ACT 1

Scene 1. We open on a high shot. The CAMERA is facing down toward a residential street, the sun shining from behind. A MAN is walking down the sidewalk, and as the CAMERA begins to pan down and forward, it passes just over the MAN's head, and down the street. We see the street passing by, and the camera begins to turn to show us the entire street. We see the different colored houses, the MAN walking down the street, but no cars. We see no cars. The CAMERA begins to turn to one of the houses. On the door, we can read a sign. As we get closer to it, we can see that it proclaims to the world that the house belongs to THE WALKERS. As we move closer to the door, we dissolve into:

Scene 2. A quiet residential home. small knick knacks are on the shelves, and there are some pictures on the walls. Pictures of (we asssume) THE WALKERS. Pictures of the kids, the parents, the grandparents, and the relatives. Further inside the house, we can hear voices.

NATHAN WALKER

(inside the house)

Why not? Why won't you let me go? There isn't anything wrong with my going! There's nothing wrong with the place! It's been there longer then we have!

MARY WALKER

(also further inside)

It isn't the place I mind you going to. I've been there myself a time or two. It's the company you're going there with. You know what I think of people like that.

As the CAMERA continues to pan forward, we hear the voices growing closer. We move closer to the KITCHEN where the people are located.

NATHAN

(still off camera)

Do you have a problem with the people I choose for my friends? Why are you always dragging me down?

MARY

(also still off camera)

I'm not always dragging you down, Nathan. It's called concern for my son. I don't want you around people who are going to be a bad influence.

NATHAN

(during the following dialogue, the two conversers come into view)

SInce when are my friends a bad influence? You've met all of them! You've never come up with anything bad about them before!

MARY

(she sighs)

It's not the people, and it's not the place. It's... it's... it's a combination of the two. I don't mind you going there, and I don't mind you going anywhere else with your friends, but I do mind you going there with your friends. Their impulsiveness... it just makes me think something might happen.

NATHAN

How many times have I told you? Nothing will happen! We've been down there before. Hundreds of times!

MARY

But the stories-

NATHAN

I know all about the stories! Don't you think we've heard everything there is to hear about that place? We know the danger! We know what could happen, and what would happen if we stuck around. But each time-

MARY

(interrupting at the line "if we stuck around.")

Then why do you keep-

NATHAN

(interrupting before she finishes)

BUT EACH TIME... we have left when the slightest bit of danger presented itself to us. Now look, I'm 19 years old. That gives me the right to decide where to go with who, doesn't it? Isn't that what you told me when I was younger? "You can go where you want when you're 19, and I won't stop you." Isn't that what you said?

MARY

(sighing again)

Yes. That's what I said. And you're right. If you want to go, go. I won't stop you.

NATHAN

Thank you. Now I promise you, we will all be fine. We'll be going down there for the Ritual tonight, and then probably out for some pizza. I'll be back home and in bed by midnight, 1 o clock tops.

MARY

Alright.

NATHAN

Thank you.

(He leaves)

Scene 3. The Sidewalk outside. We see NATHAN exit his house, turn and close the door behind him. He walks down the street, whistling some tune that all the kids are into these days, and turns at the corner. He turns down a couple more streets, and walks into the central park of the neighborhood. There, he is greeted by his friends, SERA CORMIER, LAURA JANESON, and ANDREW WILSON. LAURA and ANDREW are holding hands as they walk, as is correct for a yong couple. SERA raises an eyebrow at NATHAN'S approach.

During the following dialogue, they are walking down the street, heading for their destination.

SERA CORMIER

She's actually letting you go? How did you manage to talk you mom into-

NATHAN

It wasn't easy. Trust me on that. How you all been?

LAURA

I've been alright. A little swamped with homework, but other then that, I'm alright. Andrew though, he's got a problem...

ANDREW

I do not....

LAURA

You do! Now tell them!

NATHAN

Yeah, what's up Andrew?

ANDREW

Ehhh, it's my mom. She went kinda ballistic on me too. Didn't want me to go today with you guys. She said she thought something bad was going to happen.

SERA appears surprised, and maybe somewhat scared, as if something weird were happening.

SERA

Your mom too? My mother did that. You think there might be something to that?

NATHAN

(exaggeratedly)

NO. It's just the normal parent over reaction to something new. Like the kids growing up or something. "Oh no, my child want s to go off and do something on their own... It can't possibly be safe if I'm not there!" That's the way my mom thinks anyway, an dprobably yours too.

SERA

Yeah, I s'pose you might have a point there. I don't know. It just seems weird is all.

ANDREW

Well, don't worry about it. It's just the Ritual. It's been going on as long as we've been alive, and since before our parents were born. Everyone knows about it, and no one worries about it. They even say it's an honor to be chosen. After all, aren't you moving on to a higher plane of existence? Isn't that what they say?

