Bird Box Page #19

Oh god-ON

MALORIE:

Hitting hard in the brook, clamping her eyes shut again.

But this is just a little stream full of rocks. Her arm is

cut and possibly broken by the fall.

STAYING WITH MALORIE again as she gets up and climbs the

other bank of the stream. Breathless.

Trees bend and fall into frame behind her. Crashing.

One comes down frightfully close to her. A hailstorm of

leaves descend around her.

MALORIE (CONT’D)

Keep running!

ANGLE ON TREETOPS

The monsters plow through the wilderness.

Then sounds of them crossing the brook in pursuit.

Always just out of frame.

FINDING BOY AND GIRL

Running. Along a corridor made of barbed wire.

Like threading a needle. Purposefully set up.

113.

They’re not on a road now but smooth concrete.

Like the entry to a museum or school.

GIRL:

Forty-one, forty-two, forty-three,

Boy, stop!

Boy skids to a stop.

They’re still in the barbed-wire corridor.

Boy reaches, pulling Girl three steps further, into a corner

where the wire dogs right-

And a large stone PLACARD is set into the walkway.

His hand touches and pulls Girl to face their right.

As they run this final corridor, they count together.

REVEALING the text on the placard as Boy and Girl run toward

a set of double doors thirty paces ahead-

JANET TUCKER SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

TIGHT ANGLE ON MALORIE

Running. Lost. Eyes squeezed shut.

Bleeding from cuts. Favoring one leg.

The monsters thunder behind her like a herd of buffalo.

Then-- the inevitable. Malorie trips.

Takes a hard spill on the ground.

PRESSING IN ON MALORIE’S FACE

The earth trembles around her.

Shadows of misshapen feet pass by, shark-swift.

All the while she keeps her eyes shut.

Shaking in terror.

AT THE SCHOOL ENTRANCE

Boy and Girl reach the doors just as a door opens.

RICK steps out to steer them in, built like a lumberjack,

both eyes full of cataracts. He’s completely blind.

RICK:

Children! In here!

Girl rushes to the sound of his voice, lets him steer her

through the doorway inside.

114.

Boy reaches Rick but stops short of going in.

Instead, Boy turns and shouts out toward Malorie:

BOY:

Malorie!

TIGHTER ON MALORIE’S FACE

Among the rasping of the creatures surrounding her.

Through it, the distant voice of Boy.

One of those THINGS turns her over on her back.

Shadows fall over her face.

MALORIE:

Stay. AWAY.

She finds her strength again and rises.

Clutching something in her fist. A knife.

She raises it in threatening gesture-MALORIE

(CONT’D)

I’m not going to look at you.

Then she turns the knife blade on herself.

Holds its tip a centimeter from her eyelid.

MALORIE (CONT’D)

I’ll make sure of it.

Beat.

Remaining TIGHT on Malorie, glimpsing only briefly one of

those things behind her, blurred, moving unlike anything that

lives in this reality.

Sounds of movement, around her.

She presses the blade to her lid. Piercing it enough to

elicit a drop of blood.

The monsters all retreat. As if they somehow know, as the one

did in the attic: She won’t look.

With that, Malorie collapses again to the ground.

PULLING BACK AND UP, revealing more of the world around

Malorie. The creatures always just offscreen.

Their shadows from the sun dance over her body, elongated and

distorted beyond accurate description as they retreat.

115.

BOY (O.S.)

Malorie! Get inside!

Boy’s voice registers in Malorie’s ears.

She raises her head.

INT. SCHOOL - DUSK

Peering out through the narrow opening in the door, over

Rick’s shoulder.

Malorie limps the final steps of the barbed-wire corridor,

drawn to Rick’s voice.

RICK:

Just a little further, that’s it.

She steps inside with Rick’s guidance, and Rick shuts the

door behind her.

RICK (CONT’D)

There you go. You’re safe now.

Malorie dares to open her eyes. This is her destination. If

it’s not safe now, there’s no other option.

She does.

The school grounds are protected by high walls and overhangs,

letting in natural light.

The main space is a garden-like courtyard with trees, the

roof built as a chain-link cage, creating a kind of aviary.

More PEOPLE OF ALL AGES gather to greet them. Some of them

blind, but many who are sighted. Refugees, like Malorie.

Malorie takes it in and starts to weep.

GIRL:

Can we look now?

Malorie pulls Girl and Boy close. With a wet face:

MALORIE:

Yes, you can look.

She pulls at their blindfolds.

Boy and Girl look around at all the people. And at the sky.

And the trees.

116.

They want to look everywhere at once. Because they’ve never

seen any of it before. Rick crouches down beside them.

RICK:

And what are your names?

BOY:

Boy.

GIRL:

Girl.

Rick tilts his head. What? But Malorie turns the children to

face her.

MALORIE:

No.

(to Boy)

Your name is Tom.

(to Girl)

And yours is Olympia.

Boy and Girl look at Malorie with wonder. Girl gasps.

Their faces light up like it’s Christmas morning.

BOY:

Tom? My name is Tom? Tom!

GIRL:

I have a name?

Malorie nods. The wall she’s put up in front of her emotions

begins to crack, with a hitch in her breath.

She reaches out and brings them both close, into a hug. It’s

the kind of affection they’ve craved for years. They hug

back, clinging to Malorie, not wanting to break the spell.

When they part, Boy and Girl then run to the other CHILDREN

in the group and begin introducing themselves with their

names, like it’s a new outfit they’re showing off.

Boy remembers the budgie in the shoebox, goes to it and opens

the lid of the box.

Inside:
The budgie flutters. Looks sideways at Boy.

BOY:

Go on, now.

He picks it up in cupped hands, and lets it free.

The little bird takes to the air, now in the safety of this

outdoor aviary.

117.

Rick puts a gentle hand on Malorie’s shoulder.

RICK:

Are they both yours?

Malorie finally owns it. Watching the children look wide-eyed

at the world, she smiles proudly through her tears.

MALORIE:

Yes. I’m their mother.

FADE OUT.

THE END.

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