A Fateful Encounter
EXT. A CAMPFIRE IN THE WOODS - SUNSET
Three teens dressed in Halloween costumes are sitting around the fire: ROBIN (16), an energetic Spider-Man, TRISTAN (17), a melancholy ghost, and VERONICA (18), a thoughtful firefighter. They are roasting marshmallows and listening to music, enjoying the chilly October evening.
ROBIN
(passionately telling a scary story)
...And then, the student realized...
...that she forgot to do her homework! Ooooo!
Veronica laughs, humoring her friend’s sad attempt at a campfire story.
TRISTAN
(scoffs)
Come on, man, that’s not scary at all. I do that at
least twice a week.
ROBIN
Okay, okay. You got something scarier?
TRISTAN
Uh, yeah, I’ve got something scarier. It’s called
real life.
ROBIN
(sighs)
Here we go...
TRISTAN
(looks on wistfully)
I mean, look around you. The leaves are falling,
dying...the days are becoming shorter and colder,
as we helplessly plummet towards the depths of winter,
ever-nearing the calamity that is the frozen
wasteland which Michigan will become for the next
six months...
(he stands, fueled by raw emotion)
The nights are even lonelier in winter. The streets
become blurred with the wrath of blizzards as
Jack Frost casts his icy curse upon the land...
Colder, colder, darker, deeper...
Will the little birds reemerge as the snow melts
and the Sun returns to cradle the Earth with her
warmth?
Only time will tell...
The silence that follows is punctuated solely by the ambient crackling of the fire.
ROBIN
Gosh, you practicing for your next slam poetry
performance?
Tristan sits back down, barely suppressing a smirk at his friend’s playful jab.
MARA (O.S.)
I’ll tell you a real horror story.
The three friends divert their attention to the dark forest behind them and are met with a hazy silhouette.
ROBIN
Wow, geez, you spooked us!
TRISTAN
(on edge)
Um...hi there?
MARA (23), the figure, wordlessly approaches and invites herself to sit at the fire, across from the trio. The woman is wearing a white hooded cloak that obstructs much of her face. Her gaze is cast down towards the weakly flickering flames.
ROBIN
(whispering to Veronica)
What’s her costume? Is she a ghost or something?
VERONICA
(eyeing Mara suspiciously)
I’m not sure...
ROBIN
I like your ghost costume! I’m Robin. What’s your name?
Mara holds her hands above the fire as if to warm them. The group takes notice of her white latex gloves.
MARA
I am called Mara.
She looks up, meeting Robin’s eyes with piercing intensity. The cloak has shifted slightly, revealing a face half-obscured by a facial covering over her nose and mouth.
ROBIN
(a bit startled, whispering to Veronica)
Wow, she went all out! Check out those blue sclera
contacts!
MARA
I would like to share a story with you.
TRISTAN
(still on edge)
Um...a-are you out here with friends, or...?
Tristan glances at his friends, trying to say Let’s get out of here with a simple look. However, his friends seem intrigued.
VERONICA
Ok, Mara. What’s your story?
Mara takes a deep breath to compose herself before beginning.
MARA
Let us commence with a society in which there is balance:
the general population is content with their lives.
Some are unhappy, and some are thriving. Some are angry,
and some are at peace. Each extreme is balanced by its
opposite in a complex and wonderful synergy.
The Sun has set and the sky has transitioned from a warm honey to a deep orange. A breeze blows in, causing the dark trees to sway with a monumental omen.
MARA (CONT’D)
It begins with whispers from afar, so distant that
you’re not sure if you heard them correctly. No threats
are detected on the society’s radar, and so it continued
onward. But the illusion is quickly shattered. People
are crying out about the deadly virus, fearing the worst,
coming to terms with their impending doom...
But the majority does not listen! Despite the evidence--
and it’s not just information from textbooks and common
sense, but it’s reality, it’s right outside your window,
it’s happening right now, in front of your eyes...if
only they would have opened their eyes sooner...
