to smile and start to eat their sweets. Anthony walks towards the kitchen and opens the door. As he does he's greeted by a blinding light and a wall of sound. Once again it's a loud, low buzzing noise. He puts his hands to his head attempting to shield his eyes and ears. After a few moments the noise stops and the light cuts out. However, the door no longer leads to the kitchen but to a large green garden. The night has also now turned into a balmy summer's day. Anthony takes a step back and braces himself against the door frame.

EXT. GARDEN - DAY

ANTHONY
(quietly) What?

He looks behind him to the house, which now looks bright. Every surface he can see looks spotless and shiny. He turns back to the garden and tentatively steps out. As he does he sees his wife come into view alongside three other people he recognises.

ANTHONY
What are you guys doing here? What's going on?

They don't reply. Suddenly, music starts up even though there seems to be nowhere it could be coming from. Anthony looks around and above him trying to figure out where it's coming from. Then his wife and her companions begin to sing.

GROUP
You are my lucky star
I saw you from afar
Concerned, Anthony attempts to get back in the house but the door is now gone. He swings back round as the group continue to sing.

Group (Cont.)
Two lovely eyes at me
They where gleaming
Beaming
I was starstruck

The group are now all dancing

GROUP (Cont.)
You're all my lucky charm
I'm lucky in your arms

Anthony starts looking for a way to get back into the house but can't find a way in.

Group (Cont')
You've opened Heaven's portal
Here on earth for this poor mortal

Anthony drops to the ground and looks on as the group finish the song. He doesn't say anything but begins to smile as the music fades out.

(in reply to Maria Noir)

Ext. Day
A spring morning on the North York Moors. In the valley down below is the small, historic village of Feldham. The rest of the landscape stretches around mostly wild and empty, fields with stone walls crumbling and occasional sheep grazing. The sky above is a white-ish shade of grey with gathering darker clouds in the distance promising at least the potential of rain later this morning. Occasional bursts of sunlight break through the cloud cover to play on the reddish bracken to give it an attractive orange hue.

A tour guide leads a small group of tourists up a gentle slope, scrambling over a wall and into a field that looks pretty bare and unremarkable. It is flat and muddy, with the grass along one side particularly trampled suggesting it is a commonly used path way. A single tree hangs over the broken wall on one edge of the field. It is mostly dead, the thick, brittle branches swaying in the wind, looking as if they are about to break off at any moment.

The group contains about ten people, a couple of them families with young children, the others being a young couple. All are dressed for a morning outdoors in the English countryside, in wellies, waterproof coats and carrying backpacks. The tour guide leading the group is an older man in a long, waxy looking dark green jacket and hat and thick glasses, he has a book in his hand.

As the group crosses the field, one child, the youngest, peels off from behind them, distracted by something. He stops and turns his attention towards the tree and the broken wall beneath it.

MOTHER [voice, off screen]
Come on, honey, we're not leaving you behind.

The child doesn't seem to be listening, his attention is held by something beneath the tree. Everything else slips out of focus. The ambient sounds die away into an eerie quiet broken only by the twittering of a bird. There is something a little unnatural about that tree, it suddenly seems far clearer and more defined that everything surrounding it. It holds a sort of hypnotic draw that the child can't turn away from. He takes a step towards the tree. Every step he takes nearer to it, the rest of the scene fades out further, even the sound of the bird can no longer be heard.

Suddenly, the illusion is broken. The child's mother breaks into the frame and he turns away. In that moment, reality floods back in, the sounds of the wind, the birds and the background chatter of the rest of the group come back up. The grey reality of this dreary, cloudy day returns.

MOTHER
What are you looking at? Come along, there's nothing there.

They turn away and continue to walk across the field. Just before he goes, the boy picks up a stone off the ground and hurls it at the wall. It clatters against the stone wall with a loud crash and dislodges some of the stones which crumble to the floor.