SERA

Well, yeah... but...

LAURA

` Sera, it will be alright. Don't worry about it. We'll be fine.

She sighs, and concedes, and they begin to walk. They walk off camera, and we

FADE TO BLACK

END OF ACT 1.

ACT 2

SCENE 1. The FOUR FRIENDS are standing in the middle of a large group of men and women, and children, and they are all looking around expectantly, wondering who will be chosen. Wondering who will leave them, and move on. The congregation is gathered in the center of the town, and there is a certain hush of expectancy. They are all waiting for something to happen.

LAURA

Is it always this slow? How long does it take?

NATHAN

I'm not sure. I've heard different stories that sometimes it can take days, and sometimes it can happen four or five times in a few minutes. I guess it's all up to the Outsiders to decide.

ANDREW

The Outsiders?

NATHAN

Yeah. Do you mean you haven't heard some of the stories about them?

ANDREW

No... not really. I mean, I've heard stories abou what happens at these Rituals, but never about... I mean.. why it happens.

NATHAN

(To LAURA) Have you heard? (To SERA) You?

Both shake their head no.

SCENE 2. The following monologue is a voiceover by NATHAN. While he speaks, the story he describes is viewed by us.

NATHAN

Well, way back in the beginning, there was no one. There was simply The Void. Then, one of the Outsiders- I'll explain that in a minute- built our world. Created it, you could say. They structured everything, and built it all, for us. But, we weren't hear yet, so maybe it wasn't for us. That was part of the stories I've heard that has always confused me, but let me continue.

There was the first generation placed here, and they were told that there are to be people gathered here at all times, because none know when the Ritual may take place. It was once like a... uhhh... well... like a way for the people to honor the Outsider, and there were songs, and dances, and... sometiems there were sacrifices, but apparently the Outsider didn't like the the sacrifices. Said it was making some of the other Outsiders unhappy, and quite disturbed in fact, so he forced them to quit.

Well, the people thought he meant everything, so they stopped the dancing, and the singing, and from that point, it was just the standing around waiting. The Outsider has not returned since then, though many at one of these Rituals have claimed to see him.

When they make their claim... when they say they see him, people will usually ask what he looks like, and the people will always say that they didn't get a good look at him. They just... caught a dark shade in the sky. Strangely, the people always seemed to see the Outsider just before the Ritual reached it's fulfillment and someone was chosen.

Now, as for what the Outsiders are, no one really knows. Sometimes, people at the Ritual will point to the sky, and say they saw something moving. A dark shadow of something moving, like a cloud of smoke. Usually, there might be some sort of sound just before someone is chosen. There's actually two sounds from all accounts I've heard. The first is usually like a little child saying something, but no one has ever been able to tell what. It may be a primitive language. A dead language if you will, but we cant' be sure.

The second sound people have said they hear is a ratcheting kind of sound. Whether these sounds are clues to what the Outsiders are, or why they created the Ritual, or what our purpose here is, I don't know.

So, the people gather here in this square, and they await the Ritual. We don't know why, and we don't know where we go, and we don't know what happens after, or who get's us.

It's all a mystery.

SCENE 3. Back to the congregation, and a focus on the group.

ANDREW

How do you know all that?

NATHAN

I did some studying, and some listening to some old people talking. They'll tell you alot if you'll just listen, you know.

SERA

How much of it is true?

NATHAN

I don't know. Some of it. All of it. None of it. I don't have a clue.

LAURA

Do you think anything will happen to us? Or happen today?

NATHAN

I wish I had an aswer for you, Laura. I honestly don't know. I hope something happens, but I hope it doesn't happen to us.

SCENE 4. We switch to a high shot, and look down at the crowd as it starts to jostle and move around, and coming in from the bottom of the screen, we can see a shadow starting to spread over the crowd, like something is moving in front of the sun.

SCENE 5. Back to the four friends. They look up, and are startled by what they see. Slowly, the CAMERA pans around, and looks up from behind them, and we see a shadow seeming to move across the sky. It's like a smoke cloud rising out of the far horizon, coming up over the sky, vaguely human shaped, but not quite. There's something distorted about it.

Scene 6. The camera focuses back on the FOUR FRIENDS, then moves in to a close up of Nathan.

NATHAN

The Ritual. It's begun.

On that note, we

FADE TO BLACK

END OF ACT 2

ACT 3

SCENE 1. The four friends. The day has gotten darker, and the people are pointing up at the sky, muttering over what is happening.

ANDREW

Is that...?

NATHAN

Yeah, I think it is.

LAURA

My God, an Outsider?

SERA

I Don't know about your God, but I believe in the Outsiders.

NATHAN

My God, it's actually happen. We're actually going to be part of the Ritual. Can you believe this?