Despite it all, the masses turn a blind eye and a deaf
ear to reality, instead continuing with their regular
lives, tempting fate as if they are invincible...
Mara stands, having become impassioned by her own tale. The breeze picks up, allowing her cloak to flow swiftly.
MARA (CONT’D)
We must work together! We can overcome! We can survive,
and not just survive, but come out stronger than we
were before!
But the cries remain unheard. The good people give it
all they’ve got to warn the masses, but it’s just
not enough, and it will never be enough.
And so, the people of this society have made their
decision. The virus strikes with full force. Though
the society has seen and gone through many outbreaks,
this one is different, similar in nature to a plague.
Your lungs...the beautiful pink balloons that allow
you to enjoy Earth’s lovely fresh air, to breathe in
and breathe out, to gasp and to laugh, to cry and to
shout, to simply be...they are the target. The virus
fixes its nasty eye onto your poor lungs and does all
in its power to chip away at your quality of life.
TRISTAN
(visibly uncomfortable)
Oh man, that’s, uh...that’s kinda gross. This is
freaking me out a little, honestly. Is this freaking
anyone else out? Maybe, uh, you could tell a different
story?
MARA
(sympathetically)
Dear boy...I wish I could.
VERONICA
(pauses, puzzled at Mara’s lament)
Actually, this is pretty unsettling...are you coming
up with all of this on the spot?
Mara sits back down, closing her eyes thoughtfully.
MARA
I tell stories with the motive of informing.
A short silence follows before Tristan speaks out, slightly agitated.
TRISTAN
Ok, can you just, like, drop the act now? I really
don’t like the vibes going on here. Also, no offense,
but what the hell kind of answer was that? I mean,
aren’t all stories informative? Like, what’s with the
crypticness, huh?
ROBIN
Guys, guys, let her finish. Tristan, take a chill pill;
she’s just telling a spooky campfire story. Let’s see
where this goes.
Veronica agrees, and Tristan hesitantly remains at the fire. It has become significantly darker now.
MARA
The society has weakened substantially. Those who thought
they were strong are now facing hardships that had been
unforeseeable a few short months ago. Not only do the sick
suffer, but also the well, who mourn and dread as they
watch from the sidelines. The days begin to morph into
an endless nightmare, droning on in apprehensive misery...
And as if this cataclysmic pandemic wasn’t enough, the
political facet of this society begins to see an expected
yet grueling shift, a depolarization that simultaneously
brings to light the best of the best and the worst of
the worst. People rise for their beliefs, strong-willed
and ready to fight, and they fight with every fiber of
their being. They come together to make their voices heard, all while the virus continues its rampant world tour.
Mara pauses, looking into the fire. Robin watches the flames blaze in her pale eyes.
MARA (CONT’D)
But just as it seems that all is lost as the society
plummets farther, faster, spiraling into a pit of
despair...a glimmer of hope shines through the dark
clouds: a warm, reassuring blue sky reminding the people
of who they are, recalibrating the imminent chaos.
The ear-piercing shrieks of the virus revert to whispers,
the protests have successfully caused the society’s
inequalities to subside, the people strive to educate
themselves so that they can peacefully rejoin as one...
the detached community heals like platelets synthesizing
a seal to a nasty wound.
But this process, much like all growth from collapse,
will take time and require both patience and endurance,
two basic skills lacking in the natural veins of this
society. That is not to say that a prosperous rebound
is impossible, for anything is possible, so long as
the people can work together while maintaining respect
for one another.
It seems that Mara has finished telling her story. The three friends are unsure how to react to the stark difference between their lighthearted tales to this unnerving dystopian horror. Robin decides to share his sentiments.
ROBIN
That, uh...wow. Thanks for that, strange lady. You had
me on the edge of my seat!
TRISTAN
(eyeing Mara with uncertainty)
Yeah, that was certainly...something. How did you come
up with that?
Mara seems as if she wants to evade the question once more. However, she sees that the friends are hungry for answers, so she decides to be honest.
MARA
If I tell you, you’re not going to believe me.
The friends exchange glances.
VERONICA
Go ahead, we’re listening.
