The Sickness Screenplay
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.

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               FADE IN:







               TITLE CARD:



               The Words "Dark is the day when goodness breeds it's deadly

               opposite" filter into view.







               EXT. SKY - ABOVE VALLEY - NIGHT



               Storm clouds creep across a distant mountaintop.  An ENTITY

               glides through the air.  It yaws, sweeping downward. 

               Shimmering lights from a valley below come into view.



               The Entity descends through a patch of haze.  It soars over

               suburban rooftops and dodges stately trees.



               Streaking down a slumbering street, the Entity quickly

               observes the passing homes.  Ahead, the Entity sees a two

               story upper middle class home.  It slows as though the house

               were familiar.



               Approaching the home, the Entity creeps to a stop.  It

               studies the home with an ethereal gaze.  Suddenly, the Entity

               rushes toward the roof.  It streaks through the structure of

               the house, slows and drifts into the bedroom of a teenage

               boy, Gabriel.







               INT. D'ANGELO HOUSE - GABRIEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT



               GABRIEL D'ANGELO, a clean-shaven, attractive boy of eighteen,

               lies in bed.  His powerful arms clutch a cluster of pillows

               as he sleeps restlessly.



               The Entity looms about.  It sees a television and DVD player

               sitting in an armoire.  Posters of professional running back

               Priest Holmes and the rock bands Tool and A Perfect Circle

               hang on plaster walls.  Everything is tidy and has its place.



               The Entity looks over to a desk.  A computer, football

               trophies and a picture rest there.  The Entity swoops over to

               observe the picture.







               IN THE PICTURE



               A dreamy, 14-year-old Gabriel stands with his sister SHAUNA,

               13, outside a school auditorium.  Shauna lovingly clings to

               Gabriel's arm.  MARCELLA D'ANGELO-LYNCH, Gabriel's mother and

               RUSSELL LYNCH, Gabriel's stepfather stands behind them. 

               Marcella seems proud.  Russell is not enthused.







               THE ENTITY



               Soars away from the picture.  It looks beyond Gabriel to

               another picture on a nightstand.  The Entity glides over

               Gabriel's stirring body.  It wafts down to observe the other

               picture.







               IN THE OTHER PICTURE



               A younger Gabriel, 7, and Shauna, 6, sit on a joyful,

               handsome man's shoulders.  The man is FRANCIS D'ANGELO,

               Gabriel and Shauna's deceased father.  The D'Angelo residence

               is seen beyond.







               THE ENTITY



               Drifts over to observe Gabriel's sweaty, quivering face.  The

               walls of the room elongate as the Entity floats toward the

               ceiling.  It pauses.  Suddenly, the Entity rushes toward

               Gabriel's face as the room snaps back to its normal

               dimensions.  With synaptic flashes, and burst of light the

               Entity SHRIEKS into Gabriel's mind.







               DREAM - GABRIEL'S HELL - NIGHT



               Crags of iron, claw up to raging Hellish clouds that drift in

               a decayed sky.  The Entity skims over decimated ground. 

               Crimson lightning shatters the sky.  Wind HOWLS perpetually

               as thunder RUMBLES and torturous SHRILLS echo in the

               distance.



               The beat of TRANCE MUSIC fades in as the Entity approaches a

               path leading into a darkened forest.



               Entering the forest, fingers of fog creep across ash-laden

               ground.  Racing footsteps approach as snapping bones and

               tearing flesh echo beyond the fog.  The Entity stops.



               Looking up from the fog, lightning lashes dazzle the forest

               illuminating spindly trees fused with human remains. 

               Infernal light slashes through the skeletal trees as they

               begin to squirm and waver.  Racing footsteps, snapping bones

               and lashes grow louder.



               Sitting in the fog amongst wavering trees, something quickly

               approaches from up ahead.



               With a great rumble, the trees lash out to capture a human

               blur as it streaks by.  The entity spins and pursues.



               The Entity skims across the fog.  It races up to naked feet

               dashing through ashy ground.  Evil CACKLES resonate in the

               distance.



               Looking up from the racing feet, waves of cadaverous branches

               snatch at a naked well built young man.  The branches snap as

               Venus Flytraps, tearing at the young man's flesh.  Heavy

               BREATHS and evil CACKLES resound.



               The Entity soars by the boy.  His identity becomes apparent. 

               It is Gabriel.  As he dashes from the skeletal forest, the

               trees strike out one last time to try to claim him.  Barely

               escaping, Gabriel races off.



               Gabriel streaks across a black desiccated plain.  His heavy

               BREATHS joined by evil CACKLES intensify.  CHAINS clatter in

               the distance.  Lightning rips through the sky.  THUNDER

               CRASHES.



               Ahead, Gabriel sees the faint silhouette of a bridge dancing

               in a brilliant pool of light that glares from beyond a dense

               charred forest.  He races on, his heart pounds.



               Gabriel approaches the bridge.  He peers harder to see that

               the bridge is also constructed of human remains.  A violent

               river of pitch crosses beneath the bridge.  Painful moans and

               gnashing teeth echo like turbulent water from the river.



               Gabriel races onto the bridge.  Below him, the river begins

               to boil.  Undead corpses rise to the surface in excruciating

               pain.  The corpses thrash about.  They mutilate and gnaw at

               one another.  Torturous sounds fill the air.



               As Gabriel races across the bridge it begins to waver and

               shake.  The bridge jolts violently.  Gabriel careens to a

               stop, he frantically looks around.



               With another jolt, Gabriel is tossed to the side of the

               bridge.  He crashes into the emaciated railing.  Almost

               falling off, Gabriel's upper torso hangs from the bridge. 

