Darkness devours the jagged rocks below. WIND SCREAMS like
trapped souls, blending with the rhythmic CRASH of waves -- a
sinister heartbeat.
FOOTSTEPS crunch over gravel, disturbingly rhythmic.
A disheveled JESS (28) emerges from shadows into moonlight.
Clothes shredded, bruised flesh glistening with fresh cuts.
Her breath ragged, shivering with exhaustion and terror.
She stops abruptly, toes overhanging the void. Her fingers
nervously trace a deep bruise along her neck -- a stark
physical reminder of violence endured.
A whisper drifts through the howling wind:
EERIE WHISPER
The weight... it's too much...
Moonlight illuminates her blood-stained palms as she sways,
trapped between decision and inevitability.
TITLE CARD: "THREE WEEKS EARLIER"
INT. LOCAL GYM - DAY
Fluorescent bulbs flicker harshly, illuminating posters faded
to ghostly figures. Mildew and sweat permeates the air.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
JESS leads fluidly, her strength precisely controlled,
masking deep anger and desperation beneath.
JESS
Control isn't about the hit. It's
about what's left after. Every
move, every pause -- it has
purpose.
She corrects a TEENAGE GIRL's posture, noticing faint bruises
on the girl's arm. Jess flinches, a raw memory hitting her.
The gym suddenly feels smaller, the walls pressing in. Her
breath hitches.
TEENAGE GIRL
What if they're stronger?
Jess pauses, eyes briefly distant, fixed on a narrow storage
closet door in the corner. Her chest tightens, a cold knot
forming in her stomach. She forces her breath out slowly,
fighting to regain composure.
JESS
Then you learn where they're
weakest. Find their blind spot.
Never let them trap you.
She strikes pads brutally fast -- CRACK! Students watch in
awe.
JESS (CONT'D)
In here, you fight. Out there, you
survive. And you find an escape.
The teenage girl nods, then hesitates.
TEENAGE GIRL
My mom says I should just leave
him. But she doesn't get it.
Jess's face hardens with recognition.
JESS
I tried to save someone like that
once. My college roommate. Spent a
year trying to pull her out.
TEENAGE GIRL
What happened?
JESS
She went back. They always go back.
Until they don't.
The buzzer jolts her back. Class ends. Students leave coins
and small bills in a box. Jess counts just thirty-seven
dollars -- bitter confirmation.
Her PHONE vibrates urgently: TYLER.
JESS (CONT'D)
Hey. What's wrong?
She listens, the tension deepening visibly. The gym seems to
shrink around her, the air suddenly thin. She unconsciously
rubs her arms, a shiver running through her.
JESS (CONT'D)
(Whisper)
We'll make it. We have to. We're
desperate enough for anything now.
She hangs up, clutching the money tightly, anxiety gripping
her throat. On a small, dusty TV in the corner, a local news
report plays silently. An anchor gestures to a pristine, sun-
drenched resort, the words "Serenity Bay: An Exclusive
Sanctuary" visible on a graphic. Jess doesn't notice it, her
focus solely on the immediate, suffocating problem.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
Compromised Integrity
INT. EDDIE'S AUTO SHOP - DAY
A grime-soaked tomb of broken engines and forgotten dreams.
TYLER (30), his eyes tired yet hopeful, rolls from beneath a
luxury BMW.
Eddie (45) watches from his grimy office window --
calculating, predatory.
TYLER
That transmission's gone. Unsafe.
Just like the lift you won't fix.
EDDIE
Customer's paying tonight. Find a
way.
Tyler eyes the car uneasily, sees himself mirrored in the
luxury finish -- broken, replaceable.
TYLER
You know what my old man used to
say? "World's rigged, so cheat to
survive." I swore I'd be different.
EDDIE
How's that working out?
Tyler reaches for the wrench, hand trembling -- fate turning
inevitable.
TYLER
Just this once.
Eddie's gaze is ruthless, unreadable.
EDDIE
It's never once, Tyler. Ask your
father.
The barb lands. Tyler's jaw tightens.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Desperate Nights
INT. TRAILER - KITCHEN - NIGHT
A claustrophobic box filled with unpaid bills and stale
despair. Flickering fluorescent light exaggerates shadows,
amplifying anxiety.
Jess and Tyler push macaroni around plastic bowls, barely
eating. Jess eyes an eviction notice hidden under the table
edge.
TYLER
Skip credit again, buy two more
weeks.
Jess glances away, throat tight.
JESS
We're drowning. Two weeks won't
change that.
Tyler squeezes her hand, forcing hope.
TYLER
We're still breathing. That's
something.
Sudden violent BANGING at their door. Both jolt.
DALE (O.S.)
Shut your goddamn noise!
No sound but their breathing.
TYLER
We're quiet, Dale.
DALE (O.S.)
Lying tweakers!
He pounds again -- BOOM! Jess's breathing grows rapid,
trapped.
Tyler rises, Jess grabs his arm desperately.
JESS
Don't.
TYLER
This isn't living.
Banging stops. Silence stretches painfully.
Jess stares at Tyler, her voice low, haunted.
JESS
We survive together. It's all we
have.
TYLER
Sometimes I think about just...
walking away. Like he did.
JESS
You're not him.
TYLER
How do you know? Every mirror shows
me his face. Every failure proves
his point.
Through the window, moonlight illuminates the eviction notice
-- final and foreboding.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
Crushed Aspirations
INT. EDDIE'S AUTO SHOP - DAY
Sunlight barely penetrates filthy windows. Tyler works
anxiously beneath the BMW, hydraulic lift shuddering
ominously.
The lift GROANS like a wounded animal.
TYLER
Eddie, this lift -- it's almost
dead; leaking hydraulic fluid.
Silence.
Suddenly, METAL SCREAMS as the lift buckles. Tyler lunges
away -- CRASH! The car SLAMS down inches from his body, glass
EXPLODING, fluids oozing like blood.
Eddie bursts in, not worried -- furious.
EDDIE
What did you do?
TYLER
I almost fucking died!
EDDIE
You just totaled that Beemer!
Eddie's ruthless; devoid of compassion.
EDDIE (CONT'D)
You're done. Just like your old
man. Couldn't hold a job either.
TYLER
Don't--
EDDIE
Apple, tree. You know the rest.
Tyler, cradling his injured wrist, sees his worth diminished
to nothing. Walking out, reality hits harder than any fall.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
Despair in the Waiting Room
INT. COUNTY HEALTH CLINIC - WAITING ROOM - DAY
Cold fluorescents flicker above a room of weary, desperate
faces. Stark signage screams silently: NO INSURANCE, NO
TREATMENT.
Tyler with grotesque swollen wrist sits beside Jess; she's
filling forms with trembling hands.
INT. EXAM ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Doctor barely meets their eyes.
DOCTOR
Fracture's bad. Needs surgery and
follow-ups. Might be pricey.
JESS
How expensive?
DOCTOR
Twelve hundred minimum.
A hard swallow as reality cuts deeper than his injury.
TYLER
We can't.
DOCTOR
I'll wrap it but no guarantees.
He wraps silently.
EXT. CLINIC - DAY
Tyler and Jess step out into bleak daylight.
TYLER
Just keep sinking. Maybe that's all
we're meant for.
Jess holds him - an attempt at resolve.
JESS
We always rise.
But her eyes tell another story of weight beneath the
surface.
MONTAGE - SLOW DEATH OF HOPE
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
Unseen Strength
INT. UPSCALE FITNESS CENTER - DAY
A glossy shrine to wealth and vanity. Clients glide
effortlessly, immune to gravity. Jess stands uneasily at the
pristine counter, resume trembling slightly in her grip.
JESS
I called about the instructor
position.
The DESK ATTENDANT appraises her skeptically.
DESK ATTENDANT
Certifications?
JESS
Eight years teaching Muay Thai--
A slick MANAGER interjects condescendingly.
MANAGER
Muay Thai's a bit aggressive for
our clientele. They prefer
something...gentler.
JESS
It's about empowerment and control,
especially for women who--
MANAGER
Who can afford our classes. Which
requires certified instructors.
He dismissively slides a glossy pamphlet her way.
MANAGER (CONT'D)
Certification courses start at
eight hundred. Good luck.
Jess bites down her response, jaw tight, frustration bubbling
beneath.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
Fighting for a Chance
INT. SMALL BOXING GYM - DAY
Dusty bags hang like forgotten dreams. The tired OWNER shakes
his head, resignation in his eyes.
OWNER
Wish I could help. I'm barely
keeping the lights on.
JESS
I can bring students...
OWNER
Around here? Everyone's got your
same story.
Behind him, a faded photo shows him younger, prouder. Another
dream dying slowly.
INT. YMCA - DAY
Manager feigns sympathy, hiding behind paperwork.
YMCA MANAGER
Impressive background, but our
women's programs just got cut.
We'll keep your info on file.
The lie lands heavily between them.
INT. BEAT-UP SEDAN - PARKING LOT - DAY
Jess defeated behind the wheel. Eight years of sweat and
dedication -- reduced to worthless resume paper.
She scrolls hopelessly through job ads:
"Bachelor's degree required."
"Reliable transportation mandatory."
"Management experience necessary."
Every line a barrier. Jess closes her eyes. The system isn't
broken -- it's designed this way.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
Echoes of Despair
EXT. TRAILER PARK - DAY
Jess stands outside her trailer with eviction notice
fluttering.
She rips the broken mailbox from its post and hurls it into a
dumpster. CLANG -- small defiance echoes a scream into the
void.
INT. TRAILER - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Tyler sprawls on the sagging couch, surrounded by empty
whiskey bottles -- a monument to surrender. The TV flickers
an endless stream of infomercials: idyllic beaches, seductive
promises.
TV ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Escape your burdens at Serenity Bay
Resort. Transform. Begin again...
Tyler stares, eyes glazed, wrapped wrist throbbing. He
reaches drunkenly for a pen, scrawls on an overdue electric
bill:
"SERENITY BAY - HAWAII - NEW START"
TYLER
New start...paradise...
The pen slips from his grip, rolling onto whiskey-stained
carpet. Tyler's eyelids flutter closed, defeated by drink and
despair.
The commercial drones on -- beautiful lies whispered into
empty air.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
Crossroads of Despair
INT. TRAILER - KITCHEN - MORNING
Weak sunlight struggles through grimy windows. Tyler stares
blankly at the eviction notice and his drunken scrawl.
Jess pours bitter coffee into chipped mugs.
TYLER
I'm sorry.
JESS
For what?
TYLER
Blind drunk again. Turning into him
after all.
Jess pushes the paper toward him, eyes unwavering.
JESS
Tell me about Hawaii.
TYLER
Stupid fantasy.
JESS
Tell me.
He hesitates with flickering hope.
TYLER
A place people like us couldn't
reach. Where the weight doesn't
follow.
Jess leans in with determination.
JESS
What if we could?
Tyler laughs bitterly.
TYLER
With what?
Her eyes move to the window.
JESS
Frank's Pawn and Loan.
Tyler freezes mid-sip with disbelief.
TYLER
What?
JESS
You said he had merchandise...
TYLER
Jess, I was drunk.
JESS
You weren't wrong.
Tyler struggles between fear and desperation.
TYLER
We can't.
JESS
Can't what? Survive? We're two
weeks from the street!
(MORE)
JESS (CONT'D)
Your wrist -- how long before it's
permanent damage?
JESS (CONT'D)
Frank was laughing at Mel's. Said
desperate people deserve what they
get.
Tyler's expression stiffens.
TYLER
He said that?
Jess takes Tyler's hand with urgency.
JESS
I won't lose you here. Not to this
place. Not like I lost Maya.
TYLER
Maya?
JESS
My roommate. I told you about her.
Tried to save her from her
boyfriend for a year. She chose him
over help. Over me.
TYLER
This is different.
JESS
Is it? I'm watching you disappear
the same way. Bottle by bottle.
Just like her bruise by bruise.
Tyler stares back into her eyes.
TYLER
What were you thinking?
JESS
Whatever it takes.
They stand in silence; a moral line crossed neither had
considered until now.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
Desperate Decisions
EXT. STRIP MALL - DAY
Jess's car sits across Frank's Pawn and Loan. Tyler watches
through binoculars.
