Harpazo

(Written by Oscar McRobbie)

Ext. Field (Dream sequence) - without time - scene 1

We open with a highly contrasted shot of a field. It’s rather

saturated. We see a shot of our main character staring out into
the field, we don’t see their face. Suddenly, the world starts
spinning and everything takes on a deep red tint, the ambient
sound getting louder and louder until it becomes too
overwhelming.

Int. Apartment room A - late evening/early morning - scene 2

The camera opens on a blurry ceiling before slowly adjusting to

show it in focus; radio static can be heard in the background.
The camera cuts to a shot of the clock, the rest of the bedroom
out of focus in the background, reading 3:01 AM. The static is
louder now.

Our main character ANDREW slowly rises from his bed, still out
of focus. We see in the background as he lumbers out of bed and
walks past the clock and over to where the static comes from.
The camera finally cuts to show the radio, where Andrew pulls
the chair down and begins fiddling with the radio, shoving it
lightly. Where once was nothing but static makes way to audible
dialogue.

Radio
your world, as you know it, will cease to be within
twelve days.

The radio continues to crackle and spout its continuous mantra.

We cut to see Andrew sitting slack and tired in front of the
radio, the time on the clock reading 3:57 AM. The radio begins
to fizzle out, leaving Andrew alone in silence. The radio
fizzles to life again, returning with ordinary music.

Andrew then decides it’s his time to get up and tell his
neighbour about his situation.

Int. Apartment room D - early morning - scene 3

We cut to a similar room to ANDREW’s though this one is owned by
his neighbour DANIEL. Daniel is sitting opposite Andrew on his
bed, while Andrew sits the wrong way in a chair.

Andrew
Listen, I was awake. I knew I was.

Daniel
You one hundred per cent sure you weren’t dreaming or
something? Because I don’t know man, it seems like it
could be a dream to me.

Andrew puts his head in his hands in overwhelmed confusion,

sighing deeply.

Andrew
I mean… I heard it- I’m not sure what else I can say
about it.

Daniel looks to Andrew, raising a finger to his chin.

Daniel
Well I mean, I don’t know what’s going on with your
radio, it could be a prank from the station, a
hijacking- I don’t know. But if it happens again, let
me know, I’ll be the first to see what I can do.

Andrew gets up and looks concernedly towards the door.

Andrew
Yeah. That sounds good.
With that, Andrew nods his head to Daniel. Inquisitively looking
at the door, Andrew leaves the room quietly.

Int. Apartment room A - day/night - scene 4

ANDREW sits staring at the radio contemplatively, wondering what

he should be doing with his time. He raises his hand to lightly
slap the radio, believing that might make it speak again. The
only sound he’s met with is the quiet sound of some unknown emo
band of some kind.

Andrew yet again sighs.

Andrew
What’s going on with you? What makes you tick?

Andrew continues to stare at the radio curiously before the

camera suddenly cuts to him laying in bed, staring up at the
ceiling. The room is much darker now.

Slowly, Andrew turns his head to the silent radio. It remains

silent. He waits. The time reads 3:09 AM. The radio suddenly
crackles to life once again, and Andrew throws himself out of
bed almost excitedly.

Radio
your world, as you know it, will cease to be within
eleven days.

He tilts his head curiously. We linger on this shot as the audio

of the next scene begins.

Int. Apartment room D - day - scene 5

Once again ANDREW has returned to DANIEL’s room and is standing

staring at the wall, contemplating.
 Andrew
It happened again last night.

Daniel
Yeah?

Andrew
And this time I know for a fact I wasn’t dreaming.

Andrew takes a breath before continuing.

Andrew
It said eleven days this time. It’s counting down. To
be completely honest, I’m not sure what to think about
that.

Daniel looks down with intent thought.

Daniel
We could ask Mark, you know, from downstairs. Doesn’t
he know someone who works at the radio station?

Andrew
He does? That’d be good. Get him to ask if they’ve
been transmitting weird joke messages to anyone who’s
awake at 3:00 AM.

Daniel
If I can convince him, sure.
The camera cuts back to Andrew who is once again staring at the
wall, deep in thought. He raises a hand to scratch his head
curiously before turning to face Daniel.

Andrew
Tell me, does anyone else in here own a radio

Now it’s Daniel’s turn to look quizzical. He ponders for a

moment, the shot lingering just as it is as he turns his head
back to Andrew.

Daniel
An old one like yours? I think you’re the only one.
You have it long then?

Andrew shakes his head.

Andrew
It was here when I moved in. I don’t know why it’s
started acting up now.

Daniel
Well… It’s getting late. I’ll get back to you on that
broadcast question with Mark.

Andrew
Thanks, man. Really means a lot.

Int. Apartment room A - night - scene 6

The camera cuts to a shot of ANDREW staring up from his bed. He

is completely motionless, even when the radio turns on he
remains still.
 Radio
your world, as you know it, will cease to be
within ten days.

The camera stays on Andrew’s motionless face. Lingering as the

radio continues its now familiar mantra.