Mara takes a long and steady breath.
MARA
I come from another place, somewhere far in not only
distance, but time...a time where tall tales exist as
reality...
I suppose I am a clairvoyant, of sorts. I am here with
the sole purpose of delivering this precious information
of the years to come. I hope that what I have shared today
will resonate with your souls, and that you can find it
in your hearts to persevere with the strength of your
newfound knowledge.
A muted vehicular whirr can suddenly be heard in the distance. Alert, Mara stands and bids farewell to the trio.
MARA
Good luck, my children. Let your eyes look forward;
fix your gaze straight ahead.
With a swish of her cloak, Mara pivots and disappears into the woods. The looming silence of confusion has returned.
TRISTAN
(after thinking for a moment)
What was that? You guys heard that too, right? Sounded
like a damn spaceship.
ROBIN
(laughing)
Come on, man, that was definitely a car or something.
TRISTAN
(after another pause)
She seemed like one of those girls who sits in the back
of the class and writes fanfiction.
VERONICA
Wow, bashing people for their hobbies...
TRISTAN
No, no, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that.
All I’m saying is she’s just trying to get a rise out
of us, you know? Coming up with an edgy story, trying
to scare people with it...and for what?
ROBIN
Yeah, I mean, obviously none of that was true. Actually,
it was sorta lame at times. She just used all those
stereotypical dystopian tropes. Like, the “virus”? The
political unrest? Not very original. Try harder, Mara!
VERONICA
I mean, the circumstances she described aren’t exactly
impossible, but I’d say they’re pretty improbable,
especially all occurring at the same time.
TRISTAN
Definitely.
ROBIN
Come on, y’all. Don’t let it get in your head. We were
just having a good time before that...occurrence.
And so the three friends continued to bask in the chill of the Halloween moonlight, though none of them could keep their youthful, carefree spirit from periodically straying to the urgency of the strange woman and her even stranger narrative. Little did they know that what they had been told was not merely a campfire story, but a cautionary tale meant to equip the poor teens with preparatory skills to overcome.
THE END
Three teens dressed in Halloween costumes are sitting around the fire: ROBIN (16), an energetic Spider-Man, TRISTAN (17), a melancholy ghost, and VERONICA (18), a thoughtful firefighter. They are roasting marshmallows and listening to music, enjoying the chilly October evening.
ROBIN
(passionately telling a scary story)
...And then, the student realized...
...that she forgot to do her homework! Ooooo!
Veronica laughs, humoring her friend’s sad attempt at a campfire story.
TRISTAN
(scoffs)
Come on, man, that’s not scary at all. I do that at
least twice a week.
ROBIN
Okay, okay. You got something scarier?
TRISTAN
Uh, yeah, I’ve got something scarier. It’s called
real life.
ROBIN
(sighs)
Here we go...
TRISTAN
(looks on wistfully)
I mean, look around you. The leaves are falling,
dying...the days are becoming shorter and colder,
as we helplessly plummet towards the depths of winter,
ever-nearing the calamity that is the frozen
wasteland which Michigan will become for the next
six months...
(he stands, fueled by raw emotion)
The nights are even lonelier in winter. The streets
become blurred with the wrath of blizzards as
Jack Frost casts his icy curse upon the land...
Colder, colder, darker, deeper...
Will the little birds reemerge as the snow melts
and the Sun returns to cradle the Earth with her
warmth?
Only time will tell...
The silence that follows is punctuated solely by the ambient crackling of the fire.
ROBIN
Gosh, you practicing for your next slam poetry
performance?
Tristan sits back down, barely suppressing a smirk at his friend’s playful jab.
MARA (O.S.)
I’ll tell you a real horror story.
The three friends divert their attention to the dark forest behind them and are met with a hazy silhouette.
ROBIN
Wow, geez, you spooked us!
TRISTAN
(on edge)
Um...hi there?
MARA (23), the figure, wordlessly approaches and invites herself to sit at the fire, across from the trio. The woman is wearing a white hooded cloak that obstructs much of her face. Her gaze is cast down towards the weakly flickering flames.