TYLER
Doesn't feel right.
JESS
Nothing about this life feels
right.
Frank Morrison opens his shop with wary eyes ever alert; a
cop's instincts never fade.
Jess observes noting details with clinical precision.
JESS (CONT'D)
Same routine. Alone until noon.
A young couple enters with visible hope and desperation.
INT. FRANK'S PAWN AND LOAN (THROUGH WINDOW) - CONTINUOUS
Frank inspects their watch; his expression softens.
FRANK
Three thousand retail. I'll give
you eighteen hundred.
Relief floods the young couple's faces.
EXT. STRIP MALL PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS
Jess pulls back sharply with trembling hands.
TYLER
We shouldn't do this.
Jess starts the engine abruptly, refusing retreat.
JESS
Name another option, Ty.
He stays silent.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
Desperation and Recognition
INT. FRANK'S PAWN AND LOAN - DAY
Door CHIMES and Frank glances up from his paperwork. Behind
him is the framed photograph of SARAH with a soft smile; she
looks eerily similar to Jess.
Tyler steps inside, face obscured by a bandana and
sunglasses. Nerves vibrating.
FRANK
You don't wanna do this.
TYLER
Open the jewelry case.
Frank appraises Tyler's trembling hands.
FRANK
First time, huh? Let me guess --
medical bills? Eviction? Which
weight's crushing you?
Tyler knocks watches to the floor -- scattered metal.
CRASH! Tyler smashes the glass case. Frank lunges
instinctively and grabs Tyler's injured wrist.
FRANK (CONT'D)
Wrong move.
Tyler SCREAMS in agony. The door CHIMES again as Jess enters
with an urgent calm.
JESS
Let him go.
Frank freezes. His gaze snapping to Jess. A recognition
floods his face with glimpses Sarah's image alive.
FRANK
(haunted)
Sarah?
Jess doesn't hesitate. A swift, precise Muay Thai knee-
strike. Frank's knee POPS violently and he collapses with
eyes locked on Jess. A pain mingled with sorrow and
disbelief.
FRANK (CONT'D)
Wait...you look exactly like...
JESS
Move!
She yanks Tyler upright. They grab jewelry and bolt as Frank
watches helplessly, one hand reaching toward the photo of
Sarah.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
Narrow Escape
INT. STOLEN CAR - DAY
Jess maneuvers with relentless precision -- her driving
crisp, calculated, professional. Tyler rips off his disguise,
still trembling.
TYLER
God, Jess -- what did we do?
JESS
Stay with me, Ty.
EXT. CITY STREETS - DAY
A police cruiser slips behind them, lights dormant but
vigilant.
TYLER
Cops behind!
JESS
(eyes ahead)
I see them.
She makes a sudden sharp turn -- tires SQUEAL, evading
suspicion. They melt into suburban streets, flowing with
traffic.
JESS (CONT'D)
We're just another car. Commuters.
Traffic slows ahead to a police roadblock, checking cars.
Jess calmly removes her sunglasses with a mask of casual
annoyance.
The COP glances briefly then waves them through. Tyler gasps
with relieved disbelief.
TYLER
Thank Jesus.
JESS
Not yet.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
Desperate Escape
INT. TRAILER - DAY
Jess packs with ruthless efficiency. Tyler fills a duffel one-
handed.
JESS
Just essentials.
Violent BANGING at the door interrupts them.
MRS. CHEN (O.S.)
Rent's late! You skip out -- I call
police!
Tyler grips a handgun from the jewelry pile; his pulse races
with danger. Jess opens the door a crack.
MRS. CHEN (CONT'D)
You owe rent!
Jess hands over a stolen gold chain.
JESS
This should cover it. That's all we
have.
Mrs. Chen appraises the chain for longer than usual as
suspicion turns to mild satisfaction.
MRS. CHEN
Better be real! Or I come back
soon!
She waddles away as a trembling Tyler lowers the gun and Jess
removes it from his grip.
JESS
We're not killers.
She tosses it aside.
EXT. TRAILER - DAY
They load the car with haste. Tyler shows Jess the resort URL
still inked on his hand.
TYLER
Maybe paradise does exist.
They share a look knowing some decisions bind with
conviction.
Genres:
["Drama","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
Fleeting Dreams
INT. SEEDY MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Dim light from a cracked lamp. Jess and Tyler sit on opposite
ends of a lumpy bed, Chinese takeout containers between them.
The jewelry from the robbery scattered across a stained
bedspread.
TYLER
Remember that apartment we looked
at? The one with the balcony?
JESS
(soft smile)
You said we'd grow tomatoes.
TYLER
And you'd teach kids in the
courtyard. Real classes, not just
whoever could scrape together
twenty bucks.
Jess moves closer, their knees touching.
JESS
We were going to paint the walls
yellow.
TYLER
Because you said it would feel like
sunrise every morning.
They look at each other, the weight of lost dreams between
them.
TYLER (CONT'D)
Maybe Hawaii could be that.
Different ocean, same sunrise.
JESS
(touching his face)
I don't care about the sunrise, Ty.
I care about waking up next to you
without wondering if today's the
day we lose everything.
He kisses her palm.
TYLER
After Hawaii, we won't have to
wonder anymore.
They hold each other in the shabby room, clinging to a future
neither quite believes in.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
The Price of Choices
INT. DEAN'S GARAGE - NIGHT
Grimy, oil-slicked concrete lit dimly by flickering
fluorescents. Tools lie scattered -- each tool a ghost of
past crimes.
DEAN (40s), wiry and restless, inspects stolen jewelry
meticulously under harsh lamplight, cigarette dangling
precariously. A faded blue bracelet peeks out from under his
sleeve -- identical to those at Serenity Bay.
DEAN (CONT'D)
Ex-cop is heat. Big problem. They
never really stop being cops.
JESS
What's your offer?
Dean smirks faintly; his attempt at sensing desperation. His
fingers unconsciously touch the hidden bracelet.
DEAN
Three grand.
TYLER
It's worth twice that.
DEAN
Not with this heat. Call it a risk
tax.
JESS
And IDs?
Dean pulls out professionally forged IDs.
DEAN
Jessica and Tyler Morrison,
Portland. Generic, forgettable.
Perfect.
Jess stares blankly at her alias -- foreign and unfamiliar.
TYLER
How much total?
DEAN
IDs are two each. Seven total.
Tyler's expression hardens, reality setting in.
TYLER
That leaves us...
DEAN
With nothing. Exactly your worth.
Jess nods sharply, decision made.
JESS
We'll take it.
Dean collects the jewelry. His eyes shine with cynical
amusement, but something darker flickers beneath --
recognition.
DEAN
Whatever you're running from, it'll
catch up. Always does.
He pockets the haul, the bracelet slipping into view for a
moment.
DEAN (CONT'D)
Enjoy paradise, Mr. and Mrs.
Morrison.
(softer, almost to
himself)
Some of us never leave.
Outside Tyler eyes his fake ID.
TYLER
Let's hope Tyler Morrison is
luckier than Tyler Reeves.
JESS
Has to be. Tyler Reeves just died.
Genres:
["Crime","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
Through the Checkpoint
INT. LAS VEGAS AIRPORT - SECURITY CHECKPOINT - DAY
A winding line of travelers stretches ahead. Jess and Tyler
dressed as cheap tourists inch forward.
TSA AGENT
Next.
Tyler hands over his fake ID with shaky fingers.
AGENT eyes him.
TSA AGENT (CONT'D)
Purpose of visit?
Tyler freezes.
TYLER
Second honeymoon. Trying to...
start over.
The agent's suspicion eases.
TSA AGENT
Step through.
Tyler moves and Jess follows as a SECOND AGENT studies her.
TSA AGENT 2
Mrs. Morrison? When did you marry?
JESS
Two years ago.
The agent nods and waves her through.
Genres:
["Drama","Crime","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
Boarding Uncertainty
INT. AIRPORT GATE - MOMENTS LATER
Relief hits them like a wave.
TYLER
Second honeymoon?
JESS
Worked, didn't it?
They clasp hands with tensions eased.
TYLER
Think they suspected something?
JESS
Everyone here's running to
someplace. Most get to return.
BOARDING ANNOUNCEMENT
Flight 447 to Honolulu now
boarding...
Tyler examines their economy tickets.
TYLER
Last chance to turn around.
JESS
What?
TYLER
I just... once we get on that
plane, we can't take it back.
The new Jessica Morrison stares back like an unsettled
stranger.
Genres:
["Drama","Crime","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
From Anxiety to Freedom
INT. AIRPLANE - DAY
Confined, cramped seats. Jess grips the armrest with her
confined anxiety building. Tyler watches with concern.
The engines ROAR to life as Jess takes some deep breaths and
drawn exhales.
TYLER
You gonna be okay?
JESS
Fine.
Her face pales as Tyler gently takes her hand.
TYLER
Look at me. We're safe.
JESS
Trapped inside metal, six miles
above ground.
The plane ascends as Jess closes her eyes; attempts to hold
off panic.
FLASHBACK --
QUICK, VIOLENT:
Dark closet. Young Jess pounds the door in desperation.
YOUNG JESS
Mom! Please! I'll be good!
MOTHER'S VOICE (O.S.)
(slurred)
Quiet! Or you'll stay there all
night!
BACK TO PRESENT:
Jess shudders.
TYLER
Jess?
JESS
I was just little...got locked in
the closet for hours. Multiple
times. My mother's way of
discipline.
Tyler's face turns protective.
TYLER
You're safe now. That won't ever
happen.
JESS
You can't promise that.
Tyler squeezes her hand firmly.
TYLER
You'll never be locked away again.
My word. I'm not leaving you. Not
like everyone else did.
She stares at the ocean below -- terrifying and boundless
freedom.
JESS
What if Hawaii changes us?
TYLER
We change together.
Their hands intertwined and gripping with uncertainty and
distant hope.
EXT. HAWAII AIRPORT - DAY
Warm tropical air envelops Jess and Tyler; scented with
seductive plumeria. Distant ukulele notes drift through the
breeze.
TYLER
Breathe that in. Freedom.
Jess manages a genuine smile while gazing into the open
skies.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
19 -
Predatory Opportunities
INT. TAXI DISPATCH OFFICE - DAY
A cramped office overlooking the airport taxi queue. Multiple
monitors show security feeds from various cabs. A DISPATCHER
(50s, Hawaiian) coordinates drivers through headsets.
On one monitor: Jess and Tyler exit the airport, looking lost
and overwhelmed.
DISPATCHER
(into headset)
Mainland couple, terminal 2. Young,
desperate energy. She's got that
look -- running from something.
DRIVER'S VOICE
(through radio)
On it.
The Dispatcher opens a leather ledger, makes a notation: "Two
possibles - financial distress indicators."
A wall chart shows commission rates:
"Standard Resort Referral: $50"
"Serenity Bay Placement: $500"
"Confirmed Vulnerable Status: $1000 bonus"
Another DRIVER (30s) enters, counts cash.
DRIVER 2
That couple from Tuesday checked
in. Full program.
DISPATCHER
Good. That's three this month.
DRIVER 2
They had that eviction notice
sticking out of their bag. Easy
spot.
The Dispatcher hands him an envelope thick with bills.
DISPATCHER
David's people appreciate attention
to detail. Watch for the signs --
maxed credit cards at the ATM,
medical bills in their paperwork,
that hollow look when they count
their cash...
On the monitor: The same driver who will pick up Jess and
Tyler approaches them with a practiced smile.
DISPATCHER (CONT'D)
(into headset)
Remember -- sympathetic but not too
eager. Let them think Serenity Bay
is their discovery. Plant the seed,
water it with understanding.
DRIVER'S VOICE
Copy that. Making contact now.
The Dispatcher makes another notation as we see Tyler hand
over their printed resort information to the driver on the
monitor.
DISPATCHER
(to himself)
Paradise always finds the
desperate. We just help them find
the way.
He picks up a phone, dials.
DISPATCHER (CONT'D)
Lena? Two more coming your way.
Financial profile fits perfectly.
Young couple, signs of recent
trauma, isolation indicators...yes,
they'll be ideal.