As the attention of all the group is turned on the other end of the field, it becomes apparent that there is something about that space of crumbling, ancient stone wall that is a little bit out of the ordinary. Two human figures, not quite solid, even a little translucent, but definitely there in some sense seem to emerge from nowhere, sitting, watching.

Perched on top of the wall, there is a man dressed in the style of a 17th century soldier in a brown leather jerkin, heavy iron breastplate and a helmet with a wide brim and a high peak. Sitting leaning his back against the tree is another soldier, less simply dressed with lace flourishes around his neck and sleeves and a large hat covering his long, curled hair. He has a small, pointy beard which has obviously taken a lot of care and effort to style. The roundhead is looking annoyed and moody while the cavalier appears relaxed and amused.

In the background, the tour guide's monotonous voice can be heard intoning tedious facts and details to a no doubt riveted audience...

GUIDE [voice, off screen]
This was the sight of one of local history's great battles. Many people fought and died on this spot, a lot of them are buried right here in this field. The Battle of Feldham was fought in 1644 and was one of the decisive moments of the English Civil War. An important victory for Oliver Cromwell's so-called "Roundheads", it was one of the battles that turned the tide of the war in favour of the Parliamentary forces..

The spectral figures listen as this is said. The smartly dressed cavalier appears to be enjoying this even though he has clearly heard it hundreds of times before.

CAVALIER
Hooray. Good for them.... Oh yeah, I was on the other side. Oh, well, never mind. Well done to them anyway...

ROUNDHEAD [Not listening, he's heard it all before too.]
He saw us. He was looking right at us.

CAVALIER [Interrupted from his train of thought]
Huh? What? Who?

ROUNDHEAD
That kid, the one who chucked that stone at us. He turned and stared. And then he threw that stone at us. The bastard!

CAVALIER
Maybe he didn't see us at all.

ROUNDHEAD
Then what was he throwing that stone at? There's nothing else here.

CAVALIER
I don't know what you're so moody about. People seeing you is a good thing isn't it?

ROUNDHEAD
I was hoping for a better class of person.

CAVALIER
Well, now, that's just your problem isn't it. Too picky. That's why you're still here after four hundred years.

ROUNDHEAD
So why are you still here?

CAVALIER
I like it here, what's your excuse?

ROUNDHEAD
What's there to like? There's nothing here but rocks and trees. And dumb people who don't pay any attention to the world around them.

CAVALIER
And yet you've lingered on here for centuries, waiting to pass on to the other side.

ROUNDHEAD
Yes, well I can't really do that on my own now, can I? Otherwise I'd be long gone.

CAVALIER
I know, you need the help of a living person. And you could have got it many times over if you made a bit of an effort. All the others did.

ROUNDHEAD
Maybe I don't want the help of some petulant little twerp like that. I'm a war hero, I deserve better.

CAVALIER
Just because you died in a war doesn't make you a hero. Just look at me... Never really wanted to be in the war in the first place. I was trying to get away from the fighting. I was riding away from the field when it happened. A musket ball straight through the chest. Best thing that ever happened to me. It freed me from all the concerns of the mortal world. Being as we are is a very liberating experience. I just like to watch the world go by. Watch it grow and change and know that it won't affect me in any way.

ROUNDHEAD
Who knows about the world? You can't leave this field.

CAVALIER
That's part of the fun of it. Our whole world view comes from the people who come traipsing across this field. And after a few centuries of it, even you have changed to speak like them.

ROUNDHEAD
That just makes it worse!

CAVALIER
There could be so many strange, new, incredible things that have passed us by if they don't come by this field. So much has changed unrecognisably since we were alive. I mean, I know what a television is. I've heard them talked about in snippets of conversation for decades. I even have a pretty clear picture in my head of what one might be like. But, we've never seen one, there was nothing like it when we were alive, when we could go to other places than this one. My image could be completely wrong. Maybe if I stick around long enough then that's the kind of thing I might find out.

