Versus Silence by Martin Bennett

EXT. EXPANSIVE WOODED HOME PROPERTY-DAY. The camera blurs into leaves as SAMUEL, a 6 or 7 year old, carries a stick that looks like a firearm with him. He has a carpenter's belt on, with a fake pistol, and a cowboy hat. He is mouthing a melody. He also has a bag of action figures. SAMUEL Doo doo doo doo Doo doo doo doo... Jagged cut to SAMUEL playing war games with his action figures, lined up on a ridge. SAMUEL is making fake gun noises and shooting up a hill. A teddy bear sits beside him, dressed in dog tags and camouflage bandana. Cut to SAMUEL in the same place, creating dirt bombs to throw at the figures. He looks at the teddy bear he has adorned with a bandana and begins to talk through it in a deep voice. BEAR/SAMUEL Get down, soldier. SAMUEL You're right, they might see us. (Ducks down) BEAR/SAMUEL We have to be careful. Don't worry, these bombs will show them who's boss.

SAMUEL continues to make a dirt bomb as he says this, then hears the ruffle of grass. He stops what he is doing to see what is making the ruffling noise. He hears it a second time and finally sees a frog. SAMUEL cocks his stick/rifle up like he has the bayonet on. SAMUEL(Whispering) A spy? I knew they would send someone... BEAR/SAMUEL (soft voice) I can smell the enemy and you are as bad as they come. SAMUEL runs towards the frog and stabs it. A tree screeching noise overwhelms the moment.

CUT TO: Extreme close up of SAMUEL in his bed. INT. SAMUEL'S BEDROOM-NIGHT. SAMUEL grabs the flashlight next to his bed and turns it on. He waves the flashlight around in his room to see what's around. He turns it off, lying back into bed. His eyes are still open as he lies. He keeps looking around, trying to see what's in the room. His VCR light is flashing 12:00 over and over and he uses that to scope out the scene. The shadows from the flashing VCR time keep him awake, as he attempts to close his eyes. SAMUEL creeps on all fours to the window slowly, with flashlight in hand, ready to put it on the frog to scare it. When he gets to the window, he turns the light on with the beam facing on the floor then springs up at the window. The frog is no longer there. CUT TO a realistic looking naked man with anatomy of a Ken doll, hanging from the window. EXT. EXPANSIVE WOODED PROPERTY-DAY. SAMUEL has just killed the frog. He is on his knees. He has stopped stabbing. He is looking very intently at the frog and he puts the stick/rifle down. SAMUEL rubs his hands on his pants and pokes at the frog to see if it is still alive. When he sees that is isn't still alive, he presses his finger to see if the frog has blood. He begins to immerse himself in feeling around the frog's body. SAMUEL I'm sorry. SAMUEL presses the frog harder and harder. SAMUEL(Whispering) I'm sorry, I'm..., (At the bear) What did you make me... You did this! You di-While SAMUEL is criticizing the bear CUT to images of him in his bedroom during the day throwing the bear down in disgust in his closet and slamming the door. And you stay in there! INT. SAMUEL'S BEDROOM-NIGHT. SAMUEL

MOM! DAD! MO-! SAMUEL sees the frog is gone. He backs out of the room. SAMUEL Mom.Mom....Dad. MOM!!!! SAMUEL hears nothing. A stillness sets in him. SAMUEL Mom...mo-mom....DAD!!! SAMUEL runs out to their bedroom, where the door is closed. He knocks. There's no answer. He opens in and sees their bed empty. He sees his mother standing in the doorway to the bathroom. SAMUEL Mom She looks at him, with a stillness and silence as if she doesnt know who he is. She shuts the door. SAMUEL slowly walks to the door. He pulls it open. His parents are not there. He turns towards the mirror and sees a dark shadow. He runs out of the bathroom, and the light goes off behind him. SAMUEL MOM! DAD! I don't want to play I don't want to play... Wandering around the house, SAMUEL tries to turn on the light switches, but every time he switches a light on, the bulb pops. He runs back to his room and into the moonlight, coming in through the window. He notices his shadow isn't under him. It seems to be hanging on the wall, where it shouldnt be, more like a black reflection. SAMUEL points his flashlight towards it, the bulb breaks. In the silence, SAMUEL hears the shadow breathing. He backs up against the wall, turns his face, he closes his eyes nothing happens. He opens his eyes and finds his shadow back on the floor. SAMUEL runs back to his parents room. He continues to see the shadow lurking, coming toward him. As he gets toward the living room again, he thinks he sees his parents walk out. SAMUEL MOM! DAD! Wait! Wait for me! Where... SAMUEL runs through the door.

