Characters in order of appearance
Locations INT. LIVING ROOM
Scene Purpose Sudden contrast from previous sequence. To showcase the relationship between Ely and Kay toward their father Higgs. Also to nightmarishly restate the horror that had just occurred to Higgs and that Ely observed it all. This sequence is meant to simply be a dream of Ely’s before she wakes up in the next sequence. However it can also be assumed as a real moment of the past. We also get to better explore some aspects of the world through conversation. The father is trying to look out the best for his kids. He is concerned about how much he can give them. They are grateful for his efforts.
Script Ely sits at a piano in an open white space, methodically playing a simple tune. The environment around her begins to change from the clean whiteness to Higg’s apartment around her. This plays her song for a short while before she is eventually interrupted. ”Alright kids, dinner’s up!” Ely glances up smiling. She sees her father, Higgs, walking out onto the Balcony holding three plates. Kay is already standing out on the balcony, leaning on the rail with his elbow and admiring the stars. ”I’m sorry it’s not much. That’s all the rations could provide.” ”Dad! Dad! Look, I found another one. Do you see it?” Kay points up to the stars in the sky. ”The tail, the body, the head, and the eye. You see it too. Right?.” ”I think I do actually. Is it a fish?” ”Yes! Haha you got it. Oh here hang on, let me help you.” ”Oh. Thanks Kay.” Kay takes a step forward and lifts the flower vase off the table so Higgs can place down the dinner plates. Meat and veggies. Ely approaches the balcony from behind Higgs. ”Mmm smells good, what is it this time?” ”Ooo it’s the same meat as last night right dad? Loin chops?” ”Actually it’s tenderloin tonight, with Brussel sprouts and peas.” ”Ugh.” ”Thanks dad, I’m very grateful.” sarcastic Ely chuckles. ”Hey well it’s just for tonight and then you guys will be spoiling yourselves while I’m away.” Kay looks over at Ely gleefully. She looks back all the same. ”Steak and mash!” kay, ely “That’s right. And we saved up a heap this time round so it should last you the whole three weeks.” There is a short moment of sadness around the table as the kids are reminded that their father is going away. Everyone slowly begins to eat their food. Ely bites a brussels sprout. ”Dad. Is there a reason these taste so bad?” Kay lets out a subtle grunt of laughter through his nose. ”Y’know Ely, if you’d met your mother you’d learn she is an absolute polar opposite of you. She used to eat those things religiously and then throw out her meat into the plants to use as fertilizer. Wouldn’t even let me have it for no sake.” ”Really? She just ate vegetables. Poor thing.” ”Haha yea she was a bit of a herbivore.” ”Wait they have a word for that?” ”Well yea of course they do. Haha, you have to remember there was a time where meat was plentiful Kay. Technically, she was a vegetarian but a herbivore is the word used to describe an animal that only eats plants. All the animals we eat up here are herbivores. And because human’s eat both, we are called omnivores.” ”Screw that I’m the opposite. If I could just eat meat all day. Oh boy.” ”Oh yea, what about that. They must have a word for meat eaters?” Higgs is chewing his mouthful and raises another piece of meat on his fork to his mouth. ”Mmm they do. Carnivore.” Higgs bites the meat off the fork. There is then another short moment of silence between the family. A hovercraft closely flies past their balcony lighting up their faces and apartment. ”So dad. When you go away again. And then when you come back. We’re leaving right?” ”I hope so Ely. I can’t promise anything but you know I’ve been carefully making the arrangements for years now. We just have to be patient and wait for a window. And I swear the moment one is available we will be gone.” ”The Happy Place. You always keep mentioning it to us but you don’t tell us anything about it. How do you know it’s safe. How do you know we can even grow food there?” Higgs turns and looks out at the sky. He points up at the stars and then traces his finger down toward the horizon. ”You see your stars Kay? And how many there are? Because we are so high up, even with the constant rain we can see so much of our galaxy. And if you look very carefully down towards the horizon over here to the East. Suddenly all those stars disappear…” Higgs looks into his son’s eyes. ”It’s a mountain. Mt. Rawn to be exact. One of the largest on the continent… Now I’ve done the calculations. And if I’m right, the summit of Mt. Rawn should exceed the REDD ZONE. Meaning yes, we can live there.” ”So that’s it then. Right there in front of us the whole time. That’s the Happy Place?” ”Yes Ely. That’s it. And in another 3 weeks when I get back. Everything should be ready. And we’ll all leave together.” ”I promise.” voice coming from higgs Ely turns to look at her father. He slowly turns towards her making blood curdling choking sounds. Kay stays where he is looking out at the stars. Eventually Higgs turns completely to look at Ely. He has the knife from the previous sequence shoved up into his jaw. Blood is gushing out of his mouth. As he looks directly at Ely she begins to cry and appear terrified. Higgs then begins to smile. From a painful expression to a menacing one. And as he smiles his facial structure slowly transforms into Zipher’s. Zipher is now staring deep into Ely with a sharp grin. The knife is still lodged in his jaw with blood gushing out of his mouth. ”My oh my captain, the blood on your hands.”