ROUNDHEAD
Not with the bloody television again. I've heard it all before. Sometimes you seem to forget that. I've been hearing you say the same things every day for what seems like forever. And you know what I think. I hate seeing the world change while we remain perpetually the same. I hate to think that the cause I fought for, the cause I died for, means nothing at all to the world today.

CAVALIER
Of course it means something. Look at these people! Coming here like pilgrims to see the spot where we died.

ROUNDHEAD
Oh great. I died for a tourist attraction. And not a very good one at that! These people don't know what the battle or the war was all about and they don't care either.

CAVALIER
Neither do I. It's been over for centuries. Let it go.

ROUNDHEAD
I believed in what we fought for and I gave my life for it, thinking I had died honourably and my death might mean something. There is no more depressing thing than seeing the cause you died for become completely meaningless.

CAVALIER
But your lot won. You died winning this bloody battle and you won the war, killed the king and ruled the country without one.

ROUNDHEAD
That's the most bleakly horrible thing about it all. To think that we won and yet in less than twenty years there was a king back on the throne of England and things just went back to the way they were before. If you wait long enough in time you realise that every war that was ever fought is just a tiny blip in the whole of history. They don't matter for anything, they don't change anything important. Nothing changes that wouldn't have in time anyway. And yet millions of people have given their lives fighting for something they thought could make a difference.

CAVALIER
Wow. You're in a cheerful mood today, then.

ROUNDHEAD
Shut up. Sometimes it just really depresses me. The state of the world.

CAVALIER
Like I said before, you could always leave the world behind. Move on to something else... If there really is some other place you can move on to.

ROUNDHEAD
If only someone would come up here with a bit of sense and spirit. Someone a bit better than this lot...

As he says this, the tour group walk passed on their way back down the hill. For a second the small boy looks over at the wall again before shaking his head and walking on by with the rest of them.

CAVALIER
Unfortunately for you, it isn't often the more rational, sensible types who tend to be the ones who see the undead spirits of soldiers killed in distant wars.

A moment's pause as the two consider this, before he goes on in a brighter tone.

Still, you never know what tomorrow's group might bring.

ROUNDHEAD
I've heard you say that before. After four hundred and fifty years waiting, it doesn't seem that likely.

CAVALIER
Alright. Same again tomorrow, then?

The roundhead scowls at his companion as the spectral figures begin to fade away. In a few seconds all we are left with is the quiet country scene, the decaying wall and the drooping tree and the gathering grey clouds. The only sound once more is the twittering of bird song.

This scene lingers for a moment then FADE TO BLACK.

(in reply to M)

EXT.WOODS-DAY.
 
HANSEL, A Blond man in his 20's, holds a screaming little boy, KID#1 in a headlock.
 

The child screams again, His group of four friends are locked in a group in a mixture of squirming awkwardness, anguish, laugher and confusion.
 

Kid#1's eyes welled with tears lock onto his friend and his screaming ceases.
 

Hansel's grip releases from Kid#1's head.
 
He pushes Hansel and hurries away brushing the crumbs from his mouth and the tears from his eyes.
 
Hansel glances to the window of the house, a dark shadow shifts across the inside.
 
The bright red fell from his face, his breathing eased, he walked to the white picket fence, kicked it with the side of his shoe, it splintered a sugary white spray onto the small glazed path.
 
He pulled out a post cracked it in half on his knee; he offered the pieces over to the Kids.
 
Kid#2 rushed over and took the candy-fence-panel shards from Hansel's outstretched hand.
He rushed back and broke the halves into further pieces passing them to the other Kids.
 
They raise cursing gestures at Hansel as they move away into the woods chewing on the crumbling sugar.
 
INT.GINGERBREAD HOUSE-DAY.
 
GRETEL, 18 years old stands at the window, her thin frame resting a spindly hand on the window ledge.
 
She jumps, as the door opens, Hansel stops on the spot as she spins around startled.
 

She laughs, smoothes down her long tatty dress, Hansel looked at her olive skin in the sunrays.
 

 

Gretel moves to the Kitchen table, she sits at a chocolate wafer chair and stares at the oven.
 

