Arcade Page #15

Title reads "LEVEL SEVEN -- SEA OF DARKNESS"

ALEX:

continues her fall. She lands hard. No blue desert sand to cushion her

here. It takes her a moment to rise...

Alex is on a slat-board pier extending out into a sea of black water. The

shore is completely desolate with the exception of the pier. Storms

clouds have gathered above, and if you've seen a storm blowing in on the

open sea, you know what it looks like...

...the and of the world. A strange and scary yellow/green sky presses

down on us. It's a hurricane sky. The calm before the storm.

ON THE HORIZON,

TWO CITIES can be seen. Techno-cityscapes, angular and metallic-looking,

towers jutting up from the sea like knives.

AT THE END OF THE PIERS

are two boats. Standing in them are two pale-faced, cloaked FIGURES.

Like Charon, the boatman on the river Styx.

Somewhere off in the distance, the RINGING can be distinctly heard now.

But Alex is preoccupied now. As she moves down the pier, recognition

dawns on her.

It's Laurie and Stilts. They are dressed completely in black, hair

slicked back and eyes empty. White-faced Gothic harlequins. Each is

holding a wooden staff, staring into space.

ALEX:

Guys! Oh my God...

Alex rushes forward, excited, but as she sees their faces excitement

fades. A chill wind picks up and the sea laps at the pier like a

metronome, lulling the world into stillness.

ALEX:

(unsure)

Laurie? Stilts?

Neither of them acknowledges Alex with their eyes.

STILTS:

(like ARCADE)

You may ask one of us a question.

One tells the truth, and the other lies.

Who you ask, remains your discretion.

But if the answer is wrong,

the questioner dies.

Laurie motions to the techno-cities behind her.

LAURIE:

(like ARCADE)

One of these cities, is the place you seek.

The Teller of Truths will take you there.

But the City of Lies, is dark and bleak.

And death is certain if you enter, beware.

STILTS:

I am The Liar. Where should I take you?

LAURIE:

I am the Truth Teller. Where should I take

you?

Alex stares at them a moment, utterly confused. The sky above darkens,

and the wind picks up. She looks to the horizon, from one city to

another, then back at her friends.

ALEX:

(horrified)

What did he do to you?

LAURIE:

Is that your question?

ALEX:

(realizing)

Wait! No! That's not it!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Alex doesn't even need to look at her wrist display

anymore. She begins to pace on the end of the pier, nervously glancing at

the horizon. And yes, there's the FLASH followed by the SHRIEK/SONIC

BOOM.

ALEX:

(to herself)

Think! I want to go to the City of Truth,

and the Truth Teller is from there...but

which one is which? The liar...think!

LAURIE:

You have no time. What is your question?

ALEX:

(snapping back)

I'm thinking!

LAURIE:

You have no time.

THE SCREAMER:

is visible now, arms opening to engulf Alex. Talk about pressure.

ALEX:

(she stops pacing)

The liar...Truth Teller...liar...liar...

Alex rushes over to Stilts.

ALEX:

Liar. Did you come from the city on the

left, or the city on the right?

STILTS:

(pointing)

I came from the city on the left.

ALEX:

(grins)

But you always lie, so you didn't come from

there. That means the city on the left must

be the City of Truth.

THE SCREAMER:

has reached the pier now, rocketing over the wooden slats and shaking the

entire structure...

Alex turns to Laurie.

ALEX:

(quickly)

Take me to the city on the left!

Laurie nods and steps aside, making room for Alex to climb into the boat.

She does and...

THE SCREAMER:

dissipates just before it reaches Alex. It turns into mist and vanishes,

the HOWL lingering as an echo long after the Screamer itself has gone.

At once, the boat begins to glide through the water, away from the pier.

Alex gets a last glimpse of Stilts standing in his boat, diminishing as

Alex and Laurie move away from him. He looks like the loneliest person in

the world.

"LEVEL EIGHT -- CITY OF TRUTH"

EXT. LEVEL SEVEN, OPEN SEA -- LATER

As Alex and Laurie near the city, its features become more apparent. It

is truly a Necropolis, black and angular. It's a shadow on the sunset

horizon, empty of all life and looming above them.

Just then, Alex hears a tiny VOICE.

VOICE:

(weak)

Help...help me...

A SMALL FIGURE:

bobs in the water about fifty yards in front of them. It waves it's hands

frantically, sinking below the water's surface, then rising once again.

It's a little BOY.

Alex's boat is going to pass right by the boy. She grabs hold of the

gunwale and reaches out for him...

ALEX:

Grab my hand!

Their hands lock and Alex YANKS the boy out of the water as the boat

cruises by.

THE BOY:

can't be more than seven or eight. Small and frail-looking, he shivers in

her arms.

BOY:

(terrified)

Where are we?

Just then the boat comes to a CRASHING stop, slamming into the black rocks

which the city rests on. Alex and the boy are violently pitched forward

and out of the boat.

They land roughly on a beach of black gravel. Alex turns.

LAURIE:

stands in the boat. In an instant, night has fallen. She is a silhouette

in the moonlight.

LAURIE:

(in a voice like Death)

The City of Truth.

And Laurie literally fades before their eyes. In her place, is a small

golden key.

Alex snatches up the key. Alex turns back to the boy and...

INT. LEVEL EIGHT, CONCRETE WASTELAND -- NIGHT

...Alex and the boy are now standing on the top of a concrete incline. It

extends downward into a system of tunnels and viaducts. The RINGING

starts immediately, followed by the FLASH on the horizon. Time's already

up. The little boy reaches for Alex's hand, frightened.

ALEX:

How did you get here? Did you play the

game?!

BOY:

Yes...

ALEX:

Thought so.

Alex removes pulls her Thrasher board from her back and drops it on the

lip of the incline. There's a FLASH and the board has changes into a

motorcycle. A sleek black one.

ALEX:

Can you hang onto my back?

The little boy nods. He knows that Alex is his only chance of getting out

of here. Nevertheless, we can tell that he's terrified. Alex kneels down

next to him. The wind around them has picked up and the RINGING

increases. High-pitched, stabbing into our brains.

ALEX:

(over noise)

There's a monster here. We have to kill it

before we can leave. That's what we have

to do. I know it's scary, but I won't let

anything happen to you. Okay?

The boy nods again.

BOY:

Then we'll go home?

ALEX:

Then we'll go home.

Alex's wrist display starts BEEPING and...BOOM! The RINGING is replaced

by the Screamer's shriek. In the distance, the Screamer is a fireball

spiraling towards the city.

Alex jumps on the motorcycle and pulls the boy up. He crawls behind her

and hugs her back tightly.

ALEX:

(pulling down her visor)

Here goes everything.

She fingers the throttle and the cycle ROARS to life. It rockets off the

incline and down into the tunnels.

A SERIES OF SHOTS

as Alex maneuvers the cycle through a forest of concrete. It's a harrowing

ride, as her headlight reveals little of what's up ahead. Somewhere above

the tunnels, the Screamer has arrived. In the course of the chase, it's

SHRIEK will become louder and louder as it draws closer, locating Alex.

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