Ext. Balcony - early morning - scene 7

ANDREW stands on his balcony staring at the sunrise. Its orange

and pink hue is similar to the skyline from his nightmares. His
stare lingers as the sun rises. Andrew sighs softly before
turning back to the balcony door and exiting the area.

Int. Apartment room D - day - scene 8

We see both ANDREW and DANIEL as normal, however, they are

joined by a third member. MARK is sitting in the chair facing
Andrew, he looks at him incredulously.

Mark
So let me get this straight- your radio keeps going
off at 3:00 AM specifically to tell you that the world
is ending sometime next week?

Andrew nods and Daniel watches both parties with intrigue.

Mark
Now, you’ll have to forgive me but I find that a
little hard to believe. Do you have any solid proof? A
video? Audio recording?

Andrew shakes his head, feeling a little stupid. Mark lets out
an exacerbated sigh before getting up and deciding to leave
before Andrew raises his hand.
 Andrew
Wait! I could show you.

Mark turns back to look at Andrew. The shot lingers on the room
with all three occupants.

Int. Apartment room A - night - scene 9

The camera starts on a wide shot of our trio crowded around the
radio. We then see a shot of the clock reading 2:59 AM. We
continue to linger on them for a while. MARK turns to face
ANDREW, DANIEL between the two.

Mark
This better not be a waste of time. I sacrificed
sleep to be here.

Andrew
Just wait. Give it a minute.

They all turn back to face the radio. There’s silence between
the three for a few moments.

Suddenly, the radio crackles to life, Mark jumping away quickly,

Daniel flinching a little and Andrew not reacting at all. The
two newbies to the situation stare at the radio with caution.

Radio
your world, as you know it, will cease to be
within nine days.

Both Daniel and Mark stare at the radio with a mix of awe and
dread; understanding fully that Andrew was telling the truth,
and that there is a chance that the radio isn’t lying.
 Mark
So… How long has it been doing this?

Mark sounds like he has a slight lump in his throat. Perhaps

worried, even if only a little.

Andrew
Only a few days. It started counting down from
twelve.

Daniel
Do you believe the radio?

Andrew
I guess I do. Call it a hunch, or intuition-
whatever it is. But I’ve got a strong suspicion
that this radio isn’t lying.

Mark
Give me a second to register this.

Mark cups his face in his hands, trying to comprehend what he’s
hearing. He seems a little shaken up. Daniel pats him on the
back gently.

Daniel
Take your time. It’s alright.

Mark
Alright, I’ll phone someone tomorrow about it.
I’ll try and get back to you as soon as I can.
We watch as Mark gets up leaving both Daniel and Andrew alone.
They both turn to face each other.

Andrew
Do you believe it too?

Daniel
I guess I do, yeah. I’m not entirely sure.

Andrew
That’s fair. I get where you’re coming from.

Andrew turns to face the door, Daniel following his gaze.

Andrew
Do you think he believes it?

Daniel
I don’t think he does. No.

The camera lingers on the two while they stare at the door, as
it slowly fades into the next scene.

Int. Apartment room A - night - scene 10

We are once again treated to the familiar sight of ANDREW

sitting in front of his radio, staring at it with tired eyes. He
raises a hand to scratch his chin as the radio begins to crackle
to life.

Radio
your world, as you know it, will cease to be
within eight days.
Int. Apartment room A - day - scene 11

We’re once again joined by ANDREW, DANIEL and MARK, who looks
rather glum compared to the other two’s rather subdued and calm
appearances.

Mark
That’s it then. Apparently, the station hasn’t
been transmitting those signals and hasn’t picked
them up either.

Both Daniel and Andrew let out quiet sighs at the realisation
that this is it.

Mark
I put in a tip with the police about it too. They
didn’t believe me. Nobody believed me.

Daniel
It’s alright. I’m sure you’ll be okay.

Mark
How can you be so calm about this? We’re at the
brink of our very own existence and you two just
sit there! I’m the only one here who’s actually
tried anything, and all of it’s failed!

Andrew and Daniel give Mark some space as he begins to rant.

Mark
And there’s nothing else I can do! Everyone is
against me! I bet none of this is real,
everyone’s trying to convince me I’m crazy and
you two are a part of it!
Mark points an accusatory finger towards both Andrew and Daniel,
who in turn jump at his quick action.

Daniel
Calm down man, we’re not gaslighting you or
putting up a front! We’re just trying to find out
what’s happening!

Andrew continues to stare silently as to not suffer Mark’s

focused wrath.

Mark
Daniel, I would’ve preferred it if you kept me
out of this rather than rope me in.

Daniel gestates briefly as if he’s about to say something before

stopping, unable to think of anything to say.

Daniel
Listen. Mark, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.

Mark lets out an angry exhale.

Mark
“Sorry” won’t mean anything when we’re gone.
Just… I need to go think about this alone.

Mark goes to exit the room, quietly muttering to himself.

Mark
Ignorance is bliss…
The camera lingers on the remaining pair from afar. They both
stay still for a while as the silence nearly envelops them.
Andrew slowly and quietly turns to Daniel, not wanting to set
him off too. He doesn’t quite know what to do at this current
moment, so he resorts to auto-pilot mode.

