| H O L E §& BY RICHARD KELLY Based upon the novel by LOUIS SACHAR DECEMBER 17, 1999EADE IN: EXT: TEXAS DESERT -- HELICOPTER SHOT -- SUNRISE We glide across the VAST TEXAS DESERT... flowing into the PURPLE SKY like a conveyor belt of GOLDEN SAND PAPER. NARRATOR (elderly voice) once... when it was still early in the twenty-first century... there existed a prison in a sea of sand. All signs of life in this place nad been destroyed by something terrible... and that something had dried up into the earth... and the earth was a prison for all mankind. We ‘approach a desolate road... stretching off into the foxizon... as a LONE SCHOOLBUS drives along leaving a thundering blaze of DUST behind it. We approach the SCHOOLBUS... where a LONE FIGURE can he seen through a dirty glass window. NABRATOR (cont’d) Phere was\ghyoung man named Stanley Kramer. Hoqcommitted a crime... and he was sent out into the depths of nowhere to be punished. INT: SCHOOLRUS -- NEXT Sitting HANDCUFFED in the MIDDLE SECTION of the Schoolbus is STANLEY KRAMER (age 16), a handsome young man with blue eyes and blonde hair. He looks out the window... his head almost resting against the glass. NARRATOR He did not feel sorry for what he had done... but feeling sorrow is not adequate punishment for such a crime. Feeling sorrow does not absolve the crime from the memory of the victims,,, if the victims are still breathing. Stanley looks forward to the GUARD driving the bus... as it begins to slow down. GUARD (yelling over the engine) You awake, Kramer?STANLEY Yes, sir. GUARD Welcome to Camp Green Lake: EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -~ NEXT The Schoolbus turns underneath an ANCIENT ARC SHAPED SIGNEOST that reads: WELCOME 70 CAMP GREEN LAKE. The sign is brand new. The Schoolbus follows the dirt road out towards a CLUSTER OF BUILDINGS in the distance. NARRATOR When it was all said and done people said that it was fate that sent him to the prison. Others said that it was mere coincidence... one of many coincidences that form the rhythm... guiding the children out into the unknown. The Schoolbus pulls up in front of the MAIN BUILDING. The engine cuts off with a shudder... and the guard leads Stanley out of the BUS... taking him inside. INT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- MAIN BUILDING -- NEXT warts, : While Stanley stends quietly against the wall, the GUARD signs several forms at « desk... behind which sits MISTER SIR (age 40). He has his feet up on the desk casually, chewing on SUNFLOWER SEEDS. The guard unlocks Stanley’s HANDCUFFS from his wrists and feet. GUARD Five hours here. Five hours back. (sighs) What a day. The guard heads out the door in a huff. Mr. Sir spits out 4 mouthful of sunflower seeds into the trash can, and then approaches Stanley. MR. SIR Stanley Kramer. My name is Mr. Siz. (beat) Whenever you speak to me you must call me by my name, is that clear?STANLET yes, Mister Sir. MR. SIR You answer to me now. INT: MAIN BUILDING SUPPLY ROOM -~ EXT Stanley is now dressed in a longsleeve BLUE JUMPSUIT MR. SIR You get three jumpsuits. Wash is every two weeks. Unfortunately fox you... we're out of sunscreen. Supply truck doesn’t come for two weeks. But by then... your skin will be nice and leathery. Mz. siz hands Stanley a shiny FIVE FOOT METAL SHOVEL. MR. SIR) (cont"d) You are to dig one hole each day, except Sundays. Bach hole must be exactly five feet deep, and five feet across in every direction. Your shovel is your measuring stick. Breakfast is served at 4:30. Mx. Siz turns toward the doorway. mR. SIR (cont’d) No one is going to baby-sit you. The longer it takes to dig, the longer you will be out in the sun. I£ you dig up anything interesting... anything at all... you are to report it to me ox any Othez counselor. When you finish, the rest of the day is yours. xine onan taza — et ptt Stanley and Mr. Six step out of thejaiz-conditioned building into the blazing heat. LARGE TENTS are assembled several hundred yards to the east. Stanley can see dozens of other prisoners milling about in theiz jumpsuits past the tents. MR. SIR Take a good look around you. (beat) What do you see? Stenley gazes across the expanse of DRY EARTH.STANLEY Not much. Mr. Sir feigns a laugh. MR. SIR You see any guard towers? STANLEY Wo. MR. SIR How about an electric fence? STANLEY Wo. MR. SIR There’s no fence at all, is there? STANLEY Wo. MR, SIR You want to run away? Stanley locks at him for a moment, unsure of how to respond. MR. SIR (cont’d) If you want to run away, go ahead, staxt running. I/m not going to stop you. Mr. Six smiles at him... revealing crooked yellow teeth. MR, SIR (cont’d) I see you're looking at my gun. Don’t worry. I’m not going to shoot you. (he taps his holster) This is for yellow spotted lizards. I wouldn't waste a bullet on you. STANLEY I’m not going to run away. MR. SIR Good thinking. Nobody runs away from here. We don’t need a fence. Know why? Because weve got the only water for a hundred miles. You want to run away? You'll be buzzard food in three days. Stanley stares at him silently, showing no emotion.MR. SIR (cont/d) When the buzzards start gnawing at your flesh... most likely... you/ll still be alive. (leaning in) So go ahead and run. ever waste a bullet. ‘cause I don’t Stanley does not flinch. ‘STANLEY Mister Sir... isn’t every bullet... a wasted bullet? Surprised at Stanley's aggressive demeanor, Mz. Sir raises his gun to Stanley’s face. MR. SIR Not if I hit the target right between the eyes. STANLEY But isn’t that an even greater waste? (beat) The waste of a living thing I mean. Mz. Sir does not follow. STANLEY (cont'd) I think that it is a far greater waste... when a bullet tears through flesh... destroying what God has built. (beat) cutting life short. Mister Siz's smile disappears. STANLEY (cont’d) I£ anything... when a bullet misses its target... well... I consider that to be a miracle from God. Me. Sir appraises Stanley for a long moment. He then takes out his CANT2ZN and takes a long, sloppy drink in front of Stanley in the searing heat of the midday sun. MR. SIR You thirsty, Stanley? STANLEY Yes, Mister Sir Mo, sic seas the cap ov the can ose allie pecbsonocphEXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- HELICOPTER SHOT -- NEXT We see FROM AN AERIAL VIEW the entire expanse of TENTS lined up on the edge of the camp. WARRATOR There were six tents at Camp Green Lake. Letters A through F. The first five tents were for the campers... assigned by age group. The counselors élept in TENT F. Stanley was assigned to &TENTP, Pendanski was his counselor. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAFE -- TENT D -- NEXT Stanley stands with his shovel across from PENDANSRI (age 35). He is a tall, more white collar-looking man than Mr. Six. PENDANSKI My name is really easy to remember. Three easy words: pen, dance, key. STANLEY Or two words: PENANCE and DYKE. (beat) Tf you re-arrange the letters a little. Pendanski smirks at this. Mz. Six drives by in a RED DODGE PICKUP TRUCK with a specially mounted REAR CAB holding several campers. He glazes at Stanley. PEUDANSKI Don't mind him. He’s just been ina bad mood ever since he quit smoking. The person you really have to worry about is the Warden. There’s really only one rule at Camp Green Lake: Don’t upset the Warden. Stanley and Pendanski walk out toward the vast lakebed. Stanley can see dozens of other CAMPERS out digging. PENDANSEI (cont’d) Twant you to know, Stanley, that I xespect you. I understand you’ve made some bad mistakes in your life. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here. But everyone makes mistakes. You may have done some bed things, but that doesn’t mean you!re a bad kid.They come to a stop in an area closer to the other Campers already digging. PENDANSAI (cont’d) I’m going to help you turn your life around, Stanley. But you're going to have to help. Can I count.on your help? STANLEY ves, sit. PENDANSKI Good. Now this is 2 good place to start. You know the rules. (beat) Do you like to dig, Stanley? Stanley looks at him silently for a moment. STANLEY Sure. PENDANSEI Digging»a hole is a healthy... therapeutic exercise. (beat) Do you know what THERAPEUTIC means, stanley? STANLEY sure. PENDANSKI What do you think it means? STANLEY I guess you could say it’s like therapy... that makes you want to puke. (beat) That/s what therapeutic means to me. Pendanski is once again taken aback by Stanley. He almost smiles at this. PENDANSEI okay then. Let’s get started. Pendanski begins to walk away STANLEY Pendanski? He turns around in his tracks.PENDANSEE Yes, Stanley? STANLEY You don’t have to be nice to me just because all of the other gounselors are assholes. (beat) here's nothing you can do to help me. There's nothing you can say that will make me believe that I am going to enjoy this experience. (beat) I know that the next eighteen months are going to be hell. Probably the worst year and a half of my life. Pendenski nods his head slowly. STANLEY (cont'd) So I only want you to be nice to me if you're ina good mood. If you're in a fad mood... feel free to act like an asshole. Because there’s nothing more depressing than someone whoss!jonly pretending to be your friend. Pendanski’s smile slowly returns PENDANSEI Here’s some advice from a friend, Stanley. (beat) shut your mouth and start digging. And then he is gone. land Stanley turns his eyes toward the cracked and scorched ground beneath his feet. He then takes his SHOVEL... and tries to jam it into the ground. The cracked sand is so hard that the shovel merely bounces off. Stanley tries agein.~s but the shovel won't budge. By the third try... he makes it through. MONTAGE Stanley marks the FIVE POOT SQUARE OUTLINE... begins to Gig in the center until the hole is about 35% finished. He stops to take a break... and notices another YOUNG MAN approaching him. It is X-RAY (age 15).X-RAY Hey. STANLEY Hey. X-RAY What’s your name? STANLEY Stanley. X-RAY Call me X-Ray. (beat) I've got X-Ray vision... you see. I can see through space and time. STANLEY (long beat) Wow. X-PAY Don’t worry... give you a couple a weeks... you'll have a stupid nickname too. (beat) You Imow... you're doing it all wrong. You gotta start your dirt pile further out, Remember... it’s all about compression STANLEY Compression? X-RAY The dirt. You see it’s all compressed. But when you dig it up... it gets all loose... takes up three times more space. (pointing over to another digger) You see? We see further down... a young man named ZERO (age 16). He is almost finished with his hole... and his pile is VERY LARGE. X-RAY (cont'd) that’s Zero. He don’t talk much... but that boy can dig like a sumbitch. He can dig faster than anybody at Camp Green Lake. STANLEY How long’s he been here?Lo. X-RAY About a year. People say he dug the very first hole. Right after the war ended. (beat) He don’t talk about it... and nobody knows for sure... but people say he killed someone. Stanley stares over at Zero silently. They make eye contact... and Stanley turns away. X-RAY (cont’d) So.¢. what'd you do? You steal somethin! ? STANLEY (beat) I don’t want to talk about it. X-RAY I understand, You probably did somethin’ stupid to get here just like me. They are silent for a moment. X-BAY (cont/d) Well... aren't you gonna ask me what I aid? STANLEY What'd you do? X-RAY Me and my friend Darryl... we stole a Slurpee machine from 7-11. Then we threw it off the roof of our school. STANLEY Roof testing stuff is cool... but why a Slurpee machine? X-RAY cuz when it smashes... all the Slurpee splatter like a sumbitch. It looked badass. But this lunchlady saw us do it, Stupid bitch. STANLEY That sucks. X-RAY Yeah... but I think it was worth it. (beat)X-BAY (cont'd) Well I gotta get back to diggin’... before the Warden comes by STANLEY The Warden? X-RAY Yeah, You'll know when you see him. (serious beat) whatever you do... don’t ever let the @arden see you slackin’ off. Ever. STANLEY Thanks for the warning. and then X-Ray is gone. ta. Stanley begins to dig once again. Suddenly. a voice calls out from behind vorce Hey! Rookie! THEO (age 16) approaches THEO You get sunscreen? STANLEY New. They were all out, Theo pulls out a bottle of sunscreen... and throws Stanley. THEO This is only eighty six. Try to get some one-sixty when the next supply truck comes. Barely any ozone in this sector since the war. You/1l still get a little burned... STANLEY But at least no Cancex. THEO Right. My name’s Theo. STANLEY stanley- THEO Did they give you three uniforms? STANLEY Yeah. it toTheo then There are 42. THEO Don’t alternate suits each day... thinking they’1l stay cleaner. The sweat and dirt will cause a rash eventually. Everyone tries it end regrets it. Don’t make the same mistake. STANLEY Five days per suit then? ‘THEO Right. (beat) So... what did you do? STANLEY (long beat) I’d xather not talk about it. THEO Sure, I understand. rolls up his sleeves... holding out his wrists. deep scars on both of them. THEO (cont’d) I tried to kill myself. So they sent me here (beat) And heze... I found God (beat) God taught me to love myself again And now I look forward to each day. I look forward to the digging. It helps me focus. It makes me stronger. (beat) whe Warden taught me this. STANLEY When do I meet the Warden? THEO (smiles) Soon enough. No one meets the Warden on their first day. STANLEY Is the first day the hardest, Theo? THEO No. People say that the second day is the hardest. STANLEY Way the second day?THEO Because that’s when you meet the Warden. Stanley is silent for a moment... nodding his head. THEO (cont’d) Good luck, Stanley. theo runs off toward his hole in a military-like trot. stanley then applied! soméySUNSCREEN... and begins to dig once again. MONTAGE Stanley has now dug out almost 75% of his HOLE. He Stops... looking down at his hands. They have begun to BLISTER. suddenly... another voice'can be heard from behind him. VOICE Hey: .. you smoke, rookie boy? STANLEY (turning around) Naw. I don’t smoke. ALAN (age 17) epproaches. He puts a cigarette in his mouth and lights it ALAM Give yourself a week. You’1l be smokin’. dust don’t let the warden see you. And bury your butts in the dirt. (motioning toward Theo) Theo give you some sunblock? STANLEY Yeah. ALAN (laughing) Good ‘ol Theo. That boy actually likes this shithole. You believe that? STANLEY don’t... know too much about this plece yet. (beat) But... I can’t imagine that there would be much to like about it.14a. ALAN You talk like you're from the suburbs. You from Dallas? STANLEY What's left of it. ALAN Tell me about it, So what’d you do? STANLEY (hesitates) ALAN You don’t wanna say. (beat) That’s cool. You ever see one of them high speed chases on IV? STANLEY Sure. All the time. They videotape most everything these days. ALAN Yeah... well that’s how I got caught. Thad a girlfriend... this big titty slut from Abilene. She made PCP brownies and we went joyridin’ in my Camaro... ran it through the front of a Jack in the Box. STANLEY (long sad beat) My sister got food poisoning from Jack in the Box. ALAN Yeah? I used to work there. STANLEY Figures. Alan laughs out loud. ALAN You're alright, Stanley. (turning beck to his hole) Hey... whatever you do... don’t ever use no foul language in front of the Warden. Mot even DAMN... and never HELL. You understand? STANLEY Damn straight.ase ALAN (smiling) See you in hell, Stanley! And then Alan is gone. Stanley then turns around and tries to Finish his hole He looks over and sees that @BRO has now completed his hole... and is sitting INDIAN STYLZ on the ground next to it, staring out at the LATZ AFTERNOON HORIZON. MONTAGE The sun is going down in a wake of PURPLE SRY. Stanley finishes his hole... just as the SUN IS BEGINNING TO SET, He takes his SHOVEL and places it against the vertical wall of the hole... measuring out FIVE FSET. From above... the RUMBLING of an ENGINE can be heard. Stanley awkwardly climbs out of his hole... trying to get his footing on the walls. He eventually climbs out... covered in sweat and dirt... his hands blistered. He looks EXHAUSTED. Tt is a DODGE PICKUP TRUCK... and Mr. Sir is driving. In the back of the cab are several campers... including X-Ray... Theo and Alan. Mr. Six turns off the engine and steps out of the cab. MR. SIP You finished yet, Stanley? STANLEY Yes, sir. MR. SIR You sure? STANLEY