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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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