Andrew
So… Would you like something to eat?

Daniel simply lets out a defeated chuckle, placing his head in

his hands and groaning.

Int. Apartment room A - night - scene 12

ANDREW lies in his bed, watching the radio quietly. He’s given
up all hope on completely solving the mystery of the radio, so
just watches it silently with neither defeat nor accomplishment.
He’s just doing all he can do.

The radio once again sparks to life, the voice fading in.

Radio
your world, as you know it, will cease to be
within four days.

Andrew sighs quietly.

Ext. Balcony - early morning - scene 13

We once again watch ANDREW as he stands on his balcony. He

raises a phone to his ear and we hear the quiet sound of a phone
ringing before hearing a fairly masculine voice.

Phone
Hello? Who’s this?
 Andrew
Hey dad, it’s me.

Phone
Andrew? Great to hear from you! How’ve you been?

Andrew
I’ve been worse. A few things here and there
getting me down, but besides that, I’m doing
alright.

Phone
That’s good. That’s good. So- when’s the next
time you’re coming down?

Andrew lets out a chuckle that is littered with melancholy.

Andrew
Soon, dad. Soon. I’ll pop by soon. I love you,
dad.

There’s silence from the other end for a little bit.

Phone
Are you sure everything is alright? You don’t
sound like yourself.

Andrew
Everything’s alright dad, just got a bit of a
cold is all.
 Phone
Alright, if you say so. Well, see you soon then.
Don’t get into trouble.

Andrew
You too, dad. See you soon.

Suddenly there’s the sound of a phone being hung up, followed by

the sound of the line going dead. Andrew lets out an anxious
sigh.

Andrew
One more…

He raises the phone to his ear once again, the phone ringing. A
feminine voice suddenly cuts that out. Andrew sighs a sigh of
relief.

Phone
Hey, this is Trish, I’m busy at the moment but
I’ll make sure to call you back when I have some
free time, thank you!

The phone lets out a slightly irritating beep, Andrew pulls away
briefly from the high-pitch before going back in to leave his
message.
 Andrew
Hey, Trish… I know that I’m probably the last
person you’d like to hear right now, but… I just…
I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. You were
right, it was my fault. I don’t blame you if you
can’t forgive me, but I just want to let you know
that I enjoyed the time we spent together. Thank
you.

Andrew then hangs up the phone, staring out at the sunrise once
again before walking back into his apartment room.

Int. Apartment room A - night - scene 14

ANDREW and DANIEL both face each other and the radio at the same
time.

Andrew
You hear back from Mark yet?

Daniel
Not yet, I reckon it’s probably for the best if
we leave him be.

Andrew nods solemnly, turning his attention briefly back to the

radio, before turning back to Daniel.

Andrew
You call everyone you wanted to?

Daniel
Sort of, yeah. For the most part, I just left
them voicemails.
 Andrew
I did that for a few too. Nothing to worry about.

Andrew and Daniel return to a familiar and fairly comfortable

silence, both of them staring at the radio. The clock reads 3:06
AM when it starts up, both Daniel and Andrew have no reaction to
it.

Radio
your world, as you know it, will cease to be
within one day.

They both look tiredly at the radio.

Andrew
Look lively, today’s the day.

We watch as the clock continues to move time quickly, Andrew and

Daniel remain where they are, only occasionally moving. The
sunlight is starting to pour through the window by the time it
stops. Suddenly, Andrew’s phone begins to vibrate. This spreads
genuine surprise between the two, Andrew getting out of his
chair as he goes to approach the phone. He picks it up and looks
at who’s calling him, He once again seems surprised and turns to
Daniel.

Andrew
I should probably take this. You reckon you’ll be
alright on your own?

Daniel
I’m sure I’ll be fine. Could be worse.
Andrew lets out a quiet chuckle at Daniel’s response as he
raises his phone to his ear. The camera lingers on Daniel as
Andrew walks towards the balcony door we can hear him get
quieter.

Andrew
Hello? Oh hey, Trish. How are you? Yeah, me too…

By the time he’s finished, we hear the balcony door open and
close as Daniel is left alone with the radio. He leans forward
and starts fiddling with the knobs looking for any station that
might be playing music. Daniel finally lands at a station he
likes. The camera focuses on the radio as it quietly plays
music, there is no diegetic audio besides the music that’s
audible as the shade of the sky and lights begin to shift to a
deep and dark red, the same as it had been during the opening.

Suddenly the red is replaced with the natural colours of the sky
and lights. The radio is nothing but static.

Radio
We apologize, but we appear to be experiencing
technical difficulties. Please enjoy some music
from our alternative selection while we try and
fix this issue. Thank you.

True to the radio’s words, alternative music begins to play. The

camera cuts away from the radio to show that no one is in the
room. It then cuts to show the balcony, where once again no one
is there. It then cuts to a similar-looking apartment room,
belonging to Mark, where we can see Mark’s legs swinging gently
from the ceiling, implying that he hanged himself after the
argument.
Ext. towns - early morning - (montage) - scene 15

The music from the radio continues as we see various locations

completely barren of life. We then cut to the credits, the music
still playing to accompany them.