Hansel closes the front door moves across the room.
 
He holds Gretel, as she begins to weep.
 

 
Gretel looks up from his dampened shirt breast.

 

 
Hansel holds tightly to Gretel's head, stroking her hair Gretel stares at the Oven.
 
EXT.GINGERBREAD HOUSE, GARDEN-NIGHT.
 
Gretel looks up through the branches and leaves, swaying in the night breeze.
Stars from the night sky, glimmer in her eyes, her grip tightens on a watering can brimming with water.
 
She stars down at the water; the reflected stars glow brightly and begin to spin.
 
Gretel drops the watering can and rushes back to the house.
 
She stops in the gingerbread doorway, runs her finger along the crusty entrance.
 
The crumbling gingerbread oozes a thin batter, which repairs the weakened area.
 
Gretel turns to the garden; the watering can drips a dark liquid onto the grass.
 

 
Dust swirled across the garden, the wind blew hard against Gretel's face.
 
Then all fell silent.

 

Gretel holds her chest, stumbles forward, she corrects herself.
 
The wind blows again.
 
Gretel's dress and hair swirled in the torrent of wind.
 
She shouted in audible curses.
 

The wind fell silent again, Gretel held her mouth.
 

 
Gretel fell to her knees.
 

 

 

 
Gretel bit the back of her hand.
 

The famous witches cackle resonates from within the shadow of the Witch.
 

A wolf whistle sounds out in the night.
 

Gretel turns to Hansel her face cold and numb.
 
She walks quickly past him into the house.

 
The Witches shadow is cast by A Raven, which sits on a branch, the moonlight shining brightly above.
 
The Watering can creaks on the grass, surrounded by a glistening dark mass.
 
Hansel treads onto the sharp grass his feet sinking deep into the tufts.
 
He reaches for the Watering can.
 
His eyes fall heavy.
 
Fade to black.
 
INT.BEDROOM,GINGERBREAD HOUSE-DAY.
 
Gretel sit on the edge of her sugar cane bed, the marshmallow mattress sinking beneath her thighs.
 
She reaches for a Jug on the bedside dressing table with a cracked mirror.
 
From the Jug, she pours butterscotch into a bowl.
 
She lowers her hands into the bowl, splashes it onto her face, and rubs it into her skin, under her eyes and across her forehead.
 
She splashes some under her arms and reaches down rubbing the butterscotch into her legs.
 
The butterscotch drips soaking her nightshirt, she reached for a towel, then stops, admiring herself in the cracked mirror, she sucks in her stomach and pouts her lips slightly.
 

 
She sighs.
 

She slams down the butterscotch filled Jug and jumps as the sound resonates around the room.
The house falls silent.
 

Her voice echoes around the room and the house fell silent again.
 

 
She laughs nervously.
 

 
A knock came from the next room.
 

She gets up from the bed, pulls on a thin sugar paper dressing gown.
 
The knock came again.
 
INT.ENTRANCE, GINGERBREAD HOUSE-DAY.
 
Gretel opened the door; a man stands at the door in a Generals Military uniform.
 

 

 

 

 

 
She blushes.
 

 

General Hunter looked her up and down.
 

 
Gretel taps her fingers on the doorway.
 

General Hunter takes out a stitched handkerchief wiping his moist hands.
 

 
He rubs the handkerchief on his cheek and then places it in his pocket.
 
Gretel's eyes widen.
 

Gretel stands back from the door; General Hunter arched his head low under the doorframe, looking around the entrance.
 

 

 

Gretel backs away slowly, her breathing quickens, her spindly hand raises and pointed to the Oven.
 
The Generals boot heels crushed into the Gingerbread floor and swings open the Oven.
 
His stony face brakes into colourful pinks, his eyes swell with tears.
 

Gretel looks through the open door; at the end of the shiny humbug, tiled path is a large kitbag.
 

General turned to her, his eyes wild and his fists tighten.
 