Through the window, we see more tourists below, but the
Dispatcher's trained eye picks out the vulnerable ones -- a
woman crying by her luggage, a man counting crumpled bills, a
family arguing over credit cards.
DISPATCHER (CONT'D)
(continuing on phone)
The harvest is good this season. So
many looking for escape. So many
ready to be transformed.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
20 -
A Ride to Paradise
EXT. TAXI STAND - DAY
A yellow cab waits with DRIVER (40s, Hawaiian) leaning
against it; he's still; observing them closely.
DRIVER
Aloha. Where to?
Tyler palms him the URL inked on his hand. Just barely
visible. The driver studies it carefully. His expression
unreadable.
DRIVER (CONT'D)
Serenity Bay. "Paradise found," or
so they say.
His faint smile doesn't match his suspicious eyes.
INT. TAXI - MOVING - DAY
Luxuriant scenery slides by hypnotically. The driver watches
Jess and Tyler in his rearview mirror.
DRIVER
First visit?
JESS
Yes.
DRIVER
Honeymoon?
TYLER
Second one. How'd you...
DRIVER
I always know. People here either
running to something...or away from
it.
Uneasy silence.
JESS
Just vacation.
DRIVER
Everyone at Serenity says that. At
first.
TYLER
You know the resort well?
DRIVER
Very exclusive. They choose
guests...carefully. Not everyone
who wants paradise deserves it.
The driver extends a Turkish Nazar Boncuğu coin with its
distinct blue and white shaped like an eye.
DRIVER (CONT'D)
Take it. For protection.
TYLER
Thanks but we're all set.
(smiles to Jess)
Been on a bit of a winning streak
lately.
The driver's gaze shows a slight pity in his eyes.
DRIVER
Please. It's tradition. Where I
come from, we know -- paradise
always demands payment.
Jess accepts the coin.
DRIVER (CONT'D)
Keep it close. Even in Paradise.
Especially there.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
21 -
Arrival at Serenity Bay
EXT. SERENITY BAY RESORT - GATES - DAY
They arrive at massive ornate gates just beyond their
tropical luxury. The driver watches as they exit. Then speeds
away.
TYLER
Was that strange?
JESS
Yeah...a little. But he was being
polite.
She grips the coin unable to shake the memory of Frank's
strange and almost grief-stricken eyes.
EXT. SERENITY BAY RESORT - DAY
Jess and Tyler step into the resort's pristine beauty; almost
too perfect and borderline artificial. Luxurious gardens and
sleek architecture subtly echo some paradise planet. Dense
foliage forms a natural barrier fortified by an endless
unconditional ocean.
LENA (40s) approaches with sophistication and subtle
intimidation. A pleasant smile with penetrating gaze.
LENA
Welcome to Serenity Bay. I'm Lena,
your concierge. We've anticipated
your arrival.
Jess meets Lena's eyes for context. Tyler's smile doesn't
waver.
TYLER
Love what you've done with the
place.
LENA
Paradise reveals everything, Mr.
Morrison. Please follow me.
Genres:
["Drama","Crime","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
22 -
The Watchful Paradise
INT. RESORT LOBBY - MOMENTS LATER
Sleek and meticulous space. Jess spots discreet surveillance
cameras blending into decor. A subtle mechanical WHIRR hums
quietly and watchful.
Lena hands them distinctive resort wristbands.
LENA
These track amenities and tailor
your experience. Wear them at all
times.
Tyler puts his on while Jess hesitates.
LENA (CONT'D)
Privacy and security are paramount
here. The bands help us ensure
your... complete satisfaction.
TYLER
Sounds perfect.
Lena's knowing gaze disquiets Jess.
LENA
Perfection requires surrender, Mr.
Morrison. Complete surrender.
Jess notices another camera's subtle red light flicker.
Unusual conceals within a heavenly paradise.
END OF ACT 1
# ACT 2A - THE SEDUCTION
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
23 -
The Weight of Comfort
INT. LUXURY SUITE - DAY
Pristine white walls, minimalist furniture, floor-to-ceiling
windows overlooking paradise. Too perfect. Jess paces while
Tyler unpacks.
TYLER
Look at this place. When's the last
time we had a real bed?
JESS
When's the last time anything free
didn't come with a price?
Tyler pulls her close.
TYLER
Maybe we've already paid it. Maybe
this is what we earned.
A soft KNOCK. Lena enters without waiting for permission,
carrying a tray of tropical drinks and fresh fruit.
LENA
Compliments of David. He extends
personal welcome to all new guests
seeking transformation.
JESS
David?
LENA
Our founder. You'll meet him at
tonight's gathering. Seven o'clock,
Sunset Pavilion. Dress code is...
comfortable surrender.
She notices Jess hasn't put on her wristband.
LENA (CONT'D)
The band, Mrs. Morrison. It's
required.
Jess reluctantly fastens it. The moment it clicks closed, she
feels oddly lighter.
LENA (CONT'D)
There. Now you belong.
She leaves. Jess examines the drinks suspiciously.
TYLER
"Comfortable surrender?"
JESS
Everything here speaks in riddles.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
24 -
An Evening of Acceptance
INT. RESORT DINING AREA - SUNSET
Open-air pavilion, tables of gorgeous food. Guests drift like
ghosts in expensive casual wear. Everyone seems eerily
content.
Jess and Tyler enter, underdressed and obvious. A woman, MAYA
(30s), approaches with genuine warmth.
MAYA
First night? I can always tell. You
still have that mainland tension.
TYLER
That obvious?
MAYA
I was the same. Couldn't believe a
place like this existed. No
judgment, no pressure. Just...
acceptance.
She touches a blue bracelet on her wrist.
MAYA (CONT'D)
Three months here. Best decision I
ever made.
JESS
Three months? You live here?
MAYA
We all do, in a way. Once you
understand what David offers,
leaving feels... unnecessary.
A bell CHIMES softly. Guests begin moving toward the main
pavilion.
MAYA (CONT'D)
Time for evening gathering. You're
about to meet someone
extraordinary.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
Embracing Truth
INT. SUNSET PAVILION - EVENING
Golden hour light bathes the pavilion in soft tones. Thirty
GUESTS sit in perfect concentric circles -- expensive casual
attire in calm synchronization. Soft torchlight flickers.
Incense smokes. A low hum fills the air.
Jess and Tyler sit among them, uneasy. Jess's shoulders are
stiff. Tyler's legs won't stop shaking.
At the center stands DAVID -- barefoot, robed, radiant. Late
40s but ageless, movements fluid as water. He speaks softly,
rhythmically. Every sentence lands like a spell.
DAVID
(warm, poetic)
Each soul here... is a spark that
wandered too far from the fire. But
now we are gathered. Now we burn
together.
He slowly turns, eyes scanning the crowd. His gaze lands
gently -- too gently -- on Jess and Tyler.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Some of you have come from great
loss... Some from great shame. And
some, from the weight of sudden
choices that changed everything.
Jess's hand twitches. Tyler looks at her, confused but
nervous.
DAVID (CONT'D)
There is no judgment here. Only
truth... waiting patiently beneath
your skin.
He steps closer, now barely a few feet from Jess and Tyler.
DAVID (CONT'D)
What you carried in your pockets...
may have belonged to another. But
what you carry in your blood? That
is all yours. And it is sacred.
JESS
(whispers to Tyler)
He knows.
TYLER
(low)
Knows what?
David extends his hand toward Tyler, who seems magnetically
drawn to stand.
DAVID
Tyler, would you share what brought
you here?
Tyler hesitates, then steps forward from the circle, moving
into David's orbit.
TYLER
I... I don't know what you want me
to say.
DAVID
The truth. It's all we ever want.
TYLER
We came here for vacation. To get
away.
DAVID
From what?
Tyler's composure cracks slightly.
TYLER
Everything. Bills. Evictions. My
wrist...
He holds up his wrapped wrist.
DAVID
Physical pain often mirrors
spiritual weight. What else do you
carry?
TYLER
I've carried weight my whole life.
Weight from expectations, failure.
My father taught me the world was
rigged. Maybe he was right.
DAVID
Or maybe he was too weak to change
it. What do you think?
TYLER
(voice strengthening)
I think... I've been proving him
right my whole life. Every failure,
every shortcut.
(MORE)
TYLER (CONT'D)
But here, I'm starting to realize --
it wasn't the world that was
rigged. It was me.
Murmurs of understanding ripple through the crowd. David
places a hand on Tyler's shoulder.
DAVID
The first truth is always the
hardest. You're ready for more.
David produces a blue bracelet, fastens it around Tyler's
wrist with ceremonial care.
DAVID (CONT'D)
This marks your commitment to
truth. To releasing what was never
yours to carry.
Applause warmly surrounds Tyler. He smiles genuinely, peace
evident.
Jess watches from her seat, isolated, seeing her partner
transform before her eyes.
Genres:
["Drama","Mystery","Psychological"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
Reflections by the Koi Pond
EXT. RESORT GARDENS - NIGHT
Jess finds Tyler by a koi pond, staring at his reflection.
The blue bracelet gleams in moonlight.
JESS
What was that?
TYLER
I don't know. When he spoke, it
felt like... like he could see
every failure, every time I
disappointed you.
JESS
You've never disappointed me.
TYLER
Haven't I? Every job I lost, every
bottle I emptied? I'm my father's
son, Jess. David helped me see
that.
JESS
David's manipulating you.
TYLER
Or understanding me. When's the
last time anyone really saw us,
Jess? Not as criminals or failures,
but as people worth saving?
JESS
We need to leave. Tonight.
TYLER
With what money? Where would we go?
JESS
Anywhere but here.
TYLER
I'm tired of running. Of carrying
his ghost.
He turns to her, eyes different -- softer but somehow harder.
TYLER (CONT'D)
What if this is where we're
supposed to be? What if the robbery
wasn't a crime but... destiny?
Jess backs away, frightened by this new Tyler.
JESS
That's not you talking.
TYLER
Maybe it's me for the first time.
Genres:
["Crime","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
27 -
Curiosity and Control
INT. JESS AND TYLER'S SUITE - LATE NIGHT
Jess lies awake, watching Tyler sleep peacefully -- more
peacefully than she's seen in months. The blue bracelet seems
to pulse softly in the darkness.
She slips out of bed, moves to the window. The resort grounds
are still, but she spots movement -- figures in white moving
between buildings. A soft chanting drifts on the wind.
She tries the door. Locked from the outside.
Her wristband suddenly tightens, a gentle but firm reminder.
She touches it, and the lock clicks open.
The message is clear: freedom exists, but only on their
terms.
INT. RESORT HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Jess follows the sound, barefoot on marble floors. Security
cameras track her movement, but no one stops her.
She reaches a door marked "PRIVATE - MEDITATION IN PROGRESS."
Through the crack, she glimpses David sitting with a small
group, all wearing blue bracelets. Their eyes are closed,
swaying slightly.
DAVID (O.S.)
The weight you carry is not your
truth. Your truth is lightness.
Your truth is release.
Jess backs away, but David's voice follows.
DAVID (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Jessica. Please, join us.
The door opens. David stands there, serene.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Curiosity is the first step toward
understanding.
JESS
I was just...
DAVID
Looking for answers. Come. Ask your
questions.
Against her better judgment, she follows him inside.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
28 -
Breaking Barriers
INT. PRIVATE MEDITATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Candles everywhere. The air thick with sandalwood. The others
continue meditating, undisturbed.
Among them, Jess recognizes SAM from dinner -- but he looks
different. Younger. Unburdened.
DAVID
You don't trust easily. That's
wise. But exhausting.
JESS
I don't trust at all.
DAVID
Because trust has been weaponized
against you. How young were you
when you learned that love meant
pain?
Jess stiffens.
JESS
You don't know me.
DAVID
I know you've spent your life
trying to save people who didn't
want saving. Your mother, lost to
her bottles. Your friend Maya, lost
to her abuser. Now Tyler...
JESS
Stop.
DAVID
You've built armor so thick, even
Tyler can't reach you anymore. But
armor that protects also imprisons.
He moves closer, voice hypnotic.