Yes, sir. Mx. Six is carrying a DIGITAL CLIPBOARD. It is dusty and battered... but still functional. On the DIGITAL CLIPBOARD, Mr. Sir touches a PLASTIC PENCIL to the screen. ‘he CLIBBOARD SCREEN shows an OVERHEAD MAP of CAMP GREEN LARE, Mz. Six touches the pencil to the screen... zooming in on an area SOUTHWEST of the main camp. On the COORDINATE MAP there are several dozen SQUARES marking other holes that have been completed... with the DATE, DIGGER, and GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES.as. MR. SIR Stanley Kramer. Your registration code is S.0.L. In free-hand, Mr. Sir draws out $.0.L. and the scribbles are translated into TEXT... with Stanley’s INFORMATION and PHOTOGRAPH on the SCREEN. MR. SIR (cont’d) Mark your hole, Stanley. STANLEY Excuse me? MR. SIR I said mark your hole. If you acknowledge completion of your hole. you scratch your registration code in the dizt next to it. And then #1. Stanley then scratches into the dirt next to his holi soL 1 Mr. Sit then approaches quickly. MR. SIR (cont'd) Give me your shovel. Stanley hands him his shovel. Mr. Sir takes it and then hops down into Stanley’s hole with the precision of a man who has done this many times. He then takes the shovel... holding it vertically and begins to examine the walls of Stanley’s hole. Stanley looks at Mr. Six nervously, and then gazes over at the others... staring at him from the back of the cab. They are mostly silent... but a few people have DEVIOUS SMIRRS on their faces. Mr. Sir then places the SHOVEL on one part of the wall... and the HANDLE to the shovel RARELY RISES ABOVE the edge of the hole. MB. STR (cont‘d) This isn’t five feet. Mc. Six’ then climbs out of the hole... handing Stanley back his shovel. MR. SIR (cont’d) This hole is not finished. (beat) Start over.27 Stanley stares at the hole... unsure of what to do. STANLEY Sir... you want me to start... over? MR. SIR Yes, This incomplete hole is elready marked. Start digging ancther one now. (pointing west) Over there. Mr. Sir then walks back to the truck. MR. SIR (cont'd) I’d get started quick. (beat) Te will be dark soon. qhen Mr. Six starts the engine and drives off... as the others STARE BACK AT HiM FROM THE CAB. Stanley is left alone... standing next to his INCOMPLETE HOLE. He looks up at the DARKEWED PURPLE SKY. He leoks down at his BLISTERED HANDS... and then picks up his shovel... walking several yards west... and begins to lig once again. MONTAGE As the sun goes down... Stanley digs alone. For the first time we pull back from above Stanley... into a HELICOPTER SHOT AT SUNSET... revealing HUNDREDS OF HOLES THAT COVER THE DESERT FLOOR around the camp. For the first time we see the ASTONISHING VOLUME OF WORK that has transpired to create this SURREAL LANDSCAPE. The helicopter shot moves over the CAMP BUILDINGS as the WORLD HAS CROWN COMPLETZLY DARK. We move in toward TENT D. INT: TENT D -- NEXT We see inside the LARGE TENT that there are TWO ROWS OF BEDS... with A DOZEN SLEEPING YOUNG MEN on either side. YW, Pendanski lets Stanley into the tent. PENDANSEI (wiping sleep from his eyes) I suggest you get to sleep as fast as you can Stanley... the sun comes up in about two hours.1s. PENDANSKI (cont'd) (pointing) that’s your bunk... down at the end. Stanley hobbles his weary body down toward the bunk... hearing the snores of the other prisoners. He falls to the bed... asleep within seconds FADE TO BLACK: INT; TENT D -- EAPLY THR NEXT MORNING A HARSH WHISTLE SOUND breaks through the silence STANLEY jolts awake. Mx. Six and Pendanski are walking through the tent.. blowing their whistles. Stanley looks over and sees that G2RO has the bunk to his jeit. THEO has the bunk to his right. They are quickly putting on their JUMPSUL?S. THEO I'd hutry, Stanley. A lot of times the breakfast runs out quick. INT: MESS HALL -- NEXT All NINETY-SIX campers are packed into the mess hall. here is only a small amount of groggy, early morning conversation. INT; MESS HALL SSRVING LINE -- NEXT Stanley is in line with X-Ray, Theo, and Zezo, DEREK, one Of the two COOKS at Camp Green lake, is standing behind the counter. X-PAY Hey, Derek... what is this horseshit? DEREE You don’t wanna know, kid. Just eat it and hope it don’t give you Cancer. X-RAT Would you eat this shit, Derek? DEREK Not a chance. THEO What do you eat, Derek?19. DEREE Pussy. X-RAY Derek, we both kmow there ain’t no pussy on Camp Green Lake. DBRER Sure there is. I’m lookin’ at one right now. cROUP Raaaaaaaawwu! The group continues to taunt X-Ray. IN]: MESS HALL -- NEXT Stanley is sitting with X-Ray, Theo, Alan, and Zero at a table... scazfing down WRETCHED FOOD. They are joined by DARREL (age 16) and ANTHONY (black, age 17) ALAN 506 Stanley... how was it lest night? You have to dig two holes? Alan shifts his eyes to the others with a knowing look. STANLEY Yeah. I coulda sworn I measured it right... but then. . X-RAY Don't worry, You measured xight. DARRYL It's atrick, Stanley. They always make you dig two holes on the first night. ANTHONY They might even do it again later on... just to keep you from ever slackin’ off. THEO It makes the rest of the days easier, Stanley. Now when you finish each day you'll only be using half of your energy. One... is a piece of cake. Stanley thinks for a moment. STANLEY What... are we digging for?20. The whole table is silent. Anthony and X-Ray look down at theix food. Alan eyes Theo. Zero almost smiles. THEO We're not supposed to talk about that, Stanley. (beat) The Warden forbids that. Just keep digging... and then you will discover the truth buried inside of you. The table is quiet for a moment. Alan pulls out a MAGIC MARRER and writes something on a NAPEIN... passing it over to Stanley. Stanley looks dawn... reading what he has written: BE CAREFUL. THEY ARE WATCHING AND LISTENING. Stanley looks back at the others... once again unsure what to think of things at Camp Green Leke. EXT: CAMP GREEN LARS COURTYARD -- Wax? All ninety-six CAMPERS are now assembled in @ GIGANTI! CIRCLE FORMATION. They all hold their SHOVELS... and their matching jumpsuits build a circular WALL OF ORANGE. In the center of the circle is A FLAG POLE... which carries an ANERICAN FLAG at HALF MAST. ‘All SIX COUNSELORS, including Pendanski and Mz. Siz, are assembled in the center of the circle... in a line formation. At the base of the FLAG POLE is a HUMAN BODY. The BODY is wrapped neatly in a WHITE SHEET... and is placed with its head next to the base of the flag pole. Suddenly, several of the campers in the circle across from Stanley move aside... as the WARDEN steps through. The WARDEN (age 52) is an TALL and IMPOSING MAN with a SHORT, MILITARY CREW CUT WARDEN As you know... Camp Green Lake has recently lost one of its Campers. (beat) Twelve days ago... Jonathan Gaines disappeared off the Southwest Sector after sunset... and has not been seen since then.Bas WARDEN (cont’d) (beat) Yesterday afternoon... his body was discovered by one of the counselors... thirty-two miles from here. The campers are 211 silent. A few whispers can be heard WARDEN Let this be a reminder... to anyone who chooses to run. (beat) Running... will get you nowhere (baat) and if you don’t believe me... asi Jonathan Gaines! The camp is silent. WARDEN Ask him if it was worth the risk. Ask him if it was worth... never seeing his family again. Ask him if it was work the pain and suffering that his mother will feel for the rest of her lite. The camp is silent. WARDEN (cont’d) Jonathan Gaines. SAY HIS NAMB! CAMPERS (in perfect unison) JONATHAN CAINES! The camp is silent. WARDEN Jonathan Gaines will nevez knoW the Glorious victory of a long and moral life. (beat) Jonathan Gaines committed suicide. (beat) In God’s eyes... there is no greater ox more cowardly sin... than suicide. (beat) Stiicide is the medicine of cowards. and there is no reward for suicide in God’s kingdom. The camp is silent. WARDEN (cont’d) Jonathan Gaines will never know the glory of God’s kingdom.22. Stanley stares across the circle at Jonathan Gaines! body... and then moves his eyes up toward the Warden. vor a moment... Stanley is almost certain that the Warden is staring back at him. EXT; CAMP GREEN LAKE -- EAST SECTOR -~ NEXT Stanley is almost 50% finished with his hole. He looks over and sees that ZERO is standing next to him. ZERO You'te... sleeping in his bunk. Stanley looks confused... and somewhat intimidated by Zero. STANLEY Who? 2BRO Jonathan Gaines. You filled the space that he left open. STANLEY (leng beat) Did you know him? 2BR0 Not really. He didn’t tall much. Seemed kinda sad. STANLEY Sounds like... the two of you had « lot in common. zero smiles. EERO the way I figure it... why talk unless you've got somethin’ important to say? Stanley smiles at this. EERO (cont'd) Most people I know who talk all the time, always tryin’ to be the center of atcention... tryin’ to prove to everyone how tough, funny, or smart they are... they got the most to hide. STANLEY (beat) I guess everybody's got something to hide.a3. fero looks down at the cracked Barth. BERO pid they tell you that I killed somebody? Stanley looks at Zero long and hard. ZERO (cont'd) Yeah. They said that. Zero looks for a moment as if he is about to say eemething... but then he simply turns and heeds back to his hole. Stanley Watches him walk off... Imowing somehow that this will be the first of many conversations with Zero. MONTAGE Stanley is now 95% finished with his hole... when Suddenly... his shovel HITS SOMETHING. He xeaches his hand down into the loose soil and teels @ Happ WHITE OBORCT, He digs down further... and sees thet the white object is elongated. He evéitually gets it loose... and we see that it is a BOWE. Stanley examines the bone closely. [SOUNDTRACK: We hear the screams of children... echoing into the hum of a truck’s engine]. Stanley hears someone approaching from above. Stanley takes the bone and puts it into the pocket of his jumpsuit. He then climbs up from his hole... with moze coordination than before. He steps out of his hole and sees that it is Pendanski driving the WATER TRUCK. PENDANSKI Weed a refill, Stanley? Stanley hobbles quickly over to the truck with his CANTEEN. Pendanski takes it, and turns the nozzle on the TANK... water flowing into the canteen. He hands it back to Stenley, who takes a long, desperate swig.24a. PENDANSKI (cont’d) Easy now, that hes to last you until tomorrow. We ration out the water here, Stanley STANLEY (lowering the canteen from his mouth) Yes, sir PENDANSET Let me see your hands. Stanley holds them up, revealing his BLOODY and BLISTERED palms Pendanskicringes at the sight of them. PENDANSEI (cont’d) I guess I’ve seen worse... but let me tape them up anyway. cum 70: RXT: CAMP CPEEN LAKE -- EAST SECTOR -- MOMENTS LATER Stanley now has sevezal layers of TAPE on his hands. STANLEY Thanks, Mom. Pendanski gives Stanley q look that is almost angry. STANLEY Pendanski, why the hell would you want this job? Don’t you have a wife or kids to tend to? puts his FIRST AID KIT in the truck PEMDANSEI My wife was killed, Stanley. STANLEY In the blast. PENDANSEI (long beat) Yes. In the blast. STANLEY So... why azen’t you out trying to find a new wife? Why didn’t you move far away... like most everyone else did?28. P2NDANSEI (beat) Why don’t you keep digging... andistep asking so many questions. STANLEY Sorry. Stanley turns back to the hole. Pendanski gets back into the water truck. Stanley then stops... and pulls out the BomE from his pocket. STANLEY (cont/d) Pendanski? PENDANSEI What now? STANLEY (holding out the bone) I found this... buried. Pendanski gets out of the truck... taking the bone from Stanley, examining it closely. PENDANSKI Looks like a radius... or ulna. Pendanski takes a deep breath, PENDANSKI (cont‘d) Is this the only one that you found? Did you dig around it? STANLEY There could be more. I didn’t have’ time to check. This just happened, Pendanski takes a deep breath... contemplating what to do. PENDANSKI Next time you find a bone, oz anything... tell.me immediately. (beat) Now we have to do an excavation. Pendanski turns toward some of the other diggers... who axe now FILLING THE CANTEENS from the water truck. PENDANSEI (cont'd) Excavation team! Four men!26. upon hearing these words... several campers... including pian, X-Ray and Theo, SPRINT OVER WITH EAGER ANTICIPATION. PENDANSKI (cont’d) Alright! You three! (beat) We’ ve got another body. (curning to Stanley) Looks like you lucked out, Stanley. You get the day off tomorrow. EXT; CAMP GREEN LAKE -- BAST SECTOR -- MOMSNTS LATER Stanley, Theo, Zero, Alan and X-Ray are all digging around the edge of Stanley’s hole. There is a WHITE SEANEED laid out on the desert floor off to the side. on the blanket they have placed the ULNA and the bones to he RIGHT HAND in their place at the end of the ARM BONE. X-RAY Damn you, Stanley! Second day and you gizeady found a body! Lucky-ass bitch. Why can’t I get a break? ALAN shit... I been here a year and still never found a goddamn body. THEO I found one onces (beat). It was a little baby They dig silently for « moment. Pendanski paces around by his truck impatiently. There is a WALRIZ TALEIZ in his hand. PEUDANSKI (into walkie talirie) ves six. Just an arm so far. Looks like there’s lots more. Buried pretty fax down. They have now unearthed the entire RIGHT HALF of a HUMAN SKELETON X-RAY, I always wanted to be an archeographer. ALAN Archeologist, dumbass.27. X-RAY Same difference. (to Stenley) Stanley, listen man... I been heré almost a year... and I never found nothin’. You're gettin’ the day off tomorrow... and you just got here. ALAN Oh... here we go. Don’t fall for this, Stanley. STANLEY It's not my fault that I have good luele THEO Luck is God’s fault. X-RAY Listen... all I’m sayin’ is if you find somethin’ else any time soon. give it to me and let me turn it in so I can get my day off. ALAN Don’t give him shit, Stanley. He don’t deserve it. X-RAY (to Alan) Shut up, but nugget! I dig harder than anybody here! THEO Not harder than Zero. No one digs harder than Zero. Stenley thinks for a moment... looking down at the emerging skeleton. STANLEY Alright. You got a deal. The others axe surprised at Stanley’s generosity. ALAN (outraged) You cotta be kiddin’ me. Stanley you'ze a goddamn fool. cur to:28. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- EAST SECTOR -- MOMENTS LATER The ENTIRE SKELETON is laid out on the blanket. Thexe are crusts of dirt and rock still attached to it... but they have done a fairly decent job of plecing all of the bones in the right places. It stares back at them ominously. STANLEY I wonder what she was doing when it happened. X-BAY How do you Imow it was a she? STANLEY The height. Hips and shouldezs. ALAN He's right. Defimitely a woman. Maybe five foot three. Theo approaches from the hole... carrying a tattered and dizt-covered piece of CLOTHING ‘THRO Found some clothing! Pendanski approaches from the truck. PENDANSKI All finished here? STANLEY Looks like it. Theo examines the tettered rags... and sees that there is « LABEL on then. He smears mud off of the SEWN LABEL and sees that there ds a NAME SEWN IN CURSIVE: Diane THEO Her name was Diane. (beat) Looks like she was a waitress... at Bob’s Big Boy... or somethin’.29. Pendanski suddenly looks up from his DIGITAL CLIPBOARD for a moment... his eyes WHITE WITH FEAR. PENDANSKI What did you just say? Pendanski approaches Theo quickly. PENDANSEI (cont’d) Let me see that! Pendanski examines the label closely. Over by the SERLETON, Stanley is now examining the RIGHT HAND. He scrapes a hardened chunk of crusted dirt off of the left RING FINGER BONS... revealing a DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING: STANLEY Qhere’s a diamond ring on her finger. Stanley carefully removes the xing from around the bone... examining it. pendanski approaches Stanley with nervous anticipation: PENDANSEI Let... let me see it. Stanley does not hear him. PENDANSEI (cont’d) Give me the goddamn ring, Stanley! Stanley gives Pendanski the ring... and he begins to examine it closely... his face still white. With his thumb he wipes away dizt from the interior of the band... where there is an INSCRIPTION. PENDANSKI (cont'd) My God. Imees. Pendanski falls to PENDANSEI (cont’d) My Diane... oh dear God... it is my Diane. Pendanski looks over at Stanley... who looks almost afraid to move And then Pendanski begins to cry.30. INT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- SUNSET We pull back from this scene into another HELICOPTER SHOT... gliding ominously over the SEA OF HOLES. NARRATOR We used to say that coincidences were God's way of reminding you that he was scill around. That he was watching... every moment... of every day. (beat) That was when I came to be certain that he Was watching Stanley. INT: TENT B-- SUNSET Pendariski is curled up on his cot... his face a mask of detached sorrow as he holds his dead wife’s engagement zing up into the light. WAPPATOR Pendanski told us to take the bones to the incinerator. And that was all we heard from him for quite some time (beat) Part of me thinks that sometimes... if the timing is right, coincidences can scare people half to death. INT: INCINERATOR ROOM -- NEXT We move ecross DOZENS OF HUMAN SEULIS stacked neatly on metal shelves along the edge of the storage room. We then see Stanley and the others standing in front of the large incinerator... the women’s SEELETON laid out on the blanket on the cement floor in front of them. They all stare down at Diane’s remains... unsure of what to say. ALAN Should we say something? X-RAY It’s a little late for that. It’s been six years. THEO No... he’s right. We should say something. Stanley leans down and picks up Diane’s SKULL from the blanket. He stares at it closely.ai. THEO (cont'd) May the lord grant you eternal peace in the kingdom of Heaven X-RAY That don’t make no sense. If she’s in Heaven, she already been thexe for over a year. And if she ain’t in heaven there sure as hell ain’t nothin’ that we can do for hex now. ALAN He's xight. Her fate’s alzeady been decided. (picking up her bones) We'xe just cleaning up the remains. In the end... that’s all the living can do for the dead. (beat) Clean up the remains... and hope one day that you might xun into them on the other side. they begin to toss her bones into the incinerator. Stanley still stares at the SKULL. He rubs his thumb across Diane’s right cheek bone. There is a hint of sadness behind his eyes. CUT 10: [FLASHBACK] INT: BOB’S BIG BOY -- BVENING We see DIANE as a YOUNG WOMAN... standing against the wall of the BASEMENT ENTRANCE BREAK ROOM... SMOKING A CIGARETTE as other WAITERS and BUS BOYS scurry around behind her in the kitchen. Agter taking a drag... she looks out toward nothing in particular... as if preoccupied by something. Suddenly... a BLAST OF WHITE SNVELOPS HER. cur vo: INT: INCINERATOR ROOM -- NEXT Stanley JOLTS out of his DAYDREAM... and he is still holding her skull... while the others pile the last of her remains into the incinerator. He then carefully places her sill onto the metal shelf ‘at the end of a long line of them... their empty sockets staring back at him.INT: TENT D -~ NEXT Stanley, freshly showered, approaches his cot,.. seeing that on the wall above it there is still a tag that xeads: GAINES. on the bunk next to Stanley’s... Zezo is laying on his back. 2ERO No one here get’s out alive... STANLEY (turning around) Waat did you say? ERO Nothing. I was... just singing... Jim Morrison? The Doors? STANLEY Oh, yeah. ZERO We'll get out of here alright, Stanley. As long as we play by the rules... dig between the lines. Stanley pulls JONATHAN GAINES’ ID TAG off of the wall STANLEY Why did he run? ZERO I don’t know for sure. But I’ve got my opinion. STANLEY And what’s your opinion? ZERO He was a week away from turning eighteen. He got denied parole... due to serve a life sentence in real jail. Adult jail. STANLEY Saw his shot at an escape... and he took it? 2ERO That’s what most runners are thinking. After putting up with this place for 0 long, they can’t even imagine what it must be like to live inside e jail with bars.a2" STANLEY Maybe this place isn’t so bad after all. ZERO The best part about it is the repetition. STANLEY Repetition? ZERO Yep. Digging a hole every day. The repetition of it... makes time move faster in your head, But if you were to do something different each day... your mind would be constantly distracted by new ideas. And that’s when time moves the slowest. When days start to feel like weeks. STANLEY I feel like I’ve been here two weeks already... but it’s only been two days. 2ERO (rolling ovex) You just wait, Stanley. (beat) You just wait. Stanley then lays there for a moment... closing his eyes- CUT TO: [FLASHBACK] EXT: SWIMMING POOL -- UNDERWATER [SOUNDTRACE: We hear the SCREAMS OF CHILDREN splashing and frolicking in the pool]. A LITTLE GIRL (age 7) swims toward the camera... smiling ear to ear. The FOV CAMEPA then rises to the surface. cur To: INT: TENT D -- NEXT stanley opens his eyes once again... rolling over to his right... where THEO is writing in his DIARY. He looks down at the MBTAL RAIL of Theo's cot... and sees that someone has scratched something into it:34. ‘BURY THE PAST. Stanley slowly closes his eyes... as the words DARE HIM TO FORGET... EXT: TEXAS SUBURBS -- DAY [SOUNDTRACK: dream-like screaming children...] We crane down to the BACKYARD of a midsize RANCH HOUSE on a middle class suburban street. Thexe is a SWIMMING POOL... and there is a POOL PARTY in full swing. Dozens of KIDS are CHICKEN FIGHTING in the pool... water splashing everywhere. Adjacent to the pool, in the YARD... there is a SLIP i’ SLIDE going. We STEADICAM throtgh the crowd of children... teenagers and parents... following YOUNGER STANLEY (age 15) as he runs along the edge of the pool with e HUGH SUPER-SOAKER WATER GUN. ID'S VOICE Hey Stanley... over there! Stanley then heads over toward the GRASS SECTION of the yard where the Slip K’ Slide is set up adjacent to the BACK PATIO. ‘A LARGE BANNER hangs on the back of the house. It reads; HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBECCA! Stanley turns toward the house... where his’ SISTER REBECCA (age 8) is standing in a line of other LITTLE GIRLS. They are all wrapped in TOWELS... and are POSING FOR A PHOTOGRAPH. Stanley's FATHER... JOE KRAMBR (age 38) is standing across from the girls with a CAMERA. JOE AL right girls... on three. One... two... three. gust before Stenley’s father can snap the photograph Stanley launches the Super-Soaker... sending a GIANT STREAM OF WATER in the girls’ direction.35, As they get hit with the water... they el] FLEE SCREAMING. Stanley's MOTHER... SUE KRAMER(age 35) comes out, of the house. SUB 1 Get inside.:. now! Stanley's father then grabs the Super-Soaker from Stanley and hands it to REBECCA... who is angrily waiting to exact her revenge. JOR Fire away, sweetheart. REBECCA (aiming the pistol) you're such a jerk! She then sprays him with water./. but he quickly runs towazd the house. STANLEY Too! slow! INT: KRAMER HOUSE KITCHEN -- NEXT stanley bounds inside through the sliding glass door where his mother is placing the candles on Rebecca’s BIRTHDAY CARE. SUE I want you to carry your sister’s cake outside and lead the singing. STANLEY Awww... Mom! Way me!? sua Because I asked you to. And because it will mean a lot to her. STANLEY I’m not doin’ it. SUE Then you’re not getting any cake. (beat) And Jimmy and Randy can’t sleep over tonight. . She raises her eyebrows... knowing that she has him on the ropes.36. STANLEY That’s blackmail. You can’t do that. SUB (exasperated) oh... I can’t? Watch me! Sue then holds out the birthday cake... and Stanley reluctantly takes it from her. He gives his mother a SNEER... and then moves outside with it. EXT: KRAMER HOUSE BACKYARD -- NEXT Stanley comes onto the back deck carrying the cake with its 8 LIT CANDLES. STANLEY (loud and obnoxious) Happy Birthday to you... The rest of the crowd begins to join in singing. Rebecca smiles. STANLEY (cont'd) Happy Birthday dear Rebecca... He pleces the cake on the PICNIC TABLE in front of her. STANLEY (cont! d) Happy Birthday to you. Everyone claps as Rebecca approaches the cake... wrapped in her towel... smiling ear to ear. STANLEY (cont'd) Happy Birthday, stupidhead. Don’t forget to make a wish. Rebecca then sticks her tongue out at Stanley. And leans down to blow out her candles. [wovz: Just as Rebecca leans down toward the cake... we go into SLOW MOTION as she extinguishes her candles]. EXT: SWIMMING POOL -- LATER [NoTE: The following sequence is also in SLOW MOTION]. we see Stanley and several other CHILDREW ambush the swimming pool. We follow Stanley as he runs around the, edge toward the DIVING BOARD.32. He runs to the end... bouncing off the edge... UP INTO THE AIR. Just as Stanley has reached his PEAK HEIGHT... THE SKY EXPLODES WITH WHITE LIGHT. INT: UNDERWATER -- NEXT we follow Stanley as he plunges into the BLUZ WATER. seeing the FLAILING ARMS AND LEGS of the other children... as the water suddenly has taken on A SURABAL WHITZ GLOW... slowly fading back to normal. EXT: SWIMMING POOL -- NEXT Stanley rises to the surface to the SOUND OF SILENCE... and he LOOKS UP AT THE SKY. A GIGANTIC MUSHROOM CLOUD IS FORMING. As the WHITS CLOUD looks down on him from the blue sky Stanley looks up in horror... desperately treading water as people begin to SCREAM... parents grabbing their children from the pool. cur To: (Wore: REPEAT SHOT IN SLOWER MOTION] once again we see Stanley jumping off the diving board into the white blast... WAPFATOR Every generation has its moment of disaster... a moment in time when suddenly the world takes one giant step backward. We see Stanley... treading motionless in the pool as people panic around him. WARRATOR (cont'd) one might say that for our grandparents’ generation... it was the moment of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Stanley's father screaming for him to get out of the pool. NARRATOR (cont/d) And for our parents’ generation... it was the moment of the disastrous explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.38. sue Eramer, carrying Rebecca in her arms... frantically running through the house. WARRATOR (cont/d) And for us... it was the moment that someone set off a nuclear weapon seventy miles southwest of Dallas, Texas. WIDE SHOT of the MBIGHBORHOOD STREET... as people run from the MUSHROOM CLOUD toward theiz cars. cur To: Iu?; TENT D -- NEXT Mr. Siz’s WHISTLE pierces through the morning... as Stanley awakens from his dream. Me. Sir approaches as everyone sluggishly gets out of their beds. MR. SIR What are you doing, Stanley? STANLEY , I’m getting ready for breakfast, sir. MR. SIR (cont'd) You don’t have to get up... you get the day off. STANLEY Six... I would like to eat breakfast with the others. And, if it is OF, would like to put my day off... on layaway... and use it at a later date if possible. x. Six gets in his face. He then gives him a long, hard look. MR. SIR what the hell do you think this is? STANLEY six... if I may be completely honest... I’m worried that the others will resent me... for getting so lucky this early. (beat) sir. Mz. Six slams Stanley into the wall.39. MR, SIR Listen here and listen good. You go and eat your breakfast. And then you take your day off. You take your day off and thanle your lucky stars that the opportunity has been provided for you. Mr. Six then turns and storms off. MR. SIR (cont'd) (to the others) LEr’s Go! Stanley catches his breath... looking around at the others, seeing if everyone witnessed the encounter. And of course... they all did. Alan isismiling. Zero is ‘@imost laughing... shaking his head. X-Ray approaches. X-RAY (patting Stanley on the back) Layaway plan. What the hell you think this is, Sears? INT: MESS HALL SERVING LINZ -- NEXT the group approaches DERSK once again... who is setting out the trays of DISGUSTING FOOD. X-RAY Hey Derek... that hair net makes you look awful sexy! Where can I get me one of them? DEREK (quick to return) Funny you should ask, X-Ray. Istole this one off your monma’s head last night! Derek makes a HIP GRINDING MOTION with his hands down at his crotch... as if he were holding onto a woman’s head while she is performing fellatio. GROUP AwUNUOTWWw |! | once again, X-Ray has been destroyed by Derek. Alan goes to give Derek a HIGH FIVE. ALAN (to Derek) Give it here ‘ol boy!40. DEREE (nigh five) can’t knock the haix net! Don’t want no longhaizs in yer food do ya? ALAN Hell no. ANTHONY Don't want no shorthairs cithez, Derek. DERER Too late for that. GROUP AMMTWWWUUNWT | |! INT: MESS HALL -- NEXT Stanley and the others are scarfing down theix food. THEO So Stanley, what are you gonna do with your day off? XORAY Go sleep! Sleep the whole friggin’ day! ‘THEO Don’t listen to him, Stanley. Never sleep in if you get a day off. It spoils you. ALAN Serews up your equilibrium. X-RAY Sexew that! Take it when you can get it. Sleep is better than anything in the world. Stanley thinks for a moment. STANLEY 1 don’t wanna sleep. What else is there to do around here? ZERO The rec room. Go to the zec room and listen to some music. X-RAY What music? They ain’t got crap to listen to!41. ALAN Stanley don’t listen te none of your country music bullshit! Stanley’s from the suburbs! 28R0 You know... there’s a theory that country misic is what started the war. That the most dangerous weapon on earth isn’t the bomb... but bad taste in music. ANTHONY Bad taste. Now that’s the definition of White American Culture if you ask me. X-RAY Aw shut up! You can take your Wi...egxo rap and shove it up your as: ANTHONY You were gonna call me a nigger! X-RAY (defensive) I said negro! THEO (conceding) He said negro. ANTHONY But he meant nigger! X-RAY I said negro! I ain’t no racist! ANTHONY You better not let the warden near none of that shit... he'll bury your fuckin’ ass! Suddenly the table goes DEADLY SILENT. Anthony realizes that has said too much. The entire table appears nervous "as if expecting someone to come over to the table. gero then breaks the silence. ZERO Go to the rec room. Relax, Stanley. That’s where we hang out at night.42. ZERO (cont'd) It will give you something to look forward to. EXP: CAMP GRZZN LAKE COURTYARD -~ MSXT Stanley walks through the courtyard... as dozens of other campers walk by with their shovels... jumping into their assigned TRUCKS... where the counselors will take them out to their assigned sectors. two other CAMPERS approach Stanley... giving him a weird look. CAMPER #1 (to his friend) He's the one. He’s the one I told yon about. CAMPER #2 He found Pendanski's wife? CAMPER, #1 Yeah. Right next to Pendanski. As they pass... they look at Stanley in awe. INT: REC ROOM ~~ NEXT Stanley walks through the door of the REC ROOM. It is a fairly large, rectangular room with two COUCHES, a battered FOOSBALL TABLE, a battered POOL TABLE, end a battered JUKEBOX. He walks slowly over to the Jukebox... and begins te Shuffle through the limited number of COMPACT DISCS. There are only FOUR O£ THEM in the DISC CASES. LED 2EPELLIN: FOUR NIRVANA: UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK CREDENCE CLEARWATER BEVIVAL: GREATEST HITS METALLICA: METALLICA STANLEY (shuffling through) geppelin. Nirvana. Credence. Or... Metallica. (beat) Oldies I can handle. He hits the buttons for Metallica... SONG #4. After a few moments, METALLICA’S “THE UNFORGIVEN” booms over the loudspeakers.43. Stanley backs away from the Jukebox slowly, intoxicated by the guitar and drums. METALLICA New blood joins this Earth/ And quickly he’s subdued/ Through constant pained disgrace/ The young boy learns their rules Stanley begins to ROCK OUT to the music. METALLICA (cont’d) With time the child draws in/ This whipping boy done wrong/ Deprived of all his thoughts/ The young man struggles on and on he’s known Stanley begins to play AIR GUITAR. METALLICA (cont'd) A vow unto his own/ That never from this day/ His will they’1l take away Stanley tuzms around... still playing the air guitar... and sees that the WARDEN is standing right behind him. Stanley Zzeezes... not mowing what to do, The song goes anto CHORUS. WARDEN What is that? STANLEY (long beat) six. Air guitar, sir ‘WARDEN Bo. I mean this song. What is it? METALLICA They dedicate their lives/ To running all of his/ He tries to please them all/ This bitter man he is STANLEY Metallica, siz. WARDEN Metallica. This music of the devil. STANEEY (gaining confidence) Sir?a4. WARDEN Music of the devil. It was once thought by the conservative establishment that this music was satanic. STANLEY Do... you want me to tiirn it off, sir? WARDEN Wo. You are allowed to do