He holds her chin in a grip and then slid his hand, across her neck.
 

Gretel shifts awkwardly on the spot; General Hunters breathing blowing her thin hair, Gretel closes her eyes.
 

General Hunter holds Gretel's shoulders turning her to the door.
 

 

Gretel presses her thigh back against General Hunter's body; she sighs deeply and bites her lip.
 

 
EXT.GINGERBREAD HOUSE-DAY
 
Gretel turns in the doorway wrapping her arms around General Hunter's chest; she pushes closed the door with her foot.
 

A Raven lands on the humbug pavestone it hops and lands on the grass, next to the Kit bag.
 
Its sharp beak pecks at the kit bag material.
 
The sky rumble and storm clouds gather, as smoke begins to rise from the Gingerbread House chimney.
 

(in reply to Maria Noir)

Month 15 - Winner: UncleJun [draw]: Challenge: Brothers' Grimm Adaptation

Funtime For Nago

 

INT. POLICE STATION – INTERROGATION ROOM – DAY
 
A fist crashes down on a steel table.

 

 
Hunter edges his face closer to Nago.

 

Hunter sits down opposite Nago.

 
Willows shrugs.

 
Nago stands slowly. He makes a small movement towards the door. Hunter jumps out of his chair, which hurtles backwards and slams into the wall.

 
A petrified Nago drops into his chair.

 
Hunter retrieves his chair and sits down opposite Nago.

 
Hunter nods.

 
Hunter rolls his eyes.

FLASHBACK

EXT. WOODS – PATH – MORNING

Nago strolls along a dirt path, pausing to smell the dense foliage on either side.

 
Nago carries on down the path, whistling as he goes. Up ahead, where several paths converge, Nago arrives at...

EXT. WOODS – CLEARING – MORNING

Nago sits in the middle of the clearing, taking a good look down each of the two remaining paths. From the right path, he hears a scuffling noise. He turns quickly to see a young girl approaching the clearing. Dressed in a red sweatshirt, JENNY, fourteen years old, scuffs her feet and stares at the ground.

 
Jenny looks up at Nago, surveys him briefly and sombrely heads up the left path.

Nago glances around before following Jenny along the same path.

EXT. WOODS – PATH – MORNING

Nago trots along behind Jenny, keeping his distance. He steps on a twig and it cracks loudly. Jenny spins around angrily.
 

 
Jenny carries on walking up the path. Nago follows.

 
Jenny spins around, her anger intensified.

 

 
Jenny once again carries on walking the path.

 
She stops dead in her tracks. Nago catches up with her.

 
Nago walks along the edge of the path, picking an assortment of brightly coloured flowers and handing them to a 'couldn't care less' Jenny. She soon has more than a handful.

Nago watches Jenny as she marches along the dirt path, slapping the bunch of flowers repeatedly against her leg. He races after her and trots along at her side.

 
EXT. WOODS/ROADSIDE – MORNING

Nago and Jenny reach the end of the path and emerge at the side of the road. Across the street and bathed in sunlight is the hospital. Jenny begins to hurry across. Nago grabs the tail of her sweatshirt in his mouth and yanks her back roughly. A bus rockets past, its horn blaring. Jenny breathes frantically. A piece of her red sweatshirt dangles by a thread. Nago tears it off.

 
Jenny throws her arms around Nago's neck and embraces him tightly.

 
Nago smiles coyly.

 
They walk across the street together, Jenny's fingers gently stroking the top of Nago's head.

INT. HOSPITAL – CORRIDOR – MORNING

Nago and Jenny stand in a sterile corridor, peering into a doorway. Jenny points to a bed in the corner of the room. An elderly woman lies in the bed, her head buried in a book.

 
Nago nods and they head into...

INT. HOSPITAL – WARD

Nago and Jenny walk into the ward, past the empty beds and head over to GRANNY. The moment she sees Jenny, she smiles with delight.

 
Granny grabs Jenny and hugs her. Jenny squirms for a moment before embracing her in return.

