A Quiet Place Page #2

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April glances at a POLAROID of a TEENAGE GIRL: braces, dark

eyes, beautiful. She’s hugging April. They’re both laughing.

The Polaroid seems to be attached to a PAINFUL MEMORY. And

like everything in this basement, it has the look of

something that was abandoned long ago.

A HAND TOUCHES APRIL’S SHOULDER.

John is standing behind his daughter. April doesn’t look

over. Doesn’t react.

If we hadn’t noticed before, we realize now that there is an

enormous amount of tension between them.

April’s face starts to quiver. Tears filling her eyes. She

pushes her father’s hand away and leaves.

John opens his mouth as if to say something, but of course...

he can’t.

EXT. VALLEY - MORNING

John has a LARGE DUFFLE slung around his shoulder. He leads

Will down a steep trail into a lake valley.

As they walk, we may or may not notice how they always:

1) Avoid dry leaves and sticks

2) Walk heel to toe

3) Distribute their weight evenly

4) Keep their arms close to their sides

5) Breathe steadily

6) Match the cadence of each other’s gait

EXT. LAKE - MORNING

Will sits into a small ROW-BOAT with no paddles. He hides his

trembling hands. Doesn’t want his father to know he’s scared.

John sits behind him and gazes at the placid water.

A layer of RED ALGAE covers the entire basin. It is thick and

milky along the shore, where the SKELETONS of cows, horses,

and fish waste away.

7.

There’s a long ROPE that extends from one side of the lake to

the other. It’s been secured to a post on each end and pulled

taught, hanging no more than a few inches above the surface.

The men begin pulling themselves along the rope, slowly at

first; careful not to disrupt or splash the water in any way.

Their boat glides across the calm lake, gaining momentum,

heading to a SMALL GROVE OF TREES on the other side.

EXT. WELL - MORNING

Under the trees rests a WATER WELL made of laid stones.

John shines a MINI-FLASHLIGHT into the well. The beam fades

into darkness, unable to reach the bottom.

John begins pulling a bungee cable that’s looped through a

pulley system.

Sixty feet below, a LEATHER BUCKET envelopes a gallon of

water, and as the bungee is pulled, the leathercinches

itself closed, trapping any leaking water.

Will opens the duffle and removes four COLLAPSIBLE WATER

CONTAINERS.

They begin the process of painstakingly filling each of the

containers with water from the well.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY

April is lying outside the farmhouse writing in her DIARY.

Her HEARING AID is removed.

She flips the page and stifles a scream. Inside is a DRAWING.

A DARK RED CREATURE SCRIBBLED IN CRAYON. ANIMAL, YET

OTHERWORLDLY. BLOOD POOLED AROUND ITS LEGS.

Her brother smirks as he hauls two WATER CONTAINERS across

the yard. April is not amused by Will’s prank. She plugs her

HEARING AID back into her ear.

INT. FARMHOUSE, DEN - DAY

Mia crosses off another day on her CALENDAR. We see that

she’s still several weeks out from her DUE DATE.

She glances outside the window - sees the boys heading toward

the SHED with the WELL WATER.

8.

EXT. PORCH - DAY

Mia wanders outside to the back porch. Her eyes narrow.

THE DOG IS GONE. THE END OF THE LEASH FRAYED, AS IF TORN.

INT. FARMHOUSE - DAY

Mia searches everywhere for the dog. An impossible task when

you can’t hear your pet, and your pet can’t hear you.

INT. FARMHOUSE, UPSTAIRS - DAY

Mia stops at the top of the stairs. She cringes, feels a

small pang in her stomach. It passes.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY

Outside, April crumples up the drawing. Her eyes trained on

the SHED as its doors sway in the wind. She approaches.

INT. SHED - DAY

April’s tiny hands open the large shed doors and we see

inside for the first time:

In the center is a CRIB with a MOBILE hanging over it. The

surrounding walls are built like a bomb shelter of sorts -

heavily reinforced with sound dampening materials. Much like

the farmhouse, but more extreme.

...they’ve been preparing for the baby’s arrival for months.

INT. FARMHOUSE, CHILDREN’S BEDROOM - DAY

Mia gets down on all fours and peers under April’s bed. She

sees something that puzzles her. Takes a moment to register.

The POLAROID OF THE TEENAGE GIRL from the basement is buried

under a pile of clothes. Mia examines it for a moment, then

places it back.

Mia moves to the hall. She staggers a little. Feels dizzy.

10.

INT. FARMHOUSE, HALL - DAY

Mia staggers toward the bathroom. Every step takes

extraordinary effort.

INT. SHED - LATER

John and Will hang each sheet from the pile. One by one. The

process is SLOW and DILIGENT, with no room for error.

April teases Will while he works. He pushes her away. A

little too hard. She frowns, her feelings hurt.

INT. FARMHOUSE, BATHROOM - DAY

Mia sits in a BATH TUB. Her face red. Doing everything she

can to not make a sound. Fighting an immense amount of pain.

INT. SHED - LATER STILL

John stands on a LADDER, fastening a sheet to the ceiling.

About half the stack has been put up.

When no one is looking, April pulls one of the sheets off the

wall. She smiles to herself, almost wants to get caught, but

no one sees her.

INT. FARMHOUSE, BATHROOM - DAY

Mia’s contractions increase.

INT. SHED - EVEN LATER

The sun is lower in the sky. Much progress has been made on

the walls and ceiling, which are now 60% covered in sound

proofing.

April wanders past THREE BUNKS: one for John & Mia, one for

Will, and one for herself. April’s bunk is half-decorated

with STICKERS and a Wizard of Oz SCARECROW plush toy.

April grabs a PILLOW from her bed. Looks to her brother

mischievously.

INT. FARMHOUSE, BATHROOM - AFTERNOON

Mia grips the side of the tub as -

11.

INT. SHED - AFTERNOON

April SMACKS Will with the pillow. He’s in no mood. He fights

back. John breaks them up, scolds April. Points at his

daughter, motioning for her to leave.

April sulks away, angry. Steps outside the shed and STOPS.

She sees the RED FLOOD LIGHTS ARE ON. She panics, runs back

to the shed and grabs her father. He starts to get scared

when he realizes how scared she is.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - AFTERNOON

John runs across the lawn as fast as he can. Throws the front

door open. No time for shoe covers.

INT. FARMHOUSE, UPSTAIRS - AFTERNOON

Sprints up the stairs.

INT. FARMHOUSE, BATHROOM - AFTERNOON

Finds his wife in the bathtub. She’s in labor.

EXT. SHED - AFTERNOON

Will and April run off in the opposite direction of the

farmhouse. It’s as if they’ve been rehearsing for this moment

for months.

EXT. WOODS - AFTERNOON

They enter a small patch of forest. Fast as they can.

EXT. WOODS, PATH - AFTERNOON

April trips and falls. Will doesn’t stop to help her.

INT. WOODS, HORSE STALL - AFTERNOON

Will lunges into an empty horse stall. He tips over a TOOL

BOX and grabs a pack of MATCHES.

12.

INT. FARMHOUSE, BATHROOM - AFTERNOON

Mia’s face is flush and sweaty. A pool of blood surrounds

her. She breathes heavy as...

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