as you wish on your day off. You are not breaking any rules. STANLEY this song... it reminds me of my father. WARDEN Your father. He was lost? STANLEY Yeah... he was one of the first to go. (beat) My dad used to listen to lots of classic 90s rock. My mom was always telling him to turn it down. WARDEN Do you miss them? qThe Warden begins to pace around the room. STANLEY Yes, siz. (eat) Buc I'm staxting to forget what they looked like. whe Warden analyzes the Jukebox STANLEY (cont’d) Six... may I... speak freely? WARDEN Like I said... it’s your day off. You may speak and do as you wish. STANLEY (long beat) Sir, what exactly, are we digging for? The Warden turns his head abruptly, surprised at Stanley's directness.45. WARDEN We aren’t digging for any specific object. We are digging because the act Stself has meaning. Therapeutic value. Digging builds character. Repetition. STANLEY (xepeat) Repetition. METALLICA (chorus) What I/ve felt/ What I've known/ Never shined through in what I’ve shown WARDET Nothing strengthens the body and the mind moxe than xepetition. Tt trains the mind to stand attention to a task and not tire... not hesitate... not forget. METALLICA Never be/ Never see/ Never see what might have been WARDEN Repetition brings discipline. Disciple brings order. Order brings peace. METALLICA Never free/ Never me/ So I dub thee unforgiven WARDEN That is our duty before God. Does that. answer your question, Stanley? Stanley thinks for a moment. STANLEY Yes. The Waxden turns away once again. The song comes to an end. STANLEY (cont’d) But I still think that’s all a crock of shit. the Warden stops in his tracks... and then slowly turns around toward Stanley. there is rage behind his eyes... but he does not reveal at.STANLEY (cont'd) (suddenly nervous) You... said I could speak freely. WARDEN Yes. And that you are. STANLEY -++ ¢an see part of your point. The physical exercise of digging... it’s like working out. Lifting weights every day to get stronger. (beat) But digging holes does nothing but destroy the earth. It makes it weak and unstable so that you can’t build a house on it or drive a car across it. (beat) Digging holes is nothing but a stupid and pointless exercise. Kind of like when it’s the last day of school before summer break... and your teacher makes you write an essay about Canada. And at the end of the day she just takes all the essays and throws ‘em in the garbage... because no one really gives a shit about Canada. (beat) Because in the end, it’s just busy work. Busy work to pass the time... and keep you from goofing off. The Warden does not blink. STANLEY: (cont'd) So that’s what digging holes is to me, Busy worl. (beat) Unless we’re looking for something in particular. (beat) Sic. The Warden approaches Stanley slowly... getting right into his face. WARDEN Tell me about Rebecca, Stanley. This hits stanley like a brick to the face STANLEY What... do you want to know? She/s gone.ar WARDEW 1 kmow. I’ve read your file, Stanley. I mow all about you. I know that you are an educated young man. Whichomakes it all the moze disappointing what you did to get here. (whispering in his ear) I know all about the sins that you have committed against God. (beat) I know that you are in danger of eternal damnation. I know that you feel inéredible guilt and remorse for your crime. (beat) I know that the guilt is tearing you apart. Stanley is silent... because he knows that the warden is not wrong WARDEN (cont’d) You have a gift, Stanley. You have a gift, and you must use it to find God's forgiveness. You must dig te find his forgiveness. ‘and then the Warden turns and heads silently to the door. WARDEN (cont’d), Enjoy the rest of your day off. and then he is gone... leaving Stanley alone..- EX: CAMP GRBEN LAKE -- BAST SECTOR -~ NEXT stanley walks alone through the sea of holes... staring down at the codes scrawled into the dirt next to them. DLE 55... FIR 34... WDO 189... Once again, Stanley looks back. cur To: [FLASHBACK] EXT: TEXAS INTERSTATE -- NIGHT ‘Along the edge of/the interstate, Stanley and his family are pushed through a SCREAMING CROWD among dozens of STALLED VEHICLES toward an ARMY TRUCK. NARRATOR Almost immediately... there was confusion. Thexe was no drill to follow. There was no emergency proadcast system. There were no rules.48. NARRATOR. (cont’d) And when the rules slip avay confusion becomes chaos... and chaos becomes anarchy. Stanley's MOTHER grabs for Rebecca’s hand. SUE Hold onto my hand, Rebecca. Sue is pulled away from Rebecca and Stanley by the crowd. SUE. (cont’d) Rebecca! Stanley... hold onto Rebecca! tanley grabs his sister’s hand as the crowd further separates them from their parents. Suddenly. an ARMY GUARD grabs Rebecca from the crowd. PMY GUARD Come with me... children over here! STANLEY Wait! I’m her brothe:! AFMY GUARD You too, then. SUE (pulled further away) Stanle: Stanley and Rebecca are lifted up into the back of the azmy truck along with other children. STANLEY wait... my parents aren’t with us! without listening, the Army Guard closes the gate to the truck, and it begins to drive off along the shoulde= of the interstate. NARRATOR Those who escaped the epicenter of the blast... also escaped the sickness that followed. We see Stanley and Rebecca looking out the back of the truck... WARRATOR (cont'd) But then... sickness can also get hidden in the chaos4s. We move in toward Rebecca... who stares beck at the moving world behind her in shock. cur To: XI: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- EAST SECTOR ~~ NEXT Stanley approaches Zeze... who is almost finished with his hole. ZERO How's the day off treating you, Stanley? STANLEY (long, sad beat) Not so good. ZERO Not much to do around this place all by yourself. (beat) Except dig a hole. STANLEY (long beat) Do you need any help? Zero Laughs. ZERO (handing Stanley his shovel) Sure. It’s all you, buddy. STANLEY Thanks . As Stanley starts to dig... Zero picks up ROCKS from his dirt pile and begins skipping them across the lakebed. ZERO Camp Green Lake sure does funny things to your head, don’t it, Stanley? (beat) Find me a another dead body Stanley... get me a day off. STANLEY Don’t talk to me while I’m digging. Zero laughs... continuing to skip rocks... as we pull back...50. DISSOLVE MONTAGE Tt is now SEVERAL MONTHS LATER... and Stanley is once again digging next to Zero. NARRATOR Stanley dug for tvo months straight.. and before he knew it, he was one of us. Stanley scratches his registration code into the dixt next to his completed hole. SOL 58 He then throws his shovel down into the dirt with pride. STANLEY Finished! Two hours, forty-six minutes! Zero looks up from his hole... ZERO Damn you, Stanley! What's Derek been feedin’ you! Stanley smiles exuberantly. NARRATOR It was then that Stanley became the fastest digger at Camp Green Lake. INT: MESS HALL SERVING LINE -- NEXT Stanley, Zero, X-Ray and Alen are once again in line for TUNCH in front of Derek. Ke slaps SLOPPY JORS onto their trays. ALA (quietly to stanley) Sloppy Joes... my hole is gonna explode this afternoon. X-RAY (sincere) Hey Derek... you ever think of opening up your own xestaurant? DEREK (serious beat) One day maybe... if my parole officer ever gets me outta this chickenshit outfit.S1. X-RAY Yeah? Well what are you gonna call it? DERER T dunno. You got any suggestions? X-RAY Yeah. Derek’s Diarrhea Barn! GROUP AMTIITTTTNWWW EE X-Ray high fives the others... having finally nailed Derek Then, without hesitation, Derek takes X-Ray’s SLOPPY JOE and pulls off the top bun... HOCKS A LOOGIB into it... and then puts it back onto X-Ray’s tray. DEREE Bnjoy your lunch, X-Ray- XORAY Away shit’ UT: MESS HALL -- NEXT While the others tear into their food... X-Ray stares down at his contaminated Sloppy Joe... bummed out After a moment, he shrugs... looks around to see that no one is locking, and then takes a bite NARRATOR The food was awful. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- WEST SECTOR -- DAY Theo and Alan dig their holes... Alen collapses to the cround... as Theo runs over to him... dumping water into his mouth. WARRATOR The sun was often unbearable. INT; TENT D -- BARLY MORNING Mz. Six blows his whistle... pulling the groggy campezs out of theiz beds. NARRATOR Sometimes we were so tired that we couldn’t sleep.82. INT: SHOWERS -- LATE AFTERNOON Stanley stands under the shower... motionless... as the water pours over his head. He then looks down at his hands which are RAW and CALLUSED. NARRATOR Sometimes our hands were so sore that we couldn't move our fingers. (beat) But we endured. And we followed the Warden’s rules. (beat) Because there was always one thing to look forward to. BX: CAMP GREEN LAKE COURTYARD -~ NEXT The campers stand in the GREAT CIRCLE around the FLAGPOILE as the Warden walks around the perimeter... stopping once he is face to face with Stanley. He stares at Stanley... whose has black circles under his eyes, revealing the sadness that he tries to conceal with a smirk. WARDEN (whisper) Rebecca. Stanley’s smirk disappears. NARPATOP. The Warden promised us one thing. He promised us one reward for our hard worl. The Warden's eyes narrow. NARRATOR (cont‘d) Something to look forward to. INT: TENT D -- MORNING The Campers slowly emerge from their beds casually and sporadically on theiz own. WARRATOR Sunday. (beat) The day of rest. We see Stanley... fast asleep on his bed.$3. NARRATOR (cont’d) There was no digging on Sunday. The Warden would not have it. We move in closer NARRATOR (cont’d) Which left us with the one thing better than sleeping in on Sunday morning. Closer... WARRATOR (cont'd) Saturday night. INT; BBC ROOM -- WIGHT qhe Bec Room is packed... as CCR’S “FORTUNATE SOu” bigres. anthony walks around singing along to the music with his pool cue. qhere are £ull on POOL and FOOSBALL games going, each table surrounded by dozens of campers. Stanley is/at the Foosball table, playing with Zero against Alan and X-Ray- Dendansiei walks through the crowded room... amused at the ghenanigans. He approaches Alan... WHISPERING something in his ear. Alan pauses for a moment... nodding his head. Pendanski moves away... and then Alan resumes the game once again. Stanley then stores a point... winning the) game. STANLEY Yes! X-RAY Goddamnit! ALAM Hey... were outta here. STANLEY What axe you talkin’ about? Where the hell is there to go better than here? ALAN Laundry duty.54. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE COURTYARD -- SUNSET The four of them walk through the courtyard toward Pendanski, who is standing against the flagpole... smoking a cigarette. PENDANSEI You boys ready for laundry duty? ALAN (slightly nervous) Hell yeah. PENDANSEI (throwing his cigarette to the ground) Follow me. INT: LAUNDRY ROOM -- NEXT Stanley, Zero, Alan and X-Ray are now in the back of the Laundry room... lifting large white bags onto the LOADING DOCK... and throwing them into the back of a PICKUP TRUCK. Derek walks by... smoking e cigarette. DEREK Hurry up you pussies. I gotta get on the road, here. X-RAY I ain’t no pussy! BBRO Jast shut up and work. We're almost finished. X-RAY Why do we gotta do this? This Derek’s jo) ALA Just shut up and do it, X-Ray. We're almost finished. Pendenski approaches... just as the last white bag is thrown onto the truck. ZERO Alright... all loaded up and ready to go. Pendanski looks at Alan... who seems anxious.58. PENDANSEI We're not loaded up just yet, are we Blan? A large grin forms on Alan's face. ALAN Wo sir PENDANSEI ead up, then, As Pendanski moves to get into the ceb of the pickup tiuck, Blan jumps into the back, crawling on top of the laundry bags. X-RAY What the hell are you doin? ALAN gust get in! Trust me! aero and stanley quickly get into the back of the truck. X-Ray hesitates. X-RAY But what if the Warden... ALAN The Warden won’t know! dust get in, it’s alzight! x-Ray jumps into the back of the cab... just as Derek retums... closing the back door to the truck. DEREK Reép your heads down. And don’t pull any shit perek raises up a PISTOL, just to remind them who they are. DEREK (cont‘d) Don’t say I never gave you no lovin’, X-Ray. X-RAY (excited) Holy shit. ext: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- MAIN ENTRANCE -- NEXT With Pendanski behind the wheel and Derek in the Passenger seat... they drive off onto the main road that leaves the camp.a6. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- PERIMETER -- NEXT Mr. Six... walking along the Perimeter of the camp with his RIFLE over his shoulder... gazes off into the distance... where he sees the LAUNDRY TRUCK exiting the camp. He eyeballs it suspiciously INT: LAUNDRY TRUCK -~ NEXT Stanley and the others are now sitting up on top of the laundzy bags, more relaxed. STANLEY So this is laundry duty. ZERO I always wondered why everybody always wants laundry duty. X-BAY Where we going, Alan? ALAN phe Way Station. Truck Stop Supply Exchange. I never been there... but T heard some stuff about it. (beat) We're in for quite a night boys. the others lock at one enother like they have just received the best news of their lives STANLEY This is when you want time to move slow. Time’s like this. You just gotta savor every moment, Stanley. Every moment counts. INT: REC ROOM -- NEXT Mx. Siz walks into the crowded Rec Room... where it is still rambunctious. He begins to examine the room.. COUNTING OFF HEADS. INT: LAUNDRY TRUCK -- NIGHT The wind blows through Stanley's hair as he looks off into the night from the back of the truck. STANLEY How fax away is this place?‘ST. ALAN I dunno... probably ¢ couple of hours. ZERO Hey Alan... any ledies at the Way Station? X-RAY oh please oh please say there be ladies at the Way Station. ALAN Think about it, boys. It’s called THE WAY STATION... not THE GAY STATION. Stanley smiles longingly. STANLEY I haven’t touched a girl.. ZERO (finishing his sentence) Ever? ALAN You a virgin, stanley? Stanley does not answer. INT: LAUNDRY TRUCK FRONT CAB -- NEXT Pendanski drives while Derek ROLLS a joint. Derek lights up... takes a hit.., and then passes it over to Pendanski. DERE What do you think the Warden would do if he found out about these little field trips? PENDANSEI (taking a hit) Screw the Warden. Derek laughs at this. EXT: TEXAS DESERT ROAD -- WIGHT @he Laundry Truck approaches a SMALL CLUSTER OF LIGHTS in the distance. INT: LAUNDRY TRUCK -- NEXT Stanley and the others look out at the Way Station LIGHTS looming in the distance.58. STANIRY Hey fellas... we're here. EXT: THE WAY STATION -- ENTRANCE -- NIGHT The Laundry Truck pulls up to the WAY STATION ENTRANCE. The Way Station is a small CLUSTER OF BUILDINGS surrounded by a SQUARE SHAPED FENCE with HEAVY BARBED WIRE. At the GATE there are several ARMED MILITARY GUARDS posted with GERMAN SHEPHERDS As the truck pulls up te the gate... an APMED GUARD approaches Pendanski on the drivers’ side. PENDANSEI Evening. GUARD Evening. Pendanski holds out ¢ DIGITAL CLIPBOARD to the guard. PENDANSEI Gxéen Lake... laundry and supply exchange. The guard looks through the clipboard. The second guard shines his FLASHLIGHT into the beck of the truck, seeing Stanley and the others. PEMDANSRI (cont’d) (xeferring to them) Laundry duty. They’re with us. The Guards look at one another for a moment GUARD (co Pendansici) Make sure these boys are with you on your way out. And get ‘em in plain clothes. PENDANSEI Yes, siz, DERER (to the back) You hear that, boys? GROUP (simultaneous) Yes, sir.59 INT: THE WAY STATION -- NIGHT The Laundry Truck pulls in... parking in front of one of the Supply Buildings ia between two MILITARY JEEPS. As they get out of the truck, Dexek and Pendanski throw Some CIVILIAN SHIRTS at Stanley and the others. PENDANSET But these on. We unload Laundry first. Stay closé by ox else I get court nazshalled. Stanley and the others quickly put on the civilian clothes. INT; SUPPLY BUILDING -- LATER Stanley and the others unload the laundry like before... While Dexek and Pendanski move through the SUPPLY STORAGE SECTION... filled with large scale CANNED FOODS, CLOTHING, PAPER PRODUCTS, etc. STANLEY Hey Derek... can you get us some Froot Loops? DEREK (derisive) Froot Loops! This ain’t the Piggly Wiggly, Stanley. Stanley goes back to Laundry detail, disappointed. EXT: SUPPLY BUILDING -- LATER pendanski shuts the tailgate to the truck... with the clean laundry and supplies loaded inside. PENDANSKI Alright. Good work, boys. You ready for the Last Stop? They all smile at one another. ALAN Ready as we’l1l ever be. BX]; THE LAST STO? -- NSXT Stanley and the others approach THE LAST STOP... another building on the other side of the Way Station. There is an ORANG NEON SIGN hanging above the entrance to the one story stone building.60. Several drunken MILITARY OFFICERS stumble out of the coor with WOMEN on their arms. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’S “BORN 70 RUN” can be heard blaring inside. Stanley and the others stare at the women as they walk past. X-RAY oh... my... God ALAN Derek, do we have to go in with X-Ray? He's gonna scare all the women off. X-RAY shut up! I can pimp any Ho dn this place. I got X-Ray vision! Alan raises his hands to the others- ALAN Point proven. INT: THE LAST STOP -- NEXT Inside... The Last Stop is a relatively small BAR... yet it is PACKED with people. Pendanski and Dezek lead them through the crowd toward the bar... while the others take in the scene with awe. Behind the bar is an ELDERLY BARTENDER named EARL. PENDANSKI Hey Earl... six Budweisers! cur To: INT: THE LAST STOP —- MOMENTS LATER Alan, Derek, X-Ray and Zero are all playing PooL in the corner of the bar... drinking their beers. ALAN Hey X-Ray... if anyone asks... we/re all eighteen. 2BRO And we're not in prison... got that? X-Ray nods his head... admiring a group of WOMEN in the corner. DEREK We got about three hours... so I xeckon you boys get your groove on as fast as you can.They 211 POUND their beers simultaneously. cur To: INT: THE LAST STOP -- NBXT Stanley is sitting at a table across from Pendanski. PENDANSKE How are you dealing with all of this, Stanley? Stanley thinks for e moment. STANLEY Fine... I guess. I thought the time would go by really slow, you know? (beat) But it doesn’t. Time flies when you don’t pay attention to it. PENDANSRI How much longer? STANLEY Till when? PENDANSKL Till you turn eighteen. STANLEY About a year. Pendanski nods his head slowly. STANLEY (cont'd) You read my file? (beat) You know what I did to get here? Pendanski nods his head slowly. STANLEY (cont’d) Things are gonna get a whole lot worse for me when I turn eighteen, aren’t they? Pendanski is silent for a moment, knowing that he is delivering the grim truth. PENDANSEI Given the severity of your crime, you've got maybe a ten percent chance of getting paroled... only if you've got letters of recommendation.62. STANLEY Which I don’t. PENDANSEE Most likely they’11 put you down in one of the camps in Mexico. Maybe even South America. Stanley nods his head slowly. He then takes a sip from his beer PENDANSKI (cont’d) I wouldn’t lie to you, Stanley. Those are tough places. Compared to adult prison, Camp Green Lake is like summer camp. (beat) I tell you that, only because I’m not pretending to be nice to you. (beat) I’m not pretending to be your friend. Stanley nods his head long and hard... for the first time confronting the Severe turn that his life has taken. PENDANSKI (cont’d) I am your friend, Stanley. stanley nods his head. PENDANSEI (cont’d) You're too smaxt, too good of a kid to have deserved this. It’s not fair the way things worked out for you. (beat) But no matter how bad it gets, don’t you ever run. Because trust me, this desert goes farther than you ever will on foot. Just ask Jonathan Gaines... I found his body, and I don’t ever want to find yours. STANLEY Kind of ironic, isn’t it. A prison without walls? (trying to change the subject) Is this all because I found your wife? Did it let you bury her memory... seeing her that one last time? Pendanski thinks for a long moment, sipping his beer. PENDANSEI This may sound crazy, but ever since that day, I can’t remember her.63. PENDANSEI (cont’d) (beat) She’s forgotten. STANLEY Sometimes I wish I could just forget. I wish that I could just come down with amnesia. (beat) Start over from scrateh in some faraway place. PEMDAMSEE You can, Stanley. And you will. (beat) It just... you/1l be about fifty years old when it happens. Somehow, Stanley manages to laugh at this, acknowledging truth. PENDANSKI (cont’d) You kmow what? We need to get you boys drunk. (looking over at the bar) and we need to get you boys laid. Stanley ‘smiles, jokingly pretending to fix his hair. CUT TO: INT: THE LAST STOP -- MOMENTS LATER The others are still playing pool. Zero approaches Derek. ZERO Hey Derek, is it true that three outta four women in this place is a prostitute? DEREK You kiddin’ me? Four outta four. You want to get laid tonight, you better be prepared to pay for it. Stanley and Pendanski approach the group. PENDANSRI Leave that one up to me. ZERO (suddenly excited) Are you kidding, me? PENDANSEI I got enough for two of you.64. nay approaches anxiously. X-RAY Did I just hear what I thought I heard? ZERO Wo. Go away. DEREK (to X-Ray) Are you a virgin; little man? X-RAY Hell no! DEREE Good. Then you’ re out of the running. X-RAY (pissed off) What the... ALAN Stanley's a vizgin. I think he’s the only one. PENDANSET Is he telling the truth, Stanley? Stanley hesitates for a moment. STANLEY (somewhat embarrassed) Yeah. PENDANSKLI (to Zero and Alan) And I take it you two were a regular Motley Crue before all this, huh? ZERO Don’t remind me of the past. I’11 start crying. ALAN (to Zero) There’s no way in hell that you masturbate more than I do. ZERO Wanna bet?Zero and 65. X-RAY (trying to get attention) Hey! This one time I masturbated six times in one day! PENDANSKI (to X-Ray) Shut up. (back to Alan and Zero) Which one of you is the lifer? Alan look at one another. ZERO That’d be me. I’m up for parole in less than a month. PENDANSEI But you killed someone. Am I right? Zero is quiet for a moment. INT: THE GERO It was self-defense. It... was an accident. PENDAMSEI Iisten, I’m not here to judge you. If you‘re headed south, you desezve this more than he does (beat) Stanley... you and Zero axe up. Now we got to find you two some girls that I can afford. cuz To: LAST STOP -- NEXT Pendanski is across the room talking to two twentysomething women. Zero and hide the x-ray is in front Stanley shoot pool honchalantly... trying to fact that they are both nervous as hell. stewing with Alan at the bar... a line of SHOTS of them... courtesy of Derek. DEREK Drown your sorrows in booze, fellas. Then maybe you can try to get some without having to pay for it X-RAY can you keep a secret, Derek?DEREK Wo. X-BAY (beat) I really am a virgin. I mean... I’ve stuck my fingex in a few girls.+. but that’s it. ALAN Didn’t your mother teach you not to lie? X-RAY That’$ the problem. My mother is a liar. She put the F in credit card fraud. DEREK (E2) Shitty genes... huh X-Ray? You best start drinking now. They raise their shot glasses ALAN To the greatest lie of them all... And then the shots are gone. cur 70: IN?: THE LAST STOP -- NEXT Pendanski approaches Stanley and Zero with TWO WOMEN They are both worn out... but certainly not unattractive. PENDANSE: this is Amy... andothis is Boys Stacey. Amy takes Zero’s hand. AMY Follow me. Stanley and Stacey follow them up the steps. Pendanski smiles as they disappear upstairs feeling some sense of closure for a debt that has finally been paid. INT: UPSTAIRS PRIVATE ROOM -- NEXT Stanley and Stacey walk into the TINY room where there is a RED LIGHT, BEADS and a COUCH.She goes over to the BUREAU and lights several candles. STACEY How old are you? STANLEY Uh... eighteen. She smiles... touching his face. He awkwardly goes to KISS HER... but she pulls back. STACBY Wo kissing on the mouth. STANLEY Sorry. She begins to take off her clothes. Stanley does the same. When she is completely undressed... she walks him over to the couch... handing him a CONDOM. STACEY Now let's put this on. STANLEY (cont'd) You don’t have to worry... I’m clean. STACEY Tt’s not you I’m worried about, honey. CUT) TO: INT: UPSTAIRS PRIVATE ROOM -- NEXT stanley is now on top of her on the couch... and they awkwardly begin to make love. About FIFTEEN SECOWDS LATER... Stanley climaxes. ‘hey are both quict for a moment... as if he is unsure of what to do next. STANLEY So.s. was that as good for me as it was for you? For a moment she stares at him... wanting to laugh. STANLEY (cont’d) That was a joke... you're supposed to laugh now. And then she does. She laughs long and hard. 67.68. STANLEY (cont'd) You're not supposed to laugh thet hard. STACEY I'm sorry... STANLEY You're hurting my feelings. I just lost my virginity... and you're hurting my feelings. STACEY I didn’t kmow... T would have been more delicate with you. STANLEY We can... do it again... if you want. STACEY (that’s notegonna happen) You're sweet. They begin to put their clothes back on. STANLEY (beat) Way... do you do this? STACEY It’s complicated. STANLEY I’m not judging you or anything, You gotta do what you gotta do... right? STACEY Right. STANLEY It’s just been so long since I’ve talked to a woman. (peat) It’s been so long. STACEY I’m sorry, STANLEY can you just. stanley does not know how to say this without sounding stupid. But somehow she understands what he is asking of her... and she walks over and embraces him.6s. For quite some time he stands there in her axms... and she runs her fingers through his hair... and for a moment it appears as if he is about to cry. EXT: TEXAS DESERT -- HELICOPTER SHOT -- SUNRISE We approach the laundry truck as it zooms across the desert back toward Camp Green Lake. Stanley and Zexo look at each other... and neither of them can stop grinning. Alan and X-Ray are bitter. ALAN You wipe that smile off your face, there Zero. Stanley looks out into the desert... and once again he is reminded of something from the past. CUL To: [FLASHBACK] EXT: WOODS -- NIGHT Stanley and Rebecca are running through the woods. GUNFIRE can be heard in the distance. Stanley is in front... and Rebecca is trailing behind. REBECCA Stanley... wait! STANLEY We have to hurry! Suddenly... Rebecca trips and falls to the ground. Stanley turns to go back,.. and help her to her feet, but he quickly realizes that the fall has knocked the wind out of hex. STANLEY (cont’d) (holding her hand) Take deep breaths. Deep breaths. She breathes in deeply... but soon she begins to cough severely. REBECCA (through hex coughing) It... hurts... STANLEY Tt’ ll be alright. Just keep breathing. But soon Rebecca is coughing up blood.70. INT: TENT D -- SUNDAY MORNING Stanley and the others slowly pull themselves from bed and there is an ALARM going off. Stanley looks over at THEO from his bunk. THEO Roll call. EXT: CAMP GREEN LARE COURTYARD -- NEXT ALL of the campers are once again assembled in a GIANT CIRCLE in the courtyard. The Warden and Mr. Sir are talking in the center. Stanley looks over at Zero and Alan... worried. Pendanski is nowhere to be found. WARDEN Tt has been brought to my attentioa that four men were left unaccounted for yesterday evening. Everyone is silent. WARDEN (cont’d) Ig you left camp last night on the laundry truck... please step forward. No one does. WARDEN (cont'd) This is your last chance. Step forward now. (beat) Or else. X-Ray ds standing right next to Stanley. X-RAY (whispering) Don’t do it. He’s bluffing. The Warden surveys the circle once again. He looks at them long and hard. He then turns to Theo. WARDEN White. Step forward. Theo steps forward from the circle. THEO Sir, yes, sir.m9 WARDEN Did you leave on the laundry truck last night? THEO Sir, no sir. The Warden pauses for a moment. He then nods toward Mr. sir... who walks over carzying his rifle. WARDED Thank you for telling the truth. Mr. Sir then Jabs) the but of his gun fiercely into Theo's stomach. He falls to the ground... the wind knocked out of him. Stanley winces... looking over at Zero. Mr. Six then kicks Theo once again in the stomach while he is doubled over on the ground. Suddenly... Stanley steps forvard. STANLEY It was me! The Warden and Mr. Six then turn toward Stanley. STANLEY (cont'd) Sir, I left on the truck last night. Zero steps forward. 2BRO Sir, I left on the truck last night too. WARDEN (long beat) That’s only two. He looks back at Mr. Sir... who gives Theo one more kick to the ribs... leaving him writhing in pain. Alan reluctantly steps forward. ALAN siz, I was with them. Finally, X-Ray steps forward as well. X-RAY six, so was I. The Warden approaches Stanley.12. WARDEN I certainly hope that it was worth it. STANLEY Six, yes sir. The Warden appears genuinely shocked. STANLEY (cont/d) Tt was worth every second get: of this shithole, sir. (beat) It was worth every moment not having to look at your fucking face. ing out You could hear a pin drop. STANLEY (cont‘d) Stop beating Theo, siz. If you're going to punish anybody, punish the one’s who deserve it, sir. Theo is now coughing up blood. The Warden nods over to Mr. Six... who with a malevolent grin kicks Theo once again. . zunning over toward Stanley breaks out of the cixcle Mx. Six. He then tries to TACKLE him... but Mr. Sir quickly Imocks Stanley to the ground. He then places his BOOT onto Stanley’s throat... closing off his windpipe. Stanley struggles to free himself... but he is quickly suffocating. 2BRO Let him go! gexo then rushes toward Mx. Sir. Alan then follows... and it appears for a moment that a MUTINY is about to explode. Mx. Sir quickly puts the end of his gun to Stanley’s head. MR. SIR Come any closer and I’11 shoot him. wero does not budge... Stanley is almost unconscious Theo is still coughing... in serious pain. MR. SIR (cont/d) Get back in line!93% X-RAY Do it, Zero! Step back! Zero and Alan retreat... and finally Mr. Sir lifts nis boot up from Stanley throat... leaving him gasping for aiz: The Warden walks over to them. ‘WARDEN (to the group) Because of this unfortunate setback, we will now dig two holes a day. (zight into Stanley's face) Thank you Stanley. Taank you for providing us with this opportunity to grow. And then the Warden is gone. MR. SIR You heard the Warden. Get your shovels! Let’s go! The circle disbends es people rush back to get their shovels. Stanley struggles to his feet... and then goes over to Theo. STAULEY x/m so sorry. Theo, I’m so sorry. THEO You're forgiven, Stanley. You're forgiven. He then reaches out his hand... pulling Theo up to his feet. INT: MAIN BUILDING SUPPLY ROOM -- NEXT Pendanski approaches Mx. Sir... who is taking inventor: dn the supply room. He then slams him up against the wall. PENDANSEI what do you want? Haven’t these kids been through enough already MR. SIR I serve the Warden. I obey the rules. PENDANSEI He's never going to find it! There's nothing out here! Can’t you see that?74. Mr. Six smiles at Pendanski. MR. SIE oh they'll find it all right... you just wait. (beat) You just wait and see. Pendanski storms off angzily. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -~ EAST SECTOR -- DAYS LATER Mr. Six is delivering water from the water truck. Stenley waits in line to have his Canteen filled. As he gets to the front of the line... Mr. Six takes hic Canteen and places it under the water spigot... filling it up. MR. SIR Phirsty? STANLEY Yes; sir. once the Canteen is filled... Mr. Siz holds it out to Stanley. But before Stanley cen retrieve it from him... Mz. Six pulls it back, turns it on its side and dumps the water out onto the sand. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAFE -- EAST SECTOR -- DAYS LATER Stanley is once again digging... almost finished with his hole. WARRATOR They say that coincidences are God's way of reminding you that he is still around. Suddenly... Stanley’s shovel hits metal. He pauses... looking down into the dirt curiously. WARRATOR (cont'd) And once again... Stanley was reminded of this. He reaches down into the dirt and pulls out an UNUSUAL METAL OBJECT that is about the size of a HAMMER. It has many facets and ATTACHMENTS on it... hinting that is was once attached to something much larger. STANLEY What the hell...15. Stanley looks over at Zero... who is quietly digging several yards away. There are large BLACK CIRCLES under his eyes. STANLEY Hey Zero... come check this out. Zero walks over and begins to examine the Hammer object with Stanley. BERO Looks like a spark plug. STANLEY Yeah... but a spark plug to what? BRO I don’t know... but it looks like it came off something complicated. (beat) You gonna turn it in? STANLEY. T can’t. I made a deal with X-Ray... remember? ZERO He’s all the way over on the west sector. STANLEY Then T/11 just give it to him for tomorrow. Stanley then puts the Hammer object in his pocket. He then carves his code into the sand next to the hole SOL 112 INT: MESS HALL -- THAT NIGHT Stanley and the others are eating dinner quietly. STANLEY Hey X-Ray... you want a little present? X-RAY What you got? Stanley hands him the Hammer underneath the table. STANLEY This is what you're gonna dig up tomorrow.X-Ray’s face lights up. X-RAY Aw yeah! Stanley you're the man! EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- THE NEXT DAY We see X-Ray digging... halfway through his hole. He then pulls the Hammer out from his pocket... and throws it down casually. He then shovels it back out... just as Pendanski comes by in the water truck. X-RAY Hey Pendanski! I found something! Pendanski approaches... carrying his digital clipboard. PENDANSKI Well I’1l be goddamned... Your little punk ass might just get a day off. He takes the Hammer and examines it. X-RAY Hell yeah! PENDANSEI What the hell is this... was it attached to something? X-RAY Naw. Just that. Pendanski looks down at the sand next to X-Ray’s hole... noting the registration number. PENDANSKI yEg 176. He types the information into the clipboard. INT; WARDEN’S OFFICE -- NEXT The Warden sits behind his desk. There are LARGE TOPOGRAPHY MAPS covering the wall behind him. There are THOUSANDS of thumb tacks covering them... marking every hole that has been dug. There is a Imock at the door. WARDED Come in. Pendanski enters. 16.71. PBUDANSEI six... may I have a moment? WARDEN Yes you may... what is it? Pendanski holds the Hammer out toward the Warden. PENDANSRI Does this interest you? After putting on his glasses, the Warden takes the Hammer from Pendanski,.. examining it closely. the Warden’s eyes widen... IN RECOGNITION. WARDEN Where was this found? Pendanski walks over to the WALLMAP... pointing to a SPECIFIC AREA on the SOUTHWEST SECTOR. PENDANSKI 134, southwest sector WARDEN Excavation. Ten men. Full surveillance. PENDANSKL Yes, siz. WARDEN And Pendanski? PENDANSEI six? WARDEN This is it. Don’t ever betray me again... ox I will bury you. Pendanski nods his head... and then leaves. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- WEST SECTOR -- DAY Dozens of Campers turn theiz heads as Mr. Sir and another COUNSELOR drive by in theiz trucks toward the west sector. ove? by X-Ray’s hole, campers have begun to assemble as Yond of the excavation team has spread throughout the camp. X-RAY Excavation!78. X-Ray raises his hands in glorious victory. Pendanski approaches. PENDANSEI Pick your team... X-Ray. Make it quick... the Warden is coming. cur To: EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- WEST SECTOR -- NEXT X-Ray is surrounded by Stenley, Zero, Alan, Anthony and Theo... as they all carefully dig around the edges of his hole. Pendanski and several other COUNSELORS approach... and one points out that there is another truck approaching. X-RAY I found it, boys. I found what we’re looking for. THEO Be quiet. The Warden is coming. ANTHONY What did you say it looked like? X-RAY A hammer. It looked like a hammer. Stanley looks over at Zero with a concerned expression. He raises his finger to his lips... shaking his head as if to say: keep quiet. Zero nods his head in agreement. The Warden’s truck arrives and he gets out of the cab. He motions for Pendanski. We see that the Warden is now wearing MILITARY FATIGUES. WARDEN Anything else? PENDANSEI Mot yet- WARDEN Watch them like a hawk. Expand the perimeter... ten feet down. PENDANSKI Yes siz. (to the campers) Expand the perimeter... ten feet down.79. The Campers re-establish their positions around the hole... expanding it. Alan looks at the Warden’s clothes... surprised. ALAN (to Anthony) the Warden’s military. We/ve been digging for the military. ANTHONY Tell me something I don’t know. ALAN You Imew? How'd you know? ANTHONY Think about it. Digging for character? You really bought that shit? DISSOLVE MONTAGE the hole is now twice as big... but the campers still have not found anything. The Warden paces around... barely hiding his anxiety. WARDEN Wheelbarrow team... six men. DISSOLVE MONTAGE There are now SIX CAMPZRS taking piles of dirt away in wheelbarrows to another DUMPING SECTION... allowing for the hole to expand further out. As they dump the EXCESS DIRT... the COUNSELORS sift through it to see if anything has been missed. in the distance engines cam be heard... as THRSS MILITARY TRUCKS approach. Stanley looks up and sees this... glancing over at Zexo as if to say: holy shit. X-Ray is now exuberant. X-RAY I told you so! I found it! THEO (terrified) Be quiet. You don’t kmow what you found80. The MILITARY OPFICERS get out of their trucks... and approach the Warden... saluting him. OFFICER Sir, full lighting, excavation equipment is on standby. WARDEN Set up the lights. We switch up at sundown. DISSOLVE MONTAGE The hole is now moxe than twenty feet across in diameter. The sun has begun to go down... leaving the sky purple and red... approaching sunset. WARDEN We will dig into the night... at sundown... we switch up... and again at sunrise. The OFFICERS have begun to setup large KLEIG LIGHTS in the back of the trucks. qhere axe now more than TWO DOZEN CAMPERS digging the hole. Stanley and Zero are digging on the south end. Both appear EXHAUSTED... dumping their shovels full of dirt into the wheelbarrows... which are then taken up an UPHILL PATH that has been established on the nozth end of the hole. STANLEY (waispering) Hey Zero... what are you thinking? ZERO (looking over his shoulder) 1/m thinking we've got some information that the Warden might be interested in. STANLEY Geographic information? ZERO Yep. They dig silently for a moment. STANLEY I’m thinking I still want to keep, thet information to myself right now.81. 2ERO (long beat) Until we can discuss things a little further... I can keep a secret, df»you can. STANLEY gust you and me... wefre the only ones that Imow. Suddenly... an OFFICER is standing above them on the edge of the hole. OFFICER Hey! Stanley and Zero look up at the officer He then JABS the but of his gun into Stanley’s stomach He falls to the ground in pain. Zero looks up at the officer... terrified that he heard theiz conversation. OFFICER (cont'd) Nobody stops until sundown! Reep digging! Zero helps Stanley to his feet and then quickly jabs his shovel down into the dirt suNDown @he KLEIG LIGHTS now illuminate the hole... which is more than FORTY FEBT ACROSS... and FIFTEEN FEET DEEP. The Warden paces around the perimeter with a MEGAPHONE in his hand, Mr. Siz is with him. He is also wearing military fatigues... and his head has been shaved into a crew cut. WARDEN (into megaphone) ROLL CALL IN FIVE! DAY CREW ONLY! MR. SIR YOU HEARD HIM! IRT/S Go! All of the exhausted Campers walk up the WHEEL BARROW PATH to the surface. stanley) Zero and the others all have black circles under their eyes. Allan looks down at his hands and sees that they are RED and BLISTERED. He looks over at X-Ray.82. ALAN (to X-Ray) What the hell did you find, X-Ray? X-RAY I told you... some kind of Hammer! one of the officers Imocks X-Ray toe the ground with the butt of his gun, sending him reeling into the dirt. OFFICER NO TALKING! X-Ray slowly gets back to his feet... joining the line of Campers . EXT: CAMP GREEN LARE -- WEST SECTOR -- LATER THAT WIGHT From above... we see the diggexs expanding the hole under the harsh glare of the kleig lights. Several more MILITARY TRUCKS have arrived... as the hole is now more than forty feet across. The Warden continues to pece around the perimeter obsessively. INT: REC ROOM -~ NEXT Stanley and Zero are the only ones in the room. Both look exhausted. Stanley walks over to the jukebox and shuffles through the CDs... choosing LED ZBPPELIN’S “STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" . As the music blares they walk over and sit on the couch. [NOTE: The following dialogue scene is played out in SUBTITLES, due to the intentionally loud music]. STANLEY (whispering) We have to whisper. EERO I know. STANLEY Showld we tell the Warden? BRO Do you want to tell the Warden? Stanley thinks for a moment. STANLEY No.83. ZERO Me neither. They are both silent for a moment. STANLEY But... how long will they dig before they figure out that it isn’t there? ZERO I don't Imow. But it looks like they're prepared to dig straight to the center of the Barth. STANLEY This could go on forever. ZERO They'll never be able to find it without us, Stanley. (beat) What if we tell them... but demand that they parole us first? STANLEY We both know they would beat the truth out of us. We’xe not in a position to negotiate. 2BRO I’m up for parole next week. This could be my last chence to live a normal life. This could be our ticket out, Stanley. They don’t cere about us, they just care about what’s buried out there. STANLEY But if we tell, then we admit to lying... to throwing them off on purpose. What if that is cause for punishment and not reward? 2ER0 Sounds like either way we could be screwed, STANLEY Bither way, you're right about one thing. BERO What’s that?84. STANLEY The Warden doesn’t care about us. zither way we're slaves. Disposable... interchangeable... and replaceable. They are silent for a moment. ZERO There is one more option. STANLEY And what is that? BERO Bun like hell. Stanley silently admits to himself that running might be the only viable option they have left as the music blares on. INT: TENT D -- NIGHT Stanley and Zero are lying in their beds... both awake. X~ Ray approaches them. X-RAY Hey Stanley Stanley looks around to see if any of them can heer then. STANLEY What? ‘X-RAY What should we do? STANLEY Nothing. We’re damned if we do, damned if we don’t. The Warden will make an example out of both of us for lying. He will never xeward a liar... no matter how much he benefits from one. X-Ray nods his head... and then goes back to his drink. We move over to THEO’S cot... and we see that he is wide awake... having heazd their eatize conversation. BXT: CAMP GREE LAKE -- WEST SECTOR -- SUNRISE AS the eun comes over the horizon... the day crew of campers passes the night crew as they trudge out of the GIGANTIC PIT. It is now more than seventy feet across... and fifteen feet deep.85. NARRATOR After the first night... all that had been found was a body. We see a full skeleton... laid out ona sheet with the tattered rags of clothing next to it. NARRATOR (cont'd) He was an auto mechanic named Gordon Barclay. We see the Warden scraping the mud off of his TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE... with his muddy wallet in his other hand... where there is a TEXACO ID CARD. He then turns to Mr. Siz, who is standing with Anthony and several other campers. WARDEN Take it to the incinerator. They begin to cart the body off. NARPATOR As we suspected... Gordon Barclay wasn't what the Warden was looking for =X: CAMP GREEN LARE -- WEST SECIOR -- LATE AFTERYOOT Anthony is now tearing at the side of the pit wall with 4 PICK AXE. He begins to chip at what looks like CONCRETE. Suddenly... a stream of WATER sprays out of the pit wall. anthony jumps beck in surprise. ANTHONY Water! suddenly... a large section of the pit wall COLLAPSES... and HUNDREDS OF GALLONS OF WATER come crashing into the pit. Campers begin to run away #rom the furious torrent of water, some of them falling to the ground. on the to ledge of the pit... one of the MILITARY OFFICERS turns suddenly, noticing the onslaught of water filling the pit. In his right hand he is holding a LIT CIGARETTEZ, and he quickly throws it down into the pit without thinking. ‘As the water spreads into the center of the pit... we see it flow into channels of dirt toward the lit cigarette.When the water collides with the cigarette... we see that the water suddenly CATCHES ON FIRE. Pendanski is the first one to discover this... and he turns and runs up toward the perimeter of the pit. PENDANSKI (sczeaming) GET OUT OF THE PIT!! It’S GASOLINE! GET OUT OF THE PIE!! Seeing the fixe spread toward the source... Campers begin to scramble desperately to get away from the fire. one Camper barely makes it out of the ankle deep flow before his PANTS become engulfed in flames. He falls to the ground... and Pendanski throws a blanket on top of his legs, distinguishing them just in time. As Pendanski pulls the camper from the spreading fire... others DESPERATELY SCRAMBLE TO THE EDGE. Eventually the fire spreads into a GIGANTIC BLAZE... covering the entire bottom of the pit... sending black smoke up into the puzple sky. ghe warden, Militery Officers and Campers stare down into the fire in awe... as if what they are witnessing is some soxt of miracle. Stanley and Zero look at one another in shock. CUT TO: [FLASHBACK] EXT: TEXACO STATION -- DAY We see CORDON BARCLAY standing down in the pit underneath a PICEUP TRUCE suspended above him. He reaches up for a WRENCH from another MECHANIC... and we see the GAS PUMPS on the TAPMAC beyond the GARAGE. WAPRATOR We imagined Gordon Barclay as a ghost left to haunt this reservoir of fire... xeady to explode in a fury of revenge. From beyond the TARMAC, we see the SKY EXPLODE INTO WHITE. cur 70: EXT; CAMP GREEN LAKE -- WEST SECTOR -- SUNSET As the fire RAGES ON... the WARDEN screams at the Campers to begin throwing dirt down onto it.87. As they follow the Warden's orders... throwing shovel after shovel of dirt onto the fire, the Warden stares down in a furious rage before the glowing Kleig lights, mowing that something is most certainly wrong. Stanley and Zexe are digging next to Theo..: who looks over at them with a suspicious glare. NARRATOR It took us four hours to put out the fire. The BURNED CAMPER is laying down on a STRETCHER... surrounded by Officers... who apply dressings to his legs. NARRATOR (cont’d) Mickey Johansen suffered second degree burns to his legs... but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. He got his parole eight months early. EXT: CAMP GREEN DAKE -- COURTYARD -~ NIGHT As Stanley, Zero, X-Ray and the others walk back toward Zent D, Theo places his hand on Stanley’s shoulder. THEO (looking straight into his eyes) Bverything happens for a reason. The fire was no coincidence. It was God, Stanley. Tt was God... showing us the way home. And having said this, Theo turns and walks off... alone into the night. WARRATOR And that was the last time that we ever saw Theo. Stanley, Zero, Alan and X-Ray watch as he walks away from him... not knowing what to say. INT: WARDBN’S OFFICE -- NEXT jhe Warden sits alone behind his desk with his jaw clenched... staring back at his maps... where the PIT DIMENSIONS are now obsessively drawn out. There is a KNOCK at his door. WARDEN Come in.Ba. The door opens... and Mr. Sir steps into the office! with Theo. MR. SIR six, this gentleman has something that he wants to share with you. Theo walks up to the Warden... his face white and his eyes bloodshot. He looks as if at any moment he could burst out into tears. The Warden then takes Theo’s hands into his... and flips them over... revealing the deep scars on his wrists. And then the Warden nods his head to Theo... kmowing that the truth will come sooner than he expected. INT: TENT D -- EARLY THE NEXT MORNING Stanley is wrestled from his Greams by Mr. Sir... who Stands over his cot with bis gun drawn. He tuzne and sees that Zero and X-Ray aze also already awake. He sees that Theo’s bunk is empty. MP. SIR Get dressed. Wow. Alan sits up in his bunk... watching his three best friends walk out of the tent, somehow Knowing that he will never see any of them again. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAKE -- BAST SECTOR -- SUNRISE Stanley, Zero, and X-Ray are now sitting in the back of Mr. siz’s DODGE PICKUP TRUCE... driving out into the east sector across the sand. They stare at one another silently with their faces to the wind. BXT; CAMP GREEN LAKE -- BAST SECTOR -- MOMENTS LATER Whe truck arrives out in e remote section where the Warden is standing next to Theo on the edge of a freshly dug hole. Mr. Six motions for them to get out of the cab... and they follow one another toward the Warden, who assesses them silently. WARDEN Good morning. (beat) I understand that the three of you have some information regarding our current excavation.a9. Wone of them respond. WARDEN (cont'd) once again, if you have any information regarding the current misguided excavation, please speak now (beat) oz else. STANLEY six, may I speak freely, sir? The Warden approaches Stanley slowly. WARDEN Yes, you may. STANLEY Siz, what are we digging for? WARDEN (long beat) Something important. STANLEY No shit, sir. What is it? WARDEN Something more important than you. Do you know where the rest of it is? Stanley is quiet fox a moment... and he glances over at Zero. STANLEY Sir, it is irresponsible for me to answer that question unless I know the repercussions. The Warden nods his head to Mz. Siz, who jabs gun into Theo’s stomach... sending him onto the ground. Stanley winces at this. WARDEN There will be repercussions either way. STANLEY siz, I can’t be held responsible for what might happen if what you're looking for is something dangerous. I cannot live with that guilt.90. The Warden nods his head once again to Mr. Sir... who then kicks Theo once again in the stomach. Mr. Siz then Shoves Theo over, and he falls inte the hole with a thud From down inside... you can hear him crying. Zero looks as if he is on the verge of tears. X-Ray simply stares down at the ground. WARDEN Because of your actions, the innocent have already suffered, have they not? STAULEY (fiercely) No six, they have not. WARDEN & Tell me, did you dig your sistex’s grave before you killed her? Stanley’s face is rigid. He does not respond The Warden nods once again to Mr. Sir... who then takes a shovel and begins to throw dirt down onto Theo. X-RAY Tell him Stanley! For Chrissakes tell him! The Warden pulls out a piece of paper and holds it up in Zero’s face. WARDEN You see this? This is a pardon. This document guarantees your parole. If you tell me where it is, you’1l be out of here tomorrow. Mr. Six continues to throw piles of dirt down onto Theo, burying him alive. X-RAY Tell him! Just tell him where you found it! Stanley looks over at Sero, as if to say: please don’t. 2BRO I found it. It was over a month ago. QD 209. Southwest sector. The Warden looks at him long and hard. He then takes the pardon slip and TEARS [? INTO LITTLE PIECES. Zero’s eyes slowly close.91. WARDEN Tomorrow, all three of you will be sent south to the camps. (to Mx. Six) tock them in the incinerator room. Mr. Sir turns his back on the hole and approaches them. MR. SIR You heard him. het’s go. And then suddenly, Zero turns around and RUNS SOUTHWEST AS FAST AS HE CAN. X-RAY Zero! Don’t do it! He keeps running... and he doesn’t look back. Mr. Six draws his gun, putting his eye up to the SCOPE... placing the CROSSHAIRS dixectly on Zero’s back. ME. SIR I've got him. WARDEN, Take him out. MR. SIR Yes sir. We see Mr. six lock the CROSSHAIRS right between Zero's shoulder blades... and his finger touches the TRIGGER... xeady to pull when suddenly THEO emerges from his hole like DAVID Gith a LARGE ROCK and BASHES MR. SIR in the back of the head. Mr. Siz falls to the ground... his gun falling out of his hands onto the dixt. Almost immediately... Stanley has the gun in his hands... and he has it pointed at the WARDET theo falls to his knees... the rock falling from his dirt covered hands. WARDEN (putting his hand on his gun holster) Put it down. STANLEY Don’t think I won’t kill you!92 The Warden flinches... pulling his hand away from his holster. STANEEY (cont’d) (to X-Ray) Get the keys to the truck! X-Ray pulls the keys to the truck off of Mr. Sir’s belt and jumps into the cab. x-RAY Come on! STANLEY Theo... come with us! Theo, still dazed turns his head toward Stanley. THEO I... can’t, Stanley. I have to stay here. God meant it to happen just this way. Stanley slowly nods his head. Stanley backs away from the Warden... the gun still aimed at his chest. He then hops into the back of the pickup truck. STANLEY (the gun still aimed) I bet you wish you knew if Zero was telling the truth. (beat) Good luck finding it, six. X-Ray starts the engine and steps on the accelerator... sending the DODGE lurching forward in a cloud of dust once the truck gets up to full speed, Stanley crawls through the back window into the cab. INT: DODGE PICKUP -~ NEXT Stanley adjusts himself into his seat... putting his seatbelt on. STANLEY Where he is! Pull up behind him! The truck begins to slow down just as Zero cen be seen through the windshield... still running as fast as he can. Suddenly... @ gunshot can be heard. Stanley sees that there is now a BULLET HOLE in the windshield.93. EXT: CAMP GREEN LAE -- EAST SECTOR -- NEXT The Warden has his gun raised and he is firing at the truck. With all of the strength that he has left, Theo lunges at the Warden. The Warden quickly rebounds, and knocks Theo to the ground. THEO (exying) It was supposed to happen! It was supposed to happen this way! Theo xaises his hands in the air as if to beg for mercy. The Warden Slowly xaises his gun, aiming it at Theo... and with no emotion whatsoever he pulls the trigger. INT: DODGE PICKUP -- NEXT Zero jumps into the fzent of the cab and X-Ray steps on the gas, sending them once again southwest at full speed. BERO (heavy breathing) what the hell happened! STANLEY Theo saved us. X-RAY Where am I going? I don’t lmow where to go! ZERO Southwest. Just drive southwest towerd the border. We have to go to Mexico. EXT: TEXAS DESERT -- HELICOPTER SHOT We see the TRUCK crest a small incline... dust billowing out behind it... catching air om the other side. INT: DODGE PICKUP -- NEXT The three of them look out through the windshield when suddenly the desert begins to COLLAPS® BENEATH THEM. The truck skids off toward the left into some sort of ditch... and then SMASHES INTO A CONCRETE PYLON buried in the sand. In an instant the driver and passenger AIRBAGS deploy... in a whiplash motion their bodies thrust forward into them.94. EXT: TEXAS DESERT -- NEXT Sand pours down over the truck... as it is now nestled into the ditch channel... the front end completely totaled. INT: DODGER PICKUP -- NEXT Stanley struggles to get his seatbelt off, coughing fron the smoke STANLEY: Hey... is everybody alright? ZERO I think so. But then X-Ray begins to cough up BLOOD onto his aizbag. STANLEY X-Ray... are you OK? But he does not answer. He only continues to cough. X-RAY The steering wheel. Hit me in the stomach hard. STANLEY We have to get out. Come on. Stanley gets the passenger side dooz open and steps out. Zero pulls back X-Ray’s aizbag... and then reaches around... reclining X-Rays seat so that he can slip out from behind the steering wheel. He then helps pull him free... guiding him out of the passenger side door. EX! DITCH CHANNEL -- NEXT The truck is almost completely buried in the sand, camouflaging from view. Stanley examines the CONCRETE SLAB that they collided with, as Zero helps X-Ray lay down on the sand. 28RO I think you might heve broken a couple of ribs. Lay down and take deep breaths. STANLEY There’s an opening here. There something behind this pylon.95. We see that there is a three foot wide crack in the CONCRETE SLAB... and only darkness beyond. Stanley xuns back to the REAR CAB AREA of the truck and removes a DUFFEL BAG and FIRST AID RIT. Stanley rifles through the bag and pulls out a LARGE HALOGEN FLASHLIGHT. He turns it on... shining it into the black opening STANLEY Oh my God. You're not gonna believe this. EERO What is it? STANLEY It's an underground parking garage. There must be two hundred parked cars in there. X-Ray begins to cotgh more severely. STANLEY (cont’d) come on... we have to go inside. They'll be coming to look for us. INT: UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE -- NEXT Led by the bright FLASHLIGHT BEAM... they walk into the garage... and we see dozens of PARKED CARS. They are remarkably well preserved... parked uniformly in their spots. Stanley shines his light onto an OLDSMOBILE STATION WAGON... and sees that the driver’s door is ajar... and laying next to it on the concrete is the SKZLETOM of the woman who was driving it. X-PAY Theo was right about you, Stanley. You find things. That’s your gift. STANLEY Seems like almost all the cars should be empty. Stanley shines the light across a CHEVY LUMINA... a HONDA PRELUDE... and a TOYOTA COROLLA. They are all empty. He then shines the light down the center aisle... and he sees tuo SKELETONS on the concrete next to one another He walks over to them and sees that there is a MACY'S BAG on the ground between them.96. He picks up the shopping bag and looks inside, retrieving THO MEN'S SWEATSHIRTS. He then finds the CREDIT CARD RECEIPT and WALLET, and he hold it up to the flashlight. The name on the drivers licence is MONA STBINER STANLEY (cont'd) Her name was Mona Steiner. She bought us some sweatshirts. You boys want some clean clothes? X-RAY Hell yeah. Zero walks X-Ray over to a RANGE ROVER that is parked next to an EMPTY SEOT. cur TO: INT: UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE -- MOMENTS LATER Zero has found a LARGE ROCK... and he uses it to smash through one of the back windows of the RANGE ROVER in order to get the doors unlocked. He then puts X-Ray into the passenger seat of the Rover. ERO Now you're riding in style, boy. X-RAY Always wanted to ride in @ Range Rover- GBRO We need to tape up those ribs. Stanley comes by with the sweatshirts and a second FLASHLIGHT. STANLEY Here’s another flashlight. I emptied out the truck. It’s all buried in the sand. I don’t think anyone will see it. ZERO (whispering) Hef's hurt real bad. I... don’t know what to do, other than keep him still, tape up his ribs. Stanley looks over at X-Ray, who is holding his Stomach... his eyes closed.97. STANLEY Listen... it’s gonna get real cold in here tonight. I’m gonna go walk around, try and find some blankets. (setting down the duffel bag} There’s enough food in here to last us for a little while. ZERO I'll watch him... check through these cars. STANLEY I/1l meet you back here. And then Stanley walks off into the dark garage. INT: UNDERGROUND PARFING GARAGE -- MOMENTS LATER Stanley crosses down into the lower section of the garage... sweeping the halogen flashlight over the rows of cars. At the end of the parking level he shines the light onto an EXIT DOOR thet reads: SEARS/PARKING LEVEL 1 Stanley walks through the doorway. INT: UNDERGROUND CORRIDOR -- NEXT Stanley walks to the end of the corridor and finds himself at the entrance to the BASEMENT LEVEL of SEARS. INT: SEARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -- NEXT Stanley shines his light into the darkness... revealing the HOUSEWARES and FURNITURE department. The aisles... covered in dirt are remarkably well preserved. Stanley passes through the ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT... sweeping the light across a row of BASEBALL BATS and BASKETSALLS. He removes one of the basketballs from its cardboard container... and goes to dribble it on the floor. When it hits the ground... it deflates with a SPLAT. Stanley moves through to the middle of the department where there is a PAIR OF ESCALATORS rising up into the rubble. Packed onto the escalators and covered from some of the fallen debris from above are nearly a DOZEN SKELETONS and their CLOTHING.98. Stanley then turns and shines his light into the FURNITURE SECTION... where there are FOUR COUCHES set up as a FAUX LIVING ROOM. STANLEY Jackpot. cur To: INT: SEARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -- NEXT Stanley now has a KEROSENE HEATER sitting in the middle of the Faux Living Room setup. There are two cans of Garnt sitting on top of it, also providing additional warmth and illumination for the room. X-Ray is now laid Sut on.one of the couches, wrapped up in blankets. Zero Galks into the living room area with boxes of BOARDGAMES. ZERO I've got Scattergories, Sorry, and Trivial Pursuit. X-RAY rrivial Pursuit! X-Ray then breaks into a fit of coughing. 2ERO Calm down. You have to stay still. (to Stanley! You sure it’s alright to put gasoline in a kerosene heater? STANLEY I don’t know. We’11 find out. CUT TO: INT: SBARS UNDERGROUND LEVBL -- NEXT Stanley and Zero are now sitting on the floor next to the heater... with the Trivial Pursuit Millenium board set out on the carpet in between then, STANLEY How many minutes did the average Bmerican need to reach the nearest McDonald’s, in 1998? ZERO Ten minutes. STANLEY Is that your final enswer?ZERO Yeah. STANLEY Wrong. Four minutes. X-RAY God, I would do anything for some McDonald's right now. 2ERO How long do you think it would take us to walk to the nearest MacDonald's right now? Stanley and X-Ray think fox a moment. STANLEY Two weeks. X-RAY No way. A month. And when we got there it would be closed down. They are silent for a moment. X-RAY Sorry I wrecked the truck. STAULEY It’s not your fault. It would have happened if either one of us was driving. X-RAY Axe we gonna die down here, Stanley? STANLEY No one’s going to die. We just have to figure out what to do next. Tomorrow we'll figure out a plan. X-RAY Just me then. ¥ou two will figure it out. I don’t see how I can move, anyhow. My insides axe all busted up. ZERO (new question) What’s the second-most common object of phobias, after spiders? X-RAY snakes. 99.200. 2ERO Ts that your final answer? X-RAY Yeah. 2ERO wrong. X-RAY Well what is it then? BRO People. (beat] They’1l be looking for us. I know that. And if they find us, then what? T think the longer we stay here the better. STANLEY We have no food and barely any water. He needs a doctor, and he can’t walk. X-RAY (getting delirious) Don’t leave me alone down here. Please don’t leave me. STANLEY (new question) What hairy cud-chewers served es caddies at the 1996 Vermont Invitational Celebrity Golf Tourney? Everyone is silent for a moment ZERO Hairy cud chewers? X-RAY What the hell is cud? STANLEY Like... grain schmeg. I don’t know. X-RAY Beavers. STANLEY Is that your final answer? X-PAY Yeah, cause I’m gonna die soon. I know ait.102. STANLEY wrong. The answer is Llamas. And wrong. You’re not going to die down here. 2BRO Do they sell guns at Sears? STANLEY No. I already checked. We've got the one gun... and the bullets from the truck. We can defend ourselves if we have to. ZERO the safest way to accomplish anything, is if we do it at night. X-RAY Please don’t leave me. Sit this out with me, and then bury me up top. Don’t Let me be laid to rest down hear. (beat) I hate Sears. My mom used to buy my clothes here. Stanley closes his eyes... trying to conceal nis panic. ZERO What Beat writer started appearing in Nike ads three years before he died, at the age of 832 STANLEY William S. Burroughs. ZERO Is that your final answer? STANLEY Yes. And I kmow I’m right. X-RAY You Imow what the worst regret is? The worst part about it? ZERO What? X-RAY am still a virgin. I ain’t never been laid. X-Ray coughs up more blood.102. X-RAY (cont’d) Tell me what it feels like. Zero and Stanley look at each other. STANLEY It's the best feeling im the world. ZERO It can’t be described with words. STANLEY (new question) What Mancy Sinatra song did the FBI play at high volume in an effort to flush David Koresh out of his Waco compound? X-BAY Boots are made for walkin’. STANLEY How'd you know that? X-RAY Mom's favorite song. One hit wonder. (beat) why did you kill your sister, Stanley? Stanley is silent for a moment... looking down at the @rivial Pursuit cards in his hands. STANLEY (ignoring the question) What does the slang term “all day and all night” mean to a prison inmate? ZERO A life sentence. (beat) Way did you kill your sister, Stanley? Stanley is still looking down ct the Trivial Pursuit cards when he finally begins to talk. STANLEY We got separated from our Mom and Dad xight after the first blast. (beat) For the next few months we moved from camp to camp, raided what’s left of the supermarkets, learned to love Puppy Chow. CUT TO: [FLASHBACK]103. INT: SUPERMARKET ~~ NIGHT Stanley and Rebecca stand in a COMPLETZLY DESERTED AISLE of the Supermarket. All that is left on the shelf in front of them is a bag of PUPPY CHOW. EXT; SUPERMARKET PARKING LOT -- NIGHT Stanley and Rebecca sit on the curb in front of the entrance, eating handful after handful of dog food. cur To: INT: SEARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -- NEXT X-RAY Kibbles NW’ Bits is better STANLEY