EXT. EXPANSIVE WOODED HOME PROPERTY-DAY. SAMUEL runs out the door and stops. He is wearing his pajamas and feels the coldness. He still hears the night sounds, (appears to be spring again by the noises) the crickets chirping and the brush of the trees. He feels the shadow coming toward him. SAMUEL turns around and sees the shadow. SAMUEL starts to back away. He begins to hear frogs croaking, which scares him. He looks back and sees the shadow getting larger, looming towards him without seeming to move. SAMUEL starts to run. The woods and briars seem to blur around him. He turns back to see if the shadow is still around. He reaches a point to where he stops to catch his breath. The woods seem to swarm him, leaving him in tears. He looks around again, to see if the shadow has caught up to him. SAMUEL looks up to see the edge of the woods He sees his parents outside on a picnic. They are smiling and laughing together. SAMUEL (Hoarsely) Mom...dad...help... SAMUEL gets near the edge of the woods and his parents see him. They look at him as you would look at someone calling you by the wrong name. SAMUEL hears a brushing noise, as if something were running past him. He looks to see, but doesnt catch anything. He looks back to where his parents were and sees they are gone and the picnic material has vanished. He sees them far away and begins to follow them to the edge of the woods. When he reaches the edge of the forest, he sees them walk into an old house. SAMUEL follows them and arrive at the house. SAMUEL Hello? Mom! Mom! Hello! He opens the door. INT. HOUSE-DAY/NIGHT. SAMUEL walks in. The inside of the house isn't his. It is unfamiliar, older, dank. There are no lights on. SAMUEL Hello? As he walks in further to look around, he hears the door creak closed. SAMUEL begins to walk up the stairs to see if anyone is up there. At first he speaks with firm but calm voice.

SAMUEL Where are you? Then he begins to shout. SAMUEL MOM! I'm scared! Where are you?! SAMUEL walks downstairs and sees that it is night and trembles at the cold. SAMUEL stops as he sees the shadow lurking there. SAMUEL What are you doing here? Why are you here? SAMUEL can hear the shadow breathing but the shadow says nothing. SAMUEL Where's my mom and dad? (shrieking) Why do you keep following me? SAMUEL begins to cry. SHADOW You will not find your parents. They could not keep you. I will take you. SAMUEL My parents wouldnt do that you liar.

SHADOW Your parents know about what you

did. They can no longer raise you. SAMUEL I didnt mean to...the bear... SHADOW I can smell the enemy and you are as bad as they come. SAMUEL(cries) I...I... Samuel puts his head down. But...please. I'll bury him. I'll give up my toys...please... The shadow comes forth to SAMUEL. He runs away, tripping down. He runs up to the attic and finds a hiding place. He covers himself in a black cloth that he found. He peeks out. He sees the shadow walking upstairs, slowly. The shadow stops. SAMUEL tries to hold his breath, hoping he can't be heard. The shadow starts to walk downstairs. SAMUEL feels relief. Then blackness swarms him and SAMUEL screams. INT. SAMUEL'S BEDROOM-NIGHT. Close up of SAMUEL'S eyes as they open. Cut to a wide shot of SAMUEL waking up and feeling around him. He uncovers himself and he grabs his flashlight, turning it on. He sees nothing around him, with the sound of night beating against the house. He lays the flashlight down for a moment and sees his shadow. Slowly, he moves to see if the shadow moves with him. It does. Relief sweeps him. He gets up to move toward the closet where he placed his bear. The bear is now sitting atop other items in his closet. He picks up the bear and takes it to a box in his room. The box has toys in it that he clearly doesn't play with anymore. It has Fisher Price toys, toys made for 2 to 3 year olds. SAMUEL puts the bear in the box, neatly. The end.