Paradise Read online

  SEBASTIAN (O.S)

  (returning)

  Talk about what?

  Alana shakes her head and smiles.

  ALANA

  Nothing.

  Hope picks a flower and blows on the petals, changing their color.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. CAVE - CLEARING - DAY

  An arrow is leveled.

  Sebastian is on his knees, an arm around Hope, balancing her bow.

  SEBASTIAN

  Keep it steady.

  Hope squints an eye, concentrating.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Hold on tight OK. Tight.

  Hope nods.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  All right, give it a go.

  Hope focuses, then fires - “Thwuk”

  Sebastian stops, surprised.

  HOPE

  How did I do papa?

  Sebastian puts his arm around her and smiles.

  SEBASTIAN

  You did good sweetheart.

  The arrow has missed the target on a nearby tree but struck an apple hanging twice the distance away.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. WOODS - DAY

  Alana gathers some fruit for her basket. She reaches to pick some more when suddenly a dizzy spell hits her.

  She drops the basket, almost tripping, and throws up.

  She looks down and sees blood.

  Her face goes white.

  She quickly wipes her mouth and closes her eyes, taking a slow deep breath.

  CUT TO.

  INT. CAVE - NIGHT (RAIN)

  Hope draws on the wall. Sebastian tends to the fire.

  SEBASTIAN

  (to Alana)

  Tired?

  Alana lies on her side, gently massaging her belly.

  ALANA

  A little.

  Sebastian leans forward and kisses her forehead.

  SEBASTIAN

  Get some sleep.

  Alana smiles and nods.

  She turns away and continues to rub her belly.

  CUT TO.

  INT. LOUNGE - COUNTRY HOUSE - LATE NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

  Alana (19) stands in a white night dress.

  ALANA

  (beat)

  I'm sorry.

  A drink is poured by the bar.

  ALANA (CONT'D)

  I can't bring a child into this world.

  There's no response.

  Alana looks away, upset.

  CUT TO.

  INT. CAVE - NIGHT

  Alana turns her head.

  Hope is still drawing on the wall.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. WOODS - MORNING

  Hope crawls over a branch, high above in the trees.

  She stops and looks down, slowly taking out an arrow.

  She aims and fires.

  “Thwuk”, there's a low “grunt” off-screen.

  Hope smiles.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. WATERFALL - MORNING

  Sebastian sits by the pool, constructing several bows with antlers.

  HOPE (O.S)

  Papa, look!

  Sebastian turns his head and sees Hope holding up a dead pig.

  SEBASTIAN

  You got that all by yourself?

  Hope nods, smiling proud.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Well what you waiting for, go show your

  mother!

  Hope laughs and runs off.

  Sebastian smiles and returns to the bows.

  CUT TO.

  INT. CAVE

  Hope looks in. The fire it out. Alana is lying against the wall, half hidden in shadow.

  Hope hurries over

  HOPE

  Mama, look.

  Alana doesn't respond.

  Hope kneels down and nudges her.

  HOPE (CONT'D)

  Mama.

  Alana slowly stirs.

  HOPE (CONT'D)

  (smiling)

  I got something.

  Alana tries to turn - her hair now ghostly white, her face covered with wrinkles.

  HOPE (CONT'D)

  (stops)

  Mama?

  EXT. WATERFALL

  There's a scream in the distance. Sebastian spins around.

  CUT TO.

  INT. CAVE – NIGHT

  A fire burns. Alana coughs, lying in the Sebastian's arms. Hope stands against the wall, unable to do anything but watch.

  SEBASTIAN (O.S)

  Come on, one of these has gotta help.

  He takes some blue pulp from a mango and tries to feed her. Alana resists but then swallows a little.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Good good, take it down, take it down.

  She starts to choke.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Easy easy.

  He sits her up.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  -Let it go down.

  She vomits up the pulp along with blood. She sees the blood and begins to cry.

  ALANA

  -Oh God...

  SEBASTIAN

  It's OK, it's OK, you're gonna be OK.

