Flightplan

FADE IN:

...on KYLE SHERIN - who sits, numb...

INT. SUBWAY - CHARLOTTENBURG STATION - NIGHT

She's 35, pretty in a glamourless way. If you'd met her six

days ago you would have found her bright, focused, together.

But that was then. Tonight she sits on a bench in a DESERTED

SUBWAY STATION, with a thousand-mile stare in her eyes. In

the distance we hear an approaching SUBWAY TRAIN.

The train grows louder, pulling towards this platform now,

screeching noisily. Then it stops. A PRE-RECORDED voice

tells us, in German, that this is Charlottenburg.

The train sits... But Kyle doesn't rise, doesn't react at

all. Staring, until:

DAVID (O.S.)

Honey?

She turns. DAVID SHERIN stands a foot away. He's forty,

handsome, kind. Her husband. She smiles, comforted.

KYLE:

Oh.

He extends a hand to her, leads her to the train. She's

carrying an umbrella. They board, the train's only

passengers. Must be late night.

The doors shut. The train pulls away. We FOLLOW IT into

darkness... as we BEGIN INTERCUT:

INTERCUT WITH/INT. BERLIN MORTUARY - EVENING (FLASHBACK)

We're over Kyle's shoulder as she enters the Viewing Room of

a MORTUARY. A grim-looking MORTUARY DIRECTOR awaits.

Beside the Mortuary Director is an open casket. We don't see

yet who's inside. Kyle stands stiffly, eyeing that CASKET

from across the room, her face a mixture of pain and dread.

In her hand is that same umbrella.

MORTUARY DIRECTOR

Frau Sherin?

INTERCUT WITH/INT. SAVIGNYPLATZ STATION - NIGHT

Doors HISS shut. The train pulls away, leaving David and Kyle

in this otherwise empty station.

It's subterranean, vast. Looks like an Escher etching. David

and Kyle climb stairs, disappearing from view. We hear their

footsteps trail off. CONTINUE INTERCUT:

INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK)

Kyle stands with that Mortuary Director - and the casket.

MORTUARY DIRECTOR

(in German)

Would you like a moment of privacy...

before the casket is sealed?

That threw her. But she thinks she's supposed to say yes, so:

KYLE:

Okay.

Mortuary Director nods, backing out, which leaves Kyle alone

in here with the still-unseen body. CONTINUE INTERCUT:

EXT. STREET - CHARLOTTENBURG, BERLIN - NIGHT

Kyle's head rests on David's shoulder as they walk. It's a

cold night; steam fogs their breath. The 20's-style buildings

around us glimmer with frost and ice. CONTINUE INTERCUT:

INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK)

Kyle eyes her shoetops, the curtains... anything except

what's inside that casket... until it's all just too much.

She hurries to the door. CONTINUE INTERCUT:

EXT. STREET - CHARLOTTENBURG - NIGHT

Kyle and David's walk comes to an end at this APARTMENT

BUILDING in Charlottenburg. David reaches for the door.

But Kyle pauses, eyeing something:

A row of large PLANTER POTS have been cemented into this

street, to keep drivers from speeding. The pots are full of

soil, with bare frozen trees rising from them.

But one of the pots has been badly damaged. Chunks of it are

missing, much of its soil too - as if something had smashed

into it at high speed.

Kyle eyes it. Then she glances up to this building's ROOFTOP,

six stories above us. Quite a drop. CONTINUE INTERCUT:

INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK)

Kyle opens the door. The Mortuary Director stands here.

KYLE:

Danke.

Mortuary Director takes that to mean "I've said my goodbyes,

thank you for the privacy." He nods. CONTINUE INTERCUT:

INT. KYLE'S APT. BUILDING - LOBBY - NIGHT

It's an old building, no elevator. David heads up the stairs.

KYLE:

David?

David turns. Kyle's at the door.

KYLE (CONT'D)

Could we just... sit in the courtyard

for a minute? Just a minute.

David smiles warmly. Kyle seems so vulnerable tonight -

denying her would be impossible.

DAVID:

Sure.

INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK)

Mortuary Director stands beside the open casket.

MORTUARY DIRECTOR (IN GERMAN)

You need to enter your code now.

KYLE (IN GERMAN)

Is that really necessary?

MORTUARY DIRECTOR (IN GERMAN)

I'm afraid so. International Law

forbids the repatriation of an

unsecured casket.

EXT. APARTMENT - COURTYARD - NIGHT

Kyle and David step out to a COURTYARD which is surrounded on

all sides by the six stories of this rectangular building.

A bench sits out here. Behind it is a bare tree, home to a

few blackbirds. David brushes some snow off the bench.

Kyle's about to sit when a SOUND jars her: those BLACKBIRDS,

flying noisily away. She watches them as they go...

INT. MORTUARY - EVENING (RESUMING FLASHBACK)

Kyle stands, immobile, as the Mortuary Director closes the

casket, and we get our first glimpse of who's inside:

...a 40 year-old man. David. His face heavily made-up.

MORTUARY DIRECTOR (IN GERMAN)

We did all we could. But there was

some trauma, to the head.

Kyle tightens... The casket SHUTS... and David is gone.

EXT. APARTMENT - COURTYARD - NIGHT

Kyle stands, very much alone, that same umbrella in her hand.

No company. No David. A single set of footprints in the snow

lead to this bench.

Her eyes begin to moisten, but it might be from the stinging

cold - hard to say. She shuts them. CONTINUE INTERCUT:

INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK)

There's an ELECTRONIC LOCK on the now-closed CASKET, awaiting

input from her. It's blinking green.

MORTUARY DIRECTOR

Your code, bitte.

Kyle shakes her head, making herself function... enters six

digits into the electronic lock... until the lock blinks red.

END INTERCUT.

INT. KYLE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

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