 
Her attention is caught by Nago. She eyes him suspiciously.

 
An enraptured Nago moves closer as Granny launches into her story.

INT. HOSPITAL – WARD – MORNING

Later, we find Granny in the middle of a story.

...not believe it. In walked Dean Martin! As you can imagine, I was speechless. But, I mustered the courage to...
 

 
INT. POLICE STATION – INTERROGATION ROOM – DAY

Detective Hunter slouches in his chair, staring at Nago with pure hatred.

 
Detective Hunter lunges across the table and grabs Nago around the neck. Detective Willows springs to his feet and wrestles the two of them apart. Hunter grabs Willows and pushes him towards the door. He opens the door and throws Willows out.

 
Hunter bounds over to Nago, pushes the table out of the way and stands over the terrified suspect.

 
Nago looks at the door. His nervous demeanour disappears and he smiles confidently.

 
Hunter gulps.

 
Nago licks his lips.

 
Hunter looks towards the door nervously. He turns to Nago. They stare into each other's eyes. Hunter reaches for his gun. With exceptional speed, Nago pounces on him, sinking his teeth into Hunter's face. Hunter's scream is quickly ended as Nago wraps his jaws around his neck. Crack. Hunter slumps to the floor with a thud.

Detective Willows bursts into the room. His eyes flit between the mauled body of his partner and the bloody-mouthed Nago.

Willows steps backwards out of the room and closes the door.

Nago removes his head from Hunter's neck. His chin dripping with blood, he buries his head in the thick fur of his chest. He pulls out a small piece of red fabric and places it gently on the floor. He places his paws on the cloth and buries his head in them.
 

THE END

(in reply to Maria Noir)

Month 16 - Winner: Uncle Jun: Challenge: Past Times

Commander Allsbrook

INT. HOUSE – BEDROOM – MORNING - 1969

In Santa Fe, Texas, on July 20th, BENJAMIN ALLSBROOK, 71 years old, opens his eyes. Lying in bed, he stares up at the ceiling. His bedside alarm goes off; a piercing ring. Benjamin sits up, throws his legs over the side of the bed, reaches over and shuts the alarm off before it has time to even finish a single full ring. Benjamin leisurely hops to his feet and over to the chest of drawers in the corner of this small and modest bedroom. He pulls one of the drawers out; inside lies a brown, crumpled suit.

INT. HOUSE – KITCHEN – MORNING

Benjamin slurps down the remnants of a cup of coffee and places it on the kitchen table. He crosses the room into...

INT. HOUSE – LIVING ROOM

Benjamin walks over to a circular mirror and brushes his wiry, silver hair with his hand. The mirror shows him what the rest of the world sees; the wrinkled features of a long life and blue eyes that have lost their sparkle. He peers down at the suit's reflection. Benjamin turns around to a faded, lime green sitting chair, currently occupied by his beagle, STORM.

Storm lifts his head up; he looks Benjamin up and down. His suit is ill-fitting and badly in need of a wash and iron. Benjamin waits patiently, a hopeful smile across his face. Storm turns around and buries his head in his chest. Benjamin rubs the sleeves of his jacket and straightens his tie.

He returns to the mirror and dusts his collar.

Benjamin catches sight of a wall clock in the mirror.

 

 

 

 

Do you perhaps have an engineering degree in mopping? Or has your years of cleaning up after other people given you the valuable expertise needed to be responsible for lunar ascents?
 

 
Benjamin walks away. There's nothing Nelson can say.

INT. MISSION CONTROL CENTRE - CLOSET - AFTERNOON

In the now lit closet, a meagre collection of furniture and cleaning products are strewn messily around. Benjamin stands before a single wall of newspaper cuttings showcasing the progression of the Space Race. His eyes move over the photos of JFK, space shuttles and astronauts. He removes a clipping from the board, crumples it up and tosses it into the corner of the room. One by one, he does the same with the rest. A highlighted quote below a picture of JFK catches his attention before he can destroy the remaining cuttings.
"But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the Moon. If we make the judgement affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there."
Benjamin sticks the cutting back onto the wall. A flicker of a smile falls upon his lips. Benjamin removes his overalls, exposing the matured brown suit. He dusts it down and heads to the door. He opens it and peers down the corridor; lifeless aside from Nelson at his post. Benjamin grabs his mop and bucket and wheels it down the corridor.