  ALANA

  I'm scared, oh God I'm so scared...

  Sebastian holds her face up.

  SEBASTIAN

  Everything's gonna be all right, you hear

  me. You're gonna be fine.

  Alana closes her eyes, crying even harder.

  Sebastian sees the wrinkles over her hands.

  ALANA

  ... Hope... You have to take care of her.

  She's too important...

  Sebastian holds her face, fighting his own tears.

  SEBASTIAN

  Stop talking that way, we both will. We'll

  both take care of her.

  Alana looks at him, her eyes sickly yellow.

  ALANA

  (brittle)

  I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... It wasn't

  supposed to be like this... It wasn't...

  Her head sinks forward, resting against his.

  ALANA (CONT'D)

  Forgive me Sebastian.

  Sebastian stops... recognizing the name.

  ALANA (CONT'D)

  I did love you... You were the only one I

  ever did.

  She begins to choke again. Sebastian holds her close, rocking her gently.

  SEBASTIAN

  It's all right.

  He kisses the side of her head.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Everything's gonna be all right.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. WOODS – MORNING

  The sun rises. The morning mist fades.

  INT. CAVE

  Sebastian is asleep against the wall, Alana in his arms.

  We see dried blood and blue mango pulp on her white wrinkled cheek. Her eyes closed.

  Sebastian slowly wakes.

  He looks down and strokes her white hair, his finger running down the curve of her cheek.

  He slowly nods to himself.

  SEBASTIAN

  OK.

  Alana's hands are still over her belly.

  DISSOLVE TO.

  EXT. STREAM - DAY

  A spear is stabbed into the ground. Hope looks up at Sebastian, staring down at the grave.

  HOPE

  Why have we put mama in the ground?

  SEBASTIAN

  (beat)

  I don't know.

  HOPE

  Will we see her again?

  Sebastian doesn't respond.

  CUT TO.

  INT. CAVE - SUNSET

  Hope draws on the wall. A picture of Alana's grave.

  She pauses a moment then adds a tree, growing out of the grave, branches extending toward the sky.

  She stops and pulls back, staring at the image. No tears in her blue eyes.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. STREAM - NIGHT

  Reflection, moons and galaxies on running water... Sebastian walks by...

  He stops and looks up at the night sky. Cold silence surrounding him.


  He hides his face in his hands and cries.

  FADE TO BLACK.

  FADE IN.

  EXT. WOODS - TREETOPS - MORNING

  HOPE crawls forward, scanning the terrain below. She's now 13, taller, athletic. She turns her head and sees another branch.

  She slips her bow over her shoulder and leaps into the next tree, scanning again.

  Several pig-creatures are below.

  She aims an arrow and fires. The pigs scatter.

  She's about to climb down when she stops and looks aside.

  ... We see hills in the distance... Forests.

  She stares at them a long moment then forces herself down.

  CUT TO.

  INT. CAVE - DAY

  Sebastian rolls over, stirring awake. He's now older, heavier. He opens his eyes and stares up at the ceiling.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. CAVE - CLEARING - DAY

  A pig-creature is cooked over the fire, Hope doing all the work. Sebastian sits against the wall, quietly eating an apple.

  Hope glances at him.

  HOPE

  I was over by the hills. Saw some new

  game.

  Sebastian nods, still quiet.

  HOPE (CONT'D)

  (beat, hesitant)

  They're big, always in the same place. Out

  in the open.

  SEBASTIAN

  I don't want you going past the borders.

  HOPE

  It's not far out.

  SEBASTIAN

  No.

  Hope's face tightens.

  HOPE

  (beat)

  Why?

  Sebastian looks at her.

  She's serious.

  SEBASTIAN

  That's why.

  He points to the pig.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  And all this.

  He waves around.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  We have EVERYTHING we need right

  here.

  Hope turns away.

  HOPE

  (low)

  No, we don't.

  Sebastian looks at her again. He sees the frustration in her eyes.

  CUT TO.

