Rotund Hippopotami
By
Anders Ericsson
EXT. FOREST - DAY
(silence)
A mostly burnt down forest, smoking and smoldering. The
remaining flames are on the ground, weakly marching in one
direction towards the remaining patches of unburnt leaves
and trees.
INT. FIRE STATION - SAME TIME
Firefighters get the call to relieve another team. They suit
up, get in the truck and pull out of the station.
INT. VIVIAN’S ROOM - SAME TIME
VIVIAN WHITE, 17, sleeps in his bedroom. He is a wiry Korean
orphan. His Mohawk, let down for the night, falls over his
face. Large black posters fill the walls with names of punk
bands from across the country.
A studded leather jacket with a bright red Anarchist "A"
patched onto the back is thrown on the floor next to faded
jeans. Sirens pass his house.
A car can be heard pulling to a stop outside the house. Two
car doors SLAM loudly.
Vivian stirs, rolls over.
EXT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - SAME TIME
Two darkly clad BANK MEN approach the White family home,
stepping through a yellowed lawn, past several rosebushes
struggling to be pretty. The small white front door is
missing much of its paint. The taller of the two knocks on
the door.
INT. VIVIAN’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The knock on the front door wakes Vivian up. He stares,
clear eyed at the ceiling, runs his hand through his hair.
2.
EXT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
The house is suddenly silent, the TV whose noise was
drifting through one of the front windows goes quiet.
Whispering can be heard from behind the front door.
The Bank Man knocks again, smiling sourly at his partner.
INT. VIVIAN’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Vivian sits up, listening to his mothers whispering. He
frowns at the sharply dressed men he can see through his
blinds.
EXT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
After several more knocks, the Bank Man tapes a red notice
and a packet of papers to the front door. The Bank Men walk
out of the yard and drive away.
INT. VIVIAN’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Vivian sighs and shrugs, looking around his room. His eyes
lock on a picture of three smiling teens. The photo features
Vivian, Max, and a smiling blond girl named Elle Robins.
They are covered in paint, holding cardboard musical
instruments, looking sweaty.
On the dresser next to Vivian’s bed, a record player
jury-rigged to a wall clock turns itself on. The same punk
record that plays to wake him up every morning begins to
spin. The needle sets into the record with a thump and
scratch. Vivian is too preoccupied to notice the sound.
Suddenly the needle finds the music on the record. A huge
blast of sound fills the room. Early punk rock is screaming
through his second hand speakers. Vivian winces, looking
like he’s been punched. he sits for a moment, taking the
music in, sighs, and gets up.
EXT. MAX’S BEDROOM/SHACK - SAME TIME
MAX FERRIS, 18, sleeps on the roof of his shack, made of
two small purpose built utility sheds stuck together to make
a living space at the far corner of his father’s property.
Sirens whine in the distance. He has a ragged, muscular
build, shoulder length hair. You might mistake him for JIm
Morrison.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.
There are blankets, beer bottles, a bong, books, rolling
papers, and trash spread out randomly over the roof. Max
sleeps with his clothes on, his blanket some five feet away.
A bird lands on the roof and begins to chirp. Max opens his
eyes. Sunlight catches him hard in the face. He squints,
sits up, looking confused. An incredible view of the town
nestled in the hills opens in front of him. He sits for a
moment in quiet, smiles.
Max crosses his legs, smiling at his view. The sirens get
louder, and as the fire trucks pass his house up over the
hill, he finally notices an enormous smoke cloud, sneaking
over the hill, feeling with fingers down the slope. It’s a
huge, heavy, orange & yellow mass, trailing threateningly
towards Max and the town. The smile drops off of Max’s face
as he watches it. He rubs his eyes, stands up to get ready.
MONTAGE
A.) Vivian’s House: Vivian grabs his shirt, pants, shoes.
B.) Max’s House: Max collects his pocket knife, jar of weed,
cowboy boots, and lighter.
C.) Firetruck: Firefighters rush to the line, talking on
radios, fitting on helmets.
D.) Vivian’s House: Vivian brushes his teeth, Glues his
Mohawk into place, eats some toast, slips on jacket.
E.) Max’s House: Max lights a joint, takes a huge puff,
unlocks his bike, walks to the driveway
F.) Vivian gets in the car, slams the door.
INT. WHITE FAMILY CAR - DAY
Vivian waits in the car, engine running. MAY and VALERIE,
Max’s adoptive mothers hurry to the car. May is giggling
manically, Valerie finishing a cigarette. May is a half
chinese woman in her late 30’s, now dressed in a black
surplus jacket, red beanie, slim jeans, and chucks. Her
short black hair is still messy from a quick shower. She
gets in the passenger seat of the rusting Volvo and throws
her bag down, playing with her lip ring.
Valerie slides into the back row, closes the door, winds
down the far window, resting her head on one side, her legs
sticking out the far windowsill. Her blond hair is extremely
close cut, she wears an old striped blouse and a black skirt
over black leggings.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.
MAY
(giggling)
Shit, we’re so late! Sorry, Vivian.
VIVIAN
Why didn’t you guys answer when
those dudes were knocking?
VALERIE
It was nothing, they were Mormons
or something.
Vivian eyes both women suspiciously through his mirrors,
both are acting strange. Valerie looks preoccupied, nursing
her cigarette.
As he pulls the car out, he notices the red paper taped to
the front door. He winces, bites his lip, searches both
women’s faces through his mirror, and drives into town.
EXT. MAX’S HOUSE - DAY
Max pumps up a flat tire on an expensive mountain bike. He
looks up to see his father BEN feebly attempting to do Tai
Chi on the lawn in his bathrobe. The combined effect of
Ben’s beer belly, his lack of coordination, and his earnest
concentration is too much for Max. Ben looks over, smiles,
loses concentration, and falls.
BEN
(Standing Up)
Hey, your mother told the newspaper
boy to tell me to tell you that she
wants to tell you something.
MAX
What?
BEN
You need to stop by her house, she
wants to know if you want to keep
any of your furniture.
Max is stoned, confused.
MAX
Yeah, ok, I’ll see if she’s out on
the way down.
He sighs and swings his leg over his bike. Making sure his
dad is again busy not falling down, Max re-lights the
joint, and pushes off for his downhill ride to school.
5.
EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS
He glides downhill, a smile returning t ohis face, until He
passes his mom’s rental property. The house is small, just 6
houses down from his father’s, a place she is living in
until the divorce is finalized.
Max nearly crashes as a moving truck rips around a corner
across his path, stopping in front of his mom’s place. Max
glances back, a worried look on his face, and pulls his bike
to a stop.
Walking his bike back to the house, Max sees the bedpost to
his twin size from the bedroom in his mom’s sticking out of
a rental dumpster, and begins to run. As he runs into the
front yard we see workmen emptying his bedroom, throwing
everything that made up his bedroom into the dumpster.
EXT. BENNET FRONT YARD - CONTINUOUS
His mother, Lisa Bennett, surveys the work, arms crossed a
stern expression on her face.
MAX
What the hell is this? That’s my
stuff!
LISA
I’m moving in three days, Roger and
I found a mountain property in
Silver Chap.
MAX
(Grabbing a poster from a
passing worker)
This is mine! What are you doing?
LISA
I didn’t think you’d be interested
in having a place to live with us
at the new house, and I don’t see
the point of keeping this all in
storage.
MAX
What?
LISA
You didn’t seem to show an
interest. It’s always music
practice at your father’s anyway.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.
MAX
Mom,... how.... I can’t.....
LISA
You’re going to be late for school.
Hurry up.
She turns away, moving towards the door.
LISA
Alright boys, that’s everything to
throw away, start loading the
truck.
She walks inside, closing the door behind her. Max stares at
the closed door, to his bike. He sits down on the curb,
lights another joint, takes a few drags, sitting still. He
wipes his watering eyes with his sleeve, sniffles, stands up
and pedals away.
INT./EXT. WHITE FAMILY CAR - DAY
Valerie glances out the window as they come towards the
thrift store she and May own, angrily eyeing the smoke cloud
slowly mounting the hill. She seems shaky.
VALERIE
Dammit!
MAY
Oh the fires? Maybe it’ll burn some
of those asshole’s houses on the
Mains.
Vivian shifts in his seat. May usually isn’t this giddy in
the morning. The car comes to a light in front of the thrift
store May and Valerie own, and stops. The store is an
enormous warehouse type property in the middle of downtown
that May and Valerie inherited from an old friend’s will.
VALERIE
Just let us out here, babe.
She slides towards the door, turns back to Vivian.
Vivian searches her eyes.
VALERIE (COT’D)
Are you doing rehearsal for your
show today?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.
VIVIAN
Maybe, I think we’re sneaking into
the band hall at lunch.
May giggles and gives Vivian a high five.
VALERIE
If Muntz tries to stop you, kick
his stupid fascist teeth in.
Vivian cracks a thin smile, and reaches over his seat for an
awkward hug. May leans in and hugs the both of them.
MAY
Be here at seven, okay? I don’t
wanna sit on the curb waiting
again.
Vivian hesitates.
VIVIAN
We’re losing the house, aren’t we?
Valerie blinks rapidly, tearing up, attempting to hold
Vivian’s gaze.
MAY
Honey, shit. We don’t know what’s
gonna happen.
VIVIAN
Are we gonna move?
(beat)
VALERIE
I think so. Go to school. We’ll
figure something out.
She sniffles and slides out of the car.
They shut the doors, hurrying to the store front, and Vivian
guns the rattling Volvo towards school.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
Max rides his bike, his long hair trailing in the breeze. He
doesn’t pedal, the slope of the road to school is steep
enough.
8.
EXT./INT. WHITE FAMILY CAR - SAME TIME
Vivian turns on to the long, sloping back road to school.
Max swings on to the road, 30 yards ahead, feet off the
pedals. Vivian watches his impish form glide down the hill,
then gasps and slams on the brakes as a huge white SUV
shoots backwards out of a driveway in front of Max.
Max panics, tries to swerve, the bike falls sideways, hits
the ground hard, slides out.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - DAY
The SUV’s driver window rolls down. An angry MOM sticks her
face through the window, screaming from behind massive
sunglasses.
MOM
Fucking watch where you’re riding!
MAX
(groaning as he stands up)
What?
The back windows roll down, the Mom’s children having
finally looked up from their gameboys to look at the weird
looking kid who’s pissed Mom off.
MOM
Don’t be an asshole, are you high
or something? You always drive way
too fast down this road.. I have
kids you know..
MAX
..my bicycle, you almost hit me!
The Mom loses it. She curses incoherently as she throws the
car into drive and squeals down the street.
Max stands, slack limbed, balling his fists.
Behind him Vivian Honks his horn. Max turns around, sighs in
relief. he loads his bike in the car, they drive.
INT./EXT. WHITE FAMILY CAR - DAY
VIVIAN
You okay?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.
MAX
...she’s wearing kids clothes...
can’t even dress like an adult.
Vivian drives away, coming to the parking lot of the school.
EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY
ELLE ROBINS, 17, is already is the spot next to Vivian, as
usual. She sits, hands gripped to the wheel tightly,
clenching her jaw. Elle is medium height, with a pretty,
slender build. The brand new car her parents bought her is
still in drive, still idling. She’s pressing the brake pedal
to the floor, oblivious of Vivian and Max’s arrival.
Vivian runs his hand through his hair nervously, eyeing her
from his car. She makes no move to indicate she’s seen them
and will follow them to class. Max watches Vivian’s nervous
behavior and smiles. Always the same with those two.
Vivian gets out, locks his car and taps on Elle’s window,
smiling as she looks up, dazed. She turns her car off and
gets out clumsily, preoccupied.
VIVIAN
So Max just nearly died.. What’s
with you?
ELLE
(distracted)
What?... What happened? My parents
are being weird.
MAX
The metal death carriage failed in
it’s assassination plot.
VIVIAN
The bitch tried to play it off like
it was Max’s fault.
Elle eyes Max; stoney red eyes, roadrash, oxford shirt
ripped at the elbow from the crash.
ELLE
Well....Shall we?
She picks up her backpack, walks towards the school. the
boys follow.
10.
MONTAGE
Elle, Max, and Vivian at school
1.) Elle sits down in between large athletic boys who are
yelling and throwing things between each other. She opens
her bag, a neat organized backpack. Sets up supplies on
desk. Book, pencils, calculator, water bottle.
2.) Vivian sits down, chatty valley girls with perms and
cups of coffee sit rudely on the edge of his desk, talking
to his neighbors. He pulls from his ratty black canvas
backpack a heavily drawn on notebook, and some art pens,
throws them on his desk.
3.) Max sits down, alone in a corner of a remedial math
course, sparesly populated. out of his pocket he pulls a
fantasy paperback, and as the teacher begins to lecture on
solving sytems of equations, he begins to read.
4.) Max, Vivian, Elle are crushed by school. Elle fidgets,
trying to pay attention, scratching at her meticulously made
notes, scribbling over her books with juvenile swear words.
she looks up furtively, flipping the page so no one will
see.
vivian sits, burned out. his energetic class laughs and
jokes, occasionally shooting him disgusted looks as he sits
and stares at the wall.
Max sits alone in class, reading, no one sitting within
three desks in any direction. The teacher is clearly upset
he still comes into class.
5.) The three stare at the clock, they sit in the same
position as the class around them changes three times, until
a loud bell rings, and the three get up, moving similiarly
quickly.
EXT. HIGHSCHOOL QUAD - DAY
Elle, Max, and Vivian sit together, behind a large cast iron
bell that was once used to call the beginning of school, in
the school’s early years.
Kids pass by, on the other side of the bell, yelling,
laughing, shoving. The three friends speak quietly, cracking
small smiles occasionally, glancing furtively over thier
shoulders past the bell. The sky is a heavy grey, soot
gathers on the bell, in the kids’ hair.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 11.
ELLE
He won’t like it.
VIVIAN
Fuck ’em. We need to practice. That
space is never getting used.
Vivian’s neighboors can’t take us
rehearsing at his place.
We probably won’t be in Chemistry
if no one notices us playing. Give
us some cover.
ELLE
You were tragically eaten by killer
whales trying save babies from a
sinking german U Boat, but you’ll
be back tomorrow.
Max Chuckles. Vivian and Max get up, walking towards the
music hall.
MAX
We should play "Pagoda Strikes"
tomorrow night first...
INT MUSIC HALL - DAY
Max and Vivian walk down the hallway, looking up and down to
make sure no one is watching. Vivian pulls out an old phone
card, jimmys it between the door and the frame, pops the
lock. They slip through the door quietly.
INT REHEARSAL ROOM - DAY
The boys look around at the room. Dust sits silently on
everything. Smiles break across their faces. the room was
once used by the jazz quartets that the school taught, but
when money dissapeared, so did the quartet lessons.
The drums sit in the middle of the room, dusty, the single
window shining dusty rays of light onto the warped and
cracking paint of the drums and piano.
Guitars, amps, drumsticks, picks all wait silently, like an
historical armory. The boys smile at each other and move
silently to their respective places.
The room is dead silent
Vivian sits behind the drums, blows away plumes of dust from
the snare drum head, tunes the drum.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 12.
Max picks up a guitar, produces a guitar cable from his bag,
plugs into an amp, and turns it on.
A pop and hum of warm static throbs as he turns the volume
on his guitar. He silently tunes the instrument, looks at
Vivian, and goes to the door and locks it.
Vivian smiles, sits up straight. Max jams the volume up, a
low rumble from the idling amp. vivian clicks his sticks
together four times quickly, and they begin to play.
The sound is massive, heady, frustrated. The boys tear into
thier instruments, completely focused, completely taken by
thier own sound.
Time passes, the boys play. what may be several minutes
seems like years to them. They are trapped in a creative
stasis, outside of time. they play. They don’t notice Ed
Muntz, Disciplinary Assistant Principal, slamming on the
door furiously.
Muntz is in his late 50’s, a short, round man with thinning
gray hair and a bad temper. he is dressed in what looks like
outdated golf clothes.
They only stop when he barges through the door, janitor in
tow, holding a huge ring of keys, red in the face.
MUNTZ
(nearly screaming)
What the fuck are you doing in
here?
Max and vivian freeze, looking punctured.
MUNTZ
Jesus god almighty! You’d best have
an explanation for this!
MAX
(nearly deadpan)
No one uses this room anymore.
MUNTZ
Then why the hell are you in it?
get out... I said get out!! Now!
The boys move past Muntz and the janitor out into the hall.
MUNTZ
Why is it always you two? You know
those fires? Up in the hill?
They’re coming for us.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 13.
Muntz stops, turns the boys around to face him.
MUNTZ
We’ll probably have to evacuate,
you know. If I’d had my way we
wouldnt have even put on this
little talent show. Too much weird
shit. Now those fires will put an
end to it.
The boys stare daggers at him.
(Beat)
MUNTZ
- can’t you just sit and eat during
lunch? Why can’t you just study,
and go home, and worry about
everything burning down like the
rest of us?....ugh... Get outta
here.
EXT. HIGHSCHOOL QUAD - DAY
The boys walk down the stairs from the music hall and
through a small crowd has gathered outside the practice
space window. No one seems to realize that Max And Vivian
are the culprits.
INT. LIBRARY ANNEX - DAY
Elle watches the boys leave the music hall from one the
window seats in the higschool library, her notes in front of
her no longer legible, scribbled on with random stabs from
the permanent felt marker she holds. Taking up most of the
page is a large red and black Anarchist "A".
INT. CLASSROOM - LATER
Vivian, Max, and Elle enter and find seats near each other
in their only shared class, a chemistry class that follows
lunch.
The room is neutral grays and muted tans. Sinks and surfaces
are all perfectly clean, chrome gas nozzles, glass fixtures,
pipettes and measuring equipment sit spotless.
Students filter in, sipping coffee loudly, chatting,
punching each other on the arm.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 14.
Max is already deep in his paperback, an ankle on his knee,
bent over the text, unaware of the world around him.
Vivian balls his fists, tensed, until Elle walks in, smiles
at him and sits at her own desk, two rows and two seats
away. Vivian watches her sit down, breathing deeply. He
pulls out his notebook.
Elle pulls out her chemistry textbook like it’s three
hundred pounds, drops it on her desk, and stares at the
cover, frowning.
Their teacher, MS. GEIST enters from the far door that leads
to the science faculty lounge. She’s in her mid 40’s, has a
lean build, scraggly thin blond hair, and wide, scared
looking eyes.
She carries a small flask in her left hand, trying to hide
it behind her body as she walks into class. She stows the
bottle in a drawer of the dividing counter top she lectures
behind.
Geist clears her throat and looks up at the class. They take
no notice. She stands in front of the class, wringing her
hands.
MS. GEIST
Okay, today we’re.... Okay, guys?
Just..
The class slowly sits down and stops talking as Geist
quietly stands looking at her feet. Once the class is
silent, she looks up.
MS. GEIST
Okay, so... I guess toaday’s
lecture is pretty topical.. Can
anyone give me an example of rapid
oxidation?...
The class is stock still, wax statues.
Geist sighs and moves to a near window and throws back the
drapes, pointing to the teeth of wildfire poking over the
hills in the distance.
MS. GEIST
Fire. Burning. Flames. It’s all a
process known as oxidation.
She steps towards the white board.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 15.
MS. GEIST
Now, as you can see here, the exact
process of oxidation involves...
The whole class shifts in their seats, sensing a long
lecture. Some close thier eyes, others open notebooks and
half heartedly write her points.
Vivian focuses his attention on his notebook, occasionally
looking up at Elle; he is sketching her at her desk with
huge black thunder clouds shooting lighting bolts full of
division signs and chemistry nomenclature at her.
Max is still reading, completely unphased by any activity
around him, carefully turning the pages of his book,
engrossed.
INT. CLASSROOM - MINUTES LATER
MS. GEIST
...and you get a rapid reaction...
She surveys the dead room, some students drooling on
notebooks, some participating in staring contests with the
wall clock.
She sniffles, walks back behind the counter, bends over on
the pretense of picking up a droppped pen, takes a swig from
her flask. The students roll thier eyes. She couldn’t be
more obvious.
MS. GEIST
(standing up)
OKAY!, I have an idea. If this
doesnt wake you up..
She pulls out a barbeque lighter from a shelf behind her,
and walks over to one side of the counter. She stops next to
the Bunsen Burner mains, small chrome gas spigots located on
the edges of every desk, with two on the front counter. Each
spigot has an open/shut valve on top.
Geist puts her hand on the valve, raises her lighter,
ignites it.
Several students wake their neighbors, nodding towards
Geist, now holding a flaming lighter in one hand, looking
serious.
MS. GEIST
So, we talk a lot about these
concepts, about reactions, laws,
and ideas, but.... well, here.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 16.
She throws open the release valve for the gas, sticks the
lighter close to the main, and clicks the lighter on.
Nothing happens, the lighter doesn’t even ignite.
MS. GEIST
Okay, so, combustion can only take
place with the right fuel to air
mixture, and we haven’t found it.
She moves the lighter a little further back, tries agian.
nothing. Small snickering from the class. She moves the
lighter again, her grip on the table tightening, knuckles
white. Nothing. The class shifts uncomfortably, students
rolling thier eyes at one another.
Vivian is captivated, stunned by what he’s watching her
attempt to do.
She tries again. Nothing.
She shuts the main off, drops the lighter on the ground,
gets her flask and walks out the back door.
The class is silent. they stare at each other. Vivian stares
at the porthole windwo in the back door Geist escaped
through. The class begins to chatter.
The noise builds in Vivian’s ears, a million unintelligible,
unintillegent conversations build in volume, violence,
ferocity. Vivian grips his pencil like a crucifix, until it
snaps in his hand.
the snapping pencilbrings his attention back. As if in a
trance, he pulls a lighter from his pocket, fingers it,
flips it in his hands. His other hand runs along the smooth
chrome surface of the main. He eyes the ceiling, foamcore
tiles. He flips the lighter open, sparks it on.
The class perks up again, turning in thier seats to watch
Vivian. Geist is watching the class through the small
porthole window in the back door, blotting her eyes.
Geist pushes through the door, staring at Vivian. He
freezes, looking grim, waiting for her to make her move.
MS. GEIST
Can you wake us up?
Vivian breathes deeply, flips the gas on, holds the lighter
two feet up, and clicks it on.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 17.
A huge burst of flame charges up to the ceiling, five feet
wide, immensly hot. Vivian rips his arm backwards and
stumbles away, gasping at the heat and power of the
explosion.
Geist drops her flask, its screw-lid falls off, bourbon
spilling out onto the linoleum.
The gas valve automatically shuts off, the fire sprinklers
explode, water going everywhere.
The class erupts in screams and laughter. Students topple
over chairs and backpacks as they try to protect cellphones
and books form the water. Chaos reigns in he classroom.
Elle is quick to pack and move out, half smiling.
Vivian stands up slowly, watches his class run around
screaming, nodding his head in silent agreement with no one,
a look of dawning understanding on his face.
Max finally looks up from his book, annoyed at the sudden
downpour, gets up and walks out.
Geist stands, looking at her feet, brown bourbon swirling in
the sprinkler water.
EXT. HIGHSCHOOL LAWN - DAY
Vivian, Max, and Elle slip down a side path as students
filter out of thier classes, fire alarms ringing. Teachers
try to round thier charges into single file lines to no
avail.
MAX
’sgo to the fire line.
ELLE
What?
VIVIAN
Yeah, let’s see it burn. I have an
idea.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - DAY
The three friends trudge quietly up suburban roads,
relishing the quiet of midday suburbia.
18.
EXT. FOREST TRAIL - DAY
The three friends hike up a well worn path, and when they
reach the top, are rewarded by a stunning view. The trail
runs along a low spine of the hills and mountains that hem
in the town on three sides.
One the left side of the trail, the side with houses and
their town, everything is green, yellow, and tan; healthy.
On the right side, everything is a black smoking ruin.
A few miles down the path, where the fire has jumped the
trail, the friends see firefighters and trucks working
frantically to beat back to blaze that is rapidly getting
larger, heading for the center of town.
The friends stare, open mouthed at the destruction. The path
dips in front of them, bending out of sight at a large and
battered oak, covered on one side with fire retardant and
ash.
The friends look at each other, giggling at the aburdity of
the destruction. Max swings his legs over his bike, nods at
Elle and Vivian jumps on the front pegs like he’s donw it a
thousand times, Elle hesitantly gets on the back pegs,
forcing a smile. Max grins widely and pushes off. They ride
down the slope, yelling and laughing, coming to a stop at
the Oak tree, collapse at its base, laughing.
MAX
It’s the apocalypse.
VIVIAN
The robots have come, we are
doomed.
They sit for a few moments, wiping soot from thier hands,
catching their breath.
MAX
My mom doesn’t want me to have a
room in her new house with Robert.
VIVIAN
What?!
MAX
She threw everything from my room
in her place away this morning,
didn’t even let me come and pick
anything thing up.
He stares at the ground, digging his fingers in the dirt.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 19.
The silence is heavy, in the distance fire fighters yell and
struggle to block the blaze.
VIVIAN
This is bullshit. Everything is
going to hell.
ELLE
It’s always been like this.
VIVIAN
Some bank guys came today. I think
we lost the house.
Elle turns away, biting her hand.
VIVIAN
Might not even finish out the year
here.
The three sit for a few seconds in heavy silence.
MAX
This town is evil. Everything here
is wrong.
He pulls out a jar full of weed and a pipe, begins to pack
it.
MAX
Elle, I know you don’t like the
idea, but i think you should try
some of this.
Elle glares at him, playing with her sweatshirt zipper.
Vivian shifts towards Elle, puts his hand on her hand. He
locks her gaze, nods toward Max.
VIVIAN
Everything is falling apart. Let go
with us.
Elle hesitates, breath quickening. She scoots forward, legs
crossed, and nods.
EXT. FOREST PATH - EVENING
The friends are now much closer to the fire. They run
drunkenly, sometimes getting very cose to the burning brush,
always running away screaming.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 20.
ELLE
This is all going to be green
again!
MAX
This should happen (coughs) every
50 years!
VIVIAN
Do you remember what I did this
morning?
MAX
The explosion?
VIVIAN
Yeah.... You know what?
He frantically swipes at his jeans, which are quietly
burning at the knees.
VIVIAN
...You know what?
He pauses, both of the other friends stop spinning and
dancing to look at him.