We just kept trying to find them. Rebecca started to get sick. Just like everybody else. cur To: [FLASHBACK] EXT: WOODS =~ NICHT we see Stanley carrying his sister through the woods... hex coughing has now grown worse. cur 10: INT: SHARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -~ NEXT Stanley now speaks very softly. STANLEY gventually we made it to this military hospital, if you could call it that. They had it set up in this elementary school. cor 7 : [FLASHBACK] INT: SCHOOL HALLWAY -~ NEXT Stanley carries his sister down a hallway lined with lockers. There axe SICK PEOPLE everywhere. People sezeaming for help, armed Military Personnel blocking doorways to CLASSROOMS, family members pleading to be admitted. Someone pulls a gun... trying to get through... but he is immediately tackled by several Military Guards.104. Stanley maneuvers through the panicked masses and comes to the entrance to the school gymnasium. There is e WOMAY desperately pleeding with the guard to get inside. WOMAN Please! I lmow he’s in there! His name is Walter Murray! GUARD I’m sorry Mam. We have no one by that name here. Taeze is no room left. You have to look somewhere else. voMalT Please! Stanley approaches the Guard with Rebecca in his arms. She is now HYPEEVENTILATING. Stanley looks at the Guard desperately. STANLEY Please. She’s starting to hyperventilate. The Guard looks at Stanley for a long moment... unable to deny that Rebecca is not in good health, GUARD Name? STANLEY (writing on his clipboard) Rebecca Kramer. GUARD Age? STANLEY Bight. The Guard moves to the side... allowing Stanley through. The Woman behind him begins to scream again. INT: SCHOOL GYMNASIUM -- NIGHT Inside the Gymnasium there are dozens of COTS laid out in rows on the floor, There are sick people everywhere, and just TWO VOLUNTEER DOCTORS. cur To:105. INT: SEARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -- NEXT STANLEY We were thexe for maybe two days... and then her throat started to close up. CUT 70: [FLASHBACK] INT: SCHOOL GYMNASIUM -- NIGHT Stanley is laying on the wood floor next to Rebecca’s cot... when he is awakened by harsh breathing sounds. He rises up to meet her face... and we see that she is desperately holding her throat. Stanley takes her hand... his face filled with panic. STANLEY Doctor! We need a doctor! But no one comes. STANLEY (cont'd) We need some medicine woman here isn’t any. There's nothing you can do but wait now. Stanley turns his head and sees that it is the woman who was trying desperately to get into the gymnasium before. cur to: INT; SEARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -- NEXT STANLEY Finally... they gave her a tracheotomy... and she wes breathing through this straw. CUT TO: [FLASHBACK] INT: SCHOOL GYMNASIUM -- NIGHT Rebecce is now laying there with the tracheotomy tube sticking out of her throat. Her eyes are barely open. Stanley is next to her, holding her hand once again.106 STANLEY It will be alright. soon everything will be elright. cur To: 2XT: SEARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -~ NEXT STANLEY I sat there with her for three weeks. And cach day things got a little worse. It got $0 she couldn't talk. She could barely open her eyes they were so swollen. Her tear ducts were all dried up. Tears have begun to roll down Stanley’s cheeks. STANLEY (cont’d) You think that they!ll finally reach this threshold. Where a person... can't suffer anymore than they already ymow. You think that when it gets so bad the body will just surrender... and put the mind to rest... put the pain away because it’s got nothing to do but just sit there day after day and repeat the same thing. (beat) But it doesn’t. It just repeats itself. And repeats itself. (beat) You can only look at someone suffering for so long, until you have to finish what God started. You have to take responsibility, and do what you think will best provide for the person who suffers more than you do. CUT TO: [FLASHBACK] INT: SCHOOL GYMNASIUM -- NIGHT Stanley is crying, holding his sister's hand. He slowly feaches his hand out and touches Rebecca’s swollen face... and then moves his hand down to her throat, and slowly removes the Tracheotomy tube. We pull back slowly from Stanley as he lowers his head to her chest... listening as the breath finally leaves her kody. cur TO:107. INT: SEARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -- NEXT STANLEY But somebody saw me do it. (beat) I don’t Imow who, but somebody saw me do it... and before I kmew it, they were taking me away. CUT TO: [FLASHBACK] INT: SCKOOL GYMNASIUM -- NIGHT A hand grebs Stanley by the arm as he sits over Rebecca’s body... pulling him up to his feet. Hex HAND falls from his, limp... now touching the floor. cur TO: INT: SEARS UNDERGROUND LEVEL -- NEXT Stanley looks up from the Trivial Pursuit card in his hand. He has not stopped crying. STANLEY I guess they figured I was valuable. Young, healthy man. (beat) So that’s why I killed my sister. They are all silent for a moment. X-Ray has grown very weak. X-RAY (almost gone) You don’t have to worry, Stanley. 1711 tell Rebecca that you said hi. (beat) I’m not cold. I’m not cold anymore. (beat) You see I’m lucky compared to her. I got Mona Steiner’s sweatshizt on. She Bought this one special for me... so I'd been nice and warm (beat) You see... I got X-Ray vision. I can see through space and time. I can see her right now. We pull back to a wide angle of the sporting goods department and ESCALATORS... and they SLOWLY MORPH BACK Ii TIME... where the store is now bathed in light, with shoppers everywhere.108 X-Ray, Stanley, and Zero watch from the Faux Living Room as MOWA STEINER and her sister, another plump, older woman, come down the escalator carrying the MACY’S SHOPPIUG BAG... deep in conversation. X-RAY (cont’ a) I can hear them talking. She bought it for her son. To keep him warm. she’s glad that it got put to good use. Mona Steiner slowly turns her head and GAZES OVER AT THEM WITH A SMILE. When she and her sister reach the bottom... they turn and walk through the Sporting Goods Department toward the exit. X-RAY (cont'd) You were my friends. (beat) You were my best friends. They watch her silently, from the future, with a sense of longing for the past that has been lost. EXT: TEXAS DESERT -- SUNSET Stanley and Zero stand over X-Ray’s GRAVE... which they have just filled back up, adjacent to the ditch channel. ZERO That’s the last hole I’m ever going to dig, Stanley. STANLEY Me, too. (beat) Never again. With the duffel bag, flashlights, and the gun in hand, Stanley and Zero begin to walk east in the direction from which they came... the sky slowly turning from purple into black. NARRATOR Stanley and I walked back toward camp green lake... knowing that the only logical solution was to finish what we started... and then... depending on the direction of fate... either suffer or benefit from the consequences.aoe. EXT: CAMP GREEN LARE -- SOUTHWEST SECTOR -~ WIGHT Stanley and Zero maneuver through the darlmess between the sea of holes. Beyond them... the lights from the camp can be seen in the distance. WARRATOR It was a fact known by everyone at Camp Green Lake that Stanley had a Imack for finding things. Stanley and Zero look down et the hole that is the epicenter of thedr destination. @he letters and numbers stare back at them from the sand. SOL 112 They jump down into the hole and begin to DIG INTO THE SOIL WITH THEIR BARE HANDS. They dig for a minute or so until Stanley's hands brush against something. STANLEY (whispering) I feel metal. They dig around the outline of what appears to be a RECTANGULAR METAL BOX. ‘The LATCH is undone. ZERO The latch is undone. STANLEY We have to open it. They stare silently down at the box. 2RRO Are you scared, Stanley? STANLEY No. We’ve got nothing to be scared of. After a moment's hesitation, Stanley leans down and opens the Lid to the box. He then steps back... and they stare blankly down at its contents. They stare for a long time... saying nothing.110. ZERO What do you think it is? Stanley looks closer. STANLEY (Long beat) It looks like a housing. A housing for what we found before. (beat) And there are twenty-three more of them. We finally see that inside the box is this: There is an INTRICATE METAL HOUSING with twenty three of the SPARK PLUG HAMMERS plugged into it on FOUR PARALLEL ROWS. In the upper left corner... one of the SPARK PLUG HAMMERS is missing. ZERO Do you think it’s a weapon? STANLEY I think that it’s twenty-three loaded weapons. This thing ejects them... once they’ve been used up. (beat) I think the first one of this. Started the war. (long beat) Right now I wish thet I had a Trivial Pursuit card that could tell me all of the answers. started all Suddenly... footsteps can be heard from above. Stanley and Jero turn quickly away... Zezo reaches for the gun that sits in the coznez of the hole. VOICE Don’t move. The voice belongs to Mx. Siz. He has his gun aimed down at then. MR. SIR Get out of the hole. Right now. Stanley and Zero slowly make their way to the surface. Once they are up... they see that the Warden is waiting for them. The Warden assesses the two young men for a long moment... and then slowly approaches them.aia. WARDEN Thank you for serving your country. (beat) May God have mercy on your souls. From behind the Warden, TWO HEADLIGHTS approach from the distance. whe Warden then, without a trace of emotion, nods his head to Mr. Sir. Stanley and Zero glance quickly back at one another... ‘mowing that this is it. Mr. Six thea raises his PISTOL to Zero... his finger on the trigger. _.-WHEN SUDDENLY THERE IS A LOUD ELECTRICAL SNAPPING §0UND. MR. SIR’S HEAD FLINCHES SLIGHTLY... HIS EYES SUDDENLY FILLED WITH HORROR... JUST BEFORE HE FALLS DOWN FACZ FIRST ONTO THE GROUND. Stanley and Zero look down in shock at the back of Mr- Siz’s head... and see the BLADE OF ONE OF THE SPAPKPLUG HAMMERS IS IMBBDDED IN THE BACK OF HIS SKULL. Silence. The lights from the approaching truck are now getting closer. The Warden slowly turns his head toward the hole... and before he has hed the chance to xeach for his gun... \THERE IS ANOTHER ELECTRICAL SNAPPING SOUND... AND ANOTHER SPARKELUG HAMMER EJECTS FROM THE HOLE... TURNING END OVER END UNTIL TT IMBEDS ITSELF INTO THE WARDEN’S CHEST. The Warden falls to the ground..; holding onto the device buried deep within his chest cavity. BLOOD CUSHES FROM HIS MOUTH. stanley slowly approaches the Warden like a cat. the headlights from the truck grow closer... Stanley leans down to the Warden... taking his hand. the Warden's eyes are filled with nothing but terror. STANLEY (whispering) May God forgive you fox the suffering that you have caused.142. The Warden’s eyes widen. We approach zero... who looks just as terrified as the Warden... staring down into the hole with tears in his eyes. NARRATOR In that moment I realized the great interlocking connection that had been made by this thing... buried beneath me... MONTAGE OF IMAGES: JONATHAN CAINES... RUNNING AWAY FROM THE CAMP JUST AS ZERO HAD. MR. SIR... PULLING THE TRIGGER... JONATHAN GAINES FALLING T0 THE GROUND MARRATOR I was reminded of Jonathan Gaines... and Mr. Sir. MR. SIR/S DBAD BYES FACE DOWN AGAINST THE SAND. DIANE PENDANSEI... SMOKING HER CIGARETTE AT THE BASEMENT ENTRANCE FOP BOB/S BIG BOY. HER BONES... LAID OUT OM THE BLANKET BEFORE THE INCIBERATOR . WARRATOR (cont’d) ...0f Diane... and the men who lost her PENDANSKI... LAYING OW HIS BUNK... STARING AT HIS WIFE’S WEDDING BAND. GORDON BARCLAY... GRASPING THS WRENCH IN THE PIT OF HIS TEXACO STATION. NARRATOR (cont’d) ...0f Gordon Barclay... and his sea of fire... THE FIRE RAGING FROM THE PIT... AS THE CAMPERS WATCH. MONA STEINER... GAZING ACROSS THE SEA OF TIME AND SPACE OM HE SEARS ESCALATOR. NARRATOR (cont’d) ...of Mona Steiner... and her gift to her lost son...113. X-RAY... HIS BYES CLOSING SLOWLY ON THE COUCH IN THE FAUX SEARS LIVING ROOM. THEO... LYING DESPERATELY ON THE GROUND CRYING HIS HANDS UP AGAINST THE WARDEN IN FEAR. + HOLDING NARRATOR (cont’d) ...0f Theo... and his faith in God... REBECCA... WRAPPED IN HER TOWEL, STARING WITH A SMILE AT HER BIRTHDAY CAFE... NARRATOR (cont’d) ...0f Rebecca... and her brave heart... STANLEY... CARRYING RERECCA’S BIRTHDAY CAER. STANLEY... PULLING THE TRACHEOTOMY TUBE FROM REBECCA’S ‘THROAT. NARRATOR (cont/d) ...and the Warden... and his secret... THE WARDEN... STANDING AMONG A GROUP OF MILITARY OFFICERS IN THE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM... LOOKING ACROSS AT STANLEY AS HE KILLS HIS SISTER. THE WARDEN... EYES AND BLOODY MOUTH IM A GRIMACE OF TERROR... STARING UP AT STANLEY'S ANGELIC FACE. NARRATOR (cont/d) .+sand Stanley... STANLEY... JUMPING OFF THE EDGE OF HIS DIVING BOARD INTO THE BLAST. ZERO... LOOKING DOWN AT THE HOLE IM SHOCK... HIS FACE COMPLETELY WHITE. WARRATOR (cont! d) ...the one who was good at finding things. Things buried in the earth now zevisited.., fxom the future back into the past... and then buried once again, Buried beneath my feet in this strange connection. Stanley holds the Warden's hand as the life passes from him... the light from the approaching truck bathing them in a white glow. As the MILITARY TRUCK comes to a stop, Stanley and Zero look up and see that it is PENDANSKI who steps out.ais. He is now wearing a military uniform... his head shaved into a crew cut. He approaches them slowly... assessing the scene. Judging the aftermath. Deciding what to do next is the thing that they have been doing for so long. PENDANSEI Staxt digging. There isn’t much time. CUT TO: EXT: CAMP GRESSN LAKE -- SOUTHWEST SECTOR -- NIGHT Stanley, Zero and Pendanski stand over the filled holes where the Warden and Mr. Sir now rest. From SOL 112 they then retrieve the Metal Box containing the remaining 21 sparkplug hammers... and they place it carefully into the back of the Military Truck. Pendanski then grabs a stack of FATIGUES... and throws them at Stanley and Zero. PENDANSEL put these on. You've been drafted. INT; MILITARY TRUCK -- NEXT Stanley and Zero sit in the cab of the truck as Pendanski drives. They drive back through the camp for the last time... ignozed entirely by the scores of military personne? moving throughout. They approach the entrance, where the axched sign stares back at them: WELCOME TO CANP GREEN LARE ‘As they pull up to a stop... there is an ARMED MILITARY GUARD standing there. Stanley looks over and sees that the Guard is actually DEREE. His hair has also been shaved into a crew cut. PENDANSEI (to Derek) Laundry duty. Derek looks briefly over at Stanley and Zero... nods his head... and then waves them through.as. The truck then dzives off into the desert night leaving the camp behind forever... with its precious cargo in tow... CUT TO: EXT: OCEAN -- DAY We pull back from ocean waves into the WAKS of a LARGE CIVILIAN TRANSPORT SHIP. EXT: TRANSPORT SHIP -- NEXT Stanley, Zero, and Pendanski emerge from a group of people on the REAR DECK of the ship. They are dressed like civilians in WINTER PATAGONIAS. As we get closer... we see that Stanley and gero are carrying both ends of a HUGE BLUE DUFFEL BAG. As they carry it to the edge of the railing that overlooks the back of the transport ship... they pause for a moment... resting the duffel bag on the back of the railing. Pendanski stands behind them... looking down at the wake forming in the water. PENDANSRI Whatever it is... it did what it did for a reason. (beat) And now it wants to be buried. (beat) ox it wouldn’t have let us come this faz. Stanley and Zero look at one another. ZERO Bury the past. Stanley nods in agreement. STANLEY Bury the past. And with that, they tip the duffel bag over the railing... and it PLUNGES INTO THE OCEAN. They stare back for a moment... and Stanley’s eyes widen suddenly... his face filled with some wondrous gealization.116. WARPATOR And then we were filled with a great and strange wisdom. We went to a place where we could bury our regret. That Same regret that had imbedded itself, without choice, in the hearts of those who were no longer around to show us the way. With this knowledge we sailed forth on a new path, through the architechture of this immense planet, its mysteries still unsolved. (beat). And we haven't looked back since. and with that... the ship trails away from us... gaining speed into the horizon. FADE OUT: