DAZED
ARNOLD
Eyes open. Vision Hazy.
What Where
Munmbles. Swats a Few insects and shakes off Some dried fallen leaves. Stands
What in God’s name
Camera pans out. His wife and thre kids sprawled over a forest floor around him. Unconscious.
Franctic. Confused. Jumps beside each with his finger shot to their neck pulses
Thank God.
He taps shakes shouts in an effort to wake them to no avail
He huddles them together in a bed of leaves
Not beside the trees. Damn insects would rip them apart
He Swats an ant on his neck. Stomp on more on the ground.
He walks of into the forest
….
Night falls.
MEIR
Wakes with a startle. Confused. Scans the environment. Twins are playing. Franticaly runs to them.
Wheres your father where’s Jude
JUDE
Over here mum
Carries firewood to a pile and runs to hug mother
ARNOLD
We went looking for firewood
MEIR
Still frantic eyes darting everywhere all at once.
JUDE
Mom are you o….
MEIR
Yes dear. Go play with the twins
She runs up to her husband. Body shaking holding back tears
Arnie, Arnie
She tries to steady her shaking body on his calm physique
What in the Heavens is going on Arnie
ARNOLD
Holds her and whispers
Stay calm. The kids see us. We’ve got to handle this.
MEIR
Shouts hysterically
WHERE…
, Arnold shushes her she turns and the kids are staring worried
ARNOLD
smiles
Jude leave the twins come set up the campfire site
Walks wife further back
MEIR
Whispers
What are we doing here Arnie
ARNOLD
I don’t know
…….
A FLASH FREEZE SPREADS ACROSS THE TUNDRA. CLIMATE AT ITS HARSHEST EVER.
ARNOLD DIES EARLY FROM WOUND INFECTION IN HIS ARM.
TWINS RAY & JOE BOTH CONTRACT PNEUMONIA AND DIE FROM HIGH FEVER.
THEIR MOTHER GOES OFF INTO THE WOODS ONE NIGHT IN SEARCH OF FOOD AND NEVER RETURNS. JUDE HEARD THE CRIES OF WOLVES THAT NIGHT SOO REQUIRED NO FURTHER EXPLANATION.
He journeyed further on and till he fell… succumbing to exhaustion.
…. 4 YEARS AFTER THE DAZED
A YEAR LATER….
MEIR
Shakes husband whispering
Arnold Arnold
ARNOLD
He wakes instantly and turns focus to his wifes distress, a strange and visibly dying man
Who are you?
Fiercely but quietly, taking a worried glance at his kids
MAN
Childs….
He cries uncontrollably
Why childs why childs demon childs why demon
He muttered In a raspy voice with a hint of an accent curling into a ball
ARNOLD
Leave… if you intend harm
MEIR
Leave… begone
Hurls a rock at the man whiles thrusting a stick in his direction
MAN
Die soon demon die soon
He scrries away frantically from the disturbed wife
ARNOLD
Grabs wife
STOP youll wake them
MEIR
Pushes him off
Hes one of the creatures hes dangerous
ARNOLD
They never spoke Hes human
MEIR
Screams
LOOK AT HIM
Looks back at children still fast asleep
He could be a cannibal …or worse
ARNOLD
Stares at the man huddled beneath a tree whimpering
Hes seems a survivor
MEIR
Or a killer… psychopath… mentally deranged… Arnie, weve been through enough, scare him off before the kids see him
ARNOLD
Scared? Meir youre right… hes scared just as we are…. Not like the bneasts weve seen… they knew no fear…. They fear not their hell
A thud
The man collapsed
Arnold runs to check him
Hes breathing
MEIR
KILL HIM
She shrieks, the children are staring, she breaks down in tears
…..
3 YEARS AFTER THE TRUTH
After a couple of years Arnold finds out that he’s growing up into an old man and will not be fit for fighting and defending predators from the family, hunting for food, and building up campfires so he tells Jude his eldest son of the other two twins, Raymond and Josephine, to train on the particular week he didn’t know was going to be his last.
……
THE TRUTH
TWO YEARS AFTER DAZED….
RAYMOND
Runs to man and mother
Come STRANGER is telling stories
Laughs
JOSEPHINE
Were dancing
JUDE
I don’t like it
zy🍀_jaron♊
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