VIVIAN
It Worked. It scared them.
Max nods, smirking, slouching. He shakes his arms the n
begins spinning again.
MAX
Yes. It did. The chaos frightens
them.
Vivian climbs to a low branch on a redwood, stares out at
the fire.
VIVIAN
School needs more chaos. Let’s give
them chaos tonight.
ELLE
(giggling)
Draw out the forces of darkness!
VIVIAN
All we need is gasoline. Draw a
path for the disorder.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 21.
The atmosphere of the conversation tightens. Max and Elle
turn to him, catching thier breath. Vivian’s gaze is hard,
determined. Elle and Max glance at each other, searching the
other’s eyes.
Vivian looks down from the tree, face taught. Fists in
knots.
VIVIAN
What’s left here? We don’t belong.
All of them? (gesturing to the town
lights turning on in the evening
light) They don’t deserve any of
this!
He jumps down from the tree, slowly stands up, looks them in
their eyes.
VIVIAN
We burn it down....It’s gonna burn
anyway. Come here.
He pulls out the heavily doodled on notebook, sketches the
town as a rough map.
He looks up at Elle and Max, caught by suprise by their
equally serious and determined looking faces.
VIVIAN
We only need to start the job.
Nature wants to do the rest.
(pointing to the map) We burn this,
this , and these. The job will
finish itself.
He looks up, studying the deadly serious expressions on his
friends faces.
VIVIAN
This is happening.
The three move as a team now, gathering their things and
moving down the hill in half light.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - EVENING
Vivian, Max, and Elle stand huddled on the street in front
of the highschool, talking quietly.
VIVIAN
We come back here at midnight, no
need to call.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 22.
The street is eerily quiet, and the three friends look
around at the darkened houses, listening for traffic. They
linger momentarily, searching for words, then each turn in
different directions.
Max straddles a sooty bike and pedals away. Elle and Vivian
walk together towards their cars. When they reach thier
cars, Vivian glances at Elle. her arms are crossed tightly,
her face white.
VIVIAN
You know we have to do this, right?
Elle looks into his eyes, her expression solemn.
ELLE
I know.
VIVIAN
Tonight. Midnight.
ELLE
I know.
(beat)
VIVIAN
You know I’ve always... ... see you
tonight.
He gets in his car, backs up, glancing hesitantly towards
Elle, now standing completely tensed, as if bracing for a
prize fighters punch. She exhales slowly as he drives away.
INT./EXT. WHITE FAMILY CAR - EVENING
Vivian drives, staring at one point on his windshield,
eventually arriving at the thrift shop as if by autopilot.
May and Valerie get in, looking angry.
VALERIE
Where have you been?
VIVIAN
(frowning at the car’s clock)
I’m on time.
MAY
Seriously, where have you been?
Haven’t you noticed everyone is
gone?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 23.
Vivian finally snaps out of his reverie, looks around. The
streets are in fact empty. Shops are closed early, there are
no cars parked on the street.
VIVIAN
The hell is all this?
VALERIE
They gave us the word to evacuate
at like 3. Where were you?
VIVIAN
I was with Max on the trails. You
mean like, real evacuation?
MAY
Jesus, Viv! Yes, real evacuation!
You were up at the fire line while
everyone got outta here. We have to
get out before they lock us in.
VIVIAN
(face drooping)
...the fires are gonna come through
town?
VALERIE
Not that it matters. Bank gets to
worry about the house now.
Vivian tears up. The car glides quietly through empty
streets, and pulls into the small driveway in front of their
bungalow.
EXT. MAX’S HOUSE - EVENING
Max arrives, panting, having pushed his bike up the hill his
mother and father live on. his father’s house, like all the
other homes on the road, is dark.
On the front door Max finds a note from his father. It
reads:
"Max: We got a call to evacuate the neighborhood, i packed
the animals up and got a hotel over in Hillcrest. If you
feel like staying with me, ring me on my mobile. I figured
you’d have some buddies to hang with! Don’t worry, I packed
your special guitars for in the car. No fire’s gonna stop
you from being a rockstar! -Ben"
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 24.
Max reads it a few times through, slouching further,
beginning to sniffle. He puts his key in the lock, opens the
front door. He walks slowly through the house, staring at
the expensive paintings, statues, furniture. He stops in
front of a huge, empty birdcage, now devoid of it’s
talkative tennants.
He stares at the hanging toys for the birds, the huge food
bowl, the mass of clean newspapers that line the cage. He
stares for a beat more, then throws all of his weight into
the five foot tall steel shell. The metal box tips over
backwards into the plate glass sliding door that leads from
the living room onto the patio.
Glass falls everywhere, exploding, lit by the sunset that
graces the villas and expensive homes placed this high on
the hill. Max lies on the front door of the toppled cage,
bleeding from his forehead, now silent, still.
Max walks to the kitchen, to the pantry. He grabs a few nice
bottled spirits, puts them in his backpack, and walks out to
his bike.
INT. ELLE’S HOUSE - EVENING
Elle’s parents, EVA (45) and DOUGLAS ROBINS (58) confront
Elle as she arrives home, blocking her entry inside.
Eva is a thin, sharp featured woman, usually always smiling
frantically. She wears a tan, patterned, fitted peacoat and
white capris. Douglas stands tall, a bearded, barrel
chested, six foot two pillar of the household.
Elle is crawling out of her skin, biting her tongue so as
not to burst out laughing at how serious her parents are
taking her absence from school.
DOUGLAS
-..What is this behavior? You have
no choice to just leave class!
Sickening!
EVA
This is your future! You can’t walk
away from it!
Elle looks up, chuckling manically.
ELLE
What future? Living in your home
for another year because you’re
afraid I’ll turn into my sister?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 25.
Eva is caught in the chest by her daughter’s words. She
gasps.
DOUGLAS
How dare you? .. We love your
sister.
ELLE
(frantically)
Goddammit, just stop it! I can’t
deal with this bubble anymore. You
think I’m gonna binge out on coke
like Ari did! You’ve put me in a
bubble! I’m gonna break soon!
All three recognize sharply that Elle has crossed a line.
Eva and Douglas stare at her, searching for words.
ELLE
(looking around spastically,
near breakdown)
I can’t do this. I’m not coming
with you to the hotel.
Elle begins to walk away, car keys in hand, when Douglas
takes a step forward and catches her wrist firmly. elle
turns around, quickly wrenching her arm out of his grasp.
DOUGLAS
Don’t you dare get in that car.
Elle hardens, glares at her parents, and sprints to her car.
She drives away quickly.
INT. ELLE’S CAR
Elle sobs, breathing shallow, wiping her eyes, driving
aimlessly.