  INT. CAVE - NIGHT

  Wall, stick figures have been added around Alana's grave.

  Sebastian looks aside and lowers his head.

  Hope is asleep by the fire.

  He exhales and finds himself drawing in the dirt.

  A semi-circle, a rectangle...

  EXT. BEACH - DAY (FLASHBACK)

  Alana listens.

  SEBASTIAN (O.S)

  “It's a map. A map to get us to where we're

  supposed to be.”

  INT. CAVE - NIGHT

  Sebastian looks down at the shapes. He draws some more... wavy lines to the left and right of the semi-circle...

  SEBASTIAN (O.S)

  “... whatever that thing up there was it was

  moving when it dropped us.”

  ... He adds another semi-circle...

  SEBASTIAN (V.O) (CONT'D)

  “The direction the sun falls...”

  The drawing now has two semi-circles, or islands, separated by an ocean, the wavy lines.

  Sebastian stops and looks up.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. STREAM - LATE NIGHT

  The spear remains over Alana's grave.

  SEBASTIAN (O.S)

  (beat)

  We have to go.

  Sebastian is on his knees, head low.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  If there are others I have to get her to

  them, while there's still time.

  He looks down at the grave, tears in his eyes.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  You were right. She is important... She's all

  I have left of you.

  He touches the ground.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  I will take care of her. I promise.

  Behind the trees nearby Hope watches.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. HILL - FOREST - DAY

  The two climb uphill, supplies on their back. Hope looks across at Sebastian. His eyes determined.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. LAKE - CLEARING - AFTERNOON

  A horse-like creature with antlers grunts, taking a cautious step forward.

  Hope smiles, holding out a branch.

  Sebastian washes his feet by the side of the lake.

  SEBASTIAN

  Be careful.

  HOPE

  It's all right, I think he's friendly.

  The horse-creature leans down and nibbles several berries on the branch. Hope smiles, watching it chew.

  HOPE (CONT'D)

  (to horse)

  Go on, have some more.

  The horse licks off the remaining berries and turns away, sniffing around for more food.

  HOPE (CONT'D)

  Have you seen ones like this before?

  Sebastian moves on to his face.

  SEBASTIAN

  No, but we didn't explore the hills much.

  Hope strokes a groove on the horse's back.

  HOPE

  You think we can ride them?

  SEBASTIAN

  (still washing)

  I don't think he'd like that much.

  Hope pauses, feeling the groove again. She glances at her father then climbs on.

  The horse “squeals”!

  Sebastian spins around just as the horse gallops off, taking Hope with him.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Hope!

  Hope holds on to the horse's neck, balancing herself.

  HOPE

  Papa!

  Sebastian runs forward.

  SEBASTIAN

  Jump down!

  Wings extend from the horse's sides.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  HOPE!

  Hope's eyes widen as the land beneath her drops away.

  The horse flaps its wings and rises higher. Sebastian watches as it disappears behind the trees, out of sight.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  HOPE!

  His voice echoes and fades... Sebastian trips back.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Hope!

  No answer.

  His hair gently blows aside. A flapping is heard.

  He turns around just the horse dives toward him.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  (ducking)

  Hope!

  The horse skims over the lake, trying to free itself of the rider. Hope finally slips off and bounces off its wing, crashing into the water.

  Sebastian leaps into the lake and swims after her.

  Hope emerges, coughing up water.

  Sebastian grabs her from behind.

  SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

  Hold on to me!

  Hope laughs.

  HOPE

  I was flying! Papa I was flying!

  Sebastian turns her around, gripping her tight.

  SEBASTIAN

  Don't you ever do that! You hear me!

  EVER!

  Hope sees the anger in his eyes.

  HOPE

  Yes papa.

  SEBASTIAN

  Come on.

  He swims them back to shore.

  CUT TO.

  EXT. CAMP - LAKE - SUNSET

  Hope's hair is still wet. She looks aside at Sebastian as he pokes the fire.

  HOPE

  (beat)