LAURA

Yes, and I don't really want to be a part of it.

Out of nowhere, there is a faint, almost heavenly sound of laughter. Children's laughter. The FOUR FRIENDS look up anxiously. We close up on ANDREW'S face, and he asks

ANDREW

Did you hear that? Just like you said, Nate.

The camera pans over to Nate.

NATHAN

Yeah, I heard. God, this is weird. it's actually happening.

Just as he begins his last word, a sound is heard. Almost like a ratcheting sound, like some gears turning far above or below them. The CAMERA continues it's pan and centers on SERA

SERA

That sound.. it's like you said Nathan! It's really happening! It's really happening, Laura! Isn't this exciting Andrew?

There is no reply from Andrew, and suddenly, SERA begins to worry.

SERA

Andrew?

She turns to look, and the CAMERA pans back over, and we see that ANDREW has totally and completely disappeared.

LAURA

Andrew? Andrew? (growing more frantic) Andrew! Andrew where are you? Andrew, oh my God, Andrew this isn't funny! Where did you go?

She turns to look behind her, and NATHAN turns to look with her. There is another ratcheting sound, and she cries out, terrified at the sound, and jumps back. NATHAN looks all around, but doesn't see Andrew, and when he turns back, SERA is also gone.

NATHAN

Sera? Sera?

But SERA is gone.

LAURA

(by now, beside herself with Hysteria)

No!! This isn't supposed to happen! They weren't sposed to be taken! (She rounds on Nathan) Why did you drag us down here? WHy did you make us come?

NATHAN

(Taking her by the shoulders, and looking her in the eyes)

I didn't! You gusy wanted to come down here, just to see what it was about. It's not your fault, it's not mine. The fault is shared by everyone. We knew the risks coming in. Now pull yourself together. We have to get out of here, so someone will be able to tell Andrew and Sera's mom what happened. Alright?

She gulps, and shakes her head unsteadily, and then turns to go. She begins to walk back through the crowd, and we hear, faintly, another ratcheting sound.

She turns back suddenly.

LAURA

Nathan, what if-

She stops dead in the middle of her sentence, and we see the strangest look come over her face. It's like grief, despair, and hopelessness all fighting for the same space. The camera slowly rotates around her, and when it gets behind her, we see what she sees. Which is of course, just the crowd. there is no sign of NATHAN. He also has disappeared.

She screams then, and collapses on the ground. She curls up in a ball, and begins to scream again, louder this time, but no one pays any attention to her. Their attention is all riveted ont eh skies, watching, not paying any attention.

As we pull away from the screaming balled up figure on the ground, we hear another ratcheting sound, and a hole opens in the ground, and she falls through, disappearing completely, and then hole closes back up, like it was never there.

SCENE 2. A Toy store in Anytown, USA. We pan across the front end, over the registers, watching as people, children, candy and toy machines, cash registers, and items for purchase go sailing past, and we close in on a mother and four of her children, coming into the line. SHe smiles at the cashier, and places her items on the belt for her to scan. The cashier smiles back, and inquires hwo she is tonight. The mother replies that she is fine, thank you, and how are you? The cashier is doing well, as well.

1st Child

Oh, mommy! A toy machine! Can i have a quarter please? Please?

The other children, seeing the first one, want their fair share too.

Me too mommy! Me too! Can I have one too? Please Mommy? Hey, I want some too! Can I have a quarter mommy? Please?

The mother goes digging through her purse and pulls out four quarters.

MOM

Here you go. One for you, and you, and you and you. Now, nothing else until we get home, okay?

The children all agree enthusiastically, and rush over to the machines, giggling among themselves. Their shadows fall on the toy machines as they approach.

The first child slides her quarter in and turns the handle. With the normal ratcheting noise of the handle turning, we see the childs hand reach out, and pull a toy out of the slot in the bottom. It's an action figure of a teenage guy. The child looks it over.

1st CHILD

Wow! Cool!

The other children crowd around that machine.

Other Children

Hey, I want one of those! I want one too! Let me in, it's my turn! No, my turn! Move! Get out of the way, Brandon!

One by one, they come to the machine and stick in their quarter, and turn the handle. There is the ratcheting noise, and then they each receive an action figure. All told, there are two boys, and two girls. Annie, who received that last action figure of the day seems a bit disappointed.

ANNIE

I got a bad toy. This isn't that neat.

BRANDON

What's wrong with it?

ANNIE

Well, look, she looks scared. It's kinda scary. I don't know if I want this one.

BRANDON

I'll trade you for mine.

ANNIE

Okay.

They make the deal. She passes her figure, who strangely, is curled up in a ball, to him, and he slides his action figure over to her. Then, exclaiming over their new finds, they walk out of the store, following their mother.

Then, we

FADE TO BLACK

END OF ACT 3

FINISH