DAVID (CONT'D)
What would happen if you put it
down? Just for a moment?
JESS
I'd die.
DAVID
Or you'd live. For the first time.
He extends a blue bracelet toward her.
DAVID (CONT'D)
This isn't surrender, Jessica. It's
liberation from the myth that you
can save anyone but yourself.
She stares at it, trembling.
JESS
No.
She flees the room. David watches her go, patient.
DAVID
(to himself)
The strongest walls take the
longest to fall. But they all fall.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
29 -
Unveiling Shadows
INT. LUSH GREENHOUSE - MORNING
Sunlight cuts through leaves like stained glass. A long table
is set amidst jungle foliage -- fresh fruits, steamed buns,
floral teas.
Jess sits across from David. He tends to his orchids with
loving precision.
DAVID
You know, plants only bloom when
they feel safe. Most people think
sunlight is enough. But it's not.
Trust is the secret ingredient.
JESS
(guarded)
I didn't know we were here for a
botany lesson.
DAVID
Everything is a lesson if you're
willing to learn. Tell me -- how
long were you and Tyler running
before you arrived here?
Jess freezes.
JESS
We're not running. We're on
vacation.
DAVID
Frank Morrison's vacation
merchandise? Please, Jessica. Truth
is the only currency here.
Jess drops her spoon. The clatter is deafening.
DAVID (CONT'D)
(soft, almost loving)
It's alright. This place was built
for the broken. And the brave. You
didn't end up here by accident. You
were chosen.
JESS
(whispers)
Chosen for what?
DAVID
To demonstrate that even the
strongest walls can become doors.
Even the fiercest protectors can
learn to let go.
He places a black orchid in front of her. The petals are so
dark they seem to absorb light.
DAVID (CONT'D)
This is you. Beautiful. Defensive.
Convinced that darkness is
strength. But watch...
He moves the orchid into direct sunlight. The petals seem to
shimmer, revealing hidden colors -- deep purples, blues.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Darkness is just light afraid to
shine. Tyler's beginning to
understand. Soon, you will too.
JESS
Tyler's mine.
DAVID
No one belongs to anyone, Jessica.
That's the first lie love tells us.
The second lie? That we can save
anyone but ourselves.
She stands to leave.
JESS
I'll stay for Tyler.
DAVID
Of course you will. That's your
pattern. But what if -- just once --
you stayed for yourself?
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
30 -
Confrontation on the Veranda
EXT. SMOKING VERANDA - LATER THAT DAY
Jess finds Tyler smoking clove cigarettes with two other
guests, SAM (40s) and ERIC (20s), laughing. He's relaxed, sun-
kissed, in linen clothes provided by the staff. The guy is
glowing.
JESS
We need to talk.
He follows her around the corner. Her voice is low and
urgent.
JESS (CONT'D)
He knows, Ty. About the pawn shop.
About Frank.
TYLER
So? He didn't arrest us. He
welcomed us.
JESS
That doesn't strike you as weird?
That he knows we're criminals and
offers us fruit and yoga instead of
calling the cops?
TYLER
Jess. We were drowning before we
got here.
This place -- it's like the air is cleaner. My chest doesn't
hurt. Maybe we're supposed to be here.
JESS
You're brainwashed.
TYLER
(sad smile)
Or maybe you're just scared to be
loved.
He walks off before she can respond. She watches him
disappear into the trees with a group of cult members.
They're singing something. It sounds ancient.
SAM approaches her, gentle.
SAM
He's finding himself. It's
beautiful to watch.
JESS
He's losing himself.
SAM
Same thing, sometimes. I lost my
medical license before I came here.
Prescription fraud. Thought my life
was over.
JESS
And now?
SAM
Now I heal people. Really heal
them. Not with pills, but with
presence.
He shows his blue bracelet.
SAM (CONT'D)
This means I chose to stop running
from who I really am.
JESS
Who told you who you really are?
David?
SAM
David helped me remember. There's a
difference.
He walks away, leaving Jess alone with the sound of waves and
distant chanting.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
31 -
A Moment of Release
INT. ACTIVITIES PAVILION - DAY
Jess enters to find a movement class in session. Bodies
flowing like water, guided by HELENA (40s), elegant and
serene.
HELENA
Feel the weight leaving through
your fingertips. Let it drain like
water.
Jess watches from the doorway. The participants seem
genuinely at peace, moving in perfect synchronization.
Helena notices her.
HELENA (CONT'D)
Jessica. Join us.
JESS
I'm just looking.
HELENA
Looking is longing. Your body
remembers freedom, even if your
mind has forgotten.
Against her will, Jess finds herself drawn in. She takes a
place at the back.
HELENA (CONT'D)
Close your eyes. Feel where you
hold tension.
Jess closes her eyes reluctantly.
HELENA (CONT'D)
Shoulders. Jaw. The space between
your ribs where you've locked your
grief.
Jess's eyes snap open. Helena is right in front of her.
HELENA (CONT'D)
Every woman here came carrying
someone else's pain. Mothers,
lovers, children. We taught them
they were only valuable as saviors.
Other participants begin sharing, eyes still closed.
PARTICIPANT 1
My daughter. Her addiction was my
identity.
PARTICIPANT 2
My husband's depression. I wore it
like a wedding ring.
HELENA
What do you carry, Jessica?
JESS
Nothing. I should go.
HELENA
Should. The most violent word we
know. Stay. Move. See what happens
when you stop fighting yourself.
The class continues. Slowly, tentatively, Jess begins to
move. For a moment -- just a moment -- she feels something
release.
Then she sees Tyler through the window, walking with David,
deep in conversation. The spell breaks.
She leaves without a word.
Genres:
["Drama","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
32 -
Cleansing Waters
INT. BAMBOO BATHHOUSE - NIGHT
Steam rises. Moonlight pours through the slats. It smells of
lemongrass and cedar. Tyler, shirtless, sits on the stone
ledge near a warm spring pool. His wrapped wrist has been
rewrapped with clean bandages. David sits beside him in
silence. He doesn't rush. He waits.
TYLER
(finally speaks)
I don't know what I'm doing here,
man. Everything in me says run. But
I feel... good.
DAVID
(calm)
That's not confusion. That's your
roots remembering the rain.
Beat. Tyler doesn't get it.
DAVID (CONT'D)
(softer)
Do you know the story of the ghost
tree?
TYLER
No.
DAVID
(mythic, poetic)
There is a tree in the Yunnan
mountains...that grows white and
crooked like a scar. It lived
decades with no water, no fruit.
Locals called it cursed.
He pauses, letting the words sink in.
DAVID (CONT'D)
But then one summer, the mist came
early. And the roots drank deep.
And by winter, it bloomed--once,
violently, beautifully--and died.
He turns to Tyler.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Not every life is meant to bloom
for long. Some are meant to bloom
correctly.
TYLER
(quiet)
I didn't have much of a childhood.
DAVID
That wasn't your fault.
TYLER
My dad left when I was twelve.
Just... gone. No note, no goodbye.
Found out later he'd started a new
family two states over.
DAVID
He was running from himself. You
just happened to be in the way.
David dips a small wooden ladle into the pool and pours water
slowly over Tyler's head. Tyler flinches, but doesn't stop
him.
DAVID (CONT'D)
(ritual tone)
The boy who fought to survive is no
longer needed. Let him go. He was
brave. But you... you are ready to
be a man without armor.
TYLER
(eyes closed)
Who am I then?
DAVID
A vessel. Not broken. Just waiting.
Tyler opens his eyes, tears mixing with the ritual water.
Something fundamental has shifted.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Your father's leaving created a
wound. You've spent your life
trying to heal it by being needed.
By Jess. By anyone who would have
you.
TYLER
She loves me.
DAVID
She loves her idea of you. The
broken bird she can fix. What
happens when you're healed?
Tyler can't answer.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Tomorrow, we have a group session.
Deep work. I'd like you to share
your story.
TYLER
I don't know if I can.
DAVID
Courage isn't the absence of fear.
It's feeling the fear and speaking
anyway.
He stands, leaving Tyler alone with his thoughts.
DAVID (CONT'D)
The wound is where the light
enters, Tyler. Stop trying to close
it.
Genres:
["Drama","Psychological"]
Ratings
Scene
33 -
Reflections of Release
INT. BATHHOUSE - LATER THAT NIGHT
Tyler stands alone now. Steam curls around him like breath
from the earth. His skin glistens with ritual water. He wipes
condensation from a small, bronze-framed mirror on the bamboo
wall.
He leans in. For a moment, he doesn't recognize himself. The
face is too calm. Too still.
TYLER
(quiet, surprised)
Huh.
He studies his reflection. Tilts his head. The scar on his
eyebrow, the crooked nose from a bar fight back in Fresno--
still there. But they don't define him anymore.
TYLER (CONT'D)
(to himself)
I don't look like a screw-up.
He reaches up, smooths his hair. His hands tremble slightly--
not from fear, but release.
Over his shoulder, faintly, we hear the echo of David's voice
in his head:
DAVID (V.O.)
The boy who fought to survive is no
longer needed... Let him go.
Tyler breathes deep. Stares at his own eyes.
TYLER
You made it.
He smiles. Just a flicker. But it's not the smile Jess knows.
Genres:
["Drama","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
34 -
Confronting Change
INT. JESS AND TYLER'S SUITE - LATE NIGHT
Tyler enters to find Jess packing their few belongings.
TYLER
What are you doing?
JESS
We're leaving. At dawn. I found a
boat schedule in the lobby.
TYLER
Jess...
JESS
Don't. Whatever David's been
filling your head with, it's
poison.
TYLER
It's medicine.
She stops packing, turns to him.
JESS
Listen to yourself.
TYLER
For the first time, I am. Do you
know what I realized tonight? I've
never made a choice that was just
mine. It's always been about
surviving, about keeping you happy,
about not being my father.
JESS
I never asked you to--
TYLER
No. You just needed me to need you.
And I did. I do. But what if that's
not love? What if it's just mutual
drowning?
The words hit her like a slap.
JESS
How dare you.
TYLER
I'm not leaving, Jess. Not yet.
This place... these people...
they're showing me something.
JESS
They're showing you how to abandon
everyone who loves you.
TYLER
Or how to stop abandoning myself.
He sits on the bed, exhausted.
TYLER (CONT'D)
Stay. Please. Give it a real
chance.
JESS
I am staying. For you. But the
second I see real danger, we're
gone.
TYLER
Okay.
She sits beside him, takes his hand.
JESS
I can't lose you, Ty.
TYLER
You won't. But you might have to
let me change.
JESS
Into what?
TYLER
I don't know yet. Isn't that
terrifying? And beautiful?
She doesn't answer. Outside, the ocean whispers its endless
secrets.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
35 -
Breaking the Silence
INT. GROUP THERAPY PAVILION - DAY
A circle of twelve people, all wearing blue bracelets except
Jess. David facilitates with gentle authority. Tyler sits
forward, ready to speak.
DAVID
Tyler has something to share. We
hold space for his truth.
Tyler takes a breath.
TYLER
My father left when I was twelve.
Middle of the night. I woke up and
his truck was gone. His clothes.
His tools. Even took the dog.
Murmurs of sympathy.
TYLER (CONT'D)
I spent years thinking if I'd been
better, stronger, more like him, he
would've stayed. Every relationship
since has been me trying to prove
I'm worth staying for.
He looks at Jess.
TYLER (CONT'D)
Even with Jess. Especially with
Jess. I've been so afraid she'll
see what my father saw and leave.
MAYA
What did your father see?
TYLER
A weak kid. A disappointment.
DAVID
What if he saw himself? What if
leaving had nothing to do with you?
TYLER
Then I've wasted twenty years
hating myself for nothing.
DAVID
Not nothing. It brought you here.
To this moment. To the chance to
choose differently.
SAM speaks up.
SAM
My mother left when I was eight.
Left me with my grandmother and
never came back.
(MORE)
SAM (CONT'D)
I became a doctor to prove I was
worth coming back for. She never
did.
HELENA
My husband left after our daughter
died. Said he couldn't look at me
without seeing her. I spent ten
years believing I killed them both.
Story after story unfolds. Abandonment, grief, shame. Jess
watches Tyler absorb it all, sees him finding his tribe.