ROBIN
(whispering to Veronica)
What’s her costume? Is she a ghost or something?
VERONICA
(eyeing Mara suspiciously)
I’m not sure...
ROBIN
I like your ghost costume! I’m Robin. What’s your name?
Mara holds her hands above the fire as if to warm them. The group takes notice of her white latex gloves.
MARA
I am called Mara.
She looks up, meeting Robin’s eyes with piercing intensity. The cloak has shifted slightly, revealing a face half-obscured by a facial covering over her nose and mouth.
ROBIN
(a bit startled, whispering to Veronica)
Wow, she went all out! Check out those blue sclera
contacts!
MARA
I would like to share a story with you.
TRISTAN
(still on edge)
Um...a-are you out here with friends, or...?
Tristan glances at his friends, trying to say Let’s get out of here with a simple look. However, his friends seem intrigued.
VERONICA
Ok, Mara. What’s your story?
Mara takes a deep breath to compose herself before beginning.
MARA
Let us commence with a society in which there is balance:
the general population is content with their lives.
Some are unhappy, and some are thriving. Some are angry,
and some are at peace. Each extreme is balanced by its
opposite in a complex and wonderful synergy.
The Sun has set and the sky has transitioned from a warm honey to a deep orange. A breeze blows in, causing the dark trees to sway with a monumental omen.
MARA (CONT’D)
It begins with whispers from afar, so distant that
you’re not sure if you heard them correctly. No threats
are detected on the society’s radar, and so it continued
onward. But the illusion is quickly shattered. People
are crying out about the deadly virus, fearing the worst,
coming to terms with their impending doom...
But the majority does not listen! Despite the evidence--
and it’s not just information from textbooks and common
sense, but it’s reality, it’s right outside your window,
it’s happening right now, in front of your eyes...if
only they would have opened their eyes sooner...
Despite it all, the masses turn a blind eye and a deaf
ear to reality, instead continuing with their regular
lives, tempting fate as if they are invincible...
Mara stands, having become impassioned by her own tale. The breeze picks up, allowing her cloak to flow swiftly.
MARA (CONT’D)
We must work together! We can overcome! We can survive,
and not just survive, but come out stronger than we
were before!
But the cries remain unheard. The good people give it
all they’ve got to warn the masses, but it’s just
not enough, and it will never be enough.
And so, the people of this society have made their
decision. The virus strikes with full force. Though
the society has seen and gone through many outbreaks,
this one is different, similar in nature to a plague.
Your lungs...the beautiful pink balloons that allow
you to enjoy Earth’s lovely fresh air, to breathe in
and breathe out, to gasp and to laugh, to cry and to
shout, to simply be...they are the target. The virus
fixes its nasty eye onto your poor lungs and does all
in its power to chip away at your quality of life.
TRISTAN
(visibly uncomfortable)
Oh man, that’s, uh...that’s kinda gross. This is
freaking me out a little, honestly. Is this freaking
anyone else out? Maybe, uh, you could tell a different
story?
MARA
(sympathetically)
Dear boy...I wish I could.
VERONICA
(pauses, puzzled at Mara’s lament)
Actually, this is pretty unsettling...are you coming
up with all of this on the spot?
Mara sits back down, closing her eyes thoughtfully.
MARA
I tell stories with the motive of informing.
A short silence follows before Tristan speaks out, slightly agitated.
TRISTAN
Ok, can you just, like, drop the act now? I really
don’t like the vibes going on here. Also, no offense,
but what the hell kind of answer was that? I mean,
aren’t all stories informative? Like, what’s with the
crypticness, huh?
ROBIN
Guys, guys, let her finish. Tristan, take a chill pill;
she’s just telling a spooky campfire story. Let’s see
where this goes.
Veronica agrees, and Tristan hesitantly remains at the fire. It has become significantly darker now.