INT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - NIGHT
May and Valerie are grabbing their last, most important
possesions. Valerie clasps a binder full of old train
tickets, photos, pressed flowers, and postcards. May holds
sketchbooks of the family’s from the last few years. Vivian
sits on the couch, holding drumsticks, wiping a tear from
his cheek.
May sits next to him, puts her hand on his shoulder, leans
in and kisses him on the side of his head.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 26.
MAY
We never did fit in here. I don’t
think any of us were built to live
in this town.
VIVIAN
It’s nice here.
MAY
We put the store here to get you
into a better school. This town is
evil and we should have known what
a bad idea it would be.
VIVIAN
It’s so easy for everyone here.
MAY
They’re living in a bubble. Now
it’s gonna burst. None of them
think it’s gonna come. they think
the fire’ll just pass us by. It’s
gonna wake them all up.
VIVIAN
What’s gonna happen to us?
MAY
Maybe we need a fresh start. I
don’t know....
Valerie walks up beside May carrying a large duffel bag with
clothes and photos.
MAY
Come on, let’s get over to Sid’s.
He said you could have his bed
tonight if you want.
VIVIAN
I don’t think I’m gonna come.
May and Valerie look slightly alarmed, searching his face.
VIVIAN
I wanna watch it burn, from the
path on East Flat.
May and Valerie glance at each other, then back at Vivian.
VALERIE
Just don’t be stupid... Let what
happens happen.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 27.
VIVIAN
I need to see it happen.
The three move towards the front door, vivian slinging an
old looking rucksack over his shoulder.
MAY
just see us tomorrow.
EXT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
The three hug tightly. Vivian pulls away, begins to walk
down the street towards downtown. As May and Valerie get
into the station wagon and pull away, Vivian looks back, and
switches direction, heading instead towards the intersection
where he split from Elle and Max.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - NIGHT
Max sits, a bong, small backpack, and bike on the curb next
to him. He presses a hankerchief to his forehead, trying to
stop the bloodflow. He checks his old battered watch, 9:30
pm. He frowns as he looks up and down the street, utterly
empty. Elle and Vivian are probably safe and tucked away in
a hotel room.
Just then Elle’s tiny brand new, british car pulls up across
the street. Elle turns the car off quickly, slams the door
and moves shakily to Max, crying freely. She sits next to
him and hugs him tightly. Noticing his bloody forehead, she
scoots back, worried.
ELLE
What happened to your head?
MAX
Everything.
Max lies down on his back on the sidewalk, feet in the
street. Elle follows suit.
They hear footsteps approaching. Vivian is walking towards
them slowly. He sits down next to them, lies down on his
back.
ELLE
I guess the wind is doing our job
for us.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 28.
VIVIAN
We need to watch it happen.. (to
Max) What happened to your head?
MAX
I killed the bird cage in the
living room.
VIVIAN
I hate that bird.
They watch the smoke above them, illuminated yellow by the
street lights.
VIVIAN
Let’s take a walk.
The three sit up. Elle reaches over to Max, ties a bandana
from his back pocket around his forehead, and slips the
hankerchief in.
ELLE
A true soldier.
The friends walk together.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - NIGHT
Main Street is completely devoid of life. Even the birds
seem to have left. Main Street is perfectly manicured, low
trees line the two lane road, each tree festooned with
year-round christmas lights. All the businesses are clean,
polished, attractive shops. The quiet is eery. The only
noises are Max’s bicycle spokes, Vivian’s awkward foot
falls, and distant sirens.
The three sit down on a bench in the center of town,
surveying the scene.
The fires are now very present on the near hillsides. the
burning yellow blow is punctuated by blinking siren lights,
great yellow plumes lit from below raising up to create a
ceiling. the air is heavy, ash falls freely.
Max reaches into his backpack, produces two bottles, one of
fine whiskey, the other a very expensive tequila.
MAX
Plan: we sit, drink, and watch the
fire come. When it comes, we move.
Elle and Vivian nod mindlessly, wiping ash from their faces.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 29.
Max opens the bottle, attempts a swig, chokes. The other two
laugh, attempt the same, and also choke.
Time passes. The friends drink, laugh, and relax.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - NIGHT
Four or so hours have passed. Elle, Vivian, and Max are now
sprawled in the middle of the street, giggling. the bong
stands by the bench, bowl still smoking. The christmas
lights have shut off automatically at midnight, an hour and
a half back. The only light comes form the streetlights, and
the yellow throb that the smoke throws back.
VIVIAN
(Frowning)
The firefighters seem to have
slowed things down.
ELLE
(giggling)
Making smores by the campfire...
The three laugh. Vivian turns on his stomach to face the
other two, currently on thier backs.
VIVIAN
Elle, did you know something?
ELLE
What something?
VIVIAN
That I’m glad you’re here with us.
ELLE
Me too.
Vivian puts his face down on the cement and reaches out to
hold Elle’s hand. She takes his hand, watching the ashes
fall, Vivian lying facedown. Max wathes this, smiles
broadly, and closes his eyes. Time passes.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - NIGHT
Five hours have passed. Elle rolls over, winces. Vivian sits
up, woken up by Elle taking her hand back. The right side of
his face is clean except for an imprint of the cement, and
his left side is covered in ash. He kicks Max, he grunts and
turns onto his side.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 30.
Vivian surveys the scene. The sun is probably about to come
up. everything is covered in ash, but nothing is on fire. He
gets up and walks down the block for a better view, sees the
fire is much closer, firefighters working within 400 meters
of the edges of downtown.
He walks back to Elle and Max. Elle is unsuccesfully wiping
at the ash on her skin, making huge grey swash marks. Max is
still sleeping. Vivian sits down close to Elle.
VIVIAN
We might need to move pretty soon.
Elle coughs, the smoke is getting thicker, lower.
ELLE
Yeah.
Vivian, stares into her eyes, puts his hand on her leg,
bends in and kisses her. She sits, stunned for a moment,
bites her lip. He leans in again and kisses her, longer this
time. She hesitates after a few seconds, pushes him away,
begins to stand up.
The sirens are getting loud, the street lights getting dim
from the smoke.
VIVIAN
I’ve always wanted to do that.
ELLE
(pleading)
Don’t. Just, Don’t.
VIVIAN
Why? I want you.
ELLE
Stop. Oh my god what am I doing! We
could get arrested... jesus
christ..
Vivian sits in complete shock.
VIVIAN
You wanted this...you came along!
We had a plan!
ELLE
We were never actually going to
burn anything Viv, were we? It was
all just your crazy talk. We’re
here now and nothing is burning!
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 31.
Vivian stands up, horrified. Max turns back over, awake,
finally noticing the fight.
VIVIAN
(frantically)
We have to see this through! This
is all evil! Can’t you see?
ELLE
Nothing’s happened. We can go home,
forget we were here. Face it, this
is all gonna stay around.
Behind Vivian, an electornics shop’s front window display
tv’s turn on in unison on a timer. they show aerial views of
he fire, with captions "FIREFIGHTERS SUCCESSFULLY STOP BLAZE
MOVEMENT" followed by footage of a water-drop plane flying
through the night.
Vivian, Elle, and Max watch the screen. Elle looks furtively
at Vivian, now visibly shaking. Down the street, a hair
salon’s sign comes on, a giant pink blur in the smoke.
around them, more and more signs and storfronts begin to
switch on.
VIVIAN
Fuck!! No, this is not happening!
ELLE
Please, Viv, come with us.
Everything will be okay..
VIVIAN
(full meltdown)
No! It’s not gonna be okay!! You
have a house, and a family, and a
bank account! I walk outta here,
and that’s it! No more Vivian! I
don’t see you again!
The christmas lights that line the trees all turn on at
once, creating a long yellow hallway way in both directions.
NO!!
Vivian runs to his backpack, pulls out a road flare, rips it
open, it sparks to life. he grabs the mostly full tequila
bottle, jams the flare into the bottle, flame side up.
Max scrambles to his feet, Elle screams.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 32.
MAX
Don’t!
Vivian takes one of the large rocks from the planters that
the trees live in, and chucks it through the electronics
store window. The rocks disintegrates the window, punches
through a TV.
Vivian, picks up the bottle/flare, takes one teary look at
Elle, and hurls the bottle through the window.
The concussion is much bigger than he expected. The three
stand ten feet from the store, and debris explodes into
their faces. Elle falls back, screaming. Some debris has hit
her in the face, she’s sobbing and bleeding. the fire
spreads obscenely quickly, for the same reason the wildfires
ahve spread so fast. Max is closest to Elle, and he picks
her up, moving rapidly away from Vivian.
MAX
Back the FUCK off Vivian! She’s
hurt!
Elle sobs incoherently, cursing Vivian
VIVIAN
ELLE!! Wait!, Elle, no!
ELLE
Get away from me!
Max and Elle reach Max’s bicycle, they begin dissapearing in
the smoke fomr the hill fires.
The water cooler in the electronics store explodes, throwing
Vivian to the pavement hard. He struggles to his feet,
flaming debris showering around him. Elle and Max are
nowhere to be seen. He sprints in a random direction
tripping on debris, completely dissoriented.
VIVIAN
ELLE!!! (coughing)
ELLE!!!... ELLE!!!
Vivian’s vision swirls, he chokes on the smoke, drops to his
knees, completely overcome by panic. He vomits on the
sidewalk and passes out.
33.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - MORNING
Vivian is laying on his stomach, left arm folded underneath
his body. His backpack with roadflares is still clutched in
his hand It is thirty minutes since he threw the tequila
bomb, but already the sun has begun to rise. Everything is
grey. Ash conquers every surface. There is rubble and debris
every where.
Across the street, the building block is still burning
brightly, a huge torn hole missing from the center, as if
someone took an enormous ice cream scooper to the building
front. Sirens can be heard approaching swiftly. Vivian opens
his eyes, reels wincing, and wretches.
He props himself on one elbow, then another, pushing himself
to his knees. All he can see are distorted, blurry white
and gray shapes. He gets up drunkenly, and walks like a
zombie into the middle of the street.
What is probably sunlight above the chaos is a completely
diffused, grey oblivion, sharp building facades looming out
of the clouds of building dust and smoke.
Vivian walks incredibly slowly, one foot barely in front of
the other, stumbling often. The sirens become louder and
louder, reaching a deafening pitch. Out of the gray red and
blue and white pops of light appear, suddenly approaching
very quickly. Vivian stops moving, completely perplexed by
the light show.
INT./EXT. FIRETRUCK - CONTINOUS
Three FIREFIGHTERS curse loudly as the shape of a mohawked
boy appears out of the smoke in front of the truck, now
barreling down at thirty five. The driver smashes on the
brakes, pulls the wheel to the left, and the truck skids to
a halt feet away from the boy. He doesn’t even move, just
stands staring at the fire truck.
FIREFIGHTER 1
Holy hell, how’d he get down here?
The kid drops a small backpack, road flares fall out. Then
he collapes forward like a puppet whose strings have been
cut.
34.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - MORNING
Vivian sits, numb to the complete chaos around him. Doctors
check his pulse, his breathing, fit a breathing mask over
his mouth. Police come, writing on pads of paper. Time
passes. More cops come, the breathing mask is removed. More
cops come, he speaks occasionally, deadpanned and monotoned.
A cop fits handcuffs on him.
INT. POLICE STATION - DAY
Vivian is in the holding cell in the police station, staring
blankly at the wall. May and Valerie rush in, faces drained
and strectched, shaking.
MAY
Oh jesus. Oh holy jesus. Viv!
Vivian turns away from the cell door, head down.
MAY
Viv! Please, talk!
VALERIE
May, let him be. ...
Viv...Everything’s gonna be ok.
Valerie moves right up to the cell door
VALERIE (COT’D)
Viv... I promise you, we’ll get you
outta here..look at me.
Vivian slowly turns his head to face her, hesitating to make
eye contact.
VALERIE (COT’D)
We ALWAYS find a way. Always. You
have me and MayMay. We’re gonna get
through this. We’ll be back soon.
We love you.
Vivian watches them go, brow furrowing the slightest bit.
INT. THRIFT STORE - DAY
May and Valerie sign a large stack of documents with a
notary public, then give each other a long hug.
35.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - DAY
May and Valerie speak with the electronics shop owner, show
him a lease notice for the warehouse their thrift shop is
currently occupying. The owner softens a bit as he reads
through the paper.
INT. BANK - DAY
May and Valerie pour through their own financial papers,
adding a sum together. Valerie finishes, shares the result
with May, and they both smile and hug each other, crying.
INT. POLICE STATION - DAYS LATER
Vivian sits in his cell, staring at the wall. A POLICE
OFFICER approaches his cell, opens the door.
POLICE OFFICER
...Well come on! Get outta here!
VIVIAN
..what?
POLICE OFFICER
Someone’s posted your bail, son.
Vivian shuffles hesitantly past the cop, through to doors,
out into a hallway where May and Valerie are standing,
beaming.
MAY
YAY!! Vivian’s back!
VALERIE
I told you we’d figure something
out!
Vivian moves lsowly towards them, confused.
VIVIAN
How could you afford this?
MAY
The electronics store guy needed a
place, so we sold him our shop
space for super cheap!
VALERIE
Not too cheap. Turns out a space
that size, the middle of downtown,
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 36.
VALERIE (cont’d)
is worth a lot. We can use what’s
left to start a new store.
Vivian tears up, hugs both women.