               Gabriel sees ravenous corpses climbing up to him.



               Gabriel scrambles to his feet as the undead overwhelm the

               bridge.  The bridge begins to CREAK and TEAR under the throng

               of undead bodies.



               Gabriel bulls through the attacking corpses.  A tremendous

               crack splits the air as ahead of Gabriel, a section of bridge

               snaps and crumbles into the river.



               Gabriel races for the collapsed section of bridge.  At the

               bridge's end, Gabriel throws himself into the air. 

               Soaring through the air, Gabriel reaches, stretching for a

               place to land.  The corpses below snatch at his soaring body.



               Gabriel crashes onto the bone cluttered banks of the river. 

               He tumbles to a stop.  Corpses slither from the pitch in an

               attempt to capture him.  On his prat, Gabriel kicks away the

               living dead.  He retreats desperately.



               Gabriel climbs to his feet and backpedals furiously.  He sees

               that the dismembered corpses on the ground are not a threat. 

               He turns away and gazes at the brilliant light.  He takes a

               ragged breath.  Suddenly, a fearsome cry blasts from

               elsewhere.  Gabriel spins toward the Skeletal Forest.



               With a great explosion of bone and dust, something bursts

               from the skeletal trees.



               Gabriel's eyes gape wide.  His body shudders. A SHADOWED

               FIGURE races from the haze of dust.



               Without hesitation, Gabriel turns and charges for the charred

               forest.



               Chains CLANG, a surcoat flows.  Ancient scythes glimmer in

               pumping claw-like hands.  The cloaked figure streaks across

               the plain with the grace and power of a cheetah.



               Racing, sandaled feet glide across parched ground.    

               Sinister CACKLES, SCREECHES and CLANGING CHAINS intensify.



               Gabriel races into the forest.  Charred remnants of tall,

               dense brush hinder Gabriel's pace.



               The Shadow dashes onto the bridge of corpses.  With its great

               speed, the figure rips through the corpses blasting each one

               he touches to pieces.







               THE CHARRED FOREST



               The spiny brush snatches and rips at Gabriel's skin. 

               Surrounded by the majestic remains of spear-like trees,

               Gabriel continues to run.







               ON THE BRIDGE



               The Shadow races toward the collapsed section.  With a

               graceful leap, the wraith-like figure soars across the river. 

               The figure lands without breaking stride and races into







               THE CHARRED FOREST



               The Shadow rips through the brush unabated.



               Looking through the glaring light, Gabriel can see a clearing

               beyond the brush.



               A shadow falls over Gabriel.  He glances over his shoulder.                                                         

               Gabriel flies through the brush into the clearing.      

               Except the clearing is not that at all, it is







               THE EDGE OF A CLIFF



               Gabriel slides to a halt.  His toes cradle the edge.  He

               spins.  CACKLES and SCREECHES form an earsplitting cacophony.



               Scythe blades glimmer in the darkness of the forest.  Within

               an explosion of wind, the Shadow's snarling, jackal like face

               and daunting frame are glimpsed as it rips through the brush,

               knocking Gabriel off the cliff.  Time stretches as Gabriel

               falls.







               SERIES OF SHOTS



               Flashes of Gabriel's subconscious:



               A) In an automotive garage, Gabriel is a toddler.  He assists   

               his father, Francis who is working on a black 1969 Mach   

               One Mustang.



               B) In a forest.  Gabriel, 6, and Shauna, 5, sit on a large       

               rock that overlooks a water hole.  They fish with their    

               father, Francis.



               C) Gabriel is fifteen, playing football.  He runs into an         

               end zone scoring his first high school touchdown.



               D) Visions of his sister, Shauna and his girlfriend,

               Jennifer.



               E) Gabriel, 8, lies in bed.  He hears a scuffle from his   

               parents' room.  Gabriel glances over to Shauna, 7, lying      

               terrified in her bed.  Protective Young Gabriel puts a       

               finger to his mouth "shushing" Shauna.  She hides under   

               her covers.



                                                                BACK TO

                                                              NIGHTMARE



               As Gabriel falls, he sees dark ominous water rushing up to

               meet him.  With a great explosion, Gabriel crashes into the

               water.  A glimmering milky substance bubbles to the surface

               as a feminine voice is heard from elsewhere.



                                   SHAUNA (O.S.)

                         Gabriel... Gabriel wake up.



               With a brilliant flash Gabriel's nightmare is over.







               INT. D'ANGELO HOUSE - GABRIEL'S BEDROOM - MORNING



               Zooming out from Gabriel's mind, Gabriel lies in bed still

               asleep, choking frantically and drenched with sweat.



               Wearing white flannel pajamas with cows leaping over the

               moon, Shauna, gently tries and wake Gabriel.  Terrified,

               Gabriel wakes.  He jumps and slides away from Shauna.



                                   SHAUNA

                         Gabriel it's me.  It's me, Shauna.



               Dazed, Gabriel realizes who Shauna is and settles.



                                   SHAUNA (CONT'D)

                         Another one of your nightmares?



                                   GABRIEL

                         Yeah.



                                   SHAUNA

                         Same one?



                                   GABRIEL

                         No, this was different.  It was

                         worse.



                                   SHAUNA

                         Worse?  God, will they ever just go

                         away?



               Gabriel shakes his head.



                                   SHAUNA (CONT'D)

                         Well... I'll let you get ready. 

                         It's a big day for you.



                                   GABRIEL

                         Thanks.



               Shauna leaves.  Gabriel collects himself.  Wearing only plain

               white boxers, he shimmies out of bed. 

               His pillow is drenched where his head once lay.  Gabriel

               steps into his bathroom and shuts the door.







               

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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.