DAVID
The pain is real. But the meaning
we make from it -- that's optional.
Tyler, what would you like to
release?
TYLER
The belief that I'm meant to be
left.
DAVID
And what would you like to claim?
TYLER
That I'm whole. Right now. As is.
The group responds with soft applause. David produces a small
knife.
DAVID
Would you like to make it physical?
A small cut, a drop of blood, to
mark the old Tyler's death?
Jess tenses. Tyler considers.
TYLER
Yes.
DAVID
Where?
Tyler extends his palm. David makes a tiny cut. A bead of
blood wells up.
DAVID (CONT'D)
The old blood carries the old
story. Let it go.
Tyler watches the blood drip onto the stone floor.
TYLER
It's gone. He's gone. The scared
kid.
JESS
(suddenly)
He was never just a scared kid. He
was brave. He survived.
All eyes turn to her.
JESS (CONT'D)
You're not killing anything. You're
just giving David control over how
you see yourself.
DAVID
Jessica. Would you like to share
your story?
JESS
My story is mine.
DAVID
Of course. But unshared stories
become prisons.
JESS
Better than mass graves.
The room goes cold. David smiles.
DAVID
You've been exploring. Good.
Questions are holy here.
HELENA
We've all questioned. It's part of
the journey.
JESS
To where?
MAYA
Freedom.
JESS
Or death?
DAVID
Sometimes they're the same door.
The question is -- who holds the
key?
He stands, session ending.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Tomorrow night, we have our monthly
fire ceremony. It's...
transformative. I hope you'll both
attend.
Tyler nods eagerly. Jess says nothing.
As they file out, Helena approaches Jess.
HELENA
I was like you. Fighting
everything. Seeing manipulation in
every kindness.
JESS
And now?
HELENA
Now I see that my resistance was
just another chain. The tightest
ones are always self-forged.
She walks away, leaving Jess with the echo of truth she's not
ready to hear.
Genres:
["Drama","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
36 -
Secrets in Room Rachel L.
INT. RESORT HALLWAY - DAY
Jess hugs the wall. Cameras in every corner. A door sits
ajar: "Rachel L."
She checks both ways. Slips inside.
INT. RACHEL'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Chaos. Clothes thrown. Drawers yanked out. Words scrawled on
walls:
"THEY NEVER STOP WATCHING"
"NO ONE LEAVES"
"THE STONES THE STONES THE STONES"
Jess finds a journal on the floor. Flips through:
"Day 3 - Can't sleep. Eyes everywhere."
"Day 7 - David promises freedom. It's death."
"Day 11 - They chose Maria for the stones."
Last entry:
"I'm next. Trust no one. RUN."
Below it--a hand-drawn map. Escape route through jungle to a
cove.
Footsteps in the hall.
Jess memorizes the map. Returns the journal. Slips out as
STAFF round the corner.
STAFF MEMBER
Can I help you?
JESS
Looking for the bathroom.
STAFF MEMBER
Other direction. That room is being
prepared for a new guest.
The lie is smooth. Practiced. Jess nods, walks away. Behind
her, she hears the staff member speak into a radio.
STAFF MEMBER (CONT'D)
We need a deep clean on Rachel's
room. Someone's been inside.
END OF ACT 2A
# ACT 2B - THE REVELATION
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
37 -
Confronting Shadows
INT. DAVID'S PRIVATE OFFICE - DAY
The minimalist space feels subtly rearranged -- chairs
closer, more intimate, designed like a confessional. Tyler
enters hesitantly, his blue bracelet catching the sunlight
sharply. He avoids eye contact, visibly tense, trembling
slightly.
DAVID
How did you sleep, Tyler?
TYLER
I didn't. The ceremony -- it was
overwhelming.
DAVID
It unsettled you because you resist
truth.
TYLER
People died, David.
David's gaze remains calm, unwavering.
DAVID
Sit down, please.
Tyler reluctantly takes the chair, now disturbingly close to
David, who leans forward slightly, voice soft yet
penetrating.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Tell me what you saw last night.
TYLER
I saw Harold and Beverly... I saw
them choose.
DAVID
What did they choose?
TYLER
Death. They chose death.
DAVID
They chose release. There's a
difference.
TYLER
Is there?
DAVID
Talk to me about the weight.
TYLER
What weight?
DAVID
The weight you've carried since
your father left. The relentless
need for approval never given.
DAVID
Your father's still here -- in this
room, in every decision you make,
every failure you fear.
Tyler flinches.
DAVID (CONT'D)
What did he say before he left?
TYLER
Nothing. He just disappeared.
DAVID
He gave no closure, no explanation.
Left you trapped seeking answers
forever.
TYLER
He was a drunk -- abusive.
DAVID
His choices were his alone, not a
reflection of your worth.
Tyler's shoulders slump slightly, the emotional blow landing
deeply.
DAVID (CONT'D)
You were twelve, convinced his
leaving was your fault. You
believed if you'd been better, he'd
have stayed.
TYLER
I just wanted him to be proud of
me.
DAVID
You still chase that pride --
especially from Jessica. Terrified
she'll leave once she sees the real
you.
Tyler's breath quickens, pain visible.
TYLER
Who am I, then?
DAVID
A man shaped entirely by
abandonment. You confuse being
needed with being loved.
David rises slowly, moving toward the window, voice gently
hypnotic.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Your father didn't leave because of
you. He left because he couldn't
face himself.
TYLER
Then why does it hurt so much?
DAVID
Because you've absorbed his shame.
You've worn his failures as your
identity.
Tyler lifts tear-filled eyes to meet David's compassionate
gaze.
DAVID (CONT'D)
It's not your weight to carry. You
can let go.
David returns, sitting closer, fatherly reassurance in his
tone.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Tomorrow night, another ceremony.
Intimate. A chance to truly release
the weight. I want you there.
TYLER
What would I need to do?
DAVID
Be honest. Share your truth. Help
others understand that pain is a
choice.
Tyler hesitates, standing at the doorway.
TYLER
Jess thinks you're manipulating me.
DAVID
Fear is resistance to healing.
She'll understand eventually.
TYLER
And if she doesn't?
David's smile turns subtly chilling.
DAVID
Then you choose -- her fear or your
freedom. Her dependency on who you
were, or your liberation.
Tyler nods slowly, opening the door.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Tyler, your father's shame died
with him. Don't carry it to your
grave.
Tyler exits quietly, deeply hooked by David's promise.
Genres:
["Drama","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
38 -
Breaking the Circle
INT. MEDITATION ROOM - DAY
Incense thick. Eight women in a circle. All wear blue
bracelets except Jess.
HELENA (40s) leads. Serene surface, steel underneath.
HELENA
Begin with gratitude. For this
sacred space. This healing.
Eyes close. Deep breaths. Jess stays alert.
HELENA (CONT'D)
Maya, share your breakthrough.
MAYA
The guilt about my sister. Wasn't
mine to carry.
JESS
What happened to her?
The circle shifts. Uncomfortable.
MAYA
She found peace. Two years ago.
HELENA
Maya transformed tragedy into
understanding.
JESS
She killed herself.
The word lands hard.
HELENA
We say transcendence. Suicide
implies failure. She chose freedom
from weight.
JESS
She chose death.
HELENA
She released unbearable weight.
Intent matters. Despair or
enlightenment?
SARAH (late 20s, fragile) speaks up.
SARAH
My brother felt trapped. David
helped me see he was awakening.
JESS
Your brother's dead too?
SARAH
Transcended. Like Maya's sister.
Like Harold and Beverly.
JESS
Harold and Beverly are corpses
under stones.
The circle tightens. Women stand slowly, surrounding Jess.
HELENA
Jess, resistance is natural.
Healing begins when we release old
patterns. When we stop carrying
what was never ours.
Helena's stare penetrates.
HELENA (CONT'D)
Share your loss. Who left you,
Jess? Who taught you love meant
fighting for people who don't want
saving?
JESS
No one.
HELENA
Your mother? Not all abandonment is
death. Sometimes emotional absence
cuts deeper.
Jess flinches.
HELENA (CONT'D)
She chose her escape. Bottle by
bottle. Left you carrying her
weight.
JESS
Stop.
HELENA
You were seven when you started
taking care of her. Cleaning vomit.
Hiding bottles. Lying to teachers.
JESS
(standing)
How do you--
HELENA
We all have the same story,
different details. Abandoned
children trying to save broken
adults.
Jess stands. Trapped.
JESS
This is manipulation.
HELENA
Sit. Let us guide you through the
pain.
JESS
You're selling suicide as weight
loss.
The women move closer. Gentle voices, poison words.
HELENA
You fight for those who don't want
saving. Tyler's following your
mother's path.
JESS
Tyler needs help.
HELENA
Or freedom from your need to fix
him. From the weight of your love.
MAYA
My love killed my sister. I
wouldn't let her go. Forced
treatment, interventions,
hospitals. She begged me to let her
choose.
SARAH
I kept my brother alive for years.
Machines. Medicines. Misery. David
showed me that was selfish.
Jess backs to the door.
HELENA
Running won't heal you. Just
repeats the pattern.
JESS
Some wounds should stay open. Some
weight keeps us human.
At the door:
JESS (CONT'D)
How many are really gone? Not
"transcended" -- gone?
HELENA
None. We helped them find peace.
JESS
By making death sound like
graduation?
HELENA
By showing them some cages have
only one door. Some weight can only
be released, not carried.
JESS
You're a death cult.
HELENA
We're a life cult. We just define
life differently than you do.
Jess escapes. The circle watches. Patient.
MAYA
(softly)
She'll be back.
SARAH
They always come back.
HELENA
Or they join Rachel.
The women return to meditation, untroubled.
Genres:
["Drama","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
39 -
Trapped in Paranoia
EXT. RESORT PATHWAY - MOMENTS LATER
Jess walks fast. Not quite running. Heart hammering.
Every smile from passing guests feels like surveillance.
Every gardener a guard.
She spots Tyler across the gardens, leading a small
meditation group, wearing white linen, fully transformed.
Their eyes meet briefly. He looks through her, serene and
distant.
She knows now: resistance equals death.
INT. RESORT SECURITY OFFICE - DAY
Banks of monitors. TWO SECURITY GUARDS watch screens. One
monitor shows Jess walking quickly through gardens.
GUARD 1
She's spiraling.
GUARD 2
David predicted three days. Right
on schedule.
They watch her try a door -- locked. Then another.
GUARD 1
Should we intervene?
GUARD 2
No. Let her exhaust herself. Fear
makes them easier to guide.
On screen: Jess finds an unlocked maintenance shed, slips
inside.
GUARD 2 (CONT'D)
(into radio)
Rabbit's in the shed. All units
aware.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
40 -
Whispers of the Jungle
EXT. MAINTENANCE SHED - DAY
Jess emerges with a crowbar and flashlight. Moves toward the
jungle perimeter.
She reaches the fence -- twelve feet high, subtle but
effective. Tests it with the crowbar. Electrified. A soft ZAP
makes her jump back.
LENA (O.S.)
It's for your protection.
Jess spins. Lena stands there, calm as always.
LENA (CONT'D)
The jungle is dangerous. Cliffs.
Wild boar. So easy to get lost.
JESS
I'll take my chances.
LENA
Like Rachel did?
The name stops Jess cold.
LENA (CONT'D)
She was so determined to leave.
Even drew maps. You've seen them,
haven't you?
JESS
I don't know what you're talking
about.
LENA
The boat comes Tuesday mornings.
The guards change shifts at 4:30.
The cave system leads to a hidden
cove.
She recites Rachel's escape plan perfectly.
LENA (CONT'D)
We found her three days later.
Dehydrated. Delirious. Calling for
her mother.
JESS
You killed her.
LENA
The jungle killed her. We tried to
save her. David held her hand as
she passed. She thanked him.
JESS
Liar.
LENA
The truth is so much harder than
lies, isn't it? That sometimes
people choose their cage. That
sometimes love means letting go.
She steps closer.
LENA (CONT'D)
Tyler's in the bathhouse. The
ritual pools. He's preparing for
tomorrow's ceremony. You should see
him. Say goodbye properly.