INT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - TWO WEEKS LATER
Vivian opens his eyes, sighs. May is banging on his door.
MAY
First day of work! Up up up!
VIVIAN
I’m nearly up.
On his nightstand is a completed form for mandatory
community service he was sentenced to serve in addition to
his jailtime. His sentencing papers are the next ones over,
detailing the start of his jail time starting in three
weeks.
Vivian slips on clothes. This time though, it’s blue jeans
and a black sweatshirt. His mohawk remains, although its not
glued up. He goes downstairs for toast.
EXT. RECONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY
Vivian has an orange helmet and reflective vest on. He works
quietly, focused on his work. His face remains deadpan. His
supervisor, MR. CHUGGS, is an angry, muscular short man with
little hair left. Chuggs often finds a reason to scream at
Vivian, even though he keeps his head down and focuses hard
on getting the job done.
Vivian works, and works, and works.
EXT. RECONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY
One week later. Vivian works hard, but now is caught
stalling often, looking at a caterpillar, or a strand of
cobweb, or morning dew sitting on powertools.
He starts writing what he sees on a tiny notepad, one thing
per page, each explained in one sentence, followed by the
important colors.
37.
INT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Vivian has the notepad taped to one of the now nearly bare
walls in his bedroom, and is sketching the item listed on
the page. The sketch goes up on his wall.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - NIGHT
Vivian stands with a few cans of spraypaint in front of a
still wrecked and burned out building. He also holds one of
his sketches from a night previous. He puts the sketch on
the ground, shakes a spray can, and begins to paint on the
half destroyed wall. Bright, beautiful bold strokes paint a
three foot tall, six foot long caterpillar moving along the
sidewalk.
INT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - NIGHT
We see vivian sketching more, his walls now filling up with
the many small beauties.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - NIGHT
Vivian revisits the many places he’s painted graffitti: A
sitting crow, a giant spider web, a huge, detailed feather.
He sits in front of the large, empty back wall of the
electronics store, hs fingers forming a square canvas to
look through onto the wall. He smiles, and rides a shoddy
old bike away.
EXT. RECONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY
Chuggs watches Vivian crouched in a corner on his last work
day before his sentence, looking at something, writing
furiously.
CHUGGS
Hey, boy! Kill the bug and get your
tits in gear!
Vivian slips a notepad back into his back pocket, and gets
back to work, smiling. The pad is well-worn with sweat and
grime. On each page he writes one phrase, then after he is
done with that page he puts a checkmark next to it. Today’s
page writes "bird nest in corner of second floor/tucked out
of sight/eggs hatched/babies flown away. brn/gry/black"
Chuggs watches the boy closely, glances at his watch, gasps.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 38.
CHUGGS
..ah, jumpin fuck! Alright
everyone, five o’clock! Quittin
time!... Vivian, a word?
Vivian walks confidently towards him.
CHUGGS
So, it’s been three weeks..
The expression on his face is strange.
VIVIAN
Yes sir.
CHUGGS
They’re taking you away tomorrow?
VIVIAN
First stop is Elmwood Prison. then
I get sorted into another one.
CHUGGS
Well, ... damn. You haven’t bee
nworking too poorly, you know? And
those paintings of yours- (smiling
at the feigned confusion) - yes, we
all know, ... well they aren’t half
bad. I’ll of course be tearing down
those walls, but.... well..... good
luck.
They shake hands, and Vivian leaves on his old bike.
EXT. DOWNTOWN - NIGHT
Vivian stands in front of the last blank wall, and begins to
paint. Wide, arcing, think strokes build the outline. The
painting is a birds nest with two cracked eggs inside, and
two sets of bird tracks leading away from it all.
He paints, completely focused, working in details to the
outline until he hears from behind him a cough. He spins
quickly around to see two figures standing in the murk,
watching him.
The figures step forward. It’s Max and Elle. Elle has a
healing scar across her brow.
Vivian stops breathing. He hasn’t talked to either since the
night of the fire. They stand very still staring him in the
eye. He stands still, a bit like a cornered animal.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 39.
Elle steps forward, arm outstretched. Vivian can see a
spraycan. She shakes it.
ELLE
Mind if we join?
MAX
(stepping forward, holding a
roller)
It’s your last night. Let’s make
something.
Vivian nods silently, the trio begin to work silently on the
bird’s nest. A few hours later, they stand back, surveying
the work.
MAX
Too bad it’s gonna get ripped down.
VIVIAN
....something better will come out
of it... guys wanna come to my
place?
The other two nod.
INT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - NIGHT
The three are sprawled out in the living room, Elle on he
couch, Max and Vivian on the floor, listening to punk
records. Vivian’s parents have just said goodnight and gone
to bed.
VIVIAN
(To Elle)
A job, a scholarship, AND a moped?
Fancy new Elle is in charge.
ELLE
It’s better this way.
VIVIAN
(To Max)
And you’re movin to San Fransisco
for recording college?
MAX
Who told you?
VIVIAN
Your dad. Saw me on the
construction. Couldn’t say enough
times how proud he is.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 40.
Max turns away, smiling.
They sit and listen to the record, it sounds scratchy
through the old speakers.
After some time, Max sits up.
MAX
Viv....
VIVIAN
yeah?
MAX
It was good seeing you.
VIVIAN
Thanks for finding me.
MAX
I’m gonna bolt. Come here.
They both walk towards the door. Max catches Vivian off
gaurd with a big hug.
MAX
(pointing towards elle,
speaking softly)
talk to her.
He turns, walks out the door. Turning around he smiles,
walking backwards, dissapearing in to the night. vivian
closes the door.
Vivian walks back to the living room, lies parrallel to the
couch.
VIVIAN
I had this dream last night. I was
standing in a huge warehouse. like,
2,000 feet to each wall big. I can
see these people walking around in
it in the distance.
Elle shifts, leaning over the couch to look him in the eyes.
VIVIAN
.. and all of a sudden I know
something bad’s gonna happen. The
whole warehouse shrinks dow nto
zero, pushes into my face. all the
people wh owere walking around are
like, shoved into my face. They’re
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 41.
VIVIAN (cont’d)
all screaming. But you were there,
out side of the shit pushing in on
me.... (looking into her eyes
finally).... It was terrifying.
Elle slips off the couch onto Vivian, kissing him hard. They
make out, and fall asleep together.
EXT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - MORNING
Two police officers approach the house. They ring the
doorbell, surveying the tattered lawn.
INT. VIVIAN’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Vivian opens his eyes, sees Elle in his arms, smiles.
He gets up, walks to the door and opens it.
After a brief conversation with the cops, he steps outside
with the officers. he hesitates, looks back at Elle, now
standing at the door, arms folded.
Vivian smiles at her, walks away into the police car.
fin.
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