MARA
The society has weakened substantially. Those who thought
they were strong are now facing hardships that had been
unforeseeable a few short months ago. Not only do the sick
suffer, but also the well, who mourn and dread as they
watch from the sidelines. The days begin to morph into
an endless nightmare, droning on in apprehensive misery...
And as if this cataclysmic pandemic wasn’t enough, the
political facet of this society begins to see an expected
yet grueling shift, a depolarization that simultaneously
brings to light the best of the best and the worst of
the worst. People rise for their beliefs, strong-willed
and ready to fight, and they fight with every fiber of
their being. They come together to make their voices heard, all while the virus continues its rampant world tour.
Mara pauses, looking into the fire. Robin watches the flames blaze in her pale eyes.
MARA (CONT’D)
But just as it seems that all is lost as the society
plummets farther, faster, spiraling into a pit of
despair...a glimmer of hope shines through the dark
clouds: a warm, reassuring blue sky reminding the people
of who they are, recalibrating the imminent chaos.
The ear-piercing shrieks of the virus revert to whispers,
the protests have successfully caused the society’s
inequalities to subside, the people strive to educate
themselves so that they can peacefully rejoin as one...
the detached community heals like platelets synthesizing
a seal to a nasty wound.
But this process, much like all growth from collapse,
will take time and require both patience and endurance,
two basic skills lacking in the natural veins of this
society. That is not to say that a prosperous rebound
is impossible, for anything is possible, so long as
the people can work together while maintaining respect
for one another.
It seems that Mara has finished telling her story. The three friends are unsure how to react to the stark difference between their lighthearted tales to this unnerving dystopian horror. Robin decides to share his sentiments.
ROBIN
That, uh...wow. Thanks for that, strange lady. You had
me on the edge of my seat!
TRISTAN
(eyeing Mara with uncertainty)
Yeah, that was certainly...something. How did you come
up with that?
Mara seems as if she wants to evade the question once more. However, she sees that the friends are hungry for answers, so she decides to be honest.
MARA
If I tell you, you’re not going to believe me.
The friends exchange glances.
VERONICA
Go ahead, we’re listening.
Mara takes a long and steady breath.
MARA
I come from another place, somewhere far in not only
distance, but time...a time where tall tales exist as
reality...
I suppose I am a clairvoyant, of sorts. I am here with
the sole purpose of delivering this precious information
of the years to come. I hope that what I have shared today
will resonate with your souls, and that you can find it
in your hearts to persevere with the strength of your
newfound knowledge.
A muted vehicular whirr can suddenly be heard in the distance. Alert, Mara stands and bids farewell to the trio.
MARA
Good luck, my children. Let your eyes look forward;
fix your gaze straight ahead.
With a swish of her cloak, Mara pivots and disappears into the woods. The looming silence of confusion has returned.
TRISTAN
(after thinking for a moment)
What was that? You guys heard that too, right? Sounded
like a damn spaceship.
ROBIN
(laughing)
Come on, man, that was definitely a car or something.
TRISTAN
(after another pause)
She seemed like one of those girls who sits in the back
of the class and writes fanfiction.
VERONICA
Wow, bashing people for their hobbies...
TRISTAN
No, no, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that.
All I’m saying is she’s just trying to get a rise out
of us, you know? Coming up with an edgy story, trying
to scare people with it...and for what?
ROBIN
Yeah, I mean, obviously none of that was true. Actually,
it was sorta lame at times. She just used all those
stereotypical dystopian tropes. Like, the “virus”? The
political unrest? Not very original. Try harder, Mara!
VERONICA
I mean, the circumstances she described aren’t exactly
impossible, but I’d say they’re pretty improbable,
especially all occurring at the same time.
TRISTAN
Definitely.
ROBIN
Come on, y’all. Don’t let it get in your head. We were
just having a good time before that...occurrence.
And so the three friends continued to bask in the chill of the Halloween moonlight, though none of them could keep their youthful, carefree spirit from periodically straying to the urgency of the strange woman and her even stranger narrative. Little did they know that what they had been told was not merely a campfire story, but a cautionary tale meant to equip the poor teens with preparatory skills to overcome.
THE END