JESS
Goodbye?
LENA
One way or another, tomorrow
changes everything.
She walks away, leaving Jess with the humming fence and the
weight of prophecy.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
41 -
Transcendence in the Steam
INT. BAMBOO BATHHOUSE - LATER
Steam thick. Tyler floats in a mineral pool, eyes closed.
Other blue-bracelet members surround him, humming low.
Jess enters. The humming stops.
TYLER
(eyes still closed)
I knew you'd come.
The others file out silently, leaving them alone.
JESS
We need to leave. Now. They killed
Rachel. They're going to kill you.
Tyler opens his eyes. So peaceful it's terrifying.
TYLER
I'm already dead, Jess. Have been
for years. Walking around,
pretending to be alive.
He stands in the pool, water streaming off him.
TYLER (CONT'D)
Do you know what David showed me?
That I've been a ghost since my
father left. Just haunting you.
Haunting myself.
JESS
That's their poison talking.
TYLER
Or it's the first truth I've ever
spoken.
He steps out of the pool, no shame in his nakedness.
TYLER (CONT'D)
Tomorrow, I transcend. I let go of
this weight. All of it.
JESS
You're talking about suicide.
TYLER
I'm talking about freedom.
JESS
(desperate)
What about me? What about us?
TYLER
There is no us. There's just you
trying to save your mother through
me. And me letting you because I'm
terrified of being alone.
The words are cruel in their clarity.
JESS
I love you.
TYLER
You love the project. The mission.
Fix the broken man, earn your
worth. But I'm tired of being your
redemption story.
He puts on a white robe.
TYLER (CONT'D)
Come to the ceremony. Watch me
choose. Maybe you'll understand.
JESS
If you do this, I'll never forgive
you.
TYLER
(sadly)
I know. But I'll finally forgive
myself.
He walks past her. She grabs his arm.
JESS
Please. We can run. Start over.
I'll be better--
TYLER
That's the point. You're perfect as
you are. But I'm not. And I'm done
pretending.
He pulls free. Leaves her standing in the steam.
Genres:
["Drama","Psychological Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
Bait on the Cliff
EXT. CLIFFSIDE PATH - SUNSET
Jess runs along a narrow path, tears streaming. The ocean
rages below. She reaches a dead end -- sheer cliff face.
Trapped between stone and air, she screams. Raw. Primal. All
her fight pouring out into the wind.
When she's empty, she sees him.
FRANK stands on a lower ledge, looking up at her. Sunburned.
Exhausted. Very much alive.
FRANK
Jessica Reeves?
She stares, not trusting her eyes.
FRANK (CONT'D)
I'm Frank Morrison. You robbed my
store. And saved my life.
JESS
How--
FRANK
Been watching this place for two
days. Saw what they did to Harold
and Beverly. Saw what they're
planning for Tyler.
He climbs up to her level, surprisingly agile for his age.
FRANK (CONT'D)
My daughter Sarah... she was here.
Three years ago. David convinced
her that death was a doorway.
JESS
I'm sorry.
FRANK
Don't be sorry. Help me stop him.
JESS
How? They're everywhere. They know
everything.
FRANK
They know what you let them know.
But they don't know about me. Not
yet.
He pulls out a satellite phone.
FRANK (CONT'D)
FBI's been watching David for
years. No evidence. But if Tyler
goes through with the ceremony...
JESS
We can't let him.
FRANK
We won't. But we need him to get
close. To expose the whole system.
JESS
You want to use Tyler as bait?
FRANK
I want to save him. And everyone
else David's marked for
transcendence.
A long beat. Jess weighs impossible choices.
JESS
What do you need me to do?
FRANK
Go back. Play along. When the
ceremony starts, I'll be ready.
JESS
What if you're not?
FRANK
Then we join Sarah and Rachel. But
at least we tried.
He hands her a small GPS tracker.
FRANK (CONT'D)
Put this on Tyler. When he moves to
the ceremony site, we move too.
JESS
He won't wear it. He's... different
now.
FRANK
Then put it in something he will
wear. The robe. The bracelet.
Whatever it takes.
She takes the tracker.
JESS
Why should I trust you?
FRANK
Because I've got nothing left to
lose. And neither do you.
They part ways as darkness falls.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
43 -
Embracing the Unknown
EXT. RESORT GROUNDS - NIGHT
Jess returns to find the resort transformed. Torches
everywhere. White-robed figures moving in patterns.
Preparing.
She finds Tyler with a group, practicing some kind of
movement ritual.
JESS
Can we talk?
He breaks from the group, follows her.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Moonlight on water. They walk in silence until they're alone.
JESS
I'm sorry. For trying to control
you. For making your pain about me.
Tyler stops, surprised.
TYLER
You mean that?
JESS
You're right. I've been trying to
save my mother through you. But
she's gone. And you're here. And I
just... I want you to be free.
TYLER
(softening)
Jess...
She embraces him. While holding him, she slips the tracker
into his robe pocket.
JESS
Whatever you choose tomorrow, I'll
support it. I just want you to be
sure.
TYLER
I've never been more sure of
anything.
They hold each other. Maybe for the last time.
TYLER (CONT'D)
Will you come? To the ceremony?
JESS
Yes.
TYLER
It won't be what you think. It's
beautiful. Holy, even.
JESS
I believe you.
He kisses her forehead.
TYLER
I love you. The real you. Not the
one trying to save everyone.
JESS
I love you too. The real you. Even
the parts that want to leave.
They walk back toward the lights. Toward whatever tomorrow
brings.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
44 -
The Calm Before the Ceremony
INT. DAVID'S PRIVATE CHAMBER - LATE NIGHT
David meditates alone. Candles flicker. He opens his eyes as
Lena enters.
LENA
The woman. She met someone in the
jungle.
DAVID
I know.
LENA
Should we intervene?
DAVID
No. Let them think they have a
plan. Desperation makes the
ceremony more powerful.
LENA
And if they disrupt--
DAVID
They won't. Frank Morrison wants to
watch his daughter's killer
transcend. Jessica wants to save
her broken bird. Both will get what
they deserve.
He returns to meditation.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Alert the guards. Tomorrow, we
transcend them all.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
45 -
Ceremonial Tensions
INT. JESS AND TYLER'S SUITE - DAWN
Neither slept. They lie in bed, not touching but close.
TYLER
You know what's strange? I'm not
scared.
JESS
I am.
TYLER
Don't be. Whatever happens, we
chose it. Together.
A soft KNOCK. Maya enters with ceremonial robes.
MAYA
It's time to prepare.
Tyler rises eagerly. Jess follows slowly.
MAYA (CONT'D)
(to Jess)
David wanted me to give you this.
She hands Jess a blue bracelet.
MAYA (CONT'D)
For the ceremony. So you can be
close to Tyler.
Jess takes it but doesn't put it on.
MAYA (CONT'D)
It's not surrender. It's just
access.
Jess slides it onto her wrist. It feels heavier than it
should.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
46 -
Ritual of Liberation
EXT. CEREMONIAL GROUND - NIGHT
Under a chilling full moon, torches encircle sixty guests
dressed in ethereal white, otherworldly, entranced. Jess and
Tyler linger at the back, uneasy. Jess's white gown feels
oppressive, like sacrificial attire.
TYLER
You look beautiful.
JESS
I feel like I'm being offered.
A deep BELL resonates, silencing all whispers.
DAVID appears -- luminous in ceremonial white, almost Christ-
like.
DAVID
Tonight, family, we witness true
ascension.
The crowd murmurs reverently.
At the circle's center: a wooden platform above a deep pit
filled with smooth river stones. A massive boulder hangs
precariously overhead, suspended by ropes and pulleys.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Who seeks liberation from life's
crushing weight?
An ELDERLY COUPLE, HAROLD and BEVERLY, step forward hand in
hand, faces serene, ready.
DAVID
Jessica, it's shocking at first.
But Harold and Beverly were
terminally ill. They chose dignity
over suffering.
Jess recoils in disgust.
JESS
You're a murderer.
DAVID
Or a guide. Is choosing one's end
murder or courage?
The crowd murmurs agreement. Jess's horror mounts.
JESS
You're all insane.
DAVID
Fear often masks understanding.
Look around -- do they seem insane?
Jess backs away, pulling Tyler forcefully.
JESS
We're leaving. Now.
Tyler hesitates, eyes drawn to David, yearning visible.
Frank watches from the shadows, horrified, recognizing the
same seductive promises that claimed Sarah. He speaks into
his phone.
FRANK
(whispered)
This is Morrison. We have murder on
video. Move in. Now.
But no response comes. The phone is dead.
He sees guards moving through the jungle. They know he's
here.
DAVID
(to the crowd)
Who else seeks liberation tonight?
Several hands rise. Tyler's among them.
JESS
Tyler, no!
TYLER
I have to, Jess. This weight... I
can't carry it anymore.
DAVID
Come forward, brother.
Tyler moves toward the platform. Jess grabs him.
JESS
I won't let you do this.
TYLER
It's not your choice.
DAVID
Jessica. You're disrupting sacred
space.
Guards move closer. Jess sees Frank in the shadows, trapped
by security.
Everything is falling apart.
JESS
(desperate)
Tyler, please. We can leave. We can
run. Frank is here -- he's alive!
He can help us!
The crowd reacts. David's eyes flash.
DAVID
Frank Morrison is here?
Guards drag Frank into the circle. Beaten but defiant.
FRANK
David Coleman. You killed my
daughter.
DAVID
I freed your daughter. As I'll free
Tyler. As I'll free anyone brave
enough to choose.
FRANK
You're a predator. A killer hiding
behind philosophy.
DAVID
And you're a father who couldn't
save his child. Who couldn't even
see she was drowning.
Frank lunges. Guards restrain him.
DAVID (CONT'D)
(to Tyler)
The choice is still yours. Stay in
the world that breaks you, or
transcend to something pure.
Tyler looks between Jess and the platform. Torn.
TYLER
I... I need...
JESS
You need to live, Tyler. For me.
For us. For the future we haven't
had yet.
TYLER
What future? We're criminals. We're
broken. We'll always be running.
JESS
Then we run together. Broken
together. Alive together.
David steps between them.
DAVID
Or free. Forever. No more pain. No
more weight. Just peace.
Tyler moves toward the platform.
JESS
(screaming)
TYLER!
The crowd surges forward, separating them. In the chaos,
Frank breaks free, tackles a guard, gets his gun.
FRANK
Everyone freeze!
Shots fired into the air. Pandemonium.
In the melee, Jess fights toward Tyler. David calmly walks to
the platform where Tyler now stands.
DAVID
Chaos is just another veil. Lift
it. Choose clarity.
Tyler looks at the rope. At the stones below. At Jess
fighting to reach him.
At Frank pointing a gun at David.
At the moon witnessing everything.
TYLER
(softly)
I choose...
END OF ACT 2B
# ACT 3 - THE ESCAPE
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Psychological"]
Ratings
Scene
47 -
Ritual of Blood and Betrayal
INT. MAIN PAVILION - NIGHT
Torchlight dances. Sixty white-robed figures circle the
platform. Electric anticipation.
David at center. Ceremonial knife gleaming.
DAVID
Tonight -- sacred communion. Blood
binds us as family.
Jess watches from the back. Horror rising.
Tyler steps forward. Willing. Blue bracelet catching fire.
TYLER
Ready to give my blood.
DAVID
Your offering erases who you were.
David raises the blade. The crowd chants low:
CROWD
Blood cleanses. Blood binds. Blood
frees.
JESS
(whispered)
Tyler, no...
Tyler extends his arm over a golden bowl. Palm up. Waiting.
David positions the knife above Tyler's wrist.
DAVID
With this cut, your old self dies.
EXT. MAIN PAVILION - CONTINUOUS
Frank creeps through shadows. Sees the knife. Tyler beneath
it.
FRANK
(under breath)
Christ. Human sacrifice.
Draws his weapon. Hands unsteady.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
48 -
A Tragic Sacrifice
INT. MAIN PAVILION - CONTINUOUS
David lowers the blade. Chanting swells.
FRANK
(bursting in)
POLICE! DROP IT!