INT. MISSION CONTROL CENTRE - CORRIDOR

 
A technician emerges from a corridor behind the men and walks past them, heading towards the security door.

 

 
Nelson walks up the corridor and into one of the adjoining corridors. The technician approaches the door; Benjamin props his mop against the wall, picks up his bucket and hurries after him. He stops ten feet behind the technician and kneels down, placing his hand on the rim of the bucket. The technician enters his code and the doors slides open. As he walks through, Benjamin moves closer. He propels the bucket as hard as he can towards the closing door. His hands cover his mouth as he watches nervously. The bucket moves quickly. The doors slide...
CLANK
The bucket wedges itself between the doors. The doors shake. Benjamin stands quickly and rushes as fast as his 71 year old legs will allow. He slips through the small gap and kicks the bucket back up the corridor.

INT. CONTROL ROOM - AFTERNOON

Benjamin is in. Under white, fluorescent lighting, row upon row of grey monitors are manned by smartly dressed technicians. Some white shirts, some blue. Some with headsets, some with clipboards. The monitors face a series of screens on the wall, depicting a wealth of information. Mystifying to Benjamin, he nevertheless is awed by it. Two screen in particular catch his eye; a view from inside the Apollo 11 shuttle of the Moon below it, and a live feed of the astronauts in the shuttle.
Two technicians, MITCHELL, 33, and GRAVES, 31, stand nearby, mid discussion.

 
They look at the old man before them. Mitchell shrugs.

 
They turn away, apathetic, and continue their chat. A bemused Benjamin scans the room. The various technicians are occupied with their monitors. Tired and uninterested faces fill the room. The large screens on the wall go unwatched by all but Benjamin. He walks down the aisle between the monitors. A cacophony of informational chatter pounds his ears; numbers, codes, details.

 
Benjamin spins and comes face to face with an irate Hamilton.

 
Hamilton's outburst draws the attention of the room. All eyes are on Benjamin.

That "bunch of numbers" ensures the safety of those men. Without them...
 

 
EXT. MISSION CONTROL CENTRE – EVENING

On a bench outside the entrance, Benjamin sits with a small cardboard box of personal belongings. Nelson exits the building, sees him and sits down.

 
They shake hands.

 
Nelson begins walking away. He stops and turns back to Benjamin.

 
Nelson walks away. Benjamin laughs. He looks up. In the dark blue sky, the moon shines down.

 
EXT. MOON

The barren surface of the Moon stretches out in the distance. The silence and stillness is interrupted as a lone figure in full astronaut attire strides along, his each step a lengthy bounce across the pale land beneath him.
Static crackles over the small radio attached to his waist.

 
A pair of familiar eyes, their sparkle returned, looks down through the helmet at the source of the disturbance. Benjamin removes his radio and tosses it onto the floor. He skips off into the distance, laughing to himself. The radio crackles to life again.

(in reply to Maria Noir)

A regular, rhythmic sound swinging back and forth like a metronome or the ticking of a clock against a black screen.

FADE IN
INT. CAR. EVENING
Rain drums heavily on the windscreen as the rhythmic sound resolves itself into the sound of the windscreen wipers swinging from one side to the other. The dark ahead means everything is difficult to see through the driving rain.

CUT TO:
EXT. HOUSE. EVENING.
A young man dressed in scruffy, casual clothes with a number of cuts and bruises on his face stands in the doorway of a large gothic mansion. Most of it is in darkness but there is a light in the entrance hall behind the thick, heavy doors. He pulls a chord and a distant bell tolls. The rain continues to pour, soaking him right through as he waits for an answer.