Chaos. Bodies scatter. David spins, knife still raised.
TYLER
What?
Frank charges. Tackles David.
FRANK
GET AWAY FROM HIM!
They collide. Struggle. David's hand jerks forward.
The knife finds Tyler's chest.
Deep.
TYLER
(gasping)
I... what...?
Blood blooms across white cloth. Tyler stares at the blade
buried in him.
DAVID
(horrified)
No! Not like this -- Tyler!
JESS
(screaming)
TYLER!
She runs. Catches him as he drops.
JESS
Stay with me. Stay here!
TYLER
(clarity returning)
Jess... I remember. The bracelet...
made me forget.
She rips the blue band from his wrist.
TYLER (CONT'D)
Tried to save you... got lost
instead.
FRANK
(stricken)
I thought he was going to -- I
thought...
DAVID
(to followers)
Lock it down! Find the woman!
Tyler grips Jess's hand. Weak.
TYLER
Promise... you'll escape.
JESS
Don't leave me.
TYLER
Promise you'll survive.
Tears fall. She nods.
JESS
Promise.
TYLER
Love you... the real you.
Eyes close. Hand goes slack.
DAVID
(cold)
Tyler transcended. His blood
sanctifies us.
JESS
(rage building)
You murdered him.
DAVID
His death serves purpose. Beautiful
purpose.
Jess backs away. Horror and fury.
FRANK
(to Jess)
Run. Now.
Guards close in. Jess vanishes into darkness.
DAVID
Can't escape destiny, Jessica!
Guards overwhelm Frank. Drag him away.
His eyes stay on Tyler's body. The innocent man he killed
trying to save.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
49 -
Desperate Flight
EXT. RESORT GROUNDS - NIGHT
Jess runs. Gardens blur past. Flashlight beams slice the
dark.
GUARD 1 (O.S.)
Cliffs! She's heading for the
cliffs!
GUARD 2 (O.S.)
Cut her off!
Her white robe snags thorns. Tears. Tyler's blood mixing with
fresh cuts.
Behind her, David's voice carries on the wind.
DAVID (O.S.)
Jessica! This is meant to be!
Tyler's sacrifice demands yours!
She crashes through underbrush. The sound of dogs now.
Barking. Hunting.
EXT. JUNGLE EDGE - NIGHT
Paradise ends. Wild jungle begins.
Branches whip her face. She crashes through.
DAVID (O.S.)
Jessica! Tyler's transcendence was
beautiful!
JESS
(gasping)
He's dead!
She stumbles. Falls. Gets up. Keeps running.
The ocean sound grows louder. Closer.
HELENA (O.S.)
She's heading for the cliffs! The
same path as Rachel!
MAYA (O.S.)
Let her go! The ocean will finish
what we started!
But David's voice cuts through.
DAVID (O.S.)
No! She's mine! She carries Tyler's
blood!
Genres:
["Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
50 -
Cliffside Confrontation
EXT. CLIFF EDGE - NIGHT
**MATCHING THE OPENING SCENE**
Darkness swallows the rocks below. Wind screams. Waves crash
their sinister rhythm.
Footsteps on gravel.
Jess stumbles into moonlight. Robe shredded. Blood and
bruises. Exhausted. Terrified.
Toes over the edge. She traces Tyler's blood on her hands.
TYLER (V.O.)
Promise me you'll survive.
Her torn robe flutters. A white flag.
JESS
(whispers)
I promised.
The ocean waits. She sways between falling and fighting.
FLASHBACK:
Tyler's eyes closing. David's smile.
BACK TO PRESENT:
JESS (CONT'D)
(stronger)
Not for your paradise.
Lights sweep closer.
GUARD 1 (O.S.)
There! Cliff edge!
DAVID (O.S.)
Gently. She's grieving.
Jess looks back. Then down at the rocks. Then sees it -- the
cave. Hidden in vines. Rachel's escape route.
JESS
(to Tyler)
Another way.
She backs from the edge.
JESS (CONT'D)
Not ready to transcend.
David emerges from the jungle. Bloodied. Desperate.
DAVID
Jessica. Please. Tyler's death
wasn't meant--
JESS
Nothing you do is meant. It just
feeds you.
DAVID
Let me help you understand--
JESS
I understand. You're a parasite.
You feed on pain and call it love.
She moves toward the cave.
DAVID
That cave leads nowhere. Rachel
learned that.
JESS
Rachel died free. That's more than
your victims get.
Genres:
["Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
51 -
Into the Abyss
EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE - NIGHT
The opening. Narrow. Dark. Her worst fear.
She touches the entrance. Can't breathe.
JESS
(panicked)
Can't... can't go in...
Voices closer.
GUARD 2 (O.S.)
Check the cliff!
DAVID (O.S.)
She's trapped.
Capture behind. Terror ahead. Tyler's voice:
TYLER (V.O.)
Promise me you'll survive.
JESS
For you.
Deep breath. Forces herself through.
Gone.
Lights sweep past moments later.
GUARD 1 (O.S.)
Nothing. She jumped.
DAVID (O.S.)
No. Keep looking.
David approaches the cave. Sees torn fabric on the vines.
DAVID (CONT'D)
(to guards)
She's in the cave. Rachel's route.
GUARD 1
Should we follow?
DAVID
No. Seal it. Both ends. Let the
earth have her.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
52 -
Embracing the Shadows
INT. CAVE ENTRANCE - NIGHT
Suffocating darkness. Jess squeezes through the narrow
opening, hyperventilating. The walls seem to close in around
her, triggering childhood memories of being locked in
closets.
JESS
(gasping)
Can't breathe...can't breathe...
She collapses against the cave wall, Tyler's blood still on
her hands. In the darkness, she sees their ghosts:
TYLER'S VOICE (V.O.)
We're not killers, Jess. Remember?
We said we weren't killers.
JESS
But I got you killed. I brought us
here. I thought I was saving us but
I...
Her mother's voice echoes from childhood:
MOTHER'S VOICE (V.O.)
(slurred, cruel)
You ruin everything you touch,
Jessica. Everything.
JESS
No. Not this time. I survive this
time.
She crawls forward, feeling along the damp cave floor. Her
fingers touch something soft and fabric-like.
A moldy backpack.
Jess unzips it with trembling hands, finding a small
flashlight. She clicks it on -- weak beam cutting through the
darkness.
The light reveals skeletal remains slumped against the cave
wall, still wearing resort clothing. Long, matted hair clings
to the skull.
JESS (CONT'D)
(to the skeleton)
Oh God... Rachel. I'm sorry. I'm so
sorry.
She backs away, horrified. But the sounds of pursuit echo
faintly through the cave system. Then -- GRINDING stone.
They're sealing the entrance.
JESS (CONT'D)
They'll trap me. They'll let me die
like you.
A weathered journal lies clutched in the skeleton's bony
fingers. Jess carefully pries it free, pages brittle but
readable.
She flips to the final entries, reading by flashlight:
JOURNAL ENTRY (V.O.)
"Day 12 hiding in the cave. They
think I drowned. Found this place
following the old lava tube.
Water's running out."
JESS
You almost made it.
More entries:
JOURNAL ENTRY (V.O.)
"Boat comes Tuesdays, 6 AM. Captain
never checks cargo. Guard change at
4:30 - fifteen minute window."
Jess finds a crude map sketched on the journal's back page--
showing the route from cave to dock, guard positions, blind
spots.
JOURNAL ENTRY (V.O.)
"If anyone finds this--there's a
way out. But you have to become one
of them first. Blend in. Survive."
She looks at Rachel's remains, then at her own torn,
bloodstained robe.
JESS
(to Rachel)
You tried to escape as yourself. It
didn't work.
Her hands shake as she reaches for Rachel's uniform.
JESS (CONT'D)
Forgive me. But I can't be Jess
anymore. Jess gets people killed.
Jess makes the wrong choices.
As she changes clothes, each piece feels like shedding her
old identity:
JESS (CONT'D)
I leave behind the woman who loved
Tyler.
She removes her wedding ring, placing it gently beside
Rachel's remains.
JESS (CONT'D)
The woman who thought she could
save anyone.
She puts on Rachel's uniform--musty, stained, but
serviceable.
JESS (CONT'D)
The woman who believed in justice
and order.
She looks at Rachel's hair, her own hands trembling
violently.
JESS (CONT'D)
(barely audible)
To survive monsters, sometimes we
have to become monstrous.
She begins gathering the hair--brittle but still intact--
tears streaming down her face.
JESS (CONT'D)
(to Rachel)
You're going to save me. What David
took from you, what this place
stole--I'm taking it back. For both
of us.
As she fashions crude extensions using hair ties from the
backpack:
JESS (CONT'D)
They want to erase who we were?
Fine. I'll become no one. I'll
become everyone they've destroyed.
She catches her reflection in a puddle--barely recognizable.
JESS (CONT'D)
Jessica Reeves died with Tyler.
Whoever leaves this cave... is just
another ghost.
She finds other supplies in the cave: water purification
tablets, energy bars, a small knife.
JESS (CONT'D)
I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. But
I can't die here. Not for nothing.
Not after what they took from us.
She studies the map again, memorizing the route. Her watch
reads 3:15 AM. Less than two hours until the guard change.
She looks back at Rachel's skeleton.
JESS (CONT'D)
Thank you. I won't waste what you
died for.
Shouldering the backpack, Jess moves deeper into the cave,
following Rachel's marked tunnel route back toward the
resort.
The claustrophobia that once paralyzed her now feels like
protection -- she's learned to find safety in the spaces
others fear to enter.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller","Psychological"]
Ratings
Scene
53 -
Escape from the Shadows
INT. CAVE SYSTEM - NIGHT
The flashlight flickers. Battery dying. Jess follows carved
arrows on the walls -- Rachel's breadcrumbs.
Water drips. Each drop echoes like a countdown.
She reaches a fork. The map shows left. But fresh air comes
from the right.
JESS
(to herself)
Trust the dead. They've already
paid for their mistakes.
She goes left. The passage narrows. She has to crawl.
Behind her, faintly -- DRILLING. They're not just sealing the
cave. They're collapsing it.
She crawls faster. Rock dust falls. The mountain groans.
Then -- moonlight. A crack in the stone.
She pushes through, emerges--
EXT. CAVE EXIT - NEAR RESORT GROUNDS - DAWN
Behind maintenance buildings. In Rachel's uniform and
makeshift disguise, she looks like any off-duty resort
worker.
She spots two GUARDS patrolling nearby, their backs turned.
Moving with newfound confidence, she walks calmly toward the
staff quarters, head down, shoulders hunched--mimicking the
submissive posture of David's followers.
GUARD 1
Hey, you seen anything suspicious
tonight?
Jess freezes, then turns slowly, keeping her face in shadow.
JESS
No sir. Just heading back to
quarters.
Her voice is hoarse from the cave dust -- disguising her
natural tone.
GUARD 1
That girl who escaped -- probably
drowned by now.
JESS
Probably. The ocean takes everyone
eventually.
GUARD 2
David wants all hands for the
cleansing. Main pavilion.
JESS
Of course.
She walks past them, heart pounding. They don't give her a
second glance.
As she moves toward the resort's main area, she hears
commotion. Shouts. She peers around a building--
Frank is being dragged between buildings by David and his
security team.
Genres:
["Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
54 -
Confrontation at Dawn
EXT. RESORT PARKING AREA - DAWN
Frank's face is bloodied, his shirt torn. David appears calm,
almost fatherly.
DAVID
Frank, you've caused quite a
disturbance.
FRANK
That girl you're hunting -- she's
innocent. Tyler was innocent.
DAVID
Innocent? Tyler transcended
beautifully. His death sanctified
our ground.
Frank struggles against his restraints.
FRANK
You killed him, you sick bastard.
DAVID
I liberated him. Just as I
liberated Sarah.
FRANK
Sarah was my daughter. You stole
her from me.
David's expression shifts to something deeply unsettling --
paternal pride mixed with possession.
DAVID
Sarah came to me willingly, Frank.
She sought a real father.
FRANK
She was twenty-two. Vulnerable.
DAVID
So young when she first reached
out; barely sixteen. So lost.
Desperate for guidance.
Frank's blood runs cold.
FRANK
Sixteen?
DAVID
I became the father you never were.
Gave her purpose, love, acceptance.
FRANK
You groomed her.
DAVID
I saved her. From you. From a world
that didn't understand her
sensitivity.
David moves closer, voice dropping to an intimate whisper.
DAVID (CONT'D)
She lived with us for three years
before her death. Called me Daddy.
Such a beautiful, devoted daughter.
Frank's face contorts with rage and horror.
FRANK
You sick piece of...
DAVID
She gave herself to our family
completely. Body and soul. As true
daughters should.
The implication hits Frank like a physical blow. He lunges
forward with animal fury.
FRANK
I'LL KILL YOU!
Frank breaks free from one guard, tackling David to the
ground. They struggle violently.
DAVID
You abandoned her! I cherished her!
Frank gets his hands around David's throat.
FRANK
She was a child!
David manages to grab a large stone from the landscaping. He
brings it down hard on Frank's skull.
CRACK.
Frank collapses, blood pooling beneath his head.
DAVID
Some fathers protect. Others
possess. I know which kind I am.
Jess watches in horror from behind a parked car, hand over
her mouth to stifle a gasp.
David stands over Frank's body, adjusting his clothes calmly.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Clean this up. Another tragic
accident.
The guards begin dragging Frank's body away. David walks back
toward the resort.
DAVID (CONT'D)
(calling out)
Find the girl. She witnessed
transcendence. She carries the
seed.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
55 -
Escape from Paradise
EXT. RESORT PARKING AREA - CONTINUOUS
Jess sees her chance. The guards are distracted with Frank's
body. She sprints to a nearby SUV, slides inside, starts
hotwiring --
CLICK CLICK CLICK -- nothing.
JESS
Come on, come on...
Security guards spot her, closing in fast.
She abandons the SUV. Two guards reach for her --
CRACK! THUD!
Two sharp Muay Thai strikes -- elbow, knee. The guards drop.
She spots the TAXI DRIVER from earlier standing frozen by his
cab, watching the chaos. FRESH VICTIMS with wide eyes stand
on the curb, their luggage abandoned.
Jess grabs the cab keys from the driver's hand.
TAXI DRIVER
Wait--!
She jumps in, starts the engine.
TAXI DRIVER (CONT'D)
You can't escape! No one leaves
paradise!
She burns rubber, leaving the fresh victims still wide-eyed
on the curb.
David emerges from the resort, spots Jess in the taxi.
Recognition flashes across his face.
He rushes to an armored luxury SUV -- like a prophet driving
a tank.
DAVID
(screaming)
I LOVE YOU, JESS! I SEE YOU! I SEE THE ANIMAL IN YOU!
The chase begins.
Genres:
["Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
56 -
Inferno of Ideologies
EXT. WINDING ISLAND ROAD - DAY
The taxi speeds down the twisting mountain road. David's
armored SUV gains fast.
WHAM!
He RAMS the taxi from behind. The cab lurches forward
violently.
DAVID
(euphoric, face bleeding)
THIS IS YOUR TRANSCENDENCE! EMBRACE IT!
Another RAM. And another. His face euphoric and bleeding as
he batters her vehicle.
Jess fights to control the taxi, tires screaming.
Through the mirror, she sees David -- no longer the calm
guru. Now revealed: a madman drunk on death.
DAVID
YOU CARRY TYLER'S BLOOD! YOU CARRY
THE TRUTH!
He SLAMS into her again. The taxi fishtails dangerously close
to the cliff edge.
Below -- rocks and ocean. Above -- David's blazing eyes.
EXT. ABANDONED GAS STATION - DAY
Jess skids to a stop near the gas station. Old pumps. Rusted
signs. A monument to forgotten commerce.
David pulls alongside. Both vehicles damaged, smoking.
They stare at each other through cracked glass.
DAVID
(through window)
Beautiful. This is beautiful.
He exits slowly. She does the same. Twenty feet apart.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Tyler understood in the end. The
knife was a gift.
JESS
The knife was murder.
DAVID
Everything is murder. Every breath
kills the last. Every word erases
silence. We're all killing all the
time. I just make it honest.
He steps closer.
DAVID (CONT'D)
You felt it, didn't you? When Tyler
died? The weight lifting?
JESS
I felt my heart break.
DAVID
Same thing. Breaking is how the
light gets in.
JESS
You're insane.
DAVID
I'm free. And I can free you.
He pulls out another ceremonial knife.
DAVID (CONT'D)
One cut. That's all. Let Tyler's
blood call to yours.
Jess backs toward the gas pumps.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Where will you go? Who will you be?
Jessica Reeves is dead. Jessica
Morrison never existed. You're no
one now.
JESS
Good.
She grabs the gas nozzle, sprays fuel everywhere. Soaking
David. The ground. Herself.
DAVID
(laughing)
Yes! Baptism by fire! I should have
seen it!
He drops the knife, spreads his arms wide.
DAVID (CONT'D)
We'll transcend together! Prophet
and disciple! Tyler will be so
proud!
Jess pulls out the Turkish eye coin from the taxi driver. The
one he insisted she take. She holds it up.
JESS
This is for Tyler. And Frank. And
Sarah. And Rachel. And everyone you
turned to stone.
She flicks the coin. It sparks against concrete.
Gasoline ignites.
DAVID
(engulfed in flames)
FINALLY! THE TRUTH BURNS! I BURN! WE ALL--
His words become screams. Then silence.
Jess watches him burn. No satisfaction. No relief. Just empty
necessity.
Behind her, vehicles approach. Sirens.
She doesn't run.
Genres:
["Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
57 -
Facing the Consequences
EXT. GAS STATION - LATER
Fire trucks. Police cars. News vans.
Jess sits on the ambulance bumper, blanket around her
shoulders. A DETECTIVE approaches.
DETECTIVE SANTOS
Ms. Reeves? I'm Detective Santos.
You hurt?
JESS
Jessica Reeves is dead. I'm just
what's left.
DETECTIVE SANTOS
We found the resort. The bodies.
The stones.
JESS
How many?
DETECTIVE SANTOS
Still counting. Twenty years worth,
at least.
JESS
Tyler Morrison. Did you find Tyler
Morrison?
DETECTIVE SANTOS
We found everyone. I'm sorry.
She nods. Expected but still devastating.
DETECTIVE SANTOS (CONT'D)
You'll need to come with us. There
are questions.
JESS
I robbed Frank Morrison. The pawn
shop. With Tyler. We used fake IDs
to get here.
DETECTIVE SANTOS
Ma'am--
JESS
I'm confessing. To all of it. No
lawyers. No lies. Just truth.
DETECTIVE SANTOS
That's... unusual.
JESS
David was right about one thing.
Truth is freedom. Even when it
costs everything.
She stands, holds out her wrists.
JESS (CONT'D)
I'm ready.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
58 -
Facing the Consequences
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY
Harsh fluorescents. Jess across from Santos and DETECTIVE
CHANG.
DETECTIVE CHANG
Walk us through it. From the
beginning.
JESS
Tyler and I were drowning. Debt.
Eviction. His wrist was broken and
getting worse...
She tells them everything. The robbery. The fence. The taxi
driver who knew exactly where to take them. David's
seduction. Tyler's transformation. The ceremonies. The
stones.
Hours pass. She never wavers.
DETECTIVE SANTOS
The fire. Was it self-defense?
JESS
It was ending what needed ending.
DETECTIVE CHANG
That's not an answer.
JESS
It's the only answer I have.
They exchange looks.
DETECTIVE SANTOS
The DA will want to press charges.
For the robbery, if nothing else.
JESS
Good. I want to pay for what I did.
All of it.
DETECTIVE CHANG
Most people want to minimize their
guilt.
JESS
I'm not most people. Not anymore.
EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY
Media circus. Jess exits in custody, head high. Reporters
shout questions.
REPORTER 1
Did you kill David Coleman?
JESS
David Coleman killed himself twenty
years ago. I just lit the match.
REPORTER 2
What about his followers?
JESS
Victims. Every one. Even the ones
who helped him. Especially them.
REPORTER 3
Any regrets?
JESS
Every breath. Every choice. Every
second I didn't save Tyler.
She's loaded into a van. Through the window, she sees the
ocean. Still blue. Still endless. Still hungry.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
59 -
Redemption Behind Bars
INT. COURTROOM - DAY
Packed gallery. JUDGE KIMURA presiding. Jess in orange
jumpsuit.
PROSECUTOR
The state recommends five years for
robbery, two years for identity
fraud--
JUDGE KIMURA
The defendant pled guilty to all
charges. No trial needed. But I've
read the reports. Seen what
happened at that resort.
She looks at Jess.
JUDGE KIMURA (CONT'D)
Ms. Reeves, do you have anything to
say?
JESS
I committed crimes. I made choices
that led to deaths. I accept
responsibility.
JUDGE KIMURA
You also exposed a cult that killed
dozens. Saved future victims.
JESS
I didn't save anyone. I just
survived.
JUDGE KIMURA
Sometimes that's the same thing.
She reviews the files.
JUDGE KIMURA (CONT'D)
Three years. Credit for time
served. Eligible for parole in
eighteen months.
JESS
Your honor?
JUDGE KIMURA
Yes?
JESS
The others. David's followers. They
need help, not punishment.
JUDGE KIMURA
That's for other courts to decide.
JESS
Then I ask those courts for mercy.
They were all drowning. David just
promised them a different ocean.
INT. WOMEN'S PRISON - DAY (SIX MONTHS LATER)
Jess teaches self-defense to other inmates. Controlled.
Purposeful.
JESS
Remember -- you're not learning to
fight. You're learning to survive.
There's a difference.
INMATE
What's the difference?
JESS
Fighting means you have something
to prove. Surviving means you have
something to protect.
She demonstrates a defensive move.
JESS (CONT'D)
Even if it's just yourself. That's
enough. You're enough.
The women practice. Finding strength in each other.
A GUARD approaches.
GUARD
Reeves. Visitor.
Genres:
["Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
60 -
Reflections of Survival
INT. PRISON VISITING ROOM - DAY
Jess enters to find Maya waiting. Free but haunted.
MAYA
Hi.
JESS
You got out.
MAYA
Psych hold. Then probation. The
courts... they understood.
Eventually.
They sit across the glass.
MAYA (CONT'D)
I wanted to thank you.
JESS
For what?
MAYA
For breaking the spell. I was so
deep, I couldn't see sky anymore.
JESS
We all were.
MAYA
Tyler... he was ready, wasn't he?
To transcend?
JESS
He was tired. David just gave his
exhaustion a philosophy.
MAYA
I dream about the stones. Every
night.
JESS
Me too.
Beat.
MAYA
I'm getting help. Real help.
Therapy. Medication. It's... hard.
JESS
Being awake usually is.
MAYA
The others -- Sam, Helena, most of
them -- they're in treatment. Some
in hospitals. Some in halfway
houses. A few...
JESS
Went back to other cults?
MAYA
Or worse. The programming runs
deep.
JESS
It always does. But you're here.
That matters.
Maya tears up.
MAYA
I helped him. Helped David. I
brought people in. Convinced them
to stay.
JESS
We all did what we had to do to
survive. Even when it meant helping
others drown.
MAYA
How do you live with it?
JESS
One day at a time. One breath. One
choice. Sometimes that's all we
get.
Time's up. Maya stands.
MAYA
When you get out... would you...
could we...
JESS
I'll be here. Wherever here is
then.
Maya nods. Leaves. Jess watches her go -- another ghost
learning to be solid again.
INT. PRISON CELL - NIGHT
Jess writes in a journal.
JESS (V.O.)
Tyler, I know you can't hear this.
But I say it anyway. Every night. I
survived. Like I promised. But
survival isn't life. Not yet. Maybe
not ever. But I'm trying. For both
of us. For everyone who didn't make
it off that island.
(MORE)
JESS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
For everyone still trapped on their
own islands, in their own cults,
under their own stones. I'm trying
to turn survival into something
more. Even if I don't know what
that is yet. Even if I never do. I
love you. I'm sorry. I'm here.
She closes the journal. Lies down. Through